Is Li ready for a Grand Slam win?

Huge win over Clijsters and recent play suggest she is not the mentally unfit player she once was

BEIJING - Reaching the semifinals in the Australian Open and the No 9 rank in the world last year seemed to be the peak of Li Na's relatively long tennis career, but her crown at the Sydney International on Friday is fueling hopes that she is ready to bring a grand slam victory to China.

Li, currently ranked 11th in the world, upset three-time US Open champ Kim Clijsters in a tune-up tournament just days before the Australian Open. She earned a $103,000 check for the victory, the first major WTA title for Chinese tennis.