Azarenka, Wozniacki Meet in Déjà Vu Indian Wells Quarterfinals

It's been two years since Victoria Azarenka and Caroline Wozniacki faced each other. A lot has changed for each, both personally and professionally, as they meet in tomorrow's quarters.

By Erik Gudris

(March 13th, 2013) -- A lot has happened since Victoria Azarenka and Caroline Wozniacki last faced each other in the quarterfinals of the 2011 BNP Paribas Open. One was No. 1 in the world and one was struggling to remain a fixture of the top ten.

If that scenario sounds familiar, it is because it is the exact same one we'll have tomorrow when Azarenka and Wozniacki meet for the first time in two years.

Now it's Azarenka, once No. 1, who is the top seed this week while Wozniacki is clinging on to staying inside the top ten. Their change in fortunes, both personally and professionally, continues to impact them and the WTA.

Though Wozniacki leads the overall head to head four to two, their last meeting at Indian Wells was hardly a match as Azarenka retired down 0-3 due to a hip injury. Wozniacki went on to win the title and though she finished the year ranked No. 1, her reign at the top of women's tennis continued to be criticized by the media and fans alike, mostly because she had yet to win a Major title.

After a disappointing exit at Indian Wells in 2011, Azarenka bounced back and surprised many by winning Miami for the second time in her career. She used that win to propel herself into the top five by the end the year. The rest, as they say, is history. The Belarusian claimed her first Australian Open title at the start of 2012 and with it the No. 1 ranking, a spot she finished the year at the end of the season.

Though close for many years, it is apparent that while both are still friendly to each other, they have drifted apart partially due to changes in their own personal lives that generate almost as many headlines as their on-court performances. Wozniacki continues to date star golfer Rory McIlroy with rumors popping up constantly that they could get married anytime soon. Azarenka has a very public, if yet still not completely defined relationship with pop star RedFoo who is at Azarenka's side no matter where she is in the world.

But it's their tennis that fans want to focus most on and for the last two years the diverging paths in the rankings that each woman has taken is a source of concern and joy depending on who you root for.

Azarenka is mentally tougher than she was two years ago and injuries no longer plague her at almost every event. Though she appears to be dealing with an ankle issue this week, her performance yesterday in the fourth round versus Urzsula Radwanska where she played through whatever pain she was feeling to get the win was clearly evident. The Azarenka of two years would have simply called it quits. The other noticeable thing about Azarenka lately is that how rarely now she calls for her coach Sam Sumyk for on-court consults during matches, yet another sign of her growing maturity.

The same however can't be said for Wozniacki. Her recent and very public coaching changes has left her sticking with her father Piotr. While that is an arrangement she is comfortable with, it has led to more criticism against her especially after her father's recent run-ins with officials in Doha during his daughter's match against Mona Barthel. Now ranked at No. 10, Wozniacki continues to struggle to repeat the high level of consistent results that made her a difficult opponent for many on tour two years ago.

Because of Wozniacki's winning record against Azarenka, many have been hoping for a rematch between the two since Azarenka's rise up the rankings. The short term question if Wozniacki still possesses the game that can defeat a new and improved Azarenka will be answered tomorrow. But the long term question of if either player, still in their early 20's, will remain a dominant force in the game years from now is still too soon to tell. Whether their generation will be defined as "Generation Caro" or "Generation Vika" is to be determined, but a small hint will be revealed tomorrow night when these two friends and stars of the game take to the court.

(Photo Credit: Natasha Peterson/Corleve)