WebProNews

Tag: Li Na

  • Li Na: Chinese Tennis Champion Retires Due To Chronic Knee Injuries

    Tennis superstar, Li Na, has announced her immediate retirement from the sport saying her chronic knee injuries cause so much pain that she is no longer able to give 100% to her game.

    The current world No. 6 is the first Chinese player to win a grand slam singles champion title, which she won twice, in the French Open in 2011 and the Australian Open in 2014.

    “It took me several agonizing months to finally come to the decision that my chronic injuries will never again let me be the tennis player that I can be,” Li wrote on her Facebook page. “Walking away from the sport, effective immediately, is the right decision for me and my family.”

    The 32-year-old Li has had four major knee surgeries in the span of her career, the most recent one being in July, which forced her to withdraw from the recent U.S. Open. Credited for helping popularize the sport in China and the rest of Asia, Li has no regrets about her decision to hang up her racquet. She now plans to focus her efforts on helping develop the next generation of tennis stars from her home country. “We’re putting together various plans on how we will continue to grow the sport of tennis in China,” she said. “These plans include opening the Li Na Tennis Academy, which will provide scholarships for the future generation of Chinese tennis stars.” She also said she will continue to be involved in the Right to Play, an organization dedicated to helping underprivileged children overcome challenges through sport.

    WTA chairman and chief executive officer Stacey Allaster paid tribute to her career by highlighting the Chinese star’s role in promoting tennis in Asia:

    “She is a pioneer who opened doors to tennis for hundreds of millions of people throughout China and Asia,” Allaster said in a statement. “It’s hard to be a household name in a nation with 1.4 billion people, but that’s what Li Na is.”

  • Agnieszka Radwanska Defeated at French Open

    When the No. 2 ranked women’s tennis player in the world, Li Na, lost in the third round at the French Open to 21-year-old Kristina Mladenovic on Tuesday, the world saw the occasion as simply a routine upset which occurs at every major event. When No. 1 ranked Serena Williams lost to 20-year-old Garbiñe Muguruza, the world took note. And when No. 3 ranked Agnieszka Radwanska lost to No. 72 ranked, 21-year-old Ajla Tomljanovic on Friday, the world was aghast.

    Never before has the tennis world seen such a sight – the top three women in tennis have all exited the stage before the fourth round of the French Open, something which has not happened since tennis became a professional sport in 1968.

    After both Williams and Na were defeated early on, many thought that this year’s French Open was Radwanska’s to lose. The 25-year-old Pole did not see things in the same light, however: “It doesn’t mean if the first and second seeds lost, it doesn’t mean the third one is going to win… It’s stupid to say that. It doesn’t matter who is in the draw, if you play good then you’re going to win. I just didn’t play good enough today to win the match.”

    “I don’t think it was my day today,” Radwanska concluded.

    On the converse, however, it was one hell of a day for Tomljanovic.

    Coming into Friday’s contest against Radwanska, Tomljanovic had little evidence to support a bid for an upset. She was ranked No. 72 in the world, she had never advanced past the second round of a Grand Slam event, and she had never beaten anyone ranked in the top 30. Friday was a day of firsts, to say the least.

    While no one would have picked Tomljanovic to defeat Radwanska, the Pole had much confidence coming into the match: “After seeing the two first seeds go out, you kind of feel you can do this, too.I grew up with these girls who are beating them.”

    Tomljanovic used the confidence derived from the losses of both Na and Williams to propel herself to the win. “I went into the stadium for the first time, and she [Radwanska] kind of feels like home there, because she’s been there a lot more than I have… I went out there, and inside I really thought I could win. I think that showed and it is why I won.”

    Up next for Tomljanovic is No. 14 Carla Suarez Navarro. While she may be at a rank-disadvantage once again, Tomljanovic’s confidence is not shaken.

    “I definitely think the tournament is not over for me,” proclaimed Tomljanovic.

    Image via Facebook

  • Li Na On First Round Loss At French Open: “I Gave It Away”

    Li Na, 32-year-old Chinese professional tennis player, failed to win the first round of the French Open on Tuesday, as she lost to Kristina Mladenovic of France with a score of 7-5, 3-6, 6-1.

    With her loss, she failed to get the chance to be the first woman since 2001 to win the Roland Garros and the Australian Open in the same year. The last woman to do so was Jennifer Capriati.

    “The problem is myself. I don’t think I’m doing well on the court. And also, even during the match, I don’t think totally about what I should do, like especially I didn’t follow the game plan,” Na said.

     French Open Highlights: Li Na Vs. Kristina Mladenovic

    Li already won the French Open in 2011, and was hoping to win this year. However, she ended up with 37 errors against Mladenovic’s 25.

    Mladenovic, 21, was ranked at No. 103, but was able to improve her game and lift her rank up to No. 36. However, her poor start this season made her slip out of the top 100. The French player was ecstatic about beating Na. “This is really big, you don’t beat Li Na every day,” she said.

    “I gave it away,” said Na. “Nobody say if you No. 2 in the world you have to win all the matches. I mean, this is tennis.” Na also thinks that she would have lost to anyone who went against her that day.

    Na’s 2014 season is one of her worst clay seasons in her entire career. At the Stuttgart Open, she had to withdraw because of her left knee injury. At the Mutua Madrid Open, she was able to beat Zheng Jie and Kirsten Flipkens in the first two rounds, but was unable to win against Maria Sharapova. Her bad streak continued when she lost to Sara Errani, who she had defeated 6 times before, at the 2014 Internazionali BNL d’Italia.

    Li Na talks about her loss

    Image via YouTube