Li Na fights back against Lucie Safarova to confirm the final spot – Rogers Cup 2012
World number 11, Li Na, rallied past the 23rd ranked Czech starlet, Lucie Safarova, to deny her the place in the final of the Rogers Cup in Montreal on the eve of Sunday. She lost the opening set 3-6 but fought back
well enough to win the following two 6-3, 7-5.
In an interview at the end of the match, Li Na commented, “In the beginning I was trying to shoot as hard as I could, and I was making a lot of mistakes - so I knew I had to start putting the ball back in the court more.”
She further added, “When I was 5-1 down, I thought if I shot hard four in a row, I'd lose the match. So I had to change a little bit. I was just trying to take it point by point. When I got back to 5-4, my serve game, I think it
was more exciting for the fans.”
The opening set witnessed just one breakpoint in the eighth game that was successfully converted by the inferior ranked Czech. Apart from that, there were hardly any tests for both players on their serves.
However, it was a major let down for the Chinese superstar who was eagerly waiting to contest her first tournament final of the current season since her appearance in the Italian Open’s last two showdown against the former world
number one, Maria Sharapova.
The reply was slick and stylish from the 30-year-old Chinese who won a breakthrough in the fourth game of the second set and kept the lead intact until the end.
Shrieks of ‘come on’ from Li at the end of the second set clearly depicted the level of energy she was putting in to convert the encounter in her favour.
The final set witnessed a nervy performance from both contenders. Firstly, it was the Chinese superstar who faltered twice to go down 1-5 and then the poor control of serves from Safarova shrunk her lead to nothing by the end of
the 10th game.
Finally, a breakthrough for the Chinese superstar coupled with a serve hold in the 12th game ended booked her a final spot where she locks horns with sixth ranked Czech superstar, Petra Kvitova.
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