Li Na '3 more steps' away from making history
Source: Agencies |
January 24, 2011, Monday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
LI Na is just "three more steps" from making history, a prospect that makes her mother very nervous.
"I feel I have a chance," she said. "Just three more steps."
The 28-year-old player's mother supports her career but can't bring herself to follow it.
"She can't watch me play tennis. I'll ask her many times, 'Please travel with me.' She says 'No. I want to stay because I don't want to watch,'" Li said, smiling. "She's so nervous."
It might be getting difficult to ignore Li with her matches being broadcast live in China.
Pierced, tattooed and confident, the No. 9-seeded Li reached the quarterfinals yesterday by beating eighth-seeded Victoria Azarenka of Belarus 6-3, 6-3.
Displaying new aggressiveness, Li rushed to the net eight times and won all eight points. She whacked 66 winners, compared with 50 by Azarenka.
Quick to quip, Li explained what helped her win. "Because I'm better, so I won," she said with a smile.
Most Chinese athletes maintain a clean-cut image, but Li has an edgy personality. She has a tattoo on her chest of a rose inside a heart and two upper ear piercings. Li jokes that taking orders from her husband/coach rankles her and often results in an argument, but she says the change has made her "more happy on the court."
"We have good energy, good communication. It's always a positive thing for the team," she said. "The most important thing is I trust him."
Li faces Germany's Andrea Petkovic in the quarterfinal. She didn't watch Petkovic's match against Maria Sharapova. "I think this is my husband's job," she said. "I just lie down in the bed. Enjoy, watch TV. That's all."
Yesterday's fourth-round match was given the prominent placement of center court, where the crowd cheered for Li and occasionally mimicked her opponent's vocal sound effects, a high-pitched shriek with every hit.
"I feel I have a chance," she said. "Just three more steps."
The 28-year-old player's mother supports her career but can't bring herself to follow it.
"She can't watch me play tennis. I'll ask her many times, 'Please travel with me.' She says 'No. I want to stay because I don't want to watch,'" Li said, smiling. "She's so nervous."
It might be getting difficult to ignore Li with her matches being broadcast live in China.
Pierced, tattooed and confident, the No. 9-seeded Li reached the quarterfinals yesterday by beating eighth-seeded Victoria Azarenka of Belarus 6-3, 6-3.
Displaying new aggressiveness, Li rushed to the net eight times and won all eight points. She whacked 66 winners, compared with 50 by Azarenka.
Quick to quip, Li explained what helped her win. "Because I'm better, so I won," she said with a smile.
Most Chinese athletes maintain a clean-cut image, but Li has an edgy personality. She has a tattoo on her chest of a rose inside a heart and two upper ear piercings. Li jokes that taking orders from her husband/coach rankles her and often results in an argument, but she says the change has made her "more happy on the court."
"We have good energy, good communication. It's always a positive thing for the team," she said. "The most important thing is I trust him."
Li faces Germany's Andrea Petkovic in the quarterfinal. She didn't watch Petkovic's match against Maria Sharapova. "I think this is my husband's job," she said. "I just lie down in the bed. Enjoy, watch TV. That's all."
Yesterday's fourth-round match was given the prominent placement of center court, where the crowd cheered for Li and occasionally mimicked her opponent's vocal sound effects, a high-pitched shriek with every hit.
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