Clijsters wins Australian Open title

MELBOURNE, Jan. 29 (UPI) -- Kim Clijsters piled up seven service breaks Saturday in defeating Li Na in three sets in the title match of the Australian Open.

Clijsters, third in the world rankings, won 51 percent of the points in receiving Li's serve in a 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 victory. It is Clijsters' fourth Grand Slam title. She won the U.S. Open in 2005 and again, after a two-year retirement, in 2009 and 2010. Li, ranked No. 11, was making the first major tournament finals appearance for a Chinese player.

Typical of her play in Melbourne, Clijsters had 22 winners versus 26 unforced errors. But it was her defense that claimed the match as she won 49 of 96 of the points off Li's serve.

Clijsters took the first eight points of the match but Li seemed to shake an early case of nervousness and won six of the next seven games. Neither player had solid success in holding serve -- there were 13 breaks in the 27-game match -- and the second set opened with four consecutive breaks.

Then it was Clijsters who ran off four consecutive games, breaking Li in an eight-point game to even the match.

She kept the pressure on in the third set, winning on serve at love and breaking Li's serve twice -- losing her own in the third game -- for a 3-1 lead. Another hold at love put Clijsters up 4-1 and the players held serve the rest of the way. Clijsters, who won 78 percent of the points on serve in the set, finished off the tournament by holding at love when Li's forehand landed wide right.

Li, who beat Clijsters in the finals of an Australian Open tune-up in Sydney, had lost only three sets over her seven matches in Melbourne. Her first came in the semifinals against world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki.

Clijsters earned $2.2 million for the victory pushing her career winnings to more than $23.7 million. It was her 41st overall tournament win. Li's runner-up finish was worth $1.1 million, nearly one-quarter of the $4.5 million she's won in a pro career that began in 1999.