APIA INTERNATIONAL SYDNEY – Victoria Azarenka Wins

Written by: Staff on 13th January 2012

APIA INTERNATIONAL SYDNEY - Victoria Azarenka Wins

Victoria Azarenka of Belarus returns a hit to Li Na of China during the women's final at the Sydney International tennis tournament in Sydney, Australia, 13 January 2012. Azarenka won the match 6-2, 1-6, 6-3. EPA/PAUL MILLER AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT |

APIA INTERNATIONAL SYDNEY

Sydney, Australia

January 8-13, 2012

$637,000/Premier

Hard/Outdoors

Results – Friday, January 13, 2012

Singles – Final

(3) Victoria Azarenka (BLR) d. (4) Li Na (CHN) 62 16 63

Doubles – Final

(1) Peschke/Srebotnik (CZE/SLO) d. (2) Huber/Raymond (USA/USA) 61 46 1311 (Match TB)

Final Facts

– Azarenka wins her ninth WTA title and is now 9-8 in WTA finals; it is her fifth Premier-level title (after Miami in 2009, Stanford and Moscow in 2010 and Miami again in 2011).

– Li was playing in her first WTA final since winning her first Grand Slam title at the French Open last June; she falls to 5-6 in WTA finals.

– Both Azarenka and Li were playing their first tournament of the year.

– Both Azarenka and Li will head to Melbourne on impressive streaks, Azarenka having won 13 of her last 15 matches overall and Li having won 20 of her last 23 matches in Australia.

– Azarenka still trails Li in their head-to-head series, 4-3.

– Peschke and Srebotnik win their ninth WTA doubles title together – they won two in 2010 and six more in 2011; Peschke now has 23 WTA doubles titles to her name, Srebotnik 30.

– Peschke and Srebotnik saved a match point down 9-8 in the match tie-break.

– Peschke and Srebotnik are now 2-1 head-to-head against Huber and Raymond (winning in last year’s Eastbourne final and losing in last year’s WTA Championships final).

Final Quotes

Victoria Azarenka: “It was really difficult. I knew at some point I would get a chance, so I just had to stay with her and fight. I kept my composure. We showed some incredible tennis out there. Li Na, she’s always dangerous, and she proved it again today. I’m just glad I could overcome her and win this match.

“The Australian Open is going to be a new week, a new tournament, so for me it’s going to be starting from zero. I’m glad the way I got through some tough battles here in Sydney, so I really tested myself before a big event. I’m going to keep going to same way with the same attitude, the same way I’m playing.”

Li Na: “I don’t think anything went wrong. I think it was a very good final. There’s nothing to worry about. We were showing our best tennis. And my tennis is much, much better than the last half year – but it’s still step by step.”