Dubai: Defending champion Venus Williams is hungry for a second straight title in Dubai and it doesn't matter to the American who she has to meet on centre court this evening.
"Both [Azarenka and Radwanska] have been playing very well this week. Azarenka's played very clean and I don't know if she has lost a set. I've watched every single match of hers."
Venus added: "And Agnieszka has played very well in the last match against a red-hot player [Regina Kulikova], who had won five matches in a row. So I don't know who will win between the two, but I will be waiting in the final."
She shrugged when asked about her prospects for today.
"They both keep raising the level of their games, trying to add more dimension and they are great competitors. So as long as they stay healthy and eager and improving their game, I don't see why they shouldn't continue to move up in the ranks and be a huge part of women's tennis in these years to come," Venus added.
Rewarding year
There is no reason why Venus can't see herself winning on centre court later this evening. "I am definitely pleased to be in the final. Every year is so different. This year has been, you know, obviously just as rewarding as last year. Even, you know, to be equally as rewarding, obviously, would be to take the title again," Venus said.
Yesterday, the defending champion was off in a hurry on Court No 2 against Shahar Peer, with the lone thought that she could have been one of the casualties of the tournament at the hands of the No 22 player who was making her Dubai debut.
"She [Peer] has been playing really well and she's beaten two top-10 players this week. The main difference between just playing me and the other players maybe my serves, and maybe the power and maybe my speed. Those were the differences, and if I did not have these elements then maybe I could have been another one of the top-10 players packing out early here this week," Venus said.
The third seeded American resisted judging herself based on her overall performance. "I see each tournament individually. And obviously, winning brings confidence, but at the same time I've been playing for so long that I don't judge myself on the wins or the losses per se. I judge myself in that very moment while I am executing that shot. I live in the moment and it's better that way," Venus said.
