Li Na books final berth at WTA Championships

China's Li Na gestures after winning her quarter-final women's singles match against Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska at the China Open tennis tournament in Beijing October 5, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

BEIJING - The Women's Tennis Association (WTA) announced on Friday that China's Li Na has secured the eighth and final singles berth at this year's WTA Championships, which will be staged in Istanbul, Turkey, from October 23-28.

For the first time in the WTA Championships' 42-year history, each player in the singles draw will represent a different country: Victoria Azarenka (Belarus), Maria Sharapova (Russia), Agnieszka Radwanska (Poland), Serena Williams (United States), Angelique Kerber (Germany), Petra Kvitova (Czech Republic), Sara Errani (Italy) and Li Na (China).

"In the last two years, I have played the best tennis of my career and I am excited to return to the WTA Championships again this year," Li said after edging past Radwanska in the China Open Women's singles quarterfinal here on Friday.

During the US Open Series this year, Li won 10 matches in 11 days to win her sixth career WTA singles title at the Western & Southern Open (Cincinnati) and finish runner-up at Rogers Cup (Montreal).