Top News

Tennis News

(China Daily)
Updated: 2011-05-26 07:58

Men

'Nervous' Nadal feared the worst against Isner

Rafael Nadal admitted he feared he might never break John Isner's huge serve, after coming through a thrilling five-set match against the American to reach the French Open second round.

The defending champion and top seed, bidding for a record-equalling sixth Roland Garros crown, was staring down the barrel of a shock elimination after allowing Isner to establish a 2-1 sets lead.

Nadal re-asserted control of proceedings in the fourth set, however, before completing a 6-4, 6-7 (2), 6-7 (2), 6-2, 6-4 victory that sets him up for a second-round meeting with countryman Pablo Andujar.

"I was close to going out. That's the thing," said Nadal.

"I didn't have a way to find a break. I had 15-40 at 6-5 in the second set but he was still serving fantastic and he produced two big serves. They were tough moments for me, but I only had one break point against me during the whole match.

"I didn't play the tiebreaks well. I played too nervous, in my opinion. But for the rest of the match, it was 6-2, 6-4, and I was in control of everything, without playing fantastic."

Women

Li serene at French Open despite husband's nerves

China's Li Na says her entry into the world top 10 has not created any unwanted extra pressure around her, despite her husband succumbing to nerves during her first-round match at the French Open.

Li, the sixth seed at Roland Garros, won 6-3, 6-7 (8), 6-3 against Barbora Zahlavova Strycova of the Czech Republic on Tuesday, to set up a second-round meeting with Spanish qualifier Silvia Soler Espinosa.

The Chinese No 1 admitted it had been a "tough" encounter, and revealed her husband, Jiang Shan, had had to creep out of the arena during the tense second set.

"He was nervous," explained Li at her post-match press conference. "You know, it's different for players than for the people watching. If you're playing, you know what you need to do, but for the people sitting in the player's box, they don't know what to think."

Li, ranked seventh in the world, has had to adjust to a higher profile after becoming the first Chinese player to reach the final of a Grand Slam at the Australian Open earlier this year.

Despite the added attention, Li insists she has no qualms about playing amid heightened expectations.

Straight-taking Goerges says she has no title chance

Amid all the pleasantries and banalities which fill the air during a Grand Slam tournament, Germany's much-hyped Julia Goerges offered a refreshing burst of realism by stating she had no chance of winning the French Open.

The 17th seed, an outside bet for the title among some shrewd punters, beat world No 1 Caroline Wozniacki when triumphing in the Stuttgart tournament and making the last four in Madrid earlier this month.

She battled back from 3-1 down in the second set to down Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic 2-6, 7-5, 6-2 on Wednesday to progress to the third round, but she doubts her quest will last much longer on the Roland Garros clay.

"For sure not me," she said when asked for a name of a potential winner on June 4.

"I don't think I'm a player who can win here. I haven't reached past the third round here. I don't count myself."

Goerges was just as damning about her first-set performance in the sunshine on court two.

"I wasn't really on the court in the first set," she said.

"It's tough when you can't play your best tennis and you think 'what are you doing here?'"

Agence France-Presse - Reuters

(China Daily 05/26/2011 page24)