Azarenka maintains Cornet mastery at Cincy

NEW YORK, NY, USA - Former World No.1 Victoria Azarenka's stellar week at the Western & Southern Open continued on Tuesday, as the 2013 champion dismissed Alizé Cornet, 6-4, 7-5 to reach the quarterfinals.

"It's been great. I don't know about a 'dream week,'" she said in her post-match press conference. "That's a little overexciting to put in a statement, that it's been my dream week."

Azarenka last reached the last eight of a WTA tournament at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia 16 months ago - missing six months of action after an opening round defeat at the US Open - and rallied from a break in second set to improve to 7-0 against Cornet in two hours and one minute on Court 7.

"The week still keeps going. I don't overanalyze anything while I'm still in the play. I think I take it day by day. I've always been this way. Now more than ever I try to take it one moment at a time."

The Belarusian began her post-lockdown campaign at the The Top Seed Open presented by Bluegrass Orthopaedics, where she fell to fellow former World No.1 and five-time Wimbledon champion Venus Williams, but showed marked improvements in New York, avenging two 2019 losses to Donna Vekic in the first round and defeating former World No.4 Caroline Garcia to book the clash with Cornet.

"Obviously it's been really good to have an opportunity to play matches back-to-back. I had two matches yesterday, two matches today, to keep going, trying to find my rhythm.

"I'm enjoying myself on the courts, actually playing and competing again." 

Cornet was fresh off a Top 5 victory over No.2 seed Sofia Kenin, and was clearly eager to earn a first win over another Australian Open champion in Azarenka, holding break points in the latter's opening service game.

Azarenka gamely saved all three and emerged on top of a late exchange of breaks to serve out the opening set in a marathon game - one that forced the 31-year-old to save three more break points.

Cornet rebounded well to start the second, racing out to a 3-0 lead with a chance for a double-break that ultimately proved elusive. Undaunted, Azarenka turned the tables on the Frenchwoman, reeling off four straight games to find herself serving for the match.

What followed was a tense finale as Cornet broke the Belarusian only to lose serve in another close game as Azarenka earned another chance to serve for the win. Arriving at match point as the French star netted a forehand, Azarenka secured victory with a deep backhand that put her just over the finish line.

Standing between Azarenka and her first WTA semifinal since the 2019 Abierto GNP Seguros in Monterrey is either Ons Jabeur or Christina McHale, who face off later on Tuesday.