Rome (Italy) (AFP)

How do you say "steamroller" in Belarusian?

Victoria Azarenka, in the wake of her brilliant American tour (title in Cincinnati, final at the US Open), inflicted an impressive 6-0, 6-0 to the American Sofia Kenin, seeded No.3, Thursday in the 2nd round of the Rome tournament.

Already easy Wednesday against Venus Williams in the 1st round, just four days after her final lost in New York against Naomi Osaka, Azarenka did not leave a crumb to the 5th player in the world, victorious at the beginning of the year of the Open d ' Australia.

At 31, the former world No. 1 is experiencing a real renaissance.

In New York, she first won the Cincinatti tournament at the end of August (relocated due to the coronavirus pandemic), her first title since 2016. Then she climbed to the final of the US Open in stride.

While others seemed to take the blame when it came to moving on with Rome, overcoming both the fatigue of New York, the jet lag and the brutal transition between hard and clay, "Vika", she, continues to hover over the Foro Italico.

The statistics against Kenin are breathtaking: nearly 90% of first balls passed and, at the end of 1:01 of the match, 57 points won by Belarus against 29 for the American.

"89% serving? That's a good stat! I used my serve well, I hit when I needed it and I put more variety when I needed it," he said. she commented after the game.

- The pleasure in addition -

"The key to a score like that was to stay consistent, I think I played really smart tennis," she added after the demonstration.

Winner of two Grand Slam tournaments in Australia (2012 and 2013), Azarenka made her comeback this week in the World Top 15 thanks to her beautiful career in New York (14th in the world, with a spectacular jump of 13 places).

A hell of a comeback at the highest level for the one who had put her career on hold to give birth in 2016. A fight for custody of the child kept her away from the courts longer than she did. had hoped and she did not actually return to the circuit until mid-season in 2018.

It took her two years to become again this formidable player who dominated world tennis in 2012 (world 1).

With the added pleasure: "I think I have always been passionate. But the joy of playing, I never really knew it before ... Even when I was N.1 and I won in Grand Slam. I didn't 've never been able to achieve this level of happiness on the court, "she said in New York.

An enthusiasm that she intends to take to Roland-Garros, on a surface, the clay, which however is not her favorite.

"I really want to play on clay. For years, it did not go very well but last year, I had fun", she assured before flying to Rome where she benefited from a wild card to avoid going through the qualifcations.

Now off to a good start, she will face Russian Daria Kasatkina (74th world) in the round of 16.

© 2020 AFP