HUA HIN: Li Na of China won the annual Hua Hin exhibition tennis event on Saturday by beating World No. 1 Victoria Azarenka 6-3, 2-6, 10-7 after a Champions tiebreaker.
Li Na of China returns a shot during her invitational match against Victoria Azarenka at Centennial Park in Hua Hin on Saturday. (AP Photo)
The seventh-ranked Li benefited from several unforced errors from Azarenka in the first set and then broke to lead 2-1 in the second. The Belarusian defending champion then won five straight games to level the match, but then came up just short in the decider.
Azarenka, who was accompanied to Thailand by Athe merican rapper Redfoo of LMFAO, will start her WTA season by playing in the Brisbane International next week.
"I was surprised by the court." she said after the matcnh. "It was my first match, I should have practised a bit more. But Li Na played so well."
Li will next play in the Shenzhen Open in China.