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TENNIS
China

Li beats Azarenka in Hua Hin exhibition

AP
Li Na of China opens her 2013 campaign with a victory against Victoria Azarenka of Belarus in an exhibition match Saturday in Hua Hin, Thailand.
  • Li Na defeated Victoria Azarenka in an exhibition in Thailand
  • Redfoo of LMFAO accompanied Azarenka to the court
  • Azarenka: "It was my first match, I should have practiced a bit more"

HUA HIN, Thailand (AP) β€” Li Na of China won the annual Hua Hin exhibition event on Saturday by beating top-ranked Victoria Azarenka 6-3, 2-6, 10-7 after a Champions tiebreaker.

The seventh-ranked Li benefited from a slew of unforced errors by Azarenka in the first set and then broke to lead 2-1 in the second. But the defending champion from Belarus won five straight games to level the match before coming up just short in the decider.

Azarenka was accompanied to Thailand by American rapper Redfoo of LMFAO. She will start her WTA season by playing in the Brisbane International next week. She said "I was surprised by the court. It was my first match, I should have practiced a bit more. But Li Na played so well."

Li will next play in the Shenzhen Open in China.

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