Li Na Makes History In The French Open
Li Na has made history by winning the French Open at Roland Garros, becoming the first Chinese player to win a Grand Slam singles title.
The achievement shouldn’t be underestimated, with the sheer numbers of Chinese now following Li Na’s exploits it only seems a matter of time before the next generation is competing with the Russians as a serious force in ladies tennis.
Li Na did it by beating last years French Open ladies champion, the Italian Francesca Schiavone, in straight sets 6-4 7-6 (7-0) over 1 hour and 48 minutes.
Not known for being a fan of the clay court, where heavy spin is traditionally the way to play and not the natural game of Li Na, she took to the first set like a duck to water, seemingly having added a bit more guile to her game.
It appears that her decision to appoint the Dane Michael Mortensen as her coach, after she suffered a slump following her Australian Open final appearance, has paid off quicker than even she could have hoped.
There was a slight wobble in the second set when Schiavone managed to draw level after it looked like Li Na was going to run away with it. The nerves started to kick in and she lost the rhythm of her shots, where they were landing the right side of the baseline before, now they were going long.
But it proved to be only a temporary wobble as she went on to dominate the set tie break and sealing a victory that just might, become a watershed for the game.
Photo: Frédéric de Villamil
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