Li Na Proves The Chinese Can Play On Clay

PARIS: Li is the first Chinese player – male or female – to reach the final hurdle in Paris and will climb to a career-high ranking inside the top five as a result. Preventing the former no. 1 from reaching her first Roland Garros final, Li Na braved windy but warm conditions to break her opponent in the second game of the match. Despite Sharapova breaking to put the set back on serve, her three double faults handed back the advantage. The Russian broke again only to set 29 year-old Li up with three set points on her serve.

Though Sharapova saved one with a big serve, forcing a backhand error from Li, her forehand return on the next point caught the tape and bounced wide to give up the set. A double fault from Li Na in the second set’s opening game handed her opponent a break which Sharapova maintained until the eighth game, returning the break with a double fault. A ninth double fault from Sharapova serving to stay in the match at 5-6 followed by her 27^th unforced error set up match point and a 10^th double fault sealed her fate.

The Chinese woman placed a decisive 25 winners to Sharapova’s 12 during the match. Li, who hails from Wuhan China, played badminton as a child before being introduced to tennis at the age of 9. The easygoing journalism graduate – only the second Asian player to feature in a Roland Garros semifinal after Japan’s Kimiko Date-Krumm – had not believed she would find success at the clay slam. “I never think can I play semis in Roland Garros.  I think I can play on other three, but never think about for French Open,” she said.

“You know, for clay court for all Asia people not so doing well because you have to slide a lot.  Also you have to play a lot of topspin,” Li added, noting that players from Asia preferred to hit flat balls and were more suited to grass or hard courts. After snapping a losing streak post the Australian Open in Stuggart, Li made the semifinals of tournaments in Madrid and Rome prior to Roland Garros, giving her confidence that she could play on the red surface.

“I know I win many matches in the clay court, but I still didn’t believe I can play clay court.  After one time or even ten times, of course you think, Oh, I’m not good clay?court player.  But still like the team always say, You do well.  Why you didn’t believe yourself?” Li now thinks clay isn’t so bad.

“So many people think I’m not so good in clay court, but I think now they should change a little bit,” she said smiling. The lighthearted Li believes because of her run in Paris, Asian people will be more confident of their abilities to play on clay. She also said that unlike Europeans and Americans – who have been playing the sport for over a hundred years – Asians are relatively new to tennis.

“I believe after maybe five years, even more short time, there can be more top Asia players going up.”