Na Li

[Piotrek]

Nie będzie genialnych konferencji w Melbourne.

[Lucas]

LI NA'S WUHAN HOMECOMING

Spoiler:

WUHAN, China - Li Na's post-retirement media tour brought her to Wuhan on Tuesday, where she met the press and answered questions about her career, her future and the future of Chinese tennis.

There was more, though. In front of thousands of fans and tournament staff, and with good friend and fellow WTA star Caroline Wozniacki helping out, Li was given a special on-court goodbye ceremony, even receiving a bouquet of flowers on behalf of the players who adored her so much in her career.

Li was also taken on a tour of the brand new tennis complex that was built for the Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open. Guided by Tournament Director Yi Guoqing, Li was shown around the Optics Valley International Tennis Center, which was built entirely in one year and which will have a new center court next year that seats 15,000 spectators. The new center court is currently under construction.

But even without that, the WTA stars have been loving the new Premier-level event.

"I don't think a lot of players knew so much about Wuhan, but to come here and see a structure that's simply been built for an event like this, the Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open, a global event with so many players participating, it's very impressive, I must say," Maria Sharapova said about the venue.

Sharapova, who shares an agent with Li and has been at the top of the game right alongside her over the last several years, was also asked her feelings about the Chinese's exit from the sport.

"It's obviously a very big loss for tennis in general all around the world, and specifically here in China, where Li Na has been so influential for so many years," she said. "And she brought all of us here to Wuhan, so I think it's a little extra sad that she won't be participating at the event this year.

"But I think she can look back at her career with a big smile on her face at everything that she's achieved. And all the injuries she's gone through, that shows how much dedication she had for what she did and her passion for the sport that she was able to keep coming back and doing so well.

"I think everyone should be proud of her achievements and put up a good event for her."

http://www.wtatennis.com/news/article/4 ... homecoming

[DUN I LOVE]

Li Na receives teary goodbye at China Open
http://www.tennis.com/pro-game/2014/09/ ... CsK43_ClH2

[Lucas]

Kwiaty od Rafaela Nadala i wiele łez - uroczyste pożegnanie Na Li

Spoiler:

To było pożegnanie godne wielkiej gwiazdy. Trybuny National Tennis Stadium, kortu centralnego kompleksu w Pekinie, zostały szczelnie wypełnione. Na uroczystości nie zabrakło uznanych postaci ze świata białego sportu, a na wielkim telebimie odtworzono najpiękniejsze momenty z kariery Na Li, która kilkanaście dni temu ogłosiła rozbrat z tenisową rakietą.

- Jesteś prawdziwą mistrzynią. Jesteś tenisistką dekady, która miała największy wpływ na rozwój kobiecego tenisa. Będzie nam ciebie brakować w Tourze - zwróciła się w kierunku Li Stacey Allaster, przewodnicząca WTA, dodając, że Chinka była nie tylko wspaniałą tenisistką, ale przede wszystkim bardzo dowcipną osobą.

Na uroczystości w towarzystwie męża Li, Jianga Shana, pojawił się również Rafael Nadal, który wręczył 32-latce z Wuhan bukiet kwiatów.
Atmosfera wydarzenia była bardzo podniosła. W przeciwieństwie do konferencji prasowej, na której Chinka ogłaszała zakończenie przygody z zawodowym tenisem, nie było żartów. Były za to łzy, wiele łez.
Mająca oczy pełne łez Li z bukietem w ręce wykonała rundę honorową wokół trybun kortu centralnego w Pekinie. Gdy w końcu zdobyła się na uśmiech, kibice zaczęli skandować "Na Li, kochamy cię".
Tymczasem Stacey Allaster poinformowała, że Li będzie ambasadorką Mistrzostw WTA, które w dniach 17-26 października odbędą się w Singapurze. - To wielka szansa, by kibice na całym świecie zbliżyli się do legendy tenisa, która zainspirowała tak wielu ludzi w swoim kraju i w całym rejonie Azji i Pacyfiku - powiedziała Kanadyjka.

http://www.sportowefakty.pl/tenis/47185 ... anie-na-li

[Lucas]

Rafael Nadal brought Li Na flowers during touching retirement ceremony

Spoiler:

The lovely retirement ceremony for Li Na was drawing to a close. In front of a large audience at the China Open, the two-time Grand Slam champion was honored with speeches from tour officials and peers, including her good friend and two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, who concluded her remarks by saying, “we will miss you, champion.”

But there was one more surprise. Minutes after his comeback match had finished on that same court, Rafael Nadal entered the National Tennis Stadium bearing a bouquet of flowers for Li. He was accompanied by Li’s husband, Jiang Shan, who gained international fame after his wife used him as the good-natured punchline to many of her on-court interviews.

It was a touching tribute for one of the most revered figures in the sport. The ceremony was attended by more than 40 WTA players such as Kvitova, Caroline Wozniacki, Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic. (One star who was conspicuously absent was Serena Williams, though she had a perfectly good reason: Her match was the next on at the National Tennis Stadium.) Their presence shows the impact Li Na had on both tennis and the men and women who play it.

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2014/09/rafael- ... t-ceremony

(na stronie więcej zdjęć z ceremonii)

[Lucas]

Retired Champion Li Na Announces She's Pregnant

Retired two-time Grand Slam champion Li Na has announced she is expecting her first child.

Li, who won the title at the Australian Open last year and then walked away from the game in September due to chronic injuries, made the announcement during an on-court ceremony before the night session at Rod Laver Arena on Monday.

Known for making jokes at her husband's expense at Melbourne Park over the years, the 32-year-old Li was far more charitable on Monday, giving him credit for his part in the pregnancy.

She said, "Me and Dennis we are so excited our first child will be out in the summer. Dennis is doing good job, he just makes one ace."

http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory/ ... t-28317041

[Lucas]

Li Na Honored At Laureus Awards

Li Na was given one of the highest honors in sport Wednesday night, receiving the Laureus Academy Exceptional Achievement Award at the Laureus World Sports Awards.

Largely considered "the Oscars of sports", the Laureus World Sports Awards have been held in major cities all over the world since 2000 with an all-star cast of hosts - this year Benedict Cumberbatch - and Li is the latest WTA star to taste Laureus success, becoming just the second athlete to receive the Laureus Academy Exceptional Achievement Award (Michael Phelps was the first in 2013).

Li was honored for her historic career, which included becoming the first Asian tennis player, male or female, to win a Grand Slam title (and she won two of them - the 2011 French Open and 2014 Australian Open) and the highest-ranked Asian tennis player in history, also male or female (reaching No.2 - the next-highest to date are Japan's Kimiko Date-Krumm and Kei Nishikori, both No.4).

The Chinese trailblazer's last match came at Wimbledon last summer, and she retired in September.

Li was also nominated for the Laureus World Sportswoman Of The Year award, alongside Serena Williams, but both were edged out by Ethiopian middle and long distance runner Genzebe Dibaba.

Several other WTA stars have been honored by Laureus too - four Laureus World Sportswoman Of The Year awards (Jennifer Capriati in 2002, Williams in 2003, Justine Henin in 2008 and Williams again in 2010), four Comeback Of The Year awards (Capriati in 2001, Martina Hingis in 2006, Williams in 2007 and Kim Clijsters in 2010) and one Breakthrough Of The Year (Amélie Mauresmo in 2007).

Here are a few more pics from the magical night - Li's baby bump and husband Jiang Shan included

http://www.wtatennis.com/news/article/4 ... eus-awards

[Lucas]

Baby girl for Chinese tennis star Li Na



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