Daniela Hantuchova, the lone former women's champion remaining, defeated China's Li Na 7-5, 4-6, 6-1 in the semi-finals of the ATP/WTA Pacific Life Open on Friday.
INDIAN WELLS/CALIFORNIA: Daniela Hantuchova, the lone former women's champion remaining, defeated China's Li Na 7-5, 4-6, 6-1 in the semi-finals of the ATP/WTA Pacific Life Open on Friday.
This marks the first final of the year for Hantuchova who made a name for herself by capturing the 2002 Indian Wells title. Hantuchova will play the winner of the other semi-final between Sybille Bammer of Austria and Russia's Svetlana Kuznetsova. Hantuchova got a little help in the final game from Li, who served up consecutive double faults on the final two points in front of a crowd of 4,000 at the main Indian Wells Tennis Garden stadium.
"I don't know why. I just couldn't serve in the court," Li said.
Li was trying to become the first Chinese to reach the finals of a Tier 1 tournament. She also made the semis of the WTA Tier 1 Berlin tournament last year.
Li was pleased with her overall performance here and said she plans to reward herself by going shopping at a nearby mall on Saturday.
"It is my second time to play Indian Wells and I got to the semi-finals," Li said.
"This will give me more confidence for my next tournament in Miami. I want to go shopping tomorrow. A lot of Chinese girls went yesterday and I want to buy a nice gift for myself because I played in the semi-final here."
In 2004, Li became the first Chinese to win a WTA Tour title by capturing the Guangzhou tournament in southern China.
On Friday, Hantuchova won 11 of 12 points to open the third set. She broke Lee twice early in the set jumping out to a 4-0 lead. Hantuchova had 15 winners and 31 unforced errors to Li's 30 winners and 53 unforced errors.
Li began the match by winning the first seven-straight points. She found her form in the second set but then struggled with her serve in the final set.
The temperatures in the Palm Springs area have been 10 degrees Celsius above normal the past week. The high is expected to reach 38C on Friday.
She said she plays mind games with herself to try and overcome the heat.
"If I start thinking the weather was hot, so the weather was more hot. Maybe next time I will just keep telling myself the weather is cold," said Li.
Li has made a habit of fighting back from the brink of defeat in her matches the past few weeks but the magic wasn't there on Friday.
"My legs just felt so heavy," Li said. "I couldn't jump or hit a big serve."
Li's ranking will improve this week from the No 17 she had going into the event as she gets closer to cracking the top 10. "Every player wants to be in the top 10. I will learn how to get to the top 10," she said.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}