hina's Li Na, playing her first tournament in six months due to injury, beat Victoria Azarenka 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 Saturday to win the Australian women's hardcourt tennis championship.
Li last played in Birmingham, England in June, but suffered a rib injury that saw her sit out the rest of 2007.
It was the 25-year-old Li's second WTA Tour title, adding to her 2004 victory in Guangzhou.
Li beat top-seeded Nicole Vaidisova in the quarterfinals and No. 4 seed Patty Schnyder in the semifinals here.
Azarenka, of Belarus, needed treatment for a right upper thigh injury when leading 4-3 in the first set. She called a medical time out and returned with her leg heavily strapped, but it did not appear to affect her movement.
In the deciding set at 4-4, Li broke Azarenka's service in the ninth game, hitting a stinging backhand on break point that Azarenka couldn't reach.
Li then held service in the next game, winning on her first match point when Azarenka hit a forehand long.
The tournmanent will shift next year to Brisbane and be combined with the men's hardcourt tournament being played for the final time this year at Adelaide.
Sat January 5, 2008 00:33 EST
GOLD COAST, Australia (AP)
Li Na of China pictured during her press conference after she won the Australian Women's Hardcourt Championships on the Gold Coast, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 5, 2008. Li won the match 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.
(AP Photo/Charles Knight)
hina's Li Na, playing her first tournament in six months due to injury, beat Victoria Azarenka 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 Saturday to win the Australian women's hardcourt tennis championship.
