Li's husband safe from sack despite back-seat role

PARIS - China's Li Na joked that her stunning third-set comeback at the French Open on Monday was due to her husband and sometime coach leaving the arena - but said she could never bring herself to sack him.

Li, the sixth seed, became the first Chinese player to reach the Roland Garros quarterfinals by beating Czech ninth seed Petra Kvitova 2-6, 6-1, 6-3, despite falling 3-0 down in the deciding set.

It was at this moment that Li's husband, Jiang Shan, chose to creep out of the Court Philippe Chatrier arena, and Li suggested his departure may have tipped the momentum in her favor.