Make or break time for Li Na at the China Open in Beijing – Tennis News
World number eight, Li Na, is looking to retain the rank in order to make it into the season-end finale at Istanbul. She is entering the China Open with the hope to end strong and save a lot of points to make it difficult for the
other players in the hunt of the eighth place. The 30-year-old Chinese stated in the interview before leaving for Beijing, “I'm now number eight, so it's very tough. Right now I don't know. I think it will be decided after Beijing. I wish I can be in the championships,
but I lost today, so the only chance is that I have to do well next week in Beijing.”
The top two ranked players, Victoria Azarenka and Maria Sharapova, who have been fighting for the number one spot in the world, were already confirmed of the place in Istanbul. Recently the new entrant is the finalist at the Toray
Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo, Agnieszka Radwanska, has confirmed her place in the tournament as well.
So, it leaves the five spots to be fulfilled and the last place is always a fight until the end. Li is holding on to that rank but she needs to avoid the teasers from other players and make the best use of the opportunities allotted
to her at Beijing to cement her place as the number eight player in the world. Former world number one, Caroline Wozniacki, has ended in the last-16 round of the Toray Pan Pacific Open so it has left a meagre distance between the two athletes that can be covered
with a single blitz from either end.
Serena Williams and Venus Williams have already withdrawn from the tournament but the stage is still tough for the Chinese number one who will face a cracking resistance from the likes of Sharapova and Azarenka. Other players that
will test her ability are Petra Kvitova from Czech Republic and Angelique Kerber from Germany.
Former US Open Champion, Samantha Stosour, is just one rank lower than the Chinese superstar. She ended in the semi-finals of the Toray Pan Pacific Open that will earn her few crucial points as well. So, the competition is tough
but Li is completely determined to book a spot at Istanbul.
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