US Open 2013: Li Na faces toughest test of her career

SEPTEMBER 03: Li Na celebrates match point during her women’s singles quarterfinal against Ekaterina Makarova at the 2013 US Open. (Getty Images)

Li Na has just made it through to her first ever US Open semi-final, with a 6-4, 6-7, 6-2 victory over the 24^th seed Ekatarina Makarova from Russia. It also means a Chinese woman has reached at least the semi-finals in all four Grand Slam tournaments (after Li and Zheng Jie in Australia, Li at Roland Garros, and Zheng at Wimbledon). The result should finally consign last week’s drugs “scandal” to history.

But now the real fun begins.

Up next is the number one seed and defending champion Serena Williams, who just beat the 18^th seed Carla Suarez Navarro from Spain 6-0, 6-0. That’s right: she double-bageled a legitimately good player in the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam. Serena hasn’t dropped a set yet – conceding an average of just 1.3 games per set – on her seemingly inevitable march to a fifth US Open title.

Does Li Na have any chance whatsoever? Well, she’s beaten Serena just once in nine meetings – in Stuttgart in 2008. Li has not taken a set off Serena in their last six matches. Li is the underdog, and in tennis terms, beating Serena on this form would be more impressive than winning the French Open title in 2011.

You have to think Li’s chances are slim to none, and slim is saddling up and preparing to leave town. But stranger things have happened, so keep an eye out for the match on Friday.