She is GOLDEN

With nine out of the top 10 players in the world entering the draw, the 2012 Apia International Open in Sydney benefited from one of its most illustrious line-ups ever. And with many focusing on the battle for the number 1 spot between current leader Caroline Wozniacki and Czech Petra Kvitova, the rest of the field was a bit overshadowed. This didn't seem to bother Azarenka whatsoever, as she remained clearheaded, focused and determined to get her season off to a perfect start.

She began the week in great fashion, being sharp and dismissive in the early rounds. After destroying Swiss qualifier Stefanie Vögele 6-1,6-2, she went on to dispatch Serbian Jelena Jankovic 6-4,6-2, securing her place in the last eight. In the quarterfinals she faced Marion Bartoli, a rather tricky opponent who, having won two of their last three encounters, could very well trouble her. And this showed early on, as the Frenchwoman built a 5-3 advantage. The Belorussian was not about to go down without a fight though. She geared up to her full capacity claiming the next four games and the set 7-5. The second was also a tight affair, but a more accurate display from the number three seed saw her prevail 6-4. At the stage of the tournament, Kvitova was nearing toward the top of the rankings, as Caroline saw her campaign hit a dead end after a three sets loss to best friend Agnieszka Radwanska. The Pole has been in a remarkable form lately and a place in the final was next thing on her mind. Bursting with confidence, Radwanska blew Azarenka away in the first set of their semifinal clash, winning it 6-1. The shock of losing to such a margin worked as a wake-up call for the Belorussian who immediately stepped up her game while marching towards a 1-6,6-3,6-2 victory. In the grand finale Vika faced Na Li. The Chinese trailblazer was her 2011 Grand Slam nemesis, beating her at the Australian Open, as well as at Roland Garros. However, this time around Azarenka was better prepared and, leaving aside a poor second set performance, she got the upper hand of Li, preventing her opponent from successfully defending her title. After a fierce, topsy-turvy 6-2,1-6,6-3 battle, she claimed her first title of 2012, ninth overall, strengthening her credentials for the new season. With Melbourne starting on Monday, Victoria will be looking forward to breaking the duck by collecting her first Grand Slam crown.

photos: GETTY IMAGES