The top two Chinese players faced off in a home tournament, with Li Na coming away the winner over the second best player in China, Peng Shuai, 6-4, 7-5. This was only the second-ever all-Chinese final in WTA history. The match featured dramatic swings of fortune: Li trailed 3-4 in the first, then won 7 of the next 8 games to lead 6-4, 4-1 when Peng rattled off 4 games of her own to lead the second 5-4, but the world No. 3 came back to finish her countrywoman off in straight sets, and capture her 8th career title. Peng was competing in her 6th final, and has yet to come away with the hardware.
Li Na, 31, will be hoping to carry this momentum into the Australian Open where she has been a finalist twice in the last three years.
Cover Photo (Creative Commons License): globalite