Li Na vs Francesca Schiavone

The match looks even in the first few games as both players hold serve twice. Francesca is relying on the serve to get ahead in rallies. If Schiavone doesn't keep her opponent moving or hits anything short, Li puts it away with a powerful, flat forehand to a corner. In case we were wondering, McEnroe observes that Li has more power.

2-2 15-40 - break points for Li. Schiavone saves one with a big serve that Li returns long. But Li converts with a deep return and a big, flat forehand to the corner. 

3-2 Li holds easily.

4-2 30-0 - Li hits sharp angle that is called out. Even Schiavone thought it was in, but Chair Ump confirms out call. Schiavone holds at love.

4-3 NBC notes that the combined age of the players is 60. What happened to the teen phenoms? Li holds easily.

5-3 Schiavone plays well to 40-0, then Li hits to a corner again. Francesca can only watch those go by, but a service winner gives her the game.

5-4 At 15-0 Schiavone actually stood back farther and won a rally. At 30-15 she won another. At 30-all, Schiavone hit a nice return, but Li hit into the corner and Schiavone could only flail at it. Set point.  Schiavone hits long. First set to Li, 6-4

0-0 Schiavone starts badly. 0-40 - Li hits two balls long. 30-40 - Schiavone hits into the net to give Li the break.

1-0 30-all Schiavone plays a beautiful point, moves Li around, then finishes with a deft angle volley to get her first break point. Li aces her. Deuce, Schiavone hits into the net, then hits wide to give Li the hold.

3-1 Already up one break, at 30-40 Li hits a sitter into the net. Schiavone plays two good points to hold.

3-2 Li holds fairly comfortably.

4-2 30-all - Li hits past Schiavone for another break point. Schiavone saves it with a service winner. Deuce - Li nets the return of a big second serve.Ad in - Li runs down another drop shot. Deuce - Schiavone hits one past Li for a change. Ad in - Good serve, swinging volley winner and Schiavone is still alive.

4-3 0-0 - Li hits a corner shot long. Is she getting tight? 0-15 - Schiavone hits so close to the line that the crowd buzzes, and Li soon finds the net. 15-30 - Schiavone plays good defense until Li misses. 15-40 - Schiavone hits a tight angled forehand and Li hits wide. Back on serve.

4-4 0-0 - Schiavone has come to life, rallying with a variety of topspin and sliced shots. Li returns a slice into the net. 15-0 - Schiavone slices wide. 15-15 - Li misses again 30-15 - Schiavone retrieves a wide shot, but floats it long. 30-all - Li returns long. 40-30 - Li returns long again. Game, Schiavone.

5-4 0-0 - Li hits a rally shot wide of the corner. 0-15 - Li make a corner shot right on the line. 15-15 - Schiavone's shot skids off the line 15-30 - Schiavone hits a retrieval shot way wide. 30-all - Li puts a short shot away. 40-30 - In a spirited rally, Li finds the net. Deuce - Schiavone hits wide. Ad in - Service winner. Game Li.

5-5 0-0 - Nice drop volley by Schiavone. 15-0 - Li hits three incredibly deep shots until she hits the net. 30-0 - Good serve called out then confirmed in. Schiavone wants the point, but Li was able to touch it. Another good serve and volley wins it anyway. Li is returning shorter. 40 -0 - Li hits a short return, then a deep shot then a too deep shot. Game Schiavone.

6-5 Deuce - Li's out ball called back in by the chair umpire. Schiavone is ticked - thought she had set point. Ad in - Li's ball clips the tape and Schiavone nets it. Game, Li.

6-6 Great first point. Li lobs Schiavone's drop volley back over her head and puts away a volley. 1-0 - Schiavone hits wide. 2-0 - Schiavone returns wide 3-0 - Li keeps Schiavone on her heels with three incredibly deep shots. 4-0 - Schiavone hits three good shots from corner to corner, then drops volley into the net. 5-0 - Schiavone double-faults. 6-0 - Five match points. Schiavone hits long and China has her first player to win a singles major 6-4, 7-6.

Despite losing, Schiavone showed that last year's win was no fluke. She couldn't match Li's power and consistency, but she kept it close playing her game. Li will have about a billion fans now.

Update - Great story from AP on the significance of today's date:

On the table in front of her, the French Open trophy glittered. Bold Chinese characters on her T-shirt read: "Sport changes everything." And her broad smile showed how thrilled Li Na is to be China's first Grand Slam tennis champion.

Then, a reporter mentioned the brutal military assault that is taboo back in her native China, "Tiananmen."Li's grin vanished.

"Asking about June 4," she sputtered later in Chinese, still stunned. "Mad!"

It was pure, and for her squirmingly unfortunate, coincidence that Li's trailblazing 6-4, 7-6 (0) win over Francesca Schiavone of Italy came exactly 22 years after Chinese soldiers under orders to clear democracy protesters from Tiananmen Square shot their way into Beijing on the night of June 3-4, 1989, killing hundreds, or possibly more.

According to the article, Chinese authorities gradually relaxed control over Li Na in a way that reminds me of how relaxing strict state control of athletes led to an explosion of successful tennis players from the former Iron Curtain nations.