Li stops Azarenka to win an exhibition tournament
Source: Agencies |
December 30, 2012, Sunday
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Print Edition
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LI Na of China won the annual Hua Hin exhibition event yesterday in Thailand by beating top-ranked Victoria Azarenka 6-3, 2-6, 10-7 after a Champions tiebreaker.
The seventh-ranked Li benefited from a slew of unforced errors from Azarenka in the first set and then broke to lead 2-1 in the second. But the defending champion won five straight games to level the match, but then came up just short in the decider.
Azarenka, who was accompanied to Thailand by American rapper Redfoo of LMFAO, will start her WTA season by playing in the Brisbane International next week. She said "I was surprised by the court. It was my first match, I should have practiced a bit more. But Li Na played so well."
Li will next play in the Shenzhen Open in China.
Meanwhile, in Perth, Australia beat Germany 2-0 in the Hopman Cup mixed team competition yesterday after Andrea Petkovic had to retire from her singles match with a right knee injury.
Bernard Tomic had given Australia a 1-0 lead by beating Tommy Haas 7-6 (6), 3-6, 7-5, but Petkovic looked likely to force a decisive mixed doubles when she won the first set 6-4 against 16-year old Ashleigh Barty. However, she then called for treatment and was in tears as her right knee was bandaged, and was not able to continue.
Earlier, Tomic hit 14 aces to overcome his more experienced opponent. Haas led the first set tiebreaker 6-1 before Tomic swept the next seven points. A forehand error at 4-3 gave Haas the only break of the second set, and the German broke again early in the third. But Tomic leveled at 5-5 and then broke again before clinching the win on his third match point.
"It was a very tough first set and my first to play for a few months," Tomic said after claiming his first victory since September. "It was difficult to play Tommy. He played really well at the beginning of the tiebreak and I don't know how I got out of that."
Also yesterday, Spain clinched a 2-1 victory over South Africa after winning the mixed doubles 6-4, 6-7 (3), 10-8.
Kevin Anderson had given South Africa the lead by beating Fernando Verdasco 7-6 (5), 6-4, before Annabel Medina Garrigues leveled the contest with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Chanelle Scheepers. The Spanish duo then outlasted the South Africans in the Champions tiebreaker of the doubles match.
"I was a little bit lucky," Medina Garrigues said. "The doubles was also tough.... but Fernando was playing good."
The seventh-ranked Li benefited from a slew of unforced errors from Azarenka in the first set and then broke to lead 2-1 in the second. But the defending champion won five straight games to level the match, but then came up just short in the decider.
Azarenka, who was accompanied to Thailand by American rapper Redfoo of LMFAO, will start her WTA season by playing in the Brisbane International next week. She said "I was surprised by the court. It was my first match, I should have practiced a bit more. But Li Na played so well."
Li will next play in the Shenzhen Open in China.
Meanwhile, in Perth, Australia beat Germany 2-0 in the Hopman Cup mixed team competition yesterday after Andrea Petkovic had to retire from her singles match with a right knee injury.
Bernard Tomic had given Australia a 1-0 lead by beating Tommy Haas 7-6 (6), 3-6, 7-5, but Petkovic looked likely to force a decisive mixed doubles when she won the first set 6-4 against 16-year old Ashleigh Barty. However, she then called for treatment and was in tears as her right knee was bandaged, and was not able to continue.
Earlier, Tomic hit 14 aces to overcome his more experienced opponent. Haas led the first set tiebreaker 6-1 before Tomic swept the next seven points. A forehand error at 4-3 gave Haas the only break of the second set, and the German broke again early in the third. But Tomic leveled at 5-5 and then broke again before clinching the win on his third match point.
"It was a very tough first set and my first to play for a few months," Tomic said after claiming his first victory since September. "It was difficult to play Tommy. He played really well at the beginning of the tiebreak and I don't know how I got out of that."
Also yesterday, Spain clinched a 2-1 victory over South Africa after winning the mixed doubles 6-4, 6-7 (3), 10-8.
Kevin Anderson had given South Africa the lead by beating Fernando Verdasco 7-6 (5), 6-4, before Annabel Medina Garrigues leveled the contest with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Chanelle Scheepers. The Spanish duo then outlasted the South Africans in the Champions tiebreaker of the doubles match.
"I was a little bit lucky," Medina Garrigues said. "The doubles was also tough.... but Fernando was playing good."
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