2011 French Open: Na Li defeats Barbora Zahlavova Strycova to advance into next round
World number seven Na Li took on Czech’s Barbora Zahlavova Strycova at the first round of French Open on Tuesday. Li took two hours and twenty eight minutes to outplay her opponent from this prestigious tournament.
The tournament is being played at the Stade Roland Garros and is the second Grand Slam tournament of the season following the Grand Slam Down Under, the Australian Open.
Li, relentlessly crushed Strycova’s much weaker wing; extracting a staggering total of 52 errors from the young woman’s racket. Realizing that she would not get many points in the first two sets, Strycova decided to get more adventurous
as the final set started, but the Czech was very ineffectual at the net, and she dumped quite a few easy volleys and eventually lost the match in three sets.
The Chinese started the opener on a very aggressive note and hammered 69 percent of first serves, winning71 percent of points on them. Strycova on the other hand fired 79 percent first serves and gained 48 percent of points on
them. Li converted 40 percent breakpoints in the set to clinch it with a 6-3 score line.
Strycova offered much more resistance in the second set, and she withstood a bombardment of bruising forehands from Li, often replying with a flick of that impressive forehand of her, but after a couple of difficult holds from
the Spaniard, Li struck what seemed to be decisive blow. But In a brilliant display of guts, Strycova broke back and totally dominated the tie-break with a wonderful forehand.
In the final set, the Spaniard seemed to be struggling with her serve and could not maintain her brilliant form and handed over the third set with a 6-3 score. Strycova had been thoroughly educated on the dynamics of the clay courts
tennis from her Chinese opponent and she will definitely try to improve her weaker parts. As for Li, she marches on to the second round where Spain’s Silvia Soler Espinosa awaits her.
For sure the Spaniard woman has had a very respectable season, winning eleven of the twenty two matches played against much skilled opponents and reached the second round of the 2011 Abierto Mexicano Telcel, before losing to the
ultimate defending champion Gisela Dulko of Argentina. But it is Li who has really been making headway, winning the Sydney International title and following that with a final showing at the Australian Open.
Despite all this, Soler Espinosa could make things tricky for the Chinese if her booming serves and fiery forehand started working at the right moment. Still, Li has acquired a taste for the latter stages of the Slams, and she
won’t be in the mood for an upset.
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