Redfoo

Victoria Azarenka had more trouble ducking questions about marriage than she did in overcoming Sloane Stephens on her way to the Australian Open quarter-finals yesterday.

The Belarussian was too consistent for Stephens and wrapped up a 6-3 6-2 victory in confident fashion.

After the match, Azarenka was quizzed about whether she might be about to marry her boyfriend, the rapper-singer, Redfoo.

“There’s nothing still (showing off her ring-free left hand),” she said.

“Once you see a big, big bling... big, big bling... maybe.”

Denmark’s Caroline Woz-niacki has been sporting a dazzling ring after agreeing to marry golfer Rory McIlroy and Azarenka said the competition was on.

“It had better be bigger than Caro’s,” she said in an on-court interview.

The only other thing Azarenka had to dodge was a backhand from Stephens midway through the first set that hit her in the groin.

Twelve months ago, Azarenka was accused of gamesmanship when she took a 10-minute injury time-out after failing to serve out for victory in their semi-final.

Having then broken Stephens in the next game to reach the final, she claimed she had needed the break because she “almost did the choke of the year” and was roundly jeered by the crowd on Rod Laver Arena.

With Serena Williams beaten on Sunday and Maria Sharapova going out yesterday, the path is clear for Azarenka but the 24-year-old said the shocks just proved that no one could be taken lightly.

“I don’t consider myself a favourite because I don’t consider anybody as the favourite,” she said.

“Anybody on any given day can bring their best game.”