Monday, 7 January, 2008

China's Na Li completed her amazing run at the $175,000 Australian Women's Hardcourts tournament with a 4-6 6-3 6-4 victory over Victoria Azarenka of Belarus to claim her first career WTA title.

The 25-year-old, who has been sidelined for the last six months while recovering from a right rib stress fracture, upset three seeded players en route to victory.

Li ousted Austria's seventh-seeded Sybille Bammer and wild card Monique Adamczak in the first two rounds before disposing of top-seeded Czech Nicole Vaidisova in straight sets to advance to the semi-finals.

The unseeded Li scored yet another straight-sets upset in the final four, ending fourth-seeded Swiss star Patty Schnyder's bid for a third title here.

The final was just the third of Li's career and first since Estoril in 2006.

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