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Li Na continues run of upset victories

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 yesterday.

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 Israeli Shahar Peer 6-4, 6-2 in the second semi-final.

Li, the world No. 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 today's decider.

Li started last year 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 and said she believed she has what it takes to join the ranks of the elite players.

"I want to be in the top ten," she said. "I feel stronger mentally. I think a new Li Na has come back. I feel fresh."

The 25-year-old has won one tournament since she joined the main tour in 2000 -- in Guangzhou in 2000, and reached the final in Estoril in 2005 and 2006.

Azarenka reached her third WTA Tour final by beating Peer.

"I was really surprised by my game, because I did everything I should have done by the game plan -- I played my best," Azarenka said.
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