Li Na breaks through

For years, Li Na has threatened to succeed at the highest level in tennis, but mainly due to the era, her contemporaries have won the spoils and knocked her out at quarter or semi final stages. In Melbourne this year she achieved her first final appearance at a Grand Slam tournament losing a close three setter to Kim Clijsters.

The French Open had given her another chance at the jackpot, due to a range of factors - an underprepared Clijsters who was defeated early, surprise exits in the first week by top seed Wozniacki, last year's runner-up Stosur and in-form German player Goerges. Li Na still had Azarenka to beat in the quarter finals but the Belarussian had never been past that stage of a major so Li Na had that in her favour.

As things transpired, Francesca Schiavone ended up as the highest seed left on her side of the draw after the carnage of the top seeds extended to Zvonareva. So the final was between the youngsters on tour 30 year old defending champion Schiavone and 29 year old Li. Judging from their semi finals, Li would need to be more inventive in order to break up the many facets that exist in the Italian's game.

Considering that 12 months previous Schiavone had raised the trophy in triumph, her start was anything but assured, whereas it was the Chinese girl who took the game up to Francesca, surprising her with her willingness to move forward at times rather than play the baseline role which had proved entirely sufficient against the limited Sharapova in the semis.

The big forehand remained the cornerstone of Li's attack, though, and she held serve early without any signs of trouble. Being one of the few players able to consistently handle Schiavone's wicked slice and spin, Li managed to pressure enough of the Italian ground strokes into unforced error, achieving the initial break of the match early in set one. The remainder of the set went with serve, an unusual occurrence in women's singles finals these days, but one which brought a half smile to the Chinese face as another Italian error presented her the set. Half a smile was all that Li would allow herself, because she knew that the job to this point had been half completed. The wounded champion must be all the more respected.

Francesca found herself in even deeper trouble at the beginning of set two, seriously wounded when broken in the first game. Li saved a break point with an ace and held serve which she would continue to do solidly. At 3-1, she had a golden opportunity to secure the match with a simple put away and a double break. However she netted the shot, and Schiavone took heart from the near death experience.

At 4-3, still in command but receiving much more of a contest from a Schiavone showing her more recognisable skills, Li served to be one game away from glory. However she faulted and the crafty Italian could sense a third set coming up as she equalled at 4-4. Both girls traded a full range of top notch tennis shots, Schiavone with her spin and devilish backhand, Li with the regulation brutal forehand. The trend was moving ever so slightly towards the Italian in general play and the shots from the Chinese racquet were a little more conservative. Li served to stay in the set at 4-5, and again at 5-6, both times with success, but without the assuredness of what we witnessed earlier.

In fact in the 12th game a controversial line call at deuce went in favour of the Chinese girl, and rather than have to face a break point she instead proceeded to win the game and dominate the tie breaker, not relinquishing a single further point to Schiavone for the match. Partly explained by Francesca's devastation at the chair umpire's decision, but more so by her opponent's capacity to step it up when it mattered most. Lobbing and volleying superbly and serving as expected in a match deciding position, Li Na triumphed in the 2011 French Open 6-4 7-6.

Francesca could be well proud of her title defense, and although she slips a spot in the rankings, that is simply a statistic belying the position she holds in world tennis. Li Na now moves ahead of Azarenka to her highest ever ranking of 4 and is China's first Grand Slam singles champion. She deserves all that comes with that.

As an Australian, living in a country that has a wonderful trading relationship with China, I put it to the powers that be that for some extra exports of valuable minerals, we gain Li Na as our latest import because our tennis stocks are in serious need of a boost!