Li Na Ready To Play After A Visit Home For The Chinese New Year

Written by: Bob Larson Tennis on 12th February 2014

A giant lantern depicting horse is seen among Chinese New Year decorations at Yuyuan Garden, in downtown Shanghai

Li Na Ready To Play After A Visit Home For The Chinese New Year

A giant lantern depicting a horse is seen among Chinese New Year decorations at Yuyuan Garden, in downtown Shanghai, January 25, 2014. The coming Chinese Year of the Horse may bring conflicts and disasters related to fire but strong gains in stocks linked to wood, the year's two dominant elements, say Hong Kong's practitioners of the ancient art of feng shui. Believers in the Chinese form of geomancy see the universe as made up of five elements - earth, water, fire, wood and metal - that define the mood and direction of the world. The Chinese zodiac has 12 animals that interact with the elements. Picture taken January 25, 2014. REUTERS/Carlos Barria (CHINA - Tags: ANIMALS SOCIETY) - RTX17YY6 |

Australian Open winner Li Na had only minimal time for Chinese New Year celebrations at home five days after lifting her second grand slam event title, The top seed at this week’s Doha event said that she had some abbreviated time with her family at home in Wuhan before returning to the training grind.

“There wasn’t much celebration really, because after Melbourne I went back to China and it was the Chinese New Year. I enjoyed myself, with my parents and my friends.

“After that I was back to the gym and went to see the doctor too, just to make sure everything was good, and then came here.”

Li is already starting to feel a change in her status as her second major after the 2011 French Open has made her into even a bigger sporting heroine at home.

“It’s much different, when I won the first one it was more exciting, because I didn’t know what was happening – I didn’t know what would happen if I won, and I didn’t know what would happen if I lost.

“But the second one was much different. I was training so hard, not just technique but also mentally. I was working so hard these one and a half years to prepare to win another one.

“So this time it wasn’t as exciting as the first one – I was much more relaxed, more calm.”

Li will take over the No. 2 spot next week on the WTA rankings behind Serena Williams, who has not played since a fourth-round Melbourne defeat and won’t be back on court until late March after citing a back injury as reason enough to pull from Doha.

“Everyone would like to have a higher ranking, right?” Li said. “I was really happy to hear about that. But next week is next week. I still have to prepare for what I’m doing here in Doha this week. I have to play well here.”

Topics: 10sballs, Australian Open, Chinese New Year, Doha, Li Na, Melbourne, Serena Williams, Sports, Tennis, Tennis News, Wta, year of the horse