Li Na relishing last Olympic chance

PARIS - Having missed out on an Olympic medal on home soil four years ago, Li Na is looking forward to one more try, although she knows the atmosphere will be different from Beijing.

Li Na of China reacts after winning her match against Christina McHale of the US during the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris June 2, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

"I'm really looking forward to London especially because it's my last chance to play in the Olympics," the 30-year-old French Open champion told Reuters after beating American Christina McHale in the third round at Roland Garros on Saturday.

"The next ones will be in four years so you never know. I had a good experience in Beijing, I wish I can do better this time."

With the Olympic tournament being held at Wimbledon, more than an hour's drive across the capital from the East London athletes' village, Li will be staying in a hotel.

"We're not staying in the Olympic village because it is too far. So we will be staying in a hotel with the other Chinese players," she said.

"In Beijing we could more feel that it was the Olympics because there was a lot of support for the Chinese players. And I was staying in the Olympic village, which was nice and just 15 minutes away from the courts."

The Chinese champion, who lost to Russian Vera Zvonareva in the bronze-medal match in Beijing, will be playing in her third Olympics after also taking part in the Sydney Games 12 years ago.

Last year, she failed to shine on the grass courts at the All England Club, losing in three sets in the second round to German Sabrine Lisicki, but said she was not worried that the surface would spoil her Olympic hopes.

"I'm not doing that bad on grass courts so I am confident in my chances," Li said. "I don't think I played a bad match against Lisicki, we both played a great match. I'm not worried at all by my level on grass."

Li, who reached the quarter-finals at Wimbledon twice and won the Edgbaston Classic in 2010, will skip the Birmingham tournament this year.

"After Roland Garros, I'm going straight away to Wimbledon. If I had not reached the second week here, I would have asked for a wildcard for Birmingham," she said.

The Olympic tournament will start on July 28, three weeks after the Wimbledon women's final, and Li believes the Games will feel different to the grand-slam event.

"Of course it's different from Wimbledon because during Wimbledon it's all about tennis. During the Olympics, there will be other events in other sports going on," she said.