By Chris Oddo | Sunday, June 22, 2014

 

Li Na had never won a match on Wimbledon's Centre Court entering this year's Wimbledon, but the 32-year-old scratched that off her bucket list Monday.

Photo Source: Matthew Stockman/ Getty

Three quarterfinals, 24 matches and seven career appearances at the All England Club, and still Li Na had yet to win a match on Wimbledon's fabled Centre Court coming into 2014.

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Well, the trailblazing Chinese star can scratch that milestone off her bucket list after Monday’s 7-5, 6-2 victory over Polish qualifier Paula Kania.

“Today is my first time standing up in Centre Court that I won the match, ever,” said a smiling Li in a post-match interview with Live @Wimbledon. “I was like, ‘Oh, okay, feeling pretty good, you know, much better after you win the match.’ ”

Li came into Wimbledon with plenty of practice under her belt on grass thanks to losing in the first round to Kristina Mladenovic at Roland Garros, but the 32-year-old world No. 2 says that no amount of practice can prepare a player for the experience of playing on the most revered Centre Court in all the land.

“Wimbledon for me is not only about tennis game,” said Li. “It’s more about tennis history, you know when you are walking in from the locker room, walking on the court, you can see so many things, so for me it’s an amazing experience.”

“Walking on the court you have to tell yourself: ‘Okay, focus, because right now you are playing the match.’”

Once action got underway on Monday, Li found herself behind a break immediately, and she needed to steal the last four games to snatch the opener from her unheralded opponent. Asked what she knew beforehand about the world No. 185, Li had the following comical response: “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 I today I started to play her backhand and she didn’t miss a shot.”

Things would fall into place for Li in the second set, as she rallied behind four breaks of serve to gain passage in the second round, where she’ll face Yvonne Meusburger of Austria.

Still, Li remains cautiously optimistic about her chances on grass, saying that it is the most difficult surface for her to master. “I think the grass, you have to use your legs even more to stay low, and also the grass it’s not easy to run as well. It’s still a little bit tough,” she said. “I never think I can play well on grass court. For me it’s tough.”