All the years of hard work finally paid off in style yesterday evening at Paris, as Li Na became the first Chinese tennis pro to win a Grand Slam singles title. That she has achieved this feat at the ripe old age of 29 is what makes this all the more special. It took 12 yrs of hard, sustained work to pull this off.
A very great example of dedication, perseverance, systematic hard work and peaking at the right time. She knew that in the absence of the Williams sisters and after the early exit of Kim Clijsters, there can’t be an easier time to win a maiden Slam. She did exactly that as she defeated another late bloomer and defending champion Francesca Schiavone in straight sets 6-4 7-6 to lift the Suzanne Lenglen silverware. This piece is a tribute to the Chinese superstar
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Her playing style
She is known for her quick reflexes, athleticism and fast groundstrokes which she targets at all corners of the playing surface. She is a natural base-liner. In Li’s early career, her chief weakness was her erratic play and the resulting high level of unforced errors. She also lacked variety in shots, and tended to purely hit balls hard and flat, like the Spanish and South American counter punchers. Since the dawn of 2011, Li’s game has changed for the better- although she still hits shots hard and flat, Li has also brought drop shots, volleys, lobs and better net play into her arsenal, in addition to better timing and movement. And the results are there for all to see …
Career Highlights
As an Asian tennis player, she obviously holds a lot of distinctions. We as a continent have had a major drought of quality tennis players particularly in singles. The Indian doubles legends Lee-Hesh, Sania Mirza and the Pakistani star-let Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi have all contributed to the Asian doubles scene in a spectacular way. But, when it comes to singles only Sania Mirza and Leander Paes in his initial days had offered some minor sparkle before fading away . With this background let’s take a look at some of Li Na’s major career singles highlights in bullet points :)
- 5 WTA singles titles including her maiden Grand Slam. The first Chinese woman to win on the WTA tour, obviously. She has also won 2 WTA doubles titles
- She has reached 10 WTA tour singles finals winning 5 of them.
- She has won 3 hard court titles and one each on grass and clay.
- She was the first Chinese woman ever to be ranked in the Top 10 after her semifinal appearance at the Australian Open in 2010.
- She was also the first Chinese woman to be ranked in the Top 30 and the Top 20
- Highest singles ranking of 4 as on June 4, 2011. It can rise much higher given her brilliant run of form
- She was the first Chinese woman ever to be seeded for entry into a Grand Slam tournament, when she was seeded 27 going into the 2006 Wimbledon.
- She was also the first Chinese woman to enter the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam, at the 2006 Wimbledon.
- She was also the first Chinese woman to enter the finals of a Grand Slam, at the 2011 Australian Open where she lost to Kim Clijsters.
- 2011 has been brilliant for her in the main events. A finals appearance at Melbourne and striking big time now in Paris. A dream year, thus far.
- In addition to her glorious runs at Melbourne and Paris, she has also reached the last 8 stage in both London and New York. So, she definitely is an all-courter.
- She won the team gold for China in the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games. She won the bronze medal in the singles at the 2006 Doha Asian Games. She obviously is a player for the entire nation as well.
- 2011 has by far been the most satisfying year for her in money terms too. She is among the top 5 earners on tour this year.
All the above feats make for some glorious reading. Just can’t imagine how proud Li Na and the other crores of Chinese nationals must be feeling. Her career stats are already quite impressive given her humble beginnings. But, her’s has been an injury blighted career. This has prevented her from playing for lengthy periods. She suffered a two-year hiatus from competition in her early 20s, lost several months at the height of the 2005 season to an ankle injury, and lost the second half of 2007 to a rib injury.
Such precious time lost. But, she is more than making up for lost time by peaking now. With the Williams sisters on the descent and Caroline Wozniacki not looking like winning a Slam anytime, Kim Clijsters will be the only real threat to Li.
Li Na vs. Kim Clijsters will be the rivalry to watch out for in the coming years. 2 women in their late 20s slugging it out is indeed a real inspiration for scores of other young females. My heart will always root for Li Na for the sheer fact that she has come from a traditionally non-tennis playing country and now she has kick started a real tennis movement in her home land. Talk about a single athlete making a difference to one’s home land and Li Na will definitely figure in that elite list.
