Injury drives Li Na out of the first round; Tsvetana Pironkova progresses – Open GDF Suez 2012
Chinese number one, Li Na continues with her dismal run of form and was eliminated in the opening round of the Open GDF Suez, falling to the world number 50, Tsvetana Pironkova of Bulgaria. Being played on the indoor hard courts
of Stade Pierre de Coubertin in Paris, France, the contest witnessed the world number nine, Li, pulling out of the second set of the due to injury. The scores were 7-6(5), 3-2, in the Bulgarian’s favour when the third seed Chinese was forced to quit the competition
for a gruelling back pain.
Li was struck with a lower back pain in her Fed Cup voyage last week and couldn’t fully recover to be a part of the competitive filed at the WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) Premier-level tournament in Paris. She appeared fatigued
and rusty in the opening set but kept pushing in the contest. She dropped the opener in a tie breaker round and was trailing 2-3 down in the next set before she signalled to the chair umpire that she was in no condition to continue playing.
"I hurt myself in the Fed Cup at the weekend," explained Li in her post match reviews."It had gotten better since and this morning it didn't hurt. But the stab of pain returned, very strong and I couldn't continue. I don't know
if it's because of the Fed Cup, maybe I'm getting old as well.”
The 29-year-old Chinese had suffered a defeat at the hands of Pironkova in 2006, when she was ousted in straight sets, 2-6, 6-7(7) but couldn’t avenge her loss on Tuesday. The confident Bulgarian was off to a flying start in the
matchup and was further assisted by the debilitating physical conditions of the third seed opponent. Pironkova kept her basics right and avoided committing unforced errors to cruise through the games.
The opening set witnessed Pironkova going on a five-game rampage right up, rocketing away to 5-0 in just 20 minutes of play. The third seed made a quick recovery and belted two successive breaks of serve in the seventh and ninth
games to bring the scores on even terms at 5-5. A regular game from there onwards took the set into a tie-breaker round and Pironkova took the better of the world number nine to reign supreme in the decider.
The Bulgarian broke her opponent’s serve in the third game of the following set and was 3-2 up when Li had to withdraw from the match, letting Pironkova through to the round of 16 of the tournament.
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