Li edges past French teenager Mladenovic

PARIS - China’s Li Na used her experience to fend off teenage French wildcard Kristina Mladenovic and reach the second round of the French Open on Monday, winning 7-5 6-3 on a baking hot Suzanne Lenglen court.

By Reuters

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Published: Mon 24 May 2010, 5:59 PM

Last updated: Mon 6 Apr 2015, 9:08 AM

The 28-year-old Li, who became the first Chinese player to attain a top 10 singles rankings after reaching the Australian Open semi-finals in January, dropped serve twice in the opening set but replied with three breaks of her own.

Mladenovic, rewarded with a main draw spot after winning the girls singles title last year, was bothered by a back strain in the second set but still produced a few scorching winners to keep the home fans interested and Li on her toes.

Li, the 11th seed, went 0-40 down when serving for the match but responded with five straight points to move through.


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