Hugely Popular Li Na Wins Second Grand Slam Title

China’s Li Na proved she is no one-slam wonder as she outclassed Dominika Cibulkova to win the 2014 Australian Open.  Li had lost in her two previous Australian Open finals, but the fourth ranked player was too strong for Cibulkova, as the Slovakian struggled with nerves initially.  Li raced into an early lead, but struggled with nerves herself, as Cibulkova broke back twice, before Li raised her game to another level in the tiebreak.  From there on, she never looked back, as she raced to a 7-6, 6-0 win.  The 24th ranked Cibulkova had been the revelation of the tournament, defeating Sharapova and Radwanska on her way to the final.

Li further increase her popularity with a hilarious winner’s speech.  Some of the best quotes include “Max, agent, makes me rich, thanks a lot.”  Her husband has become the butt of many of her jokes and this continued when she told him, “You’re a nice guy.  You’re lucky you found me.”  Li’s honesty, humor, and wit has made her one of the most popular women’s players and her second grand slam will be celebrated throughout the world.

Australian Open Semfinals All Set

The semifinals for the 2014 Australian Open are set, as the year’s first grand slam continues to deliver excitement and shocks.  On the woman’s side, Li Na will meet Eugenie Bouchard in the first semi.  Bouchard, only 19, has had a break-out performance, and has been tipped as being a future superstar as she has won over many fans with her clam presence.  But since saving a match point earlier in the tournament, Li Na has been unstoppable.  She is the only grand slam champion left, and has reached the Australian Open final twice previously.  The other semifinal will see tiny (5’3″) Dominka Cibulkova take on Agnieszka Radwanska, after the former Wimbledon finalist stunned Victoria Azarenka, ending her run of 18 straight victories.  Radwanska played brilliantly in that match, and will be the heavy favorite against her less-experienced opponent.

On the men’s side, the big story has been Stanislas Wawrinka’s stunning 5-set epic upset of Novak Djokvoic, who had won his previous 25 matches at the Australian Open.  After losing a heartbreaking 5-set epic last year, Wawrinka learned from his mistakes, and will now face Tomas Berdych for a spot in the final, in what is a huge opportunity for both men.  After edging rising star Grigor Dimitrov, world number 1 Rafael Nadal will play old rival Roger Federer, who has turned back time with stunning performances as he swept aside Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Andy Murray in back-to-back matches.  Whoever wins their semifinal will be the heavy favorite in the final, but both Wawrinka and Berdych should not be underestimated as they chase their first grand slam title.

Tennis Shot of the Year: Agnieszka Radwanska

When the tennis season is over, there’s nothing else to do but look back at the season that was.  The best shot of the season is an obvious choice for me.  Trailing Kirsten Flipkens in the Sony Open Tennis quarterfinals by a set but up 2-0 in the second, Agnieszka Radwanska had to chase a backhand that had already bounced behind her.  She turned around in a flash and instinctively launched her racquet at the ball, striking it for a winner.  She would go on to win the match, but lost to Serena Williams in the next round.

Kvitova Advances to Tour Championships Semifinals

Petra Kvitova hasn’t exactly had the year she was hoping for, only reaching the quarterfinals of a single grand slam (Wimbledon) and failing to advance any further.  But she’s known for finishing seasons strongly, and she had continued that trend this season.  The world number 7 advanced to the semifinals of the WTA Tour Championships with a victory over Angelique Kerber.  Combined with her earlier win over Radwanska, that gave Kvitova a 2-1 record, with her only loss coming against an on-fire Serena Willaims.  Her semifinal opponent will be Li Na, who won all three of her group matches, while Serena will play Jankovic in the other semifinal.