The Roland Garros 2011 Women’s Singles competition has been full of drama and stunning upsets. This Saturday, only two players are left standing to play for the title. It is a showdown between China and Italy. Li Na, the first Chinese player to reach a Grand Slam singles final at the Australian Open this year, emulated the feat in Paris after beating Maria Sharapova in the semifinals 6-4, 7-5. Meanwhile, defending champion Francesca Schiavone of Italy beat France’s Marion Bartoli in the other semifinal 6-3, 6-3.
Li Na will crack the world’s top five in next week’s rankings by reaching the final. She’ll become world number five if she loses in the title match or become number four if she wins against her opponent on Saturday.
The two players are currently tied in head-to-head series matches at 2-2. Their last encounter was at the same tournament last year where Schiavone beat Li in the third round en route to her first Grand Slam win.
