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Li hopes grand slam breakthrough will inspire Chinese

MELBOURNE - Li Na hopes reaching the final of a grand slam for the first time at the Australian Open on Thursday will inspire a new generation of Chinese players to one day rival the number of Russians in women’s tennis.

The 28-year-old ninth seed will be the first Chinese to play for one of the sport’s four major singles titles when she meets Kim Clijsters on Saturday after upsetting world number one Caroline Wozniacki 3-6 7-5 6-3.

‘I think maybe because right now I have got into the final, maybe many young players or children will see that and think, ‘maybe one day we can do the same or even better than her?’,’ she said. ‘So some day they will feel more confident.’

International success also has a major impact on the development of sport in China, where the state-run system centrally distributes of funding and even athletes, and Li was hoping her breakthrough might influence the sports ministry.

‘(Officials), not in the China tennis federation but over the federation, maybe they are not so interested in tennis,’ she said. ‘But now, maybe they say, ‘Oh, maybe we should be looking at tennis’.

‘So I think if we do better... more people will come to watch, more people will pay attention.’

Wuhan-born Li has been in the vanguard of Chinese women’s tennis since being persuaded to return from a two years out of the game to play for her province at China’s National Games.

Shortly after returning to training, she won her country’s first WTA tour title on home soil in Guangzhou and two years later was in the quarter-finals at Wimbledon.

RUSSIAN ASPIRATIONS

Her run to the last four at the Australian Open last year, where she joined compatriot Zheng Jie, moved her into the top 10 in the world, another first for China.

With such an example from the trailblazers, Li, who would climb to fifth in the world rankings with a win on Saturday, hopes China will soon have a legion of young players to match the many Russian women who populate the top 50 in tennis.

‘We know China tennis hasn’t had a long time,’ she said. ‘So it’s just beginning to start. I hope after three to five years maybe China will be like Russia, and have many players coming through.’

Li’s strong will often made her relations with Chinese tennis officials fraught and she was one of four women players who were allowed to leave the Chinese state system in 2009 and organise their own careers.

After parting with Swedish coach Thomas Hogstedt at the end of last year — he left to work with Maria Sharapova — she is now again coached by her husband Jiang Shan.

Despite her frequent public admonishments of the ever-smiling Jiang, on Thursday she blamed his snoring for her sluggish start, Li thinks her great form in the new year has been the result of having the right team around her.

‘I’m just feeling happier on the court,’ she said. ‘Right now I don’t take any pressure around with me.

‘Because I think my team, they do great job. Every time before a match my physio, my husband don’t tell me anything. They just say, ‘relax’.

‘So I think they do really what I want, what I need.’