Li Na makes history, qualifies for the TEB BNP Paribas WTA Championships in Istanbul

2011 has been a ground-breaking year for Li Na and the Chinese player will get a chance to end the year on a high note after qualifying for the TEB BNP Paribas WTA Championships, the season-finale for women’s tennis which brings together the top 8 players in the the calendar year.

The event will be staged for the first time in Istanbul, Turkey at the end of this month and Li Na is the fifth player to qualify for the prestigious tournament, after Caroline Wozniacki, Maria Sharapova, Petra Kvitova and Victoria Azarenka, and also the first Chinese to do so, which is a historic feat.

The Chinese began the year on a tear – winning her first 11 matches by winning the WTA title in Sydney (beating Kim Clijsters in the final) and then making history becoming the first Asian woman to reach a Grand Slam singles final in Melbourne.

Kim Clijsters might have beaten Li Na in the final there but it was the Chinese player who stole the hearts and the imagination of the Australian public – playing gutsy tennis to come from match point down to beat world no. 1 Caroline Wozniacki in the semi-finals and charming the crowds and the media with her refreshing honesty in her post-match interviews.

Struggling with the heightened expectations of fans and the media, Li Na stuttered over the next few months – winning only 1 match in her next 5 events before rediscovering her game on the red clay courts with back-to-back semi-fina finishes in Madrid and Rome.

But it was in Paris where Li Na sculpted one of the biggest tennis stories of the year – beating Petra Kvitova, Victoria Azarenka and Maria Sharapova to reach her second consecutive Slam final – the only player to do that in 2011. In the final, watched by more than a 100 million people in her native country, Li Na denied Francesca Schiavone a second consecutive French Open title – winning in straight sets – to become the first Asian woman to left a Grand Slam singles title.

The breakthrough win catapulted Li Na to the top league – the Chinese player has gained a slew of endorsement deals in the months since – and is now only second to Russian glamour girl Maria Sharapova in brand stakes.

After the highs of Paris, Li Na has struggled again, going only 6-7 with disappointing losses in the second round of Wimbledon and the first round of the US Open – which means that she is all set to rebound for another high in Istanbul.

The Chinese player’s success is being seen as a watershed moment for the sport in the Asian region.

Stacey Allaster, Chairman & CEO of the WTA, commented:

“I congratulate Li Na on qualifying for the TEB BNP Paribas WTA Championships, marking a perfect end to her truly historic season. Li Na’s success is credit to her incredible talent, determination and perseverance and she is an inspiration to millions of people around the world and in China.”

Li Na, who has re-installed her snoring husband to the post of coach recently, said “This year has been the most successful of my career so far and I’m very happy to have qualified for the TEB BNP Paribas WTA Championships,” she said. “I’m proud to be the first Chinese woman to qualify in singles for this event and I look forward to some tough matches against the best players of the season.”

The WTA Tour Championships being on October 25th and the chase for the remaining three sports will intensify in the coming days with each match counting. Li Na does not have to worry about that. She has already secured her place among the game’s elite for this year.