January 05, 2008	Saturday	Zilhaj 25, 1428

GOLD COAST (Australia), Jan 4: China’s Li Na continued her run of upsets by beating fourth seed Patty Schnyder in the semi-finals of the Australian Women’s Hardcourt tennis championships here on Friday.

Li came back from losing the first set and recovered after being down a break in the decider to beat Switzerland’s Schnyder, a two-time champion here, 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 and reach only her fourth WTA tour final.

In a surprise final line-up she will take on unseeded Belarusian Victoria Azarenka, who upset fifth-seeded Israel’s Shahar Peer 6-4, 6-2 in the second semi-final.

Li, the world number 29, beat top seed Nicole Vaidisova in the quarter-finals and Austria’s seventh-seeded Sybille Bammer in the opening round on her way to Saturday’s decider.

Li started 2007 in impressive form but missed the second half of the year through injury.

She is making a comeback to the tour as she prepares to represent her country at the Beijing Olympics later in the year. The 25-year-old has won one tournament since she joined the main tour in 2000 — in Guangzhou, and reached the final in Estoril in 2005 and 2006.

Azarenka, a former junior world number one, reached her third WTA Tour final by beating doubles partner Peer.

Results (x denotes seeding):

Semi-finals: Li Na (CHN) bt

Patty Schnyder (SUI x4) 3-6, 6-3, 7-5;

Victoria Azarenka (BLR) bt Shahar Peer (ISR x5) 6-4, 6-2.

DAVENPORT, REZAI IN FINAL

AUCKLAND: Former world number one Lindsay Davenport overpowered Austrian teenager Tamira Paszek in the Auckland Classic on Friday to set up a final against Frenchwoman Aravane Rezai.

Davenport started slowly but her greater firepower took her to a 6-4, 6-3 win over the sixth seed in the semi-final of the WTA event.

Unseeded Rezai scored a 6-3, 7-5 victory over home town heroine Marina Erakovic, the first New Zealander to make the semi-finals of the Auckland event for 18 years.

Results:

Semi-finals: Lindsay Davenport (US) def Tamira Paszek (AUT x6) 6-4, 6-3; Aravane Rezai (FRA) def Marina Erakovic (NZL) 6-3, 7-5.

HEWITT CRASHES OUT

ADELAIDE: Top-seeded Australian Lleyton Hewitt and second seed Paul-Henri Mathieu of France crashed out of the Australian men’s hardcourt tennis championships here on Friday.

France’s Jo-Wilfried Tsonga ended Hewitt’s hopes of winning the tournament he first claimed 10 years ago as a 16-year-old when he outclassed the Australian 6-4, 6-2.

Results:

Quarter-finals: Michael Llodra (FRA) bt Benjamin Becker (GER) 7-6 (7/5), 6-4; Joseph Sirianni (AUS) bt Paul-Henri Mathieu (FRA x2) 1-6, 6-1, 7-6 (8/6); Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA x6) bt Lleyton Hewitt (AUS x 1) 6-4, 6-2; Jarkko Nieminen (FIN x3) bt Vince Spadea (US) 7-6 (7/5), 6-7 (7/9), 7-6 (7/5).—Agencies