Victoria Azarenka feels healthy again; intrigued by Martina Hingis

Victoria Azarenka, the third-ranked player in the world and a two-time winner of the Australian Open, is playing her first match since she withdrew from Wimbledon last month before the second round.

Azarenka, who had been seeded second at Wimbledon, hurt her knee in a first-round win over Maria Joao Koehler on a day when the Wimbledon grass was wet and slippery. Azarenka was sobbing when she clutched her right knee. She finished that match and won but withdrew before the second round with a bone bruise.

Monday in Carlsbad for the Southern California Open, Azarenka said she spent nearly two weeks off the court after her injury but that she has been heavily training for the last two weeks and is ready for a real match.

“My training has taken all day,” she said. “But I’m just really glad to be healthy again. It wasn’t easy to get back on the court but I’m very eager now because I haven’t competed in a while. And these smaller tournaments have a nice vibe. I’m glad I was able to come here.”

Just as is third-seeded Petra Kvitova, a former Wimbledon champion, Azarenka is intrigued by the entrance of multiple Grand Slam winner Martina Hingis’s entry into doubles at the Southern California Open.

“I don’t know what it means,” Azarenka said. “But everybody is talking about it, that’s for sure.”

Hingis, 32, asked for and received a wild card invitation into the doubles draw and will play with Daniela Hantuchova. Hingis has been retired since 2007.

Kvitova said that when she saw Hingis’ name in the doubles draw, “it was quite a surprise for me,” Kvitova said. “I think she’s missing tennis. For fans, for media, even for players, it is quite interesting to have her back.”

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