No. 6 seed, Na Li became the first Chinese tennis player ever to win a Grand Slam title with a straight sets win over No. 5 seed, defending champion Francesca Schiavone of Italy 6-4, 7-6 (7-0).
Li took advantage of one break to secure the first set. She gained an early break in the 2nd set and had break points to go up two breaks. However, Schiavone picked up momentum, saved that game and broke back to even the set. Schiavone went up 6-5 and Li held to send the 2nd set into a tie-break.
Li played every tie-break point with great intensity and didn’t allow the defending champion, Schiavone, a single point, closing out the match and falling to the red clay in joy.
Schiavone won her first and only Grand Slam last year at the French Open with a win over Samantha Stosur.
This French Open proved it doesn’t take a youngster to pull through and win a Grand Slam. The combined age of these two players is over 60 years, Li at 29 years and 3 months, and Schiavone who will turn 31 this month. And it appears both plan to be back next year.
