Azarenka sets up second-round clash with Serena in Indian Wells

Victoria Azarenka cruised past fellow Belarusian Vera Lapko in straight sets at the BNP Paribas Open on Wednesday night to set up a blockbuster second round clash with Serena Williams.

After falling behind 2-0, 40-0, Azarenka reeled off 10 games in a row to build a 6-2 4-0 lead against Lapko. Lapko put up some resistance, getting one of the breaks back and fighting off five match points–four down 5-2, and another one down 5-3—but Azarenka closed it out, 6-2 6-3.

“Before the match I was a little nervous—playing someone from my country is very unusual for me, and first rounds are always quite challenging at the big events,” Azarenka told WTAtennis.com. “She played well at the beginning, too. She started aggressive and served well, and I was a little too much on my back foot. But then I started to play aggressively and dictate, and that’s what turned it around."

Up next for Azarenka will be No. 10-seeded Williams, who had a first round bye.

Williams dominates Azarenka in their overall head-to-head, 17-4, but it’s a much closer 9-4 on just hard courts (she leads Azarenka 8-0 on the other surfaces: 4-0 on clay and 4-0 on grass).

Also, Azarenka beat Williams in the final in Indian Wells in 2016, 6-4 6-4, which was the last time the two former No.1s played each other, and the only time they’ve ever played at Indian Wells.

“It’s obviously going to be a really difficult match, not a usual second-round match, for sure,” Azarenka said of playing Serena. “It’s going to be a huge challenge. We haven’t played for three years. We haven’t played since we both became moms, either. So it’s definitely going to be a special one.

“She’s the toughest opponent out there. It’s definitely no secret to anybody. I always feel very inspired and motivated because of her. She pushes the limits, and she always pushes me to improve."

Both Williams and Azarenka are two-time champions at the BNP Paribas Open, with the American winning in 1999 and 2001 and Azarenka winning in 2012 and 2016.

“I feel like with every year it’s more and more special to come here,” Azarenka said. “You kind of appreciate it a little bit more every year seeing how much bigger the tournament keeps getting.”