Li Na wins French Open, 1st major for Chinese

Li Na of China celebrates defeating Francesca Schiavone of Italy in two sets 6-4, 7-6, in the women’s final of the French Open tennis tournament in Roland Garros stadium in Paris, June 4, 2011. Photo by AP

PARIS—China’s long wait for a Grand Slam champion ended Saturday when Li Na beat6-4, 7-6 (0) in the French Open final.

The Australian Open runner-up fell flat on her back in the red clay after Schiavone hit a backhand long on match point.

“I was nervous but I didn’t want to show to my opponent,” said Li, who appeared to be letting the match slip away after being up a break in the second set. “I was a little bit shaking.”

The crowd at Roland Garros was dotted with red Chinese flags and a small vocal group supporting Schiavone. They watched as Li dropped her serve for the only time late in the second set, but then won the final nine points of the match to earn her first major title.

“I couldn’t really push forward from the baseline,” Schiavone said. “She deserved to win. One has to lose, one has to win. She deserves everything.”

On Sunday, five-time champion Rafael Nadal will face Roger Federer in the men’s final.

The title was only the fifth of Li’s career, and first on clay. But it is the biggest victory on a tennis court for China, which has already started savoring the moment.

Li, however, won’t return home to relish in her achievement until after Wimbledon.

“If I (don’t) do well in Wimbledon, maybe people forget me already,” Li said with a smile. “These are tough times, you know.”

She was broken only once by the defending champion, while she converted two of her eight break points — one in each set. She finished with 31 winners, while Schiavone had only 12.

Li took a 3-2 lead in the first when Schiavone sent a forehand wide. She held at love in the next two games, and then won the set when Schiavone sent a forehand long.

“She (kept) me really far away from the net or inside the court, so I was always too (defensive),” Schiavone said. “With the slice, (it) was not easy because she has good timing and she has good preparation with (her) legs.”

The Chinese player opened the second set with her second break of the match, and then saved Schiavone’s first break point in the next game with an ace. But Schiavone broke back in the eighth game to even the score at 4-4.

Both players held the rest of the way, but Schiavone came within two points of winning the set on five occasions, three times at 5-4 and twice more at 6-5.

The point that first put Schiavone that close was a bit awkward. Schiavone sent a backhand return straight at Li, but the ball skidded off the white baseline and under Li’s racket, causing her to take a big swing at nothing.

Schiavone raised her hand to apologize, and then lost the next point when she stretched for a forehand and sent it wide.

In the 12th game, Schiavone contested a line call on a shot by Li, arguing the ball was out. The chair umpire ran across the court to investigate and ruled that the ball touched the line.

“That ball was out,” said Schiavone, who put a backhand into the net on the next point and then lost all seven in the tiebreaker.

Although Li has said she is not a big fan of playing on clay, her power and precision worked well against Schiavone, who last year became the first Italian woman to win a Grand Slam singles title.

“Today is the dream come true,” Li said. “Not so many player can win (a) Grand Slam.”

For Li, the year started well but soon took a dip.

After losing to Kim Clijsters in the Australian Open final, the 29-year-old Li lost her next four matches. But she recovered her form shortly before the French Open, reaching the semifinals in Madrid.

By winning Saturday, Li is expected to jump to No. 4 in the women’s rankings, equaling the record for the highest ranking by a woman from Asia. Japanese player Kimiko Date-Krumm has also been ranked No. 4.

Both Li and Schiavone came into the final with plenty of experience. Combined, they were the oldest pair in a women’s Grand Slam final since Wimbledon in 1998, when Jana Novotna, 29, beat Nathalie Tauziat, 30.