Li Na Triumphs At The French Open
Li Na downs defending champion Schiavone to win the French trophy
Li Na has won the French Open after knocking the defending champion Francesca Schiavone in straight sets, 6-4, 7-6, to become the first Chinese player to triumph at the Roland Garros.
The 29-year-old Li Na has also become the first Asian to win the French Grand Slam trophy, the success being her biggest one in career. Li has gone 2-1 in the major finals after she reached this year’s Australian Open final. The Chinese needed one hour and 50 minutes to hoist the trophy, denying Italian’s service just twice. World number seven first broke the defending champion in the fifth game of the meeting to go 4-2 adrift and never let go of her serves.
Li Na guaranteed the minimal lead in 39 minutes as Schiavone was condemned to level things up to stay in touch with the straight trophy. Unfortunately, her poor start allowed the Chinese to go 2-0 ahead of her in the second set and threaten with a big surprise. On the other side, the Italian, who was chasing the leveler desperately, grabbed a hard-fought break in the eight game to even the score 4-4 and push the set into a tie-break later on.
Despite a very good shape showed in the last set, Franncesca could only witness her own ruining in the tie-break as Li Na powered through and rallied past the fifth seeder with a seven-point trot to win the clash after another 79 minutes. She went thanks to a 7-0 in the tie-break to collapse in a glory.
Said Li: “Francesca is a clay court player – she hits topspin and slice so well, so I just tried to play my tennis and keep her running. She’s a top player so you never know what will happen and when she will come back in the match, but when we went into the tie-break I told myself it was my chance to do it.”
The Chinese finished the game with 31 winners, three aces, as well as with a couple of break points, while Schiavone had 12 winners, 17 unforced errors and a 63 first serve percentage. Li Na committed 24 unforced errors but despite that she always found the energy to stay in touch with the lead. The Wuhan born player, winner of five singles titles, has overcome the Italian regarding their head to head confrontations which have now gone 3-2 to the Chinese.
Francesca’s last win dates from the same 2010 French Open. Li had previously defeated the Italian at the 2009 US Open and 2007 Sydney events, while Schiavone’s first win comes from the 2008 Beijing event. En route to the final, Li Na has defeated former world champion Maria Sharapova, but also this year’s Miami Masters and Marbella champion Victoria Azarenka whom she beat in straight sets in the quarter finals.
The Chinese grabbed a hard-fought win from the 2011 Brisbane and Paris winner Petra Kvitova whom she ousted 2-6, 6-1, 6-3 in the fourth term. Finally, Li Na started her French Open adventure with a 6-3, 6-7, 6-3 victory over Barbora Zahlavova Strycova, while the second and third terms brought her two straight-set successes over Silvia Soler and Sorana Cirstea of Romania.
On the other side, Schoavone was following an easy two-set win set in the semis against the only French remained on course for the big trophy, Marion Bartoli. The Italian had some hard times against youngster Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova whom she edged in three sets 1-6, 7-5, 7-5 in the quarter finals. The fourth term brought the 30-year-old another three-set success, beating Jelena Jankovic 6-3, 2-6, 6-4.
Concerning her debut, Schiavona started this year’s French Open with a comprehensive victory over Melanie Oudin whom she ousted 6-2, 6-0. The second round found the favorite crashing Vesna Dolonts 6-1, 6-2, while the next term brought the Italian an easy progress after Shuai Peng’s abandon.
Li Na is to leave Paris with a 1,200,000 euro check, while Schiavone is to pocket 600,000 euros.
Roland Garros Prize Money:
Winner – 1,200,000 euro
Finalist – 600,000 euro
Semi finalist – 300,000 euro
Quarter finalist – 150,000 euro
R16 – 75,000 euro
R32 – 42,000 euro
R64 – 25,000 euro
R128 – 15,000 euro
