SYDNEY: China's Li Na staged a remarkable comeback from 5-0 down in the first set to upset Australian Open favorite Kim Clijsters 7-6, 6-3 in the final of the Sydney International Friday. It was a first loss in 14 semifinals and finals for US Open champion Clijsters since her return from retirement in August 2009 and the manner of defeat will be a big psychological blow just three days from the start of the year's first Grand Slam. The 28-year-old Li, a semifinalist at Melbourne Park last year, sealed her fourth career title when she volleyed home a winner with Clijsters stranded off the court after 90 minutes. It had taken Clijsters just 18 minutes to rack up a 5-0 lead in the first set but her game then fell apart, with seven double faults and 27 unforced errors telling the tale of a spectacular collapse. Monfils-Hewitt final In Melbourne, Frenchman Gael Monfils will have the inside track on Lleyton Hewitt as he lines up against the Australian in Saturday's final at the Kooyong Classic. The athletic Monfils booked his place in the deciding match at the eight-man pre-Australian Open tuneup as he beat Roland Garros semifinalist Jurgen Melzer 2-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7-4) Friday. Earlier, Australia's former world No. 1 Hewitt overcame Russian Nikolay Davydenko 6-3, 7-6 (7-3). Monfils is coached by Roger Rasheed, former Australian mentor to Hewitt and a man unlikely to hold back any secrets about the Hewitt game. In earlier play after rain spoiled Thursday's program and the early part of Friday, Melzer defeated 2010 Kooyong finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 8-6 in a pro set to open his weather-delayed account at the event. Simon vs. Troicki In Sydney, Serbia's Viktor Troicki will look to overturn a losing four-match run when he takes on Frenchman Gilles Simon in the final of the Sydney International Saturday. Troicki overcame German Florian Mayer, 6-4, 7-6 (7-4) Friday and is bidding for his second career ATP title in the Sydney final. The 41st-ranked Simon weathered Gulbis' early firepower in warm conditions before closing out a 7-6 (7-1), 6-0 win in 73 minutes. Ferrer to face Nalbandian In Auckland, top seed David Ferrer outclassed unseeded Colombian Santiago Giraldo at the Heineken Open in Auckland Friday to set up a title decider with in-form Argentinian David Nalbandian. Ferrer, the champion here in 2007, fought off a second set comeback from Giraldo to win 6-3, 7-5, while Nalbandian crushed second seed Nicolas Almagro 6-4, 6-2 to reach the final without dropping a set during the tournament.
