Tennis No.1 Azarenka starts 2013 in style

Thursday, 3 January 2013 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

World No.1 Victoria Azarenka has continued her Down Under love affair by warming up impressively for her Australian Open tennis defence. In her first match of the 2013 season, Azarenka maintained her flawless record at the Brisbane International with a 6-3 6-3 second-round victory over German Sabine Lisicki.

The 23-year-old did not drop a set en route to the inaugural tournament title in 2009 and she never gave the world No.37 a look in during her return on Wednesday night.

Azarenka will play Kazakhstan qualifier Ksenia Pervak, who upset Caroline Wozniacki in the opening round, in a Thursday quarter-final but is set for a semi-final showdown against Serena Williams in a mouth-watering replay of the 2012 US Open final.

World No.3 Williams will play compatriot Sloane Stephens in her Thursday night quarter-final.