A hostile crowd may hamper Azarenka

It is going to be so interesting to see just how Victoria Azarenka’s medical timeout in her semi final affects this women’s Australian Open decider.

I think Victoria is going to really regret, retrospectively, calling the medical trainer and she will regret the post match interview with Sam Smith where she said she was choking and needed to gather her thoughts.

It goes against the spirit of the rules.

Look, if she really was injured then the media and a lot of other people have done her a great disservice.

But if she wasn’t injured then she has been let off the hook because if she wasn’t injured then it was one of the worst cases of gamesmanship I have ever seen.

We ran a FANGO poll after the game and a resounding 80 percent of the public thought there was no injury.

And this is where it gets interesting.

Perhaps due to this Li Na could have a real groundswell of support during the final.

And that can really help. It is like having a home ground advantage.

If the crowd get hostile with Azarenka, between the shrieking and the residue from the timeout debacle it will be very tough out there for her.

I am not sure how Azarenka’s entourage will try to shelter her from everything but they will need to because if she reads Twitter or anything online she will be feeling pretty down I think.

So it will affect her, that is for sure, just how much we will have to wait and see.

She is tough though. You don’t get to be No.1 in the world without being extremely tough.

She has won a Major before, she knows what it takes so she will be able to steel herself.

Li Na looks fantastic though at the moment.

She has a new coach and is in top form.

The way she demolished Maria Sharapova in the semi final was just amazing.

If she can maintain that level she is a real chance.

She is already a popular player but with this Azarenka incident as well she will be heavily supported out there.

Still Azarenka will go in as favourite by the bookies, deservedly. She is the defending champ and the world No.1.

My heart however is with Li Na and for some reason I think she will win.