Li Na wins in Paris, makes history

Associated Press

PARIS

As China’s Li Na tossed the ball while serving at match point in the French Open final, a cry from a fan in the stands pierced the silence at Court Philippe Chatrier.

Distracted, Li stopped and let the ball drop. The words of support were in Mandarin: “Jia you!” — which loosely translates to “Let’s go!” After so many years of “Come on” and “Allez” and “Vamos,” there’s a new language on the tennis landscape.

Li became the first Chinese player, man or woman, to win a Grand Slam singles title by beating defending champion Francesca Schiavone of Italy 6-4, 7-6 (0) at Roland Garros on Saturday. The sixth-seeded Li used powerful groundstrokes to compile a 31-12 edge in winners, and won the last nine points of the match, a run that began when the fifth-seeded Schiavone was flustered by a line call she was sure was wrong.

“China tennis — we’re getting bigger and bigger,” said Li, who is projected to rise to a career-best No. 4 in Monday’s new WTA rankings.

She already was the first woman from that nation of more than 1 billion people to win a WTA singles title, the first to enter the top 10 in the rankings, and the first to make it to a Grand Slam final — she lost to Kim Clijsters at the Australian Open in January.

Thinking back to that defeat, Li said: “I had no experience. I was very nervous. For my second time in a final, I had the experience. I knew how to do it. And I had more self-confidence.”

Li repeatedly set up points with her backhand, then closed them with her forehand, and she finished with 21 winners from the baseline, 15 more than Schiavone. Only after Li controlled the first set and the early part of the second did Schiavone begin working her way into the match.

“I tried to push more, to risk more,” Schiavone said.

She broke to 4-all in the second, and held to lead 6-5. The 12th game was pivotal.

Serving at deuce, Li smacked a backhand that landed near a sideline but initially was called out by a line judge, which would have given Schiavone a set point. But Li began walking up to take a closer look at the mark left in the clay by the shot, and chair umpire Louise Engzell climbed down to examine it, too. She told Schiavone the ball touched the line. Schiavone leaned forward and pointed at the spot in question, discussing the ruling with Engzell; the restless crowd began whistling and jeering, as French Open spectators often do when a player vigorously questions a call. Engzell’s call stood, and eventually she returned to her perch.

Schiavone wouldn’t win another point.

“That ball was out,” she said later. “Sure, you get angry. ... So what do you do? You’re playing tennis, you have to go back to playing tennis and think about what you need to do. Obviously, I think it was a big mistake. But it’s up to the tournament and others to watch that match again and evaluate the call.”

Schiavone put a backhand into the net on the next point to make it 6-all. In the tiebreaker, two of Li’s points came on volley winners, and one from a passing shot she hit that Schiavone volleyed into the net. The other four tiebreaker points ended with return or groundstroke miscues by the Italian.

Nadal, Federer meet again

Heading into today’s French Open men’s final, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal already have played against each other in seven Grand Slam title matches, more than any pair of men in tennis history.

But this will be their first meeting at this stage of a major tournament in more than two years.

As usual when these two play, there is plenty at stake.

Nadal is bidding for his sixth French Open championship, which would tie Bjorn Borg’s record, and 10th major title overall.

Federer, meanwhile, seeks to add to his record of 16 Grand Slam trophies, which includes the 2009 French Open. Federer is 0-4 against Nadal in Paris, including the 2006, 2007 and 2008 finals.