Li Na’s advice to Zheng Qinwen: Keep it simple

Ever since she became a pro and started doing on-court interviews and press conferences after victories, budding Chinese star Zheng Qinwen has been asked about Li Na. She’s talked about her admiration of the two-time Grand Slam champion and Hall of Famer countless times, including today, when she was asked if she had any recollection of watching the 2014 Australian Open women’s singles final, won by Li over Dominika Cibulkova, when she was a kid.

Silly question.

Zheng didn’t just watch that final as a young wide-eyed child, back home in China. She devoured it.

“I was sitting there in front of the TV and watched from the beginning until the end,” Zheng told on-court interviewer Andrea Petkovic, as she flashed her trademark ear-to-ear grin. “That final, I’ve watched it more than ten times, so I have a lot of memories.”

Li was the player that changed everything for Chinese – and Asian – tennis, the pioneer who broke through to become China’s first Grand Slam champion, capturing the imagination of millions, including a young Zheng.

10 years later, after Zheng’s three-set win over Wang Yafan on Saturday, the No 12 seed got a special surprise. Forget about watching Li Na on TV, how about having the Chinese legend walk up to you and pat you on the butt while you are fulfilling your media obligations?

It happened to Zheng, and she was thrilled to meet the Chinese megastar face-to-face for the first time.

“That was totally a surprise for me,” Zheng told reporters. “She just went to me like this, say congratulations. I was feeling super happy to met her and have the chance to talk with her because I never talked with her in person. That was feeling really special for me.

“You know, I feel she’s much more beautiful than what I saw her – when I saw her on TV before.”

Message to Zheng: keep it simple

Ahead of her round of 16 contest with France’s Oceane Dodin, Zheng says she got some key advice from Li.

“She said to me don’t think too much, just keep simple. I think that’s right now what I need to do as well, yeah…”

Just to confirm, Zheng had come in contact with Li before, when she was a junior, but not face to face.

“Very first time,” she said. “We don’t have each other’s WeChat, no phone calls. We met once before when I was a junior, but not single-to-single, face-to-face. I didn’t have the chance to talk with her, but today is the real first time we talk with each other.”

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