Li Na wins French Open title

Outclasses defending champion Schiavone 6-4, 7-6 in the final.

PARIS:

Li Na made sporting history at the French Open when she became the first player from China to win a Grand Slam singles title.

The 29-year-old from Wuhan defeated defending champion Francesca Schiavone 6-4, 7-6 (7/0) to take her place in the pantheon of Chinese sports stars.

Li clinched the watershed win with a superb 7-0 tie-break performance in the second set, falling onto her back in the red dirt when Schiavone hit long on match point.

It was a thrilling display of shot-making from the Chinese player who has said she hopes that by winning a Grand Slam title she will act as a catalyst for the growth of tennis in her giant homeland.

“I was 4-2 up and she tried to come back, but I just had to stand up again and I made it,” said Li. “I was nervous but I didn’t want to show it to my opponent. I think everyone in China will be so excited.”

For 30-year-old Schiavone it was a bitter pill to swallow one year after she upset the odds to become Italy’s first and so far only Grand Slam women’s champion.

“She played well,” said Schiavone. “I couldn’t push her from the baseline. However, one has to lose, one has to win. She deserved to win.”

Nadal, Federer poised for epic clash

Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer will meet in their fourth French Open final in six years today with both men anticipating another epic Roland Garros clash.

Federer brought Novak Djokovic’s 43-match winning run to a sensational end, defeating the world number two 7-6, 6-3, 3-6, 7-6. The defeat also stalled Djokovic’s bid to take over as world number one.

“I’ve worked a lot in my life and it’s for these types of matches,” said Federer. “It was certainly one of my greatest matches in an extraordinary atmosphere.”

Meanwhile, Djokovic said that Federer was a deserving winner. “All credit to him. He went for his shots, but there are no regrets for me. He deserved to win,” said Djokovic. “I had a great tournament. It’s been the best five months of my career and I knew it had to end sometime. This is sport.”

Meanwhile, victory for Federer today would take his personal Grand Slam collection to 17 and deliver a perfectly-timed response to those who had written him off.

Li Na

“I was very nervous but I didn’t want to show any of my nervousness to my opponent. I think everyone in China will be very excited to see me here. I was 4-2 up and she tried to come back, but I just had to stand up again and I made it. .”

Schiavone

“I have to say congratulations to Li Na because she improved this year and she played really well today. However, one has to lose, one has to win. She deserved to win as she played well. I couldn’t push her from the baseline when i wanted to. It was a good match.”



Published in The Express Tribune, June 5^th, 2011.