Li Na into second round at Wimbledon

Chinese superstar Li Na overcame an unexpectedly stern test from the Polish qualifier Paula Kania to emerge a 7-5, 6-2 winner in the opening round at the Wimbledon on Monday.

Kania, the world No.183, had previously fallen in qualifying at five consecutive Slams; and this was not only her Grand Slam main draw debut, but also her Tour level main draw debut, in her 20th attempt.

After the match Li did not disguise how much she knew about Kania beforehand, agreeing cheerfully: "Zero. I tried to find something on the internet, but couldn't. A few days ago someone told me she has a good forehand, so today I started to play her backhand and she didn't miss a shot."

Despite the gulf in experience, it was Li, playing her first match since a surprise French Open exit, that started more nervously, slipping an early break behind.

As the contest went on, Li gradually settled into her rhythm on Centre Court, breaking back before eventually taking the set with a terrific forehand winner into the corner.

The No.2 seed continued in the ascendency in the second, breaking four more times to canter into a second round meeting with Yvonne Meusburger.

Li said after the shock Roland Garros defeat she took 10 days off, leaving her rackets untouched. She is adamant it was a very good idea to have a break.

"At the French I was feeling the pressure," she said. "I cannot handle it any more. When you have a high ranking, you always want to play well. But the person playing you has nothing to lose. I really wanted to do well in Paris and put a lot of pressure on myself."

"When you come onto the court, there is always some tension," Li added. "Also, it doesn't matter how you play in practice, when you come to the match you still feel nervous. It doesn't matter how long you've been on the tour because you never know what will happen in the first match in a major."

"So even today I was a little bit down in the first set. But I said to myself, 'Okay, just keep going, otherwise it will turn out like the French Open!'"

Not many players speak so nakedly about their fears or true feelings. Most are taught constantly to emphasise the positive.

This season saw Li ride a roller coaster starting with a 13- match winning streak which took her to the Australian Open title, and then came the Roland Garros defeat. The 32-year-old is also a three -time quarter-finalist at Wimbledon, including last year, although that still makes it her weakest Slam as she has reached at least the semi-finals at the other three. She seems doubtful about her prospects.

"I never think I can play well on grass," she said. "The grass- court season is just one month out of the whole year. It's tough to change from clay to the grass in such a short time."