Foot Fault!

You’d think that people would know by now not to get Victoria Azarenka angry, right? And yet apparently they don’t. After her 6-2 6-2 victory over Stosur the subject quickly veered into the age-old subject of grunting.

Q. I know this has come up before, but Caroline Wozniacki has said a few things about the noise that people like yourself and Maria make. She says that some players do it deliberately, and she wishes they would stop. Has the tour mentioned this to you, anyone from seniority spoken to you about this issue?

“No, and Caroline never spoke to me about that, either. It’s not — I don’t really have a comment actually about that. I’m the way that I play since I was actually eight years old, and it’s becme the part of my movement, part of my game. So I cannot change it and I’m not gonna.

This was strike one.

Q. But what if an opponent made a complaint, which they are within their rights to do? Then what would be your attitude to that?

“I would just say, mind your own business, I guess. I hope you can beat me. That’s it. (Smiling.)

Strike two.

Q. If you had to stop doing it, could you do it?
“No.”

Q. Really?
“Really. That’s what I have been trying to tell you, but you keep asking me the same question, just trying to turn it around. And you’re not going to get another answer.”

Aaand strike three.

Unsurprisingly, that last sentence closed off the presser. I wasn’t present, but I imagine half the press room was trying to suppress laughter while those british journalists responsible for the questions sat mortified at Azarenka’s retort, and rightly so. I highly doubt they will dare to ask her another grunting question for a long time. And if they do? Then I’m sure she’ll be bringing out the heavy artillery.