New Slam Champion

by Craig Hickman


Reuters

China has given to the sport of tennis the first Asian to win a Slam title in singles. Li Na has given tennis fans a lot to celebrate. After today's 6-4, 7-6(0) victory over defending champion Francesca Schiavone, Li became only the 38th woman to win a Grand Slam singles title in history. At 29, she's also one of the oldest players to win her first Slam.


Reuters

Local tennis students hold posters featuring the new Slam champion to show their support in her hometown of Wuhan, Hubei province.

Getty

How did she do it? With powerful, precise, all-court tennis. Fighting her nerves in the second set, she lost an early lead and I thought to myself, Here we go again, seeing flashbacks to her unraveling up a set and a break in the Australian Open final. But she fought off a tight service game at 5-6 and forced a tiebreak.

And what a tiebreak it was. About the best tennis I've ever seen from anyone in a tiebreak. She surrendered no points. As she got closer and closer, with every winner, she'd turn to her box and stand on tiptoe, pumping her fist, letting out a roar. She wasn't going to be denied. Not this time.

Francesca Schiavone, was never really in the match. But the defending champ hadn't contested a singles final since she won here last year. That she would come this far at this event proves her victory was no fluke. Francesca played a good match, with glimpses of the kind of tennis that champions produce when the stakes are high. But Li wasn't going to be denied. She finished what last year's runner up could not, giving herself, her sport and her nation a whole lot to celebrate.