Tennis star Li Na gave a gutsy performance against the visiting German team yesterday, as she helped China win a Fed Cup World Group Play-off tie and a place in the Fed Cup elite next year for the first time.

It was another milestone for Chinese tennis, less than a week after the women's doubles win at at Wimbledon.

China won the tie 4-1 with Li the biggest heroine, winning both her singles matches including a 7-5, 7-5 victory over Kathrin Woerle yesterday that gave the hosts an unassailable 3-0 lead.

The win lifts China into the elite group along with traditional powers such as the United States, Russia and Belgium, while former two-time champions Germany are relegated to the second tier of the World Group.

"Playing on home soil is much better than in other countries," said Li, the world No 22, who this year became the first Chinese to break into Wimbledon's quarter-finals. "I felt there were so many supporters behind me."

But Li was still far from a full recovery from the fatigue of her Wimbledon run. She raced into a 3-0 lead in eight minutes with an early break in the second game but committed a bunch of errors to let the gallant Woerle level the match at 3-3.

Li was able to go ahead again, breaking in the 12th game and winning the first set.

But Woerle's powerful and varied serves continued to work in the second set, and she went on to break Li in the fifth game en route to a 5-3 lead. However a confident Li then proved why she was able to make the Wimbledon quarter-finals, saving two set points and dominating the last two games to win the second set by the same 7-5 score line.

Li punched her fist to celebrate China's first-ever place in the elite group to the frenzied cheers of local supporters.

"The way the German girl played was a little strange to me," said Li. "I wasn't as focused as I was yesterday."

Li proved superior at playing aggressive tennis, as she blasted 31 winners against Woerle's 9. But it was her champion-class confidence that impressed her opponent most.

"It was my first time playing a top 30 player," said Woerle. "When I was serving for the second set, she gave me no chance at all on three of the points.

"She is very confident and I think she's going to be at the top for a while."

On Saturday, Li had already helped China to go up 2-0 as she an team-mate world No 34 Zheng Jie Zheng defeated Germany's Kristina Barrois and Woerle respectively.

In the following consolation matches, China's No 3 singles player Sun Tiantian Sun failed to extend the nation's victory as she was beaten 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 by Germany's Tatiana Malek.

Sun, the world No 88, was disappointed, saying: "Although we had already won the tie, I hoped I could continue the victory for China. But I could not find my own rhythm after losing the second set."

In the final doubles match, China's Wimbledon champion pair Zheng and Yan Zi delighted home fans as they easily beat Germans Barrois and Jasmin Woehr 6-3, 6-4.

Bright future

The landmark victory delighted skipper Jiang Hongwei, who believes China is well along the march to power status in world tennis.

"Even though my players were tired and not at their best I'm very satisfied with their performances and how they fought for their country," he said.

He added that the sport is gaining popularity in the nation.

"Just check out the crowd," he said of the partial audience who stayed to watch the whole tournament despite China already holding a winning 3-0 lead.

"I think they beginning to learn more about tennis."

Their opponents also gave the team credit.

"It's a great tie. Congratulations to the host team as they deserve to break into the World Group," said German skipper Barbara Rittner. "I wish them good luck and I'm sure there is a very good future ahead of them."

The German team has experienced little success in recent years, last reaching the semi-finals in 1995. Despite a 3-2 defeat to USA at home in Ettenheim in the first round of the 2006 World Group and a loss to China in the Play-offs, Rittner said she was proud of her team.

"Four players did not come here for various reasons. I think we played really good matches, including the doubles match, and the atmosphere from the fans was great. From my side, I should say a big thanks to my team. There is a good future ahead of us. We will have a lot of fun together."

Belgium vs Italy in final

Kim Clijsters led Belgium to victoy over the United States in their Fed Cup semi-final yesterday, setting up a date on home turf with Italy in the final in September.

In a gritty display, Clijsters, the world No2, steamrolled her American opponent Vania King, standing in for Jill Craybas who had pulled out sick, in straight sets, 6-0, 6-1.

The win gave Belgium an unassailable 3-0 lead in the tie.

The tie was marked by missing stars with home favourite Justine Henin-Hardenne, as well as American heavyweights, the Williams sisters and Lindsay Davenport all absent.

Italy reached their first Fed Cup final yesterday when Flavia Pennetta overcame Spain's Lourdes Dominguez-Lino 6-2, 6-4 to give her team an unassailable 3-1 lead in their semi-final.

Spain, making their third consecutive semi-final appearance, trailed 2-0 after Saturday's opening singles rubbers but pulled a point back in Sunday's first match when Anabel Medina Garrigues powered to a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Italy's number one Francesca Schiavone.

However, the home side's hopes of a comeback victory were extinguished by Pennetta's gritty win in the suffocating heat.

(China Daily 07/17/2006 page6)