GOLD COAST (Australia), Jan 5: China’s Li Na completed a successful comeback from injury on Saturday, beating Victoria Azarenka here in the final of the Australian Women’s Hardcourt tennis championships.

Li, China’s highest ranked player, lost the first set to the 18-year-old Belarusian before gradually asserting control and running out eventual winner 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.

It was Li’s second WTA title since she joined the main tour in 2000, adding to the tournament she won in Guangzhou in southern China in 2004.

Li had a good start to 2007, making the quarter-finals or better five times in 13 events in the first half of the year. But a stress fracture of her right rib forced her off the tour for the rest of 2007.

Li beat three seeded players on her way to the final, including world No.12 Nicole Vaidisova and two-time champion Patty Schnyder as she makes a timely return to form ahead of the Beijing Olympics.

Azarenka and Li are one place apart on the world rankings, at 30 and 29 respectively, a closeness that was reflected on the scoreboard as both players strived to gain any advantage.The Belarusian stormed through the first set, breaking Li in the opening game and pinning her back with an array of powerful groundstrokes.

Li broke back in the sixth to get the set back on serve, but surrendered it immediately to give the initiative back to Azarenka.

Azarenka, who left the court at 4-3 to have her right thigh strapped, showed no signs of wavering as she held her next two service games to take the opening set.

Li stormed back in the second set as her deft placement began to take its toll on Azarenka. And although Li was broken twice, she broke Azarenka three times to send the match into a decider.

When Li broke Azarenka in the third game of the third set it appeared the match was heading for a quick finish, but the Belarusian refused to give in and broke back three games later to get back on serve.

However, Li steadied and took advantage of a loose service game from Azarenka at 4-4 to break again and serve for the match at 5-4. She raced to 40-15 and clinched the title when Azarenka hit a forehand over the baseline.

DAVENPORT WINS

AUCKLAND: Former world number one Lindsay Davenport continued her impressive return to the WTA circuit on Saturday, outclassing France’s Aravane Rezai 6-2, 6-2 to win the Auckland Classic.

The 31-year-old American comeback mum needed just 51 minutes to dispatch the 20-year-old Frenchwoman, offering fans a lesson in power and precision tennis.

Since returning to competitive tennis in September following the birth of her son Jagger, Davenport has won 18 of 19 matches and three of four tournaments to extend her career total to 54 WTA titles.

She admitted she was surprised at how well her comeback had gone and she now heads to the first Grand Slam of the year – the Australian Open – with her sights on at least a quarter-final showing if she gets a favourable draw.

Rezai was playing in only her second WTA final. She was forced to retire from the first one in Istanbul last year due to injury, after notching wins over Venus Williams and Maria Sharapova.

Although she had not dropped a set through to the finals here, Rezai’s game fell apart against Davenport, especially her serve. She put only 41 percent of her first serves in play and delivered seven double faults.

While the unseeded Frenchwoman struggled to hold, Davenport never faced a single break point.

LLODRA, NIEMINEN IN FINAL

ADELAIDE: France’s Michael Llodra ended the fairytale run of 32-year-old Australian Joseph Sirianni in the semi-finals of the Australian men’s hardcourt championships on Saturday, winning 6-3, 7-6 (10/8).

Llodra will face third seed Jarkko Nieminen in the final following the Finn’s 6-2, 6-4 win over another Frenchman, sixth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

Sirianni was granted a wild card into the tournament after a successful run in local Challenger tournaments.

He stunned onlookers with a come-from-behind win over world number 25 Paul-Henri Mathieu in the quarter-finals but Llodra disappointed the Adelaide fans when he finally ended Sirianni’s run in one hour, 38 minutes.

After Llodra won the first set easily, Sirianni fought back in the second, with the set on serve until the tiebreak.

The Australian had three set points at 6-3 to keep the match alive but a combination of nerves and fatigue proved too much and Llodra eventually closed it out 10-8.

Results (x denotes seeding):

Semi-finals: Michael Llodra (FRA) bt Joseph Sirianni (AUS) 6-3, 7-6 (10/8); Jarkko Nieminen (FIN x3) bt Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA x6) 6-2, 6-4.—AFP