Li Na creates tennis history at Open
Li Na returns the ball during the women’s singles semifinal against Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, on Thursday.SD-Agencies
CHINA’S Li Na has become the first Chinese national to reach a grand slam tennis final.
But the ninth seed had to come from behind to beat world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki in their Australian Open semifinal on Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne on Thursday.
Li will play Belgian third seed Kim Clijsters on Saturday. Clijsters beat Russian Vera Zvonareva 6-3 6-3 in their semifinal.
After an error-strewn opening set, Li fought back to win 3-6 7-5 6-3 in a match lasting two hours and 35 minutes.
Firsts have not been rare for the 28-year-old from China. Li was the first to reach a grand slam quarterfinal (Wimbledon 2006), the first to reach a semifinal (Australian Open 2010) and now the ultimate prize in 2011. Michael Chang, an American of Chinese decent, stunned the tennis world in 1989 by winning the French Open as a 17-year-old.
The winner of Saturday’s women’s final receives US$2.2 million. The runner-up US$1.1 million and either way it will be Li’s biggest pay-day in tennis.
Wozniacki took the first set comfortably 6-3. Most thought Li’s pain of unforced errors might be over quickly, when the Dane finally broke her in the third game to go 2-1 up after four break points and six deuces.
Li should have had the fight whacked out of her. But she rose like the Chinese dragon she is when she’s cornered. Fans only have to remember back to the Sydney International final when Li was done 5-0 in the first set to Clijsters but won 7-6 6-3.
Thursday she got the break back in the eighth game of the second set to level at 4-4.
Wozniacki served for the match at 5-4 and had one match point at 40-30. But Li broke her in that 10th game and again in the 12th to take the second set 7-5.
In the final set, Wozniacki served to level at 4-4 but instead was broken to hand a 5-3 lead to Li, allowing her to serve for the match. The Chinese star needed only one match point when, after a long rally, the top seed hit wide with a forehand, and history was made.
Wozniacki retains the world No. 1 ranking regardless of who wins the Australian Open title.
(SD-Agencies)
Source:ShenzhenDaily | Editer:王佳