China’s Li Na, who has risen to No.10 in the rankings after reaching the Australian Open semifinals, lost 6-1 5-7 6-2 to Germany’s Tatjana Malek in the first round of the inaugural Malaysian Open.

Chinese first ever Top-10 women’s tennis player and second seed in Kuala Lumpur, converted all three of her break points, but lost her own serve three times and world No.81 Malek thus scored her first Top 10 win. Li’s compatriot Zheng Jie, seed No.3, advanced to the second round by beating qualifier Elena Bovina 6-4 6-3.

Top-seeded Elena Dementieva progressed to the second round. The Russian defeated Ekaterina Bychkova 6-2 6-1, in a less straightforward match than the score suggests. Interestingly, Dementieva’s next opponent will be young Serbian star Bojana Jovanovski, who you remember was jury member here on Women’s Tennis Blog when we held the contest to award one of our readers with the racquet signed by Justine Henin. Good luck, Bojana! (photo: chascow)

Two Russians took the two tournaments that finished this weekend: Elena Dementieva won the Open GDF SUEZ in her ninth attempt, and Vera Zvanareva successfully defended her PTT Pattaya Open title.

Dementieva, top-seed and last year’s finalist in Paris, recovered from losing the first set to beat Czech Lucie Safarova 6-7(5) 6-1 6-4 and finally win the indoor event in the capital of France.

"I have been trying to win this tournament for so many years – it's been one of the most difficult wins of my career and I am so happy," said Dementieva after winning her second title of 2010.

Meanwhile, in the other part of the world, Vera Zvonareva won the PTT Pattaya Open for the second successive year and thus became the first player to do such a thing in the 19-year history of the tournament. Top-seeded Zvonareva beat home favorite Tamarine Tanasugarn 6-4 6-4 in the final and collected her 10th career title. (photos via Sony Ericsson WTA Tour)

Justine Henin’s comeback is in full speed. The Belgian, a wildcard at the 2010 Australian Open, knocked out fifth seed Elena Dementieva 7-5 7-6(6) in the second round.

Currently unranked Henin saved two set points in the first set, broke Dementieva’s serve at 5-5, and then held serve to take the set 7-5. The Russian responded by taking a 2-0 lead in the following set, but Henin leveled. Dementieva was having a lead again later, 4-2, but Henin then won three consecutive games and served for the match. Still, Dementieva leveled at 5-5, and a tiebreaker was played since none of them managed to hold serve. Henin won the tiebreak 8-6 and the match was over in a little less than three hours.

The 27-year-old Henin will play another Russian in her next match, seed No.27 Alisa Kleybanova.

Henin already possesses seven Grand Slam titles, including the 2004 Australian Open, while Dementieva has to wait to get another chance to win her first one. (photo: Getty Images)

Russian Elena Dementieva won the Medibank International Sydney title for the second successive year with a 6-3 6-2 victory over Serena Williams in the final.

Williams was troubled by a sore left knee, but said to have suffered just a little bit and gave all the credit to Dementieva, who won the match on the first of her three match points.

The American is not worried about her fitness for the upcoming first Grand Slam of the season and said that the knee hurts just a little bit and that strapping can ease the pain. (source: BBC, photo GREG WOOD/AFP/Getty Images)

Serena Williams and Elena Dementieva reached the final of the Medibank International Sydney. The American did it the more complicated way, while the Russian cruised past her semifinal opponent.

The top-seeded Williams had lost the first set against France's Aravane Rezai and trailed 5-2 in the second set before her vast experience once again took charge and she recovered to win 3-6 7-5 6-4.

Contrary to Williams, defending champion and fifth seed Dementieva wasn’t threatened in her semifinal match, and defeated Victoria Azarenka 6-3 6-1.

Williams has a 7-4 career record against Dementieva. They played as much as six times last year and both of them won three matches. (Photo by Dima Korotayev/Epsilon/Getty Images)