Johanna Larsson stun 7th Seed Li Na in the second round of 2011 Sony Ericsson Open
World number 78 Johanna Larsson stunned 7th seed Chinese Li Na 7-5, 6-7, 7-6 in a sensational three setter on Thursday to reach the third round at the 2011 Sony Ericsson Open in United States.
Larrson started off brightly as she held on to her serve games in the opening set. She made the crucial serve break in the 12th game to take the set 7-5. The Swede was masterful with her forehand and backhand shots execution
as created a lot of problems for the world number six.
The second set also proved to be a tight one. Both players exchanged breaks in the set as it went into the tie-breaker. However the Chinese showed remarkable fighting spirit and mental strength to overcome her opponent in the set.
Li Na smashed a forehand winner down the line to take the match into the final set.
In the decider both players tried to assert dominance over one another playing high quality tennis. Li Na had numerous chances in the set but she managed to convert only a few of them. Larsson on the other hand launched the attack
aggressively and strengthened her defense even further which gave her the extra edge in the contest. The Swede converted a long rally to complete a deserving win in a match that lasted for more than 3 hours.
Larrson’s best performance of the season came at Mexican Open where she reached the semifinals. The 22 year old will be hoping to put up another great show in her third round match-up against Alexandra Dulgheru of Romania
"It's definitely the biggest win of my career," Larsson said. "I got really nervous and messed it up a little bit, but I kept fighting and running, and somehow I was the winner in the end. The match is never over until the last
point and I just tried to stay positive. I knew if I kept my level up there was always a chance. I never stopped believing."
Earlier this year at Sydney, the 29 year old Li Na made big news when she won the first premier Women’s Tennis Association title of her career at Sydney. She then continued her supreme form and reached the final of 2011 Australian
Open ousting world number one Caroline Wozniacki in the semis.
Li Na became the first Chinese player to appear in a Grand Slam final. However she fell in the first rounds of the next three WTA tournaments she took part. Li Na admitted that she fell short in certain areas of the game and also
expressed her disappointment at not making it to the next round at the event.
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