[網球] LI NA DOWNS SHARAPOVA, TO FACE SCHIAVONE IN FRENCH OPEN FINAL

PARIS -- As Maria Sharapova prepared to serve while only a pointfrom defeat in the French Open semifinals, Li Na was thinking what anyopponent would at that precise moment.5.39.217.764 o7 X4 Q! S6 V% K* z+ k1 M2 o2 U4 o
"I was, like, 'Please, double-fault. That way I can win the match,"' Li explained to the crowd a few moments later.5.39.217.76 \# D' [0 Q/ d
Sharapova obliged. Her second serve hit the white tape atop the netand bounced back for Sharapova's 10th double-fault of an error-filledafternoon, closing Li's 6-4, 7-5 victory Thursday. The result endedSharapova's bid to complete a career Grand Slam, and allowed Li toreach a second consecutive major final.
At the Australian Open in January, Li was the runner-up, the firsttennis player from China to reach a major championship match. At theFrench Open on Saturday -- when she will play defending championFrancesca Schiavone -- Li can become the first Grand Slam champion fromher nation of more than one billion people.
The sixth-seeded Li said she wants her sport to "get bigger andbigger" back home. Noting that Chinese children probably saw hersemifinal on TV, Li said that perhaps "they think that maybe one day,they can do the same -- or even better."公仔箱論壇: l3 |/ ~, n$ s5 i; z, U
A year ago at Roland Garros, Schiavone became the first woman fromItaly to win one of tennis' four most important titles. But she hadfailed to make it to the final of any tournament since then, untiltaking the last four games to beat 11th-seeded Marion Bartoli of France6-3, 6-3 Thursday.
"When I come here," the fifth-seeded Schiavone said, "I feel something special."
Meanwhile, Toronto native Daniel Nestor and partner Max Mirnyi ofBelarus defeated Serbia's Nenad Zimonjic and France's Michael Llodra7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-5) to reach the doubles final where they will playColombia's Juan Sebastian Cabal and Argentina's Eduardo Schwank onSaturday.
Nestor won the doubles in Paris a year ago alongside Zimonjic before the pair split at the end of 2010.7 g% @0 k2 J, r1 M) V
"It's surprising for a Canadian to play so well on red clay," saidNestor, who will be playing in his sixth final at Roland Garros. "Ilike playing here. For a guy who doesn't move so well, the slowersurface gives me more time to prepare my second shot.
"I hit my baseline shots here better than on other surfaces. Thecourts are playing fast this year. That along with the faster ballsmakes it better for us, even more so this year."
After Bartoli's last two-handed forehand -- she grips her racketwith both fists on nearly every shot -- dropped into the net to end theday's second semifinal, Schiavone celebrated by bending down andrubbing her right palm on the clay court, then making a fist andkissing it.
She fell in love with the French Open the first time she came toplay in the junior tournament and got a chance to see Steffi Graf andMonica Seles play in the semifinals. Schiavone sat in the stands, likeany other fan, and snapped a photo she still looks at to this day., }4 R/ w. }% O) P8 C6 n& c
"I remember that moment," Schiavone recounted, "and I (said then), 'I want to play in this court. I want to be like them."'
At 30, Schiavone would be the first woman at least that old to win aGrand Slam title since Martina Navratilova was 33 at Wimbledon in 1990.Combine Schiavone's age with the 29-year-old Li's, and Saturday's matchwill have the oldest pair of finalists at a major tournament in 13years.
"The years can help a lot," Schiavone said. "Is like the wine."
The final will provide quite a contrast in styles.公仔箱論壇2 n" J" m: K) I6 W. p- }, |
Comfortable on clay, Schiavone looks for chances to charge the netand lathers her shots with plenty of spin, accompanying most with loudgrunts. She's also among the most demonstrative women on tour, and sheskipped with delight after many of her 22 winners, twice as many asBartoli hit./ {: m" O: \& J6 |5 W6 K1 N5 n
Much more confident on hard courts, Li prefers to stay at thebaseline, hitting flat shots in near silence. Only as the end nearedagainst Sharapova did Li occasionally pump a fist.
Driving her big forehand near lines, Li finished with 24 winners,double Sharapova's count. It was a performance that prompted Li's coachsince April, Michael Mortensen, to describe her Thursday as "kind ofRoger Federer of the women; she can do so many things."
Perhaps due to swirling wind, what began as a high-quality contestbetween two big hitters devolved for a bit into a competition todetermine who would serve less poorly. In one stretch, there were fiveconsecutive breaks of serve.公仔箱論壇) n' ~! k% R9 r! m
In one game, Sharapova double-faulted three times. In two others,including when ceding a 4-3 lead in the second set and again in thelast game of the match, she double-faulted twice.TVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。/ e' G: r5 i1 t0 r* H3 ?; T
She would roll her eyes or slap her thigh after various miscues, butcouldn't get things straightened out. After flubbing the second serveon match point, Sharapova hung her head.
"At times, I didn't serve well, and was rushing more than maybe Ihad to," Sharapova said, "and maybe -- considering the conditions --maybe I was just trying to go for too big of second serves, especially."5.39.217.76) D$ o4 p9 ^' H
The 24-year-old Russian won Wimbledon in 2004 at age 17, the U.S.Open in 2006, and the Australian Open in 2008. She's still waiting toreach her first French Open final.
"Obviously, it's disappointing. As an athlete, you want to win.There's no doubt," Sharapova said. "But, you know, good retail therapy,and I'll be fine."公仔箱論壇- n5 K& g6 f- h: }7 Q- m( E
In the mixed doubles final, Scott Lipsky of the United States andCasey Dellacqua of Australia won their first Grand slam title, beatingdefending champions Zimonjic and Katarina Srebotnik of Slovenia 7-6(6), 4-6, 10-7.公仔箱論壇+ e- y/ Q. q5 q! X$ i

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tongyan01

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發表於 2011-6-4 12:19 PM | 只看該作者

Hope Li will win French Open. Cheers!!

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