Tough win for Li but Ivanovic stunned
Source: Agencies |
May 25, 2011, Wednesday
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CHINA'S Li Na summed up her own stop-start performance in reaching the French Open second round by stating that anyone in the women's draw could win this year's tournament but the feat would still be tough.
The Australian Open runner-up began the second grand slam of the year with an unconvincing 6-3, 6-7, 6-3 win over Czech Barbora Zahlavova Strycova on the Roland Garros clay yesterday.
"I'm still happy I could win today. It was a tough match. I also had a little bit of cramp at the end of the match, but hopefully she couldn't see that," the sixth seed told reporters.
"Right now I am feeling every player has a chance to win a grand slam. But, you know, I always like to say, 'easy to say; tough to do'."
With top seed Caroline Wozniacki never having won a major, one of China's most famous women has a real opportunity to make a further name for herself here and hopes new coach Michael Mortensen can continue to make a difference.
"He's a nice guy first, and also a positive person. I think we are working not bad. Every time if we do something, he always finds a positive way to tell me what I should do," she said of the Dane, who is on a trial period having recently replaced her husband as coach.
Her husband left the stands during the second set. "Maybe he was nervous," she smirked.
Li trailed 3-1 in the first set, but then won 10 of the next 12 games to lead 5-2 in the second before her Czech opponent forced the tiebreaker. She led 4-0 in the third set.
Former French Open champion Ana Ivanovic lost. The 20th-seeded Serb, who won the title at Roland Garros in 2008, fell to Johanna Larsson of Sweden 7-6 (3), 0-6, 6-2.
The fourth-seeded Briton went on a four-match winless run after losing the Australian Open final, but he reached the semifinals at clay-court warmups in Monte Carlo and Rome.
No. 20 Florian Mayer of Germany and No. 21 Alexandr Dolgopolov of Ukraine also advanced.
Elsewhere, coming off the biggest clay-court title of her career, Maria Sharapova rolled into the second round by beating Mirjana Lucic of Croatia 6-3, 6-0.
The seventh-seeded Russian won the Italian Open before coming to Roland Garros to seek the only grand slam title she has never won.
"If you feel pressure, it's part of the business. It's part of the sport," Sharapova said of the expectations placed on her.
"That means there's something on the line. That means you want it bad. It's how you handle it.
"Without pressure, what's the sport about? It's how you really handle the situation."
Against Lucic on center court, Sharapova was not troubled. She won nine straight games to finish the match and never faced a break point.
Sharapova, who will next face French wildcard Caroline Garcia, won the title at Wimbledon in 2004, the US Open in 2006 and the Australian Open in 2008.
An emotional Virginie Razzano played despite the death of her fiance eight days ago. The Frenchwoman, playing with a black ribbon on her shirt, lost to 24th-seeded Jarmila Gajdosova of Australia 3-6, 1-6.
Razzano's fiance and coach Stephane Vidal died on May 16 after being diagnosed with a brain tumor nine years ago. He was 32.
The Australian Open runner-up began the second grand slam of the year with an unconvincing 6-3, 6-7, 6-3 win over Czech Barbora Zahlavova Strycova on the Roland Garros clay yesterday.
"I'm still happy I could win today. It was a tough match. I also had a little bit of cramp at the end of the match, but hopefully she couldn't see that," the sixth seed told reporters.
"Right now I am feeling every player has a chance to win a grand slam. But, you know, I always like to say, 'easy to say; tough to do'."
With top seed Caroline Wozniacki never having won a major, one of China's most famous women has a real opportunity to make a further name for herself here and hopes new coach Michael Mortensen can continue to make a difference.
"He's a nice guy first, and also a positive person. I think we are working not bad. Every time if we do something, he always finds a positive way to tell me what I should do," she said of the Dane, who is on a trial period having recently replaced her husband as coach.
Her husband left the stands during the second set. "Maybe he was nervous," she smirked.
Li trailed 3-1 in the first set, but then won 10 of the next 12 games to lead 5-2 in the second before her Czech opponent forced the tiebreaker. She led 4-0 in the third set.
Former French Open champion Ana Ivanovic lost. The 20th-seeded Serb, who won the title at Roland Garros in 2008, fell to Johanna Larsson of Sweden 7-6 (3), 0-6, 6-2.
The fourth-seeded Briton went on a four-match winless run after losing the Australian Open final, but he reached the semifinals at clay-court warmups in Monte Carlo and Rome.
No. 20 Florian Mayer of Germany and No. 21 Alexandr Dolgopolov of Ukraine also advanced.
Elsewhere, coming off the biggest clay-court title of her career, Maria Sharapova rolled into the second round by beating Mirjana Lucic of Croatia 6-3, 6-0.
The seventh-seeded Russian won the Italian Open before coming to Roland Garros to seek the only grand slam title she has never won.
"If you feel pressure, it's part of the business. It's part of the sport," Sharapova said of the expectations placed on her.
"That means there's something on the line. That means you want it bad. It's how you handle it.
"Without pressure, what's the sport about? It's how you really handle the situation."
Against Lucic on center court, Sharapova was not troubled. She won nine straight games to finish the match and never faced a break point.
Sharapova, who will next face French wildcard Caroline Garcia, won the title at Wimbledon in 2004, the US Open in 2006 and the Australian Open in 2008.
An emotional Virginie Razzano played despite the death of her fiance eight days ago. The Frenchwoman, playing with a black ribbon on her shirt, lost to 24th-seeded Jarmila Gajdosova of Australia 3-6, 1-6.
Razzano's fiance and coach Stephane Vidal died on May 16 after being diagnosed with a brain tumor nine years ago. He was 32.
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