Li Na makes solid start at Wimbledon
- By Xiang Bin
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China.org.cn, June 22, 2011
![Li Na of China returns a ball during a match against Russia's Alla Kudryavtseva in the first round of Wimbledon Open on Tuesday. [Source:Sina.com]](http://images.china.cn/attachement/jpg/site1007/20110622/000cf1bdd2450f6b844401.jpg "Li Na of China returns a ball during a match against Russia's Alla Kudryavtseva in the first round of Wimbledon Open on Tuesday. [Source:Sina.com]") |
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Li Na of China returns a ball during a match against Russia's Alla Kudryavtseva in the first round of Wimbledon Open on Tuesday. [Source:Sina.com] |
French Open champion Li Na did enough to beat Russia's Alla Kudryavtseva 6-3 6-3 in a low-key first-round clash at Wimbledon on Tuesday.
The largely uneventful match, dominated by baseline rallies, went with serve for the first seven games until the 29-year-old Chinese broke her opponent with a superb drop shot to take a 5-3 lead.
"It's tough," said Li, who took 67 minutes to see off the world No. 72. "In the beginning, she had huge, big serve, and in grass she was playing more flat balls, so I have to rally every second."
Earlier this month, Li became the first Asian player to win a Grand Slam singles title at Roland Garros, but the world No. 4 said she has no extra pressure while coming here.
"Everybody said congratulations to me here, but that's all about French Open which was over," said the 29-year-old. "I felt no pressure at all. I just began to play another tournament and what I need to do is focusing on my game."
The fourth seed polished off the first set with a string of solid serves before breaking Kudryavtseva in the opening game of the second.
But the Russian ran Li side to side along the baseline with some expertly placed shots, and a lapse from Li allowed the 23-year-old to break back to level at one game a piece.
However, Li managed to ahead again after the Russian powered a couple of shots into the net.
World number 72 Kudryavtseva failed to win a point in her final service game, firing a groundstroke long to seal Li's place in the second round.
"The French Open is very different from Wimbledon," said Li. "The French is over. So I would like to do the same as before, come to the next tournament, and focus on the tournament."
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