MEALBOURNE, Jan 26: Victoria Azarenka retained her Australian Open title on Saturday with a tense 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory over China’s Li Na, who suffered a sickening ankle injury in the second set and hit her head in the third when she twisted the joint for a second time.

Li dominated the first set but Azarenka raced out to a 3-1 lead in the second before Li slipped and twisted her left ankle. She had it strapped but had problems pivoting and Azarenka won the set 6-4.

The Chinese sixth seed, who won the French Open title in 2011, took a 2-1 lead in the decider before an Australia Day fireworks display delayed play for some 10 minutes. She immediately went over on her ankle again when they returned and hit her head.

A smiling Li returned to court but Azarenka managed to break in the fifth game, then hold serve to jump to a 4-2 lead and she sealed the title, which ensured she retained the world number one ranking, when she broke Li in the ninth game.

Azarenka dropped her racket to the ground and, after shaking hands with Li and the umpire Alison Lang, went tearfully to her players’ box where she was embraced by her support staff and friends who included American musician Redfoo.

“It’s been a real long two weeks,” Azarenka said. “I will always keep very special memories of this court. It will be in my heart forever. The last thing I want to say is, happy Australia Day everybody.”

Azarenka became only the fourth active player to hold two or more majors, joining Serena Williams with 15, Venus Williams with seven, Maria Sharapova with four and Svetlana Kuznetsova with two.

“Congratulations to Victoria,” said Li, who had tears in her eyes after the match. “Fantastic result here for two years, so well done.”

Later, Mike and Bob Bryan captured their record 13th Grand Slam doubles title, defeating the Dutch team of Robin Haase and Igor Sijsling in the men’s doubles final 6-3, 6-4.

In the men’s singles final on Sunday night, Novak Djokovic attempts to win his third consecutive Australian Open against US Open champion Andy Murray.

Djokovic has had the benefit of an extra day off after an easy three-set win over David Ferrer on Thursday night, while Murray needed a tough five-setter to defeat Roger Federer 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 6-7 (2/7), 6-2 in exactly four hours.

Murray has predicted a tough match with long rallies against Djokovic, the player he beat in the final at Flushing Meadows in September.

“I’m ready for the pain,” he said. I hope it’s a painful match that will mean it will be a good one.”

Djokovic, who played the longest ever Grand Slam final against Rafa Nadal last year, has also resigned himself to an attritional slog to capture his third Melbourne Park title in a row.

“Considering the fact that every time we played in last probably six, seven encounters, it was always a long matches, physically very demanding, going three sets and five sets in grand slams,” the world number one told reporters.

“So I guess we have to expect something similar to happen, long rallies, and I’m ready for that.”

In the other final Sunday to end the year’s first Grand Slam, the unseeded pairs of Jarmila Gajdosova and Matthew Ebden of Australia and the Czech Republic’s Lucie Hradecka and Frantisek Cermak play for the mixed doubles championship.

Earlier on Friday, Italian duo Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci beat local hopes Ashleigh Barty and Casey Dellacqua 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 in the women’s doubles final to claim the first title of the tournament.—Agencies