Though she lost a grand slam final to a superior player, Li Na had many reasons to leave the Australian Open with a smile and a few parting jokes as well.
First of all, she became the first Chinese woman ever to reach a grand slam singles final, and won US$1.1 million, a third of her career earnings; Kim Clijsters' victory cheque was US$2.2 million.
After losing the first two games without a point, Li won the first set 6-3 over veteran champion Clijsters, with a composure that almost lulled a crowd of 15,000 into a Chinese mid-summer night's dream. But Li lost the last two sets 6-3, 6-3, and lost all four points in the last game. 'After the match, back in the locker room, I made a joke,' Li said, beaming as always after a match. 'Tennis should only play one set.'
Li, who is expected to move up to number seven in the rankings, played well enough to beat most players, and she played her game, trying to attack and win the championship rather than sitting back and letting her opponent lose it.
'I think I played great tennis. She played better than me,' Li said. 'I'm still happy what I did today. I'm proud of myself.'
In a slugfest that often resembled a men's final, Li and Clijsters battled to pin each other into corners, with deep, heavy groundstrokes and charges to the net. While Li hit the ball as consistently hard as any player on tour, according to Clijsters, Li had trouble nailing overheads and high backhand volleys, often at crucial moments.
Calling it 'an intense match', Clijsters said she tried to break Li's rhythm by mixing in slices, looping high balls, and hard flat shots. 'I saw her get aggravated, and just tried to hang in there.'
