China Regains Gold for Women's Singles of Universiade

China Regains Gold for Women's Singles of Universiade

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China's top female tennis player Li Na claimed the women's singles title of the Universiade tennis tournament here Thursday, beating Chinese Taipei's Janet Lee, the top seed and rated 87th, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 in the final.

China has waited for this gold for eight years since Yi Jingqian, former Chinese top tennis player, clinched the title in the 1993 Universiade.

"This gold medal is the most valuable one for the Chinese Universiade tennis team, which will definitely heighten the morale of China's tennis circle," Feng Xiuyun, the Chinese team's manager told reporters after the match.

Janet, the defending champion of the women's singles of the Universiade tennis, was so disappointed at losing this gold that she threw away her racket after striking the last ball out of the baseline.

"I did not play well, especially in the service and the attacking strokes," Janet, who is good at serving which has ever gone at the speed of 150km per hour, said at the press briefing after the match.

Although Janet, whose serve speed is believed to be within the top ten professional players in the world, made several beautiful aces in the intense match, Li Na, who was playing like a fighter, broke her serves twice in the first and second sets and three times in the third.

Li Na, who boasts of her baseline forehand and backhand strokes, made a surprising open of the final match as she took a 4-0 lead in the first set. However, the more experienced Janet altered the tactics of baseline striking rally to slicing the ball near the net and stroke hard when Li Na came to the net. The change worked and Janet took eight games in a row, which helped her win the first set and go on to take a 2-0 lead in the second set.

Li Na recovered thereafter as she concentrated more on the opponent's slice and high balls, and regained the upper hand 4-2 in the second set.

Janet used the same tactics as she did in their first encounter of the year in Taipei, "during which she beat me 6-1, 6-3," Li Na said at the press briefing. "She thought that I was not good at dealing with sliced balls," Li Na said, adding that she had made physical and mental preparations before this final.

During the match, Li Na tried her best to strike every ball hard enough to the opponent's baseline and corners, and made many speedy returns of Janet's powerful serves.

Replying to a question about if she often sliced balls and stroke high balls for changing the rhythm of the competition or she was forced to do so because of Li Na's powerful baseline strikes, Janet murmured,"Both."