China’s Na Li couldn’t have started her comeback in a better way. The 25-year-old won the Mondial Australian Women’s Hardcourts with a 4-6 6-3 6-4 triumph over Victoria Azarenka of Belarus.
Li was sidelined by serious rib injury for six months, but she has returned to the winner’s circle with fierce determination and big strength.
World No.30 Azarenka started strongly to take the first set, but as the match wore on, Li began to draw more errors from the Belarusian and levelled at one set all. The third set was tight, but Li held on in a long service game to make it 4-4 and then broke Azarenka in the following game thanks to a superb backhand winner.
Na Li beat seventh seed Sybille Bammer in the first round, top seed Nicole Vaidisova in the quarterfinals and fourth seed Patty Schnyder in the semifinals at Gold Coast.
BTW: Next year, the tournament will be played in Brisbane.
