Good afternoon and welcome to LIVE coverage of the match between Maria Sharapova and Li Na at the WTA Championships in Istanbul.

GAME, SET AND MATCH LI NA Li manages to retrieve two balls that looked to be Sharapova winners as she saves two break points. Sharapova earns another break point as Li pulls a back hand wide seconds later before Sharapova makes the same mistake on the next point. Li brings up a match point on the next point after an early wobble in the game. She sees out the match with a timely first serve that Sharapova knocks long. Her first win for two months.

Sharapova only winning 45% of serves on first serve, but she comes up with the goods to force Li to serve out the match for a second time. You wouldn't bet this match is over yet. Li looking very nervous since moving 5-2 clear in the second set, and making a few errors.

BREAK TO SHARAPOVA! Li Na pushes a forehand out at 30-30 as the nerves perhaps start to strangle her on the cusp of victory. Another Li shot flies long seconds later. One break back for Sharapova, but she is still 5-3 behind in this set. Sharapova serves to stay alive.

BREAK TO LI NA! And there is the double break! Excellent play by Li Na in scampering around the court to hunt down the loose balls. Ball drops to Sharapova in mid-court trailing 40-15. Looked an easy enough shot to convert, but she pushes the forehand wide and suddenly she is staring down the barrel. 5-2 down and two breaks down. Surely all over for the second seed unless Li chokes.

While Sharapova leads the overall series 5-3, Li has won the last three meetings (twice at Birmingham on grass, and once on clay at Roaldn Garros. Looks like it may be going 5-4 unless there is a dramatic change. Another vital hold for Li Na. Superb stuff from the fifth seed. She moves to within two games of the victory.

This service game of Sharapova has stuttered throughout this match, but she throws in a love game when needed to keep pace with Li Na, who remains a break up.

Li Na not exactly turning the screw, but she does enough to hold serve with another timely big first serve at the right time to see out the game. A clearly frustrated Sharapova simply must hold serve in this fifth game.

BREAK TO LI NA! Couple of horrid shots from Sharapova at deuce, and suddenly she is a break down in this crucial second set. Sharapova struggling badly for any level of consistency. She needs to dig herself out of a hole in this match. Li to serve 2-1 and a break up.

Neither women convincing on serve. Score reaches 30-30, but Li snags the next two points aided by a closing ace. We are level at 1-1 in the second set. Games on serve.

Sharapova with 20 unforced errors compared to 25 by Li Na, but the Chinese player has the crucial advantage. A better opening service game from Sharapova there as she moves 1-0 ahead in dropping only one point in that game.

SET TO LI NA! Sharapova steps up the pressure on Li and finds the response that she is wanting as the Chinese player knocks a couple of balls long to hand the Russian a 4-0 lead. Another Sharapova service error sees Li close to 4-2 before she whacks another shot long seconds later as the score becomes 4-3. Li drops in a telling first serve to level at 4-4 as Sharapova begins to unravel. A forehand flies wide seconds later as Li Na wins seven straight points for a 7-4 success in the breaker.

Sharapova finds a better service game to force the first set to the breaker. Probably about the right outcome. Difficult to see where the breaker is going to go. Sharapova is producing some heavy forehands, but the defence of Li Na remains admirable.

Li Na comes up with the goods when required. Threw in one double fault, but a far more convincing effort from Li Na as she forces Sharpova to serve to stay alive in this first set. Sharapova with three wins over Li Na on hard courts in a 5-3 head-to-head record in her favour, but is being tested here.

BREAK TO LI NA! A stunning response from Li Na. Sharapova did little wrong in that game, but the returning of the Chinese woman was exceptional. Once again, we are back on serve in the set at 5-5. All to play for.

BREAK TO SHARAPOVA! Sharapova comes roaring back with a strong, surging game on the somewhat frgaile Li Na service game to move to within one game of the opening set. Difficult to say who is going to hold serve and lose serve at this rate. Sharapova serves for the set.

BREAK TO LI NA! Some great defence by Li Na is enough to force a couple of break points on the Sharapova serve. The Russian produces another pretty poor service game in dropping serve with a double fault in the last point of the game. We are back on serve.

Li Na staves off another break point with a lovely worked backhand across court. Sharapova drills a backhand into the net before bringing the game back to deuce with a winning volley at the net. A tough game that lasts for 10 minutes, but Li Na gets out of it holding her serve. Sharapova remains one break up.

Sharapova fights back from two break points down, but Li Na wallops a forehand down the line to bring up another break. Sharapova saves that one with a fine first serve before a couple of crushing forehands seals the deal for the Russian. She is 4-2 up and a break up.

BREAK TO SHARAPOVA! A real mixed bag of service games from the Chinese player. First service game was awful, second was superb and the third was slightly below par as she drops serve for a second time. Sharapova pumping her fists in delight. She is ahead again with the break.

A confident response from Sharapova as she holds serve for the first time in the match. Coming up with some clubbing forehands and backhands. She levels at 2-2.