SYDNEY – China’s Li Na upset two-time champion Kim Clijsters on Friday to win the Sydney International title and her fourth career WTA crown. Eighth seed Li recovered from going behind 0-5 in the opening set to rally for a convincing 7-6 (7/3), 6-3 victory in 1hr 30min.
It was her second WTA title in Australia after winning the Gold Coast event in 2008 and last year she was a surprise semi-finalist at the Australian Open. Li will stay at her 11th ranking despite the win, while Clijsters missed the chance to move up from number three to two in the rankings ahead of Russian Vera Zvonareva.
It was Li’s second victory in six encounters with US Open champion Clijsters and her first win over the Belgian in three matches at the Sydney tournament. “Maybe right now I can say I am more confident on the court or I believe I can play much better,” Li said.
Li, at 28 years 10 months, is the oldest woman to win the Sydney title in 21 years. Clijsters, 27, who won in Sydney in 2003 and 2007, had been a perfect 13-0 in semi-final and final matches since her return to tennis in August 2009 as Li pulled off the boilover.
It capped a magnificent week for Li after she eliminated two-time major champion Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia in the quarter-finals, Serbian Bojana Jovanovski in the semis and Australian Anastasia Rodionova and French qualifier Virginie Razzano in the earlier rounds. Li became the first Chinese player to break into the world top 10 rankings after reaching the last four at last year’s Australian Open.
SIMON TO PLAY TROICKI FINAL: Serbia’s Viktor Troicki will look to overturn a losing four-match run when he takes on Frenchman Gilles Simon in the final of the Sydney International on Saturday.
Fourth seed Troicki has yet to take a set off Simon in their four meetings as he continues to savour his crucial role in Serbia’s Davis Cup final victory over France in Belgrade last month.
Troicki overcame German Florian Mayer, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) Friday and is bidding for his second career ATP title in the Sydney final.
Simon’s determination to stick it out earned him a place in the final after the capitulation of his opponent Ernests Gulbis in their semi-final.
The 41st-ranked Simon weathered Gulbis’s early firepower in warm conditions before closing out a 7-6 (7/1), 6-0 win in 73 minutes.
