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Li battles through at Open

(China Daily)
Updated: 2011-05-25 07:51

Li Na of China celebrates after winning her first-round match against Barbora Zahlavova Strycova of the Czech Republic during the French Open at Roland Garros in Paris on Tuesday. Li won 2-1. Benoit Tessier / Reuters

China's No 1 struggles to win her first encounter at Roland Garros

PARIS - China's world No 7, Li Na, was taken to three sets by Czech Barbora Zahlavova Strycova before prevailing 6-3, 6-7 (8), 6-3 in their French Open first-round encounter on Tuesday.

Sixth seed Li, who became the first Chinese player to reach a Grand Slam final at this year's Australian Open, will compete for a third-round place against Spanish qualifier Silvia Soler Espinosa.

"It was the first match - easy or tough? Nothing between," said Li, who had defeated Zahlavova Strycova on her way to the Australian Open final.

"It's also a Grand Slam and everyone is fighting a lot. I played her last time in Melbourne and it was easy to win.

"But that didn't mean anything this time. Different surface, different area. It's been four months. Everyone is pushing a lot.

"It was a tough match. Also I had a little bit of cramping at the end of the match, but hopefully she couldn't see that."

Li looked on course for a straightforward victory after taking the first set 6-3, but was dragged into a slugfest in the second set, which Zahlavova Strycova won on a tiebreak after three breaks of serve by each player.

Serving for the match at 5-3 up in the third set, Li fell 15-40 down and had to save three break points before converting her second match point when Zahlavova Strycova sent a backhand long.

Li has gone beyond the third round on all four of her previous appearances at Roland Garros and she was joined in round two by Japan's Ayumi Morita, a 2-6, 6-4, 7-5 winner against French wild card Kristina Mladenovic.

Morita, who turned 21 in March, had never previously progressed beyond the first round at Roland Garros.

She will bid to continue her adventure in the next round against either Belgian 21st seed Yanina Wickmayer or Romania's Monica Niculescu.

Sharapova advances

Maria Sharapova eased into the second round as well on Tuesday, but the Russian took second billing to grieving Virginie Razzano, who honored her fiance's dying wish to play the French Open.

Sharapova had little trouble disposing of Croatian veteran Mirjana Lucic 6-3, 6-0, as the former world No 1 began her campaign to clinch a first French Open title.

It took the seventh-seeded Russian just 56 minutes to seal victory as her 29-year-old opponent, playing the tournament for the first time in eight years, was overwhelmed, winning just four points in the second set.

However, Sharapova, the sport's biggest drawcard, was not headline news, and neither was a first-round defeat for 2008 champion Ana Ivanovic.

Sharapova had been preceded on Court Philippe Chatrier by French 28-year-old Razzano, playing in honor of her fiance and coach Stephane Vidal, who died from a brain tumor eight days ago.

"I am very emotional, I was here for Stephane," said Razzano, after her 6-3, 6-1 defeat by Australian 24th seed Jarmila Gajdosova, whose own private life has been in turmoil following the collapse of her two-year marriage.

"It was really hard to come on the court, there was a lot of emotion and a lot of pain. That pain will always be there. I tried to make a tribute to Stephane. It was mission impossible but I gave my all."

Ivanovic was a shock first-round casualty, losing 7-6 (3), 0-6, 6-2 to Sweden's world No 64 Johanna Larsson, who won just her second Grand Slam match.

In the men's draw, Indian No 1 Somdev Devvarman's tournament was ended on Tuesday when he lost to experienced Croatian Ivan Ljubicic.

Devvarman, the world No 66, has never gone beyond the second round of a Grand Slam tournament and was well beaten by the former world No 3, losing 6-4, 6-3, 6-4.

"I was just trying to find ways to break him but unfortunately he served really well," said Devvarman.

Agence France-Presse

(China Daily 05/25/2011 page24)