PARIS, May 30: Victoria Azarenka is hoping that a French immersion course will spur her on to a second straight Grand Slam title win at the French Open.

The 22-year-old Belarusian won the Australian Open in January, a triumph that hoisted her to number one in the world rankings as she opened the year with 26 straight wins. Azarenka was already being coached by Frenchman Sam Sumyk with her physio being Jean-Pierre Bruyere.

But to complete the French conversion she hired recently-retired French former world number one Amelie Mauresmo in April to help her out with the psychological side of things, an area she has struggled with at times in the past.

Asked what was behind her French fixation Azarenka replied: “Well, kind of start to get more mentality, because I feel like every nation has their own way of seeing things.

“You know that some parts that I find normal, they don’t find normal or the other way around.”—AFP