Coach to Li Na: Do you want it?

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 24 Januari 2014 | 16.42

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It's the question Li Na's coach is asking her after she earned a third shot at the Australian Open title.

Carlos Rodriguez, who has helped drag Li from the verge of retirement in the middle of last season to the brink of a second grand slam title, says she "deserves" to put her name on the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup tonight.

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But he acknowledges that, based on hard work and performance, opponent Dominika Cibulkova is equally worthy.

"Like I said to Li Na: 'How high, how big, how strong is your desire to get that crown? Maybe you can do it but it depends on you, no more on me,'" Rodriguez said.

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Desire is one thing, holding your nerve under the expectations of a homeland comprising 1.3 billion people is something else entirely.

China's world No. 4 felt the jitters of a grand slam final debutante when she lost to Kim Clijsters in 2011.

Last year, against Victoria Azarenka, she fell over twice, rolling her ankle and banging her head on the court.

Slovakia's Dominika Cibulkova poses with her national flag in Melbourne. Source: AFP

Tonight she goes into the title decider as the favourite for the first time and Rodriguez believes the 2011 French Open champion is stronger for those previous appearances.

"I think that she's been running behind that for quite some years ... she's always almost there," he said.

Li Na Source: News Limited

"If you compare with Roland Garros in 2011, today she knows why she is here in the final.

"She understands what she did to achieve those goals. That's something that has not happened before and maybe because of that she can play better tennis or good tennis on Saturday and be the champion."

Li overwhelmed semi-final opponent Eugenie Bouchard, taking a 5-0 lead in the first set.

But Rodriguez was just as impressed with her ability to respond when Bouchard put her under pressure in the second.

That, he said, was a big difference between Li the dual runner-up and Li the 2014 title contender.

"She's more stable," Rodriguez said.

"You still have this amazing beginning of matches but she doesn't fall that deep down.

"She'll support much better the pressure and have less worries. Her adaptability is much better and endurance, emotional endurance, to support the stress."

Li has also made technical changes since teaming up with Rodriguez in July 2012 and particularly after last season.

She has altered her grip, plays with more spin and comes to the net more.

Li, 31, said it was not easy to make such significant changes so late in her career but she was not afraid to do so.

"Beginning was tough because I have to forget old thing maybe I used for 20 years," she said.

"You're on the tour so many years, everybody knows what exactly you play on the court. If I didn't change I can keep in the top 10, top 20, but I cannot be the best in the world.

"So I really want to push myself to change a little bit, to see.

"First time Carlos is telling me, 'you should come in more on the volley,' I was like, 'what this guy talking about?' I was thinking, 'huh, why? I will stay baseline for maybe 100 years, never try to come to the net.'

"I try. I was feeling well. Is not bad. Now is much better than in the beginning."

Learning new things, tasting success and enjoying tennis again mean thoughts of retirement are gone for Li.

It is just as well given that the phrase "third time lucky" means nothing to her.

"In China six and eight is lucky," Li grinned.

"I try to find the lucky way ... if I lose, I just continue until six or eight."


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