Li Overcomes Kvitova, Azarenka Up Next - 亞網 Tennis

李娜最近三次對壘世界前二的選手都取得勝利！
(去年澳網擊敗世界第1瓦牆；年終賽擊敗世界第2莎娃)
這也是李娜自去年法網奪冠後再度闖進巡迴賽決賽，
她將在決賽碰上Azarenka，兩人之前交手6次，李娜以4-2領先，
最近一次對壘是在去年年終賽，Azarenka直落二輕鬆取勝。

SYDNEY, Australia - Li Na and Petra Kvitova kept their streaky head-to-head
pattern alive at the Apia International Sydney on Thursday, with Li rallying
from 61 31 down to return to the final of the Premier-level tournament.

Li, who won this title a year ago to become the first Chinese player ever to
win a Premier-level title, looked in serious trouble early against Kvitova,
losing the first set in just 26 minutes and getting broken again early in the
second set.

"I didn't know what happened on the court. She was playing so flat and deep.
I had no chance to hit the ball back deep," Li said. "I called my coach to
the court and he said if I kept playing like that, I would lose the match
easily. Like maybe after 50 minutes we could go to the airport. I'm not even
joking.

"He said I have to believe I can do better, just try to play my best."

From 61 54 down, Li won five straight games to take the second set and build
a 2-0 lead in the third, holding onto that break and finishing particulary
strong - she won 12 of the last 13 points to seal a 16 75 62 victory over
Kvitova.

"Yeah, I'm back," Li said after reaching her first WTA final since winning
the French Open last June. "I'm feeling stronger, in the body and mind. I'm
just trying to do better - not like what I was doing the last half of last
year.

"My goal every year is I want to do better than the year before."

The last time Li and Kvitova played each other, in the fourth round of the
French last year, Kvitova led 3-0 third set but Li won six games in a row to
prevail, 26 61 63; in their only other career meeting, Kvitova steamrolled
Li, 63 61.

Kvitova, who would have assumed No.1 by winning this week's title, talked
about the match afterwards. "In the beginning I played really fast and well.
It's normal if you play too well, you will come down a little bit. That was
the problem. It's life.

"She played very well. Many of us can be at the top, and she's one of us."

Li has now won her last three matches against Top 2 players, beating No.1
Caroline Wozniacki at last year's Australian Open and a No.2-ranked Maria
Sharapova at the WTA Championships in November. Kvitova is currently No.2.

Azarenka and Li, the No.3 and No.4 seeds, respectively, will meet in the
final on Friday night. Azarenka won their most recent meeting handily, at the
WTA Championships, but Li leads their overall head-to-head series, 4-2.

"I think she showed some excellent fighting spirit as well today," Azarenka
said of Li. "She has obviously played great in Australia for the last couple
of years. I'm looking forward to it - it's a great opportunity to get one
last challenge here."

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