TENNIS:WHEN THE French Open began a fortnight ago it would have taken a brave person to correctly identify the two players who will walk out on to Court Philippe Chatrier today for the women's final, writes SIMON CAMBERS.
Few thought Francesca Schiavone had a realistic chance of defending the title she won so brilliantly 12 months ago and though Li Na reached the final in Australia in January, even fewer believed she was capable of doing the same on her weakest surface.
Two weeks on and the 30-year-old Italian and the 29-year-old Chinese are the last women standing on the clay of Roland Garros and their clash is a classic contrast in styles.
On one side of the court, Schiavone, wispy yet miraculously strong, with clay court nous second to none. No other woman controls the angles and spin better than the Italian and having tasted glory in Paris once, she is hungry for more.
On the other, the hard-hitting Li, playing the best tennis of her life and with the hopes of more than one billion people resting on her broad shoulders. The pressure would be too much for most but Li has blossomed into a real contender.
With the pair having a combined age of 60 years and 79 days, it is the oldest women’s grand slam final for 13 years but, if anything, that makes their achievement the more impressive. “I’m not old,” Li said yesterday. “Why do you think I’m old? I feel I’m still young.”
Schiavone agreed. “It’s good for the young players to understand the career is not just this moment or one, two, three years, but it is long so they have to control and to improve every day,” she said.
Watching the Italian float around the court and tease an opponent to death is also proof that success on clay requires more than just brawn.
“You have to use your head, every day” she said. “Every player is different but for sure on the clay you can’t use just the power. It’s a mix of everything. You have to be good physically, mentally and tactically.
For Schiavone, winning the title a second time would perhaps be an even greater achievement than the first, given the added pressure and expectations. For Li, becoming the first Asian woman to win a grand slam title would be a monumental achievement and one that would surely open the door to a flood of Chinese talent.
Schiavone’s victory 12 months ago prompted jubilant scenes when she returned home and while Italy’s population does not quite rival that of China, being Italian does have its advantages. “Okay, we only have about 70 million,” she said. “But we have big hearts.”
