Li Na of China won the annual Hua Hin tennis exhibition on Saturday by beating world No.1 Victoria Azarenka 6-3 2-6 10-7 after a Champions tiebreaker.

The seventh-ranked Li benefited from a slew of unforced errors from Azarenka in the first set and then broke to lead 2-1 in the second.

But the Belarusian defending champion won five straight games to level the match bedore coming up just short in the decider.

Azarenka, who was accompanied to Thailand by American rapper Redfoo of LMFAO, 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 practised a bit more. But Li Na played so well.”

Li will next play in the Shenzhen Open in China.