LI NA QUALIFIES FOR TEB BNP PARIBAS WTA CHAMPIONSHIPS-ISTANBUL

Written by: Staff on 5th October 2011

LI NA QUALIFIES FOR TEB BNP PARIBAS WTA CHAMPIONSHIPS-ISTANBUL

Na Li of China waves as she leaves the court after losing to Simona Halep of Romania during their first round match on the second day of the 2011 US Open Tennis Championship at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, USA 30 August 2011. The US Open runs through 11 September 2011. EPA/ANDREW GOMBERT |

BEIJING, CHINA – The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) announced that Li Na has become the fifth singles player to qualify for the prestigious TEB BNP Paribas WTA Championships which will be hosted at the state of the art Sinan Erdem Arena in Istanbul, Turkey on October 25-30, 2011. China’s star joins World No.1 Caroline Wozniacki, three-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova, Wimbledon Champion Petra Kvitova and World No.4 Victoria Azarenka and the doubles teams of Katarina Srebotnik/Kveta Peschke and Liezel Huber/Lisa Raymond, all of whom already secured their trip to Istanbul.

The WTA’s year-end finale, to be held in Istanbul through 2013, will feature the world’s top eight singles players and top four doubles teams competing for the coveted title and a share of the $5 million in prize money. The WTA and partner Turkish Tennis Federation’s goal is to deliver the best finale in history to fans of women’s tennis in Turkey and all over the world.

“I congratulate Li Na on qualifying for the TEB BNP Paribas WTA Championships, marking a perfect end to her truly historic season,” said Stacey Allaster, Chairman and CEO of the WTA. “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.”

“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. I’m proud to be the first Chinese woman to qualify in singles for this event and I look forward to some tough matches in Istanbul against the best players of the season,” said Li Na.

A true trailblazer for tennis in China, Li Na made history in June by becoming the first Asian player to win a Grand Slam title when she defeated four Top 10 players en route to the Roland Garros title. According to CCTV, Li Na’s victory over Italy’s Francesca Schiavone in the Roland Garros final was watched by a record-breaking 116 million viewers. Li Na also won the Medibank International Sydney and reached the final at the Australian Open, losing in three sets to Kim Clijsters. The 29-year-old also equaled the highest world ranking ever held by an Asian woman at World No.4. Li was named as an alternate at the 2010 WTA Championships in Doha, but did not play a match.