Womens Final - Roland Garros

Schiavone to Meet Li !!!!!
Marion and Sharapova defeated in the semis !

Does that make Na Li the 1st Chinese Woman to reach the FO Final ?

Yes, sure. AO 2011 was the first time a Chinese Woman reached a GS final at all. I really look forward to see if Schiavone can make another miracle on the Philippe C.!

Schiavone looking to be (is it?) the 6th woman to retain the title in the modern era.

Could be a really good match as Li Na doesn't appear to feel the pressure too much and Schiavone is right at home on the clay.

Hoping that Li Na edges it as there seems to be an incredible amount of anti-Li Na bias on Eurosport. They've even made her second favourite as it were for every match since Kvitova and even suggesting her winning that one would be "an upset"!

It was quite obvious a couple of seasons back that Li Na was a very good player and much more dimensional than a lot of those at the top of the womens game. really nice to watch imo

Have to say i was right behind Schiavone last year - probably more so because the beeb seemed to ram Stosur down our throats and gave Schiavone hardly any chance - i actually bet on her last year, because the odds just seemed too biased towards stosur. This year i will not mind who wins, but overall i might say Schiavone again to see her defend it and join a small club of talented players. The 16-14? set she played late last year showed what a boost being a slam champ can give some one, even if they are a veteran.

Just think what would happen to Murray if he won a slam - 50 streak anyone?

I think Schiavone will win, but Ni La will take her all the way to
3 !!!


There again .................

Tom have to agree Schiavone was a deserving winner last year and has shown herself to be more of an ongoing threat than Stosur.

What is it with these pundits anyway? Hardly enthusiastic about Schiavone at the beginning of the FO again this year then admitting she 's a really good match player.

With Li Na admittedly she hasn't even won a clay court event on tour yet but the French would be a good start. When she says that she's "ready this time" I believe her.

Two really deserving finalists who could produce a really good final IMO.

Newballs

I think the pundits have generally become accustomed to the women's game being dominated by big ball strikers in the mould of the Williams sisters, Sharapova and most of the young players, so when a less power-based but more rounded player (as both Schiavone and Li Na are) is successful, it's a surprise to them - this is despite the success that Henin had over the years, especially at RG, despite her lack of physical size.

You have to give an awful lot of credit to the two finalists - Schiavone for getting so close to a successful defence of her one (ever) big success and Na for having bounced back so well after the disappointment of defeat in the final at Aus.

Could be a good match in the final - and for once without acbsurd levels of shrieking with every shot.

dummy half the pundits were convinced Sharapova was back as a major contender but surely it was little surprise that her serve let her down. She's still not the force she once was and I'd be surprised if she wins another slam.

In the absence of Serena looks like the ladies are still waiting for an emerging champion. Wozniacki is starting to look like a lightweight no. 1 unfortunately and both Azarenka and Kvitova were comfortably dispatched by Li Na.

Both those ladies though look like the future and it wouldn't be a big surprise if one of them made it all the way at Wimbledon this year.

newballs

I agree about Wozniacki in that she has neither the weight of shot nor the variation in her came to challenge on clay. However, she is such a consistent player that on faster surfaces (Wimby and the USO), she will still take a lot of beating.

The women's game seems to have been waiting for the emergence of another dominant champion for about 3 or 4 seasons now, having had a number of good but not great players topping the rankings (Ivanovic, Jankovic, Safina and now C-Woz), while the slams have been the territory of either almost part time players (Serena), those returning to the game (Clijsters) or players on hot streaks (Schiavone).

Maybe the likes of Kvitova or Azarenka could be the ones to move things forwards, but even they are taking their time getting to the peak of the game - it used to be (with the likes of Graf, Seles and Hingis) that young players reached the top before they were 20 (heck, in some cases before they should have left school), and then often faded out fairly young (burnt out or with too many miles on the clock). I know the changes to tournament entry regulations are supposed to be for the good of the game, but are they having a detrimental effect on player development?

Schiavone is in deep trouble. Li Na leads by a set and a break (6-4, 2-1).

Li Na is really playing well. Schiavone can't seem to find her rhythm and Li Na is not allowing Schiavone to impose her net game.

kemet wrote:Schiavone is in deep trouble. Li Na leads by a set and a break (6-4, 2-1).

Li Na is really playing well. Schiavone can't seem to find her rhythm and Li Na is not allowing Schiavone to impose her net game.

Edit: Schiavone breaks Li Na to get back on serve at 4-4.

Game on!

Li Na wins 6-4, 7-6. Her performance in the tiebreak (7-0) was astounding!

Congrats to her and her team.

WHAT a Match

Thoroughly enjoyed it !!!

Commiserations Frances and WELL PLAYED LI NA !!!!!!!!!

BBC commentators mentioned Li Na Was from Wuhan.

After I heard that my appreciation for hes achievement has doubled. I was in Wuhan in April 2003 for 2 days, and one of the things I had to endure was a 45 minute taxi ride 5 times around the block (driving past my hotel at least twice) due to my interpretor deciding not to follow me to the hotel, but get out of the car where it suited him. It was warm and windows had to be down, 8-10 lane roads full of cars belching out grey vicious fumes. Al that just to earn him the equuivalent of £1.

When I eventually managed to scrape it to my hotel room I treated myself to a room-service cake and coffee and I coughed for the next week like I used to when I was a chain smoker.

It was moving to watch Li Na watch Sciavone's juicy, colourful and beautiful speech, and get nervous because she knew she had to give her own speech being aware she wasn't going to match it.

Wuhan is a hard place and soft and beautiful things are rare there.

Well done Li (or is it Na?), your journey was twice as long as the others' but I'm sure it was worth the wait and intensely enjoyed despite the lack of words to describe it.

OK - GIVE UP - WHERE is WUHAN and WHAT are you doing there
Legend ?

U talkin 2 M?