World number two Rafael Nadal pulled out of the Sydney International on Tuesday with a thigh strain.
Tournament favorite and free-hitting left-hander Kvitova, 21, fell to China's Li at the Sydney International Thursday, ending a 14-match winning streak.
WSJ: Australian Open Tennis: Deep Field Looks to Start Tennis Season With Grand Slam Win
Li won a WTA tournament in China before traveling to Australia, where she advanced to the semifinals at the Sydney International.
The victory continued Azarenka's fine form coming into the tournament, having beaten Li in the final of the Sydney International on Friday.
Meanwhile back on court, Radwanska continued her preparations for next week's Australian Open by reaching the final of the Sydney International event.
The world No. 13 told the tournament's Web site that he was unsure if he would take part in next week's Sydney International.
Ms. Azerenka won the Sydney International the week before the Australian Open, and is undefeated in 2012 and on a 12-0 winning streak.
"Physically, it's obvious that I hit rock bottom, " said the 22-year-old, who will make her comeback in the Sydney International from 10-16 January.
Fourth-ranked Agnieszka Radwanska sent out a warning to the top three by thrashing Dominika Cibulkova 6-0 6-0 in Friday's final of the Sydney International.
Elsewhere, world number eight Petra Kvitova suffered a setback to her Australian Open preparations after going down 6-1 6-1 to Dominkia Cibulkova at the Sydney International.
Both players are in form with wild card entrant Henin reaching the final at Brisbane a fortnight ago in her first tournament back, while Dementieva won the Sydney International last week after beating world number one Serena Williams in the final.
No. 6 Li Na , who became Asia's first grand slam singles champion at Roland Garros at the French Open, in 2011, lost to Radwanska in the final of the Sydney International last week, but the Chinese star opened up in Melbourne with a 6-1 6-3 triumph against Sesil Karatantcheva of Kazakhstan.
The 31-year-olds, ranked 35 and 37 respectively, have both won tournaments this year -- the Finn winning the Apia International in Sydney in January while Melzer took the Memphis title the following month.
The New York Times, Washington Post, Le Figaro, Germany's Stern Magazine and the Sydney Morning Herald are among the international titles which have carried articles about the city.
Sean Long's finest international performance back in Sydney in 2006.
But for the Jessie Slaughters and Sydney Daltons, whose terrorists are international, and who feel true ownership of a star, and in this case, the web, it makes you ask the question.
FORBES: Sydney Dalton, Bieber Fever And The New Cyber Bullying
Just up the block in the ornate, shop-filled Strand Arcade is Corner Shop, a Sydney stalwart known for its tightly edited international collections (Marc Jacobs, Isabel Marant, and Benah).
The second-row Australia international joined the Storm from the Sydney Roosters in 2006 and has not been on the losing side in 29 appearances for the club.
At a recent meeting of the International Society for Developmental Neuroscience in Sydney, Dr McGrath and Alan Mackay-Sim, of Griffith University, Brisbane, presented strong evidence for this theory.
"It was a packed hall, and there were a lot of hostile questions directed to China from (participants from) Asia and the United States, " said Dupont, director of the Centre for International Security Studies at the University of Sydney.
CNN: Explainer: South China Sea - Asia's most dangerous waters
She won five medals, including three golds, in Sydney but they will be re-allocated by the International Olympic Committee next month.
BBC: Thanou (right) may get the gold medal returned by Jones
The former Sydney Roosters coach still remains the subject of a Rugby League International Federation investigation.
This is when he decided to create Clean up Sydney harbor and eventually Clean up Australia, followed by the international network of participating organizations making up Clean Up the World.
CNN: Opinion: We can help to save our seas but we must act now
As to be expected in a country where sport is revered, Sydney has put an enormous effort into getting ready for the biggest international event it has ever staged.
The sagging Chinese market defied gains in other parts of Asia on Tuesday, as investors from Tokyo to Sydney breathed a sigh of relief following an agreement by Greece's international creditors to end a budget impasse there.
Sydney had thought it was doing rather well in its preparations for the biggest international event in Australia's history.
Forced to withdraw from her scheduled opening event of 2010, the Brisbane International, Safina was then beaten by compatriot Elena Dementieva in the quarterfinals in Sydney.
The 23-year-old Kiwi international, who can play second-row or centre, has moved to Knowsley Road from Sydney Roosters on a three-year contract.
The International Olympic Committee also is reviewing the evidence and could revoke Armstrong's bronze medal from the 2000 Sydney Games.
应用推荐