Li beats Sharapova, advances to Aus Open final
Sharapova was the favorite after conceding only nine games in her first five matches, a record at the Australian Open since it expanded to a 128-player draw in 1988.
But the semi-final started badly for the 25-year-old Russian, serving double-faults to lose the first two points and conceding a break in the first game.
Li had the backing of the crowd on Rod Laver Arena, where dozens of red and white Chinese flags swirled in a light breeze, and where the temperature topped 34 Celsius during the first of the semi-finals.
Li was the first Chinese player to reach a Grand Slam final when she lost here to Kim Clijsters in 2011.
She had her breakthrough a few months later when she won the French Open, beating Sharapova in the semi-finals along the way.
She will now play the winner of Thursday’s later semi-final between top-ranked Victoria Azarenka, the defending champion, and 19-year-old American Sloane Stephens.
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