Pennetta pulls off Li stunner to storm into final
Print Edition
VANQUISHED top seed Li Na’s warm hug for Flavia Pennetta on Friday after the Italian beat her in the semifinals of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California, had plenty of history behind it.
The tennis rivals were born just one day apart — China’s Li on February 26 and Pennetta on February 25 in 1982 — and Li said she feels a kinship with the Italian who is still hard at it on the WTA Tour.
“You know, she’s only one day older than me,” Li said. “It’s not easy (if you are) over 30 (to) still play on the tour.”
The two first played each other at an International Tennis Federation tournament in Italy back in 2000. “It was like a huge, long history,” said Li, who was catapulted to stardom when she became the first Chinese player to win a grand slam tournament at the 2011 French open.
“You never know after 15 years you still can play the same opponent in a big tournament.”
Li said she and Pennetta barely remembered that first meeting.
Since then they’d met four more times before Friday, notably in January when Li swept past the Italian in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open en route to her second grand slam title.
Pennetta avenged that defeat with a 7-6 (5), 6-3 victory over Li on the hardcourts in the California desert, reaching biggest final of a career that has included nine WTA titles.
Pennetta will play No. 2 seed Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland in the final. Radwanska beat sixth-seeded Simona Halep of Romania 6-3, 6-4 to reach her first final in eight appearances at the tournament.
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