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| Twice Grand Slam champion Azarenka’s progress since returning to tennis two years ago |
Former world number one Victoria Azarenka thrashed Australian Ajla Tomljanovic 6-2 6-0 in the second round to continue her impressive start at Wimbledon on Wednesday.
The unseeded 29-year-old Belarussian produced an aggressive display to overpower her opponent and set up a possible third-round clash with Romanian Simona Halep.
Twice Grand Slam champion Azarenka’s progress since returning to tennis two years ago following the birth of her son Leo has been steady rather than spectacular, not helped by a long-running custody battle with her former partner.
But there are signs she is beginning to rediscover the form and hunger that took her to Wimbledon semi-finals in 2011 and 2012 as well as quarter-final runs in 2009 and 2015.
Tomljanovic, ranked 49, simply could not cope with the intensity of Azarenka’s play and subsided easily.
Azarenka, who beat Alize Cornet in the first round, is in the third round of a Grand Slam for only the third time since returning to the Tour in June 2017.
REUTERS
