Romanian world No.53 Simona Halep enjoyed her first Top 10 victory by eliminating reigning French Open champion Li Na in the first round of the US Open 6-2 7-5.
Following her triumph at the French Open, Li played five tournaments – at three she won only her opening match, at one she won two matches, and now she’s left the US Open with no matches won. Doesn’t this remind you of Ana Ivanovic?
In the meeting with the 19-year-old Halep, who was playing only her second match at the US Open, the sixth-seeded Li committed 54 unforced errors to her opponent’s 19. She did have more winners, 22 to Halep’s 5, but that was not enough.
And talking about Grand Slam champions and the 2011 US Open, the tournament is left without all the three this season’s Grand Slam winners on the second day already – Kim Clijsters, twice defending champion and winner of Australian Open 2011, couldn’t even show up because of a stomach muscle injury, Wimbledon 2011 winner Petra Kvitova lost on the first day to Alexandra Dulgheru, and now Li has left the tournament as well. Such a thing has not happened since 1971! (photos: © Neal Trousdale)
I can not believe how mentally weak these players are today. Ok, Kvitova is still young, so it could be understandable, but Li? How old is she, 29? With her experience she should be so over these things. I watched the match, she was just hitting outs all over the place.