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Li to Meet Azarenka in Women’s Final Li to Meet Azarenka in Women’s Final
(about 3 hours later)
MELBOURNE, Australia — It will be Li Na versus Victoria Azarenka in the women’s final at the Australian Open, and though Li’s straight-set victory over Maria Sharapova in their semifinal Thursday brooked no argument, the same could not be said for Azarenka’s straight-set victory over the 19-year-old American Sloane Stephens. MELBOURNE, Australia — It will be Li Na versus Victoria Azarenka in the women’s final at the Australian Open, and though Li’s straight-set victory over Maria Sharapova in their semifinal Thursday brooked no argument, the same could not be said for Azarenka’s straight-set victory over the 19- year-old American Sloane Stephens.
While the sixth-seeded Li romped 6-2, 6-2, playing one of the finest and most composed big matches of her career, the top-seeded Azarenka struggled to keep her cool on this steamy day in Melbourne, when temperatures hit 97. While the sixth-seeded Li romped 6-2, 6-2, playing one of the finest and most composed big matches of her career, the top-seeded Azarenka struggled to keep her cool down the stretch on this steamy day in Melbourne.
Serving for the match against Stephens at 5-3 in the second set, she failed to convert on five match points and was eventually broken when Stephens slapped a forehand winner down the line. Serving for the match against Stephens at 5-3 in the second set, she failed to convert on five match points and was eventually broken when Stephens smacked a forehand winner down the line.
When Azarenka walked to her seat for the changeover, she wrapped a towel stuffed with ice around her neck and was examined by a trainer and physician. She eventually left the court for further treatment, which meant that Stephens, in her first Grand Slam semifinal, was left waiting as she was about to serve to stay in the match. When Azarenka walked to her seat for the change of ends, she wrapped a towel stuffed with ice around her neck and was examined by the W.T.A. primary health care provider Victoria Simpson and by a tournament physician, Dr. Tim Wood. She eventually left the court for further treatment, which meant that Stephens, in her first Grand Slam semifinal, was left waiting to serve to stay in the match.
Azarenka eventually returned to the court six minutes later, and the overall break in play was close to 10 minutes. The time allotted on a normal changeover is 90 seconds. Azarenka returned to the court six minutes later, and the overall break in play was close to 10 minutes. The time allotted on a normal changeover is 90 seconds.
Stephens, who had the upset tournament favorite Serena Williams in the quarterfinals, proceeded to lose her serve and the match 6-1, 6-4. Stephens, who had upset the tournament favorite Serena Williams in the quarterfinals, proceeded to lose her serve and the match 6-1, 6-4.
It was not immediately clear why Azarenka required treatment. Though medical timeouts are permitted by the rules at that stage of a match, the timing of her break in play was immediately questioned by many in the tennis community who viewed it as potential gamesmanship. Though medical timeouts are permitted by the rules at that stage of a match, the timing of her break in play was immediately questioned by many in the tennis community, who viewed it as potential gamesmanship.
“An absolute travesty,” said Patrick McEnroe, the ESPN analyst who is also head of the United States Tennis Association’s player development program that has helped to back Stephens.“An absolute travesty,” said Patrick McEnroe, the ESPN analyst who is also head of the United States Tennis Association’s player development program that has helped to back Stephens.
In her post-match interview, Azarenka, the defending champion, did not immediately explain if she was suffering from a legitimate injury or medical condition. But she made it clear that she had been distraught. In her post-match interview on court and later with the television network ESPN, Azarenka, the defending champion, did not immediately explain if she was suffering from a legitimate injury or medical condition. But she made it clear that she had been distraught.
She was asked why she had gone off court.She was asked why she had gone off court.
“Well, I almost did the choke of the year right now at 5-3, having so many chances I couldn’t close it out. I just felt a little bit overwhelmed. I realized I’m one step away from the final and nerves got into me for sure.”“Well, I almost did the choke of the year right now at 5-3, having so many chances I couldn’t close it out. I just felt a little bit overwhelmed. I realized I’m one step away from the final and nerves got into me for sure.”
Asked if she was happy, Azarenka responded: “Until 5-3, yes, very happy. After that, it wasn’t my best, but it’s important to overcome this little bit of a struggle and win the match. I’m definitely happy to be in the final. I just love to play here, and I just couldn’t lose. That’s why I was so upset.” I.T.F. officials later confirmed that Azarenka had been given two consecutive medical timeouts to be treated for two separate injuries: one to a rib and one to her left knee. Azarenka explained that she was having trouble breathing on court because of a rib problem that was causing her back to seize up.
“I had to unlock my rib, which was causing my back problem,” she said. “The trainer said, ‘We have to go off court to treat that.’ I just didn’t really want to take off my dress on the court.”
She said the knee injury “wasn’t that big a deal” and was caused by a slip early in the second set.
Azarenka agreed the timing of her timeout was unfortunate. “The timing, yeah, it was my bad,” she said. “The game before that, when I lost my service game, it kept getting worse. I thought I would have to play through it and keep calm. But it just got worse. You know, I had to do it.”
But Azarenka stopped short of apologizing to Stephens and said she had not even considered having sympathy for Stephens’s enforced wait.
“Apology?” Azarenka said. “I don’t know if that’s apology. For the timing, I cannot be in control how long it takes to fix my injury, you know.”
Stephens said she did not believe the long break had an impact on the outcome.Stephens said she did not believe the long break had an impact on the outcome.
“It didn’t go my way, but I wouldn’t say at all that her, what happened, affected the match,” Stephens said.“It didn’t go my way, but I wouldn’t say at all that her, what happened, affected the match,” Stephens said.
Stephens and Azarenka are friendly and are represented by the same management company. “Of course I love Vika and we share the same agent, and we actually are pretty good friends,” Stephens said. “So I’m sure I’ll see her and we’ll talk about it.”
The incident could prompt further internal discussion about the medical timeout rule at the Grand Slam events and on the W.T.A. Tour.
But ultimately, the decision on Thursday lay with the medical personnel on court. According to the rulebook, if they determine that a condition requires a medical timeout, their word is “final.”
Despite Azarenka’s struggles to finish, she dominated the majority of the match, proving more consistent in the baseline exchanges as Stephens struggled to produce the same form she had demonstrated in the closing phases of her upset against Williams, who was treated for a back spasm during that match.
That Li could beat the second-seeded Sharapova was no great surprise. One of China’s biggest sports stars, Li is one of the game’s true quality players and was a finalist here in 2011. But it was definitely a surprise that she could beat Sharapova as comprehensively as she did Thursday.That Li could beat the second-seeded Sharapova was no great surprise. One of China’s biggest sports stars, Li is one of the game’s true quality players and was a finalist here in 2011. But it was definitely a surprise that she could beat Sharapova as comprehensively as she did Thursday.
Sharapova had lost just nine games in five matches heading into the semifinal. Mischievous number-crunchers were calculating her earnings per minute of court time: well over $1,000.Sharapova had lost just nine games in five matches heading into the semifinal. Mischievous number-crunchers were calculating her earnings per minute of court time: well over $1,000.
But Li will end up with the bigger paycheck in Melbourne after feasting on Sharapova’s second serve and winning a clear majority of their physical baseline rallies.But Li will end up with the bigger paycheck in Melbourne after feasting on Sharapova’s second serve and winning a clear majority of their physical baseline rallies.
Asked if her lack of a major test in the earlier rounds might have played a role in her minor-key performance on Thursday, Sharapova demurred.Asked if her lack of a major test in the earlier rounds might have played a role in her minor-key performance on Thursday, Sharapova demurred.
“I can’t think of it that way; I certainly can’t use that as an excuse,” she said. “When I go into any match, I’m trying to win with the best scoreline I can. That’s my goal.”“I can’t think of it that way; I certainly can’t use that as an excuse,” she said. “When I go into any match, I’m trying to win with the best scoreline I can. That’s my goal.”
“Today I felt like I had my fair share of opportunities. It’s not like they weren’t there. I just couldn’t take them today.”“Today I felt like I had my fair share of opportunities. It’s not like they weren’t there. I just couldn’t take them today.”
Sharapova’s average second-serve speed was a very respectable 94 miles per hour, but she won just 6 of 24 points with it as Li broke her serve seven times in all. She was also particularly effective in stretching the 6-foot-2 Sharapova wide to her forehand with sliced serves and well-struck crosscourt forehands of her own. Sharapova still holds an 8-5 record over Li and won all three of their matches in 2012 when Li struggled to produce an encore to her remarkable 2011 season, when she reached the final at the Australian Open and then became the first Chinese player to win a Grand Slam singles title at the French Open.
Sharapova’s forehand, when she is on balance, is a major weapon, but it is less effective on the run.
“She was aggressive,” Sharapova said. “She was taking the first ball and doing something with it and when I was trying to, I was making too many unforced errors.”
Sharapova still holds an 8-5 record over Li and won all three of their matches in 2012, when Li struggled to produce an encore to her remarkable 2011 season, when she reached the final at the Australian Open and then became the first Chinese player to win a Grand Slam singles title at the French Open.
But she appears to be regaining momentum in 2013, six months after she and her husband Jiang Shan made the mutual decision to demote Jiang from coach back to husband and to hire Carlos Rodriguez.But she appears to be regaining momentum in 2013, six months after she and her husband Jiang Shan made the mutual decision to demote Jiang from coach back to husband and to hire Carlos Rodriguez.
For years, Rodriguez was Justine Henin’s mentor and tactician in chief: the diminutive, Argentine-born coach who systematically helped the sensitive Belgian star overcome her fears and limitations to become the world’s No.1 player and a multiple Grand Slam champion. Rodriguez has been pushing Li particularly hard in physical training and Li, who likes a joke, turned toward Rodriguez and the rest of her team during her post-match interview on Thursday and gave a new directive.
But Rodriguez is back at the heart of the women’s game, and he was in the stands on Thursday afternoon. “You don’t need to push me anymore,” she said. “I will push me.”
He has been pushing Li particularly hard in training, and Li, who likes a joke, turned toward Rodriguez and the rest of her team during her post-match interview on Thursday and gave a new directive. Rodriguez knows Sharapova’s game very well and also knows what it takes to beat her. The star he long coached, Justine Henin, who retired in 2011 because of an elbow problem, was 7-3 during her career against the much taller Russian.
“You don’t need to push me anymore,” she said. “I will push me.” Rodriguez knows Sharapova’s game very well and also knows what it takes to beat her. Henin, who retired in 2011 because of an elbow problem, was 7-3 during her career against the much taller Russian.
And though Li and Henin are different players — Henin’s signature shot was a one-handed backhand — they share a certain innate vulnerability. Li has struggled with her on-court composure over the years and lost memorably but painfully at last year’s Australian Open in the fourth round to Kim Clijsters after holding four match points and a 6-2 lead in the second-set tiebreaker.And though Li and Henin are different players — Henin’s signature shot was a one-handed backhand — they share a certain innate vulnerability. Li has struggled with her on-court composure over the years and lost memorably but painfully at last year’s Australian Open in the fourth round to Kim Clijsters after holding four match points and a 6-2 lead in the second-set tiebreaker.
But Li held on Thursday, closing out the match on her second match point, and she has yet to drop a set in this tournament despite a difficult draw that included Julia Görges in the fourth round, the fourth-seeded and in-form Agnieszka Radwanska in the quarterfinals and now Sharapova, who was in the hunt for the No. 1 ranking. But Li held on Thursday, closing out the match on her second match point, and she has yet to drop a set in this tournament despite a difficult draw. Her return to the final here presumably will spark greater interest in China than in Melbourne, where the women’s semifinals on Thursday were not sold out and where there are still tickets available for the women’s final on Saturday (the later men’s rounds have long been sold out).
Her return to the final here should spark greater interest in China than in Melbourne, where the women’s semifinals on Thursday were not sold out and where there are still tickets available for women’s final on Saturday. (The later men’s rounds have long been sold out).
Li’s success here was also the latest coup for veteran players. Serena Williams won two Grand Slam singles titles and the Olympic gold medal last year at age 30. Li is 30 now herself, something that the retired player turned Australian television anchor Rennae Stubbs teased her about.Li’s success here was also the latest coup for veteran players. Serena Williams won two Grand Slam singles titles and the Olympic gold medal last year at age 30. Li is 30 now herself, something that the retired player turned Australian television anchor Rennae Stubbs teased her about.
But as Sharapova rediscovered, Li has a dangerous return of serve, and when Stubbs made mention of Li’s age in the post-match interview, Li smiled.But as Sharapova rediscovered, Li has a dangerous return of serve, and when Stubbs made mention of Li’s age in the post-match interview, Li smiled.
“You know,” Li said, “The truth is I’m younger than you.”“You know,” Li said, “The truth is I’m younger than you.”