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China's Li Na Takes French Open Tennis Title

   VOA Sports  June 04, 2011
   Li Na of China celebrates defeating Francesca Schiavone of Italy in the
   women's final of the French Open tennis tournament in Roland Garros
   stadium in Paris, June 4, 2011.

Photo: AP

   Li Na of China celebrates defeating Francesca Schiavone of Italy in the
   women's final of the French Open tennis tournament in Roland Garros
   stadium in Paris, June 4, 2011.

   At the French Open tennis tournament in Paris on Saturday, Li Na became
   the first Chinese player, and the first player from any Asian country,
   to win a Grand Slam singles title.
   Li defeated last year's women's French Open winner, Italy's Francesca
   Schiavone, 6-4, 7-6.
   Both players are age 29, which is considered old in the world of
   tennis. When Schiavone took the 2010 title, she became the oldest
   first-time women's champion since professionals began competing in
   1968. She also was the first Italian Grand Slam women's champion.
   Li, who was seeded sixth in the French tournament, was defeated in the
   Australian Open final earlier this year. She is now expected to jump to
   number four in the international rankings. Her victory also could spark
   renewed interest in tennis in her Chinese homeland.
   Both players won six games in the final set, leading to a tie-breaker
   that Li won 7-0. When Schiavone hit long on match point, Li celebrated
   her victory by falling on her back onto the clay Paris court. It was
   her first title on clay.
   The men's final will be played Sunday between world number one Rafael
   Nadal of Spain, the five-time French Open champion, and Switzerland's
   Roger Federer, the former world number one who took his only French
   Open title in 2009.

   Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.