MELBOURNE, Australia - Victoria Azarenka is packing her bags and leaving the Australian Open far earlier than years past, but the two-time former champion sure had fun while she was here.For the Belarussian, who is putting forth a more carefree image these days, this might be just as important as winning.Unseeded after an injury-marred season, Azarenka had the toughest draw of any of the top female contenders at Melbourne Park, yet she moved through three rounds with ease, not dropping a set to Sloane Stephens, Caroline Wozniacki or Barbora Zahlavova Strycova.On Monday, though, her run came to an end against 2014 finalist, Dominika Cibulkova, in a match filled with extended rallies, momentum shifts and impressive shot-making. The two women combined for 76 winners.It was Azarenkas earliest exit from the Australian Open since 2011, but rather than be disappointed, she looked at the upside.I take it as progress. I think there are a lot of the positive things to take from here, she said. Overall, I can be pretty happy.Its been her mantra for the whole tournament. In years past, Azarenka hasnt seemed to fully enjoy her time at the Australian Open, despite her success. This year felt different — she seemed to buy into the tournaments informal Happy Slam nickname.Forget the twirls — Azarenka put on impromptu dance performances on the court after her matches. She playfully scolded the crowds for calling her Vicky instead of Vika or Victoria when they cheered her on. And she flirted with Australian teen sensation Nick Kyrgios on Twitter — she asked how she could learn to serve as big as him, and he responded, private lessons, of course!!Even her encounters with the media, which used to cause her to bristle in the past, were lighthearted. The topic of conversation routinely veered from tennis to other less weighty subjects, such as Vegemite and her multi-colored leggings.Theres not many players who can pull that off, she said after her third-round win over Zahlavova Strycova as she raised her leg to show off her white, purple and green leggings. What do you think about them?Azarenka also opened up about the pressures she felt in the past to publicly present a more packaged, less authentic version of herself.This came to a head at the Australian Open two years ago when she struggled to explain herself and looked overwhelmed when repeatedly questioned about a medical time-out she took at a critical time in her semifinal against Stephens. The controversy hung over her final against Li Na, with some in the crowd booing her and mimicking her high-pitched grunting sounds.Azarenka maintains she was legitimately hurt and felt she was unfairly criticized at the time.Now, she says, she has learned the importance of being true to herself, even if not everybody likes her.I dont think Ive changed as a person. I think I grew as a person. I think Im able to speak my thoughts more freely, which before I think I was holding back and really was trying to fit into some kind of image that a lot of people, a lot of players do, she said.Im just being me. I say what I want to say. I laugh when I want to laugh. I play how I want to play. I grunt when I want to grunt. Shaquille ONeal Jersey . -- Down to 10 men and behind on the scoreboard, Toronto FC displayed its perseverance. Kyle Kuzma Lakers Jersey . Fellow Argentina forward Gonzalo Higuain also had a brace for Napoli. And Samuel Etoo scored for his fourth different team. 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David Horsey of England was also on 5 under through 15 holes to join Warren atop the leaderboard before play was stopped.AUBURN HILLS, Mich. - Josh Smith was booed when he went to the scorers table to check in, booed when he touched the ball and booed again when he went to the line to shoot free throws.Just over a month after Detroit waived the high-priced forward, Pistons fans gave him an unfriendly welcome when he returned to the Palace on Saturday night as a member of the Houston Rockets. Detroit beat Houston 114-101.Smith, who spent nine seasons with the Atlanta Hawks, was with the Pistons for less than a season and a half. He said the boos didnt bother him too much.That wasnt emotional to me, because I wasnt here long enough to feel any kind of way about it, Smith said. If that happened in Atlanta, it would be tougher for me, but it didnt affect me at all.Smith said before the game he had no ill will toward his former team, which went on a seven-game winning streak immediately after cutting him.I still have friends on this team, where we hung out and we had fun times and fun memories together, Smith said. I have no hard feelings. When they went on that winning streak, I knew the process and the hard work that we had to put in right after Labor Day weekend, all the way into training camp — it was finally kind of paying off.Detroit cut Smith loose in late December. The Pistons started playing well after his departure, and Smith caught on with one of the leagues best teams and is contriibuting.ddddddddddddI kind of sat back and looked at it, and I saw it as being a blessing, Smith said. I had an opportunity now to play for a contender and really try to do something special this season.The Pistons won those first seven games after waiving Smith, but Brandon Jennings ruptured his left Achilles tendon last weekend, and Detroit began struggling again.Smith, meanwhile, has for the most part come off the bench for the Rockets. His scoring is down, but his shooting percentage has improved.Ive enjoyed Josh. Working with him has been great. In our system, we try to get him to do things that we think he does real well, Rockets coach Kevin McHale said. Have him drive, have him play-make, have him kick out, get defensive rebounds, push it down the floor.When the Pistons cut Smith, coach Stan Van Gundy wanted to adjust the offence, and he said it may not have been fair to Smith to reduce his role at this point in his career.Smith has looked and sounded comfortable with the idea of being a reserve, but Van Gundy said that doesnt mean a move like that would have helped the Pistons much.Hes in a totally different situation with a totally different team in a totally different role. The people around him are not even similar, Van Gundy said. How he would have played here probably wouldnt have changed a lot. Just, he would have been coming off the bench. ' ' '