Birmingham: Top-seeded Li Na beat Maria Sharapova 7-5, 6-1 on Sunday to win the grass-court Aegon Classic and claim her first title of the year.
Sharapova lost to Li in the semifinals of last year's tournament in Birmingham and the Chinese player produced a repeat performance 12 months on, winning her maiden title on grass.
"Last year I beat Maria in the semifinals and then was so excited I forgot I had another match," said Li, who in February became the first player from China to reach the world's top 10.
"I'm excited again. If I had another match this time, I think I would probably lose that too."
Second-seeded Sharapova won here in 2004 — the year she won Wimbledon — and again in 2005 but could not find the form she had showed throughout the past week.
Sharapova broke Li early and led 3-1 but then found it increasingly hard to land her first serves. A day after sending down a career-fastest 121mph serve in a semifinal victory over American qualifier Alison Riske, the Russian player had seven double faults.
Once Li broke back for 3-3, she got on top. Sharapova saved two set points at 5-6 and then squandered a chance to force a tiebreaker when she double-faulted on game point.
Li broke to win the first set and by the start of the second, Sharapova's confidence had dipped.
Sharapova began to be outmaneouvred in the baseline rallies as Li hit a number of brilliantly struck drives from both wings, breaking serve in the fourth and sixth games. The Chinese player closed out the victory to love.
Sharapova was happy to get a string of matches under her belt before Wimbledon, which starts a week on Monday.
"I came here to get as many matches as I could, and I did," she said. "It's nice to win the tournament but sometimes it doesn't happen."
Li reached the semifinals of the Australian Open earlier this year and when asked if she could do make the same stage at Wimbledon, she said: "Hopefully, yes."
Li will play another grass-court tournament, at Eastbourne next week, before Wimbledon begins. Sharapova will spend next week on the practise courts prior to the year's third major.
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