Vera Zvonareva falls to China`s Li Na after long absence

Beijing: Chinese tennis star Li Na shone at the Shenzhen Open on Tuesday, besting Russia`s Vera Zvonareva as the former World No. 2 made her return to the court after a 17-month hiatus.

The 31-year-old Li, Asia`s highest-ranked player in tennis history, beat Zvonareva 7-5 6-3 in one hour and 46 minutes. It was the first singles event for Zvonareva since the 2012 London Olympics, after which the 29-year-old two-time Grand Slam champion was sidelined due to illness and a shoulder injury. Zvonareva had triumphed over Li in four of their last five meetings, the most recent of which came in 2010. Taiwan`s Chan Yung-Jan, meanwhile, won a surprise victory over sixth-seed Zhang Shuai of China. Zhang took the first set 6-3, but Chan turned up the heat and battled back to win the next two, 6-4 and 6-2. The year 2013 marks the second year for the Shenzhen Open, which comes as Li`s success has ignited a new Chinese interest in tennis.