04 June,2011 06:30 AM IST | | AFP
Li and Schiavone's combined age of 60 years, 79 days makes today's French Open title clash the oldest women's Grand Slam final since Wimbledon 1998; Schiavone believes the scenario is akin to maturing wine
Defending champion Francesca Schiavone told the new generation of emerging stars to watch and learn when she and fellow veteran Li Na clash in Saturday's French Open final. With a combined aged of 60 years and 79 days, Schiavone and Li, the first Chinese in a Paris final, will contest the oldest Grand Slam women's singles title match since the 1998 Wimbledon final between Jana Novotna and Nathalie Tauziat.
Age is but a number: China's Li Na and Italy's Francesca Schiavone
Saturday's encounter will also be the sixth straight Grand Slam trophy showdown between two players aged 25 or over. "It's good for tennis and for the younger players' careers. It shows to them that it is not just one moment, that careers are long and they have to control themselves and improve," said 30-year-old Schiavone.
"Their careers do not have to be short. Some years ago the champions were always young players -- Martina Hingis, the Williamses. Now this is changing. Like I said some days ago, it is like the wine. Stay in the bottle more is much, much better."
Schiavone, who is the second oldest Roland Garros finalist in the Open era, believes her style, based on guile rather than brute force, and featuring one of the few remaining one-handed backhands, also has a place in 21st century tennis. "On clay you have to have a mix of everything -- good tactics, you have to be strong mentally and physically," said the Italian.
"You cannot just play power. You need to defend, counter-attack, go to the net. Clay is for the heart, mind and body. You have to use your brain." Schiavone became the first Italian woman to win a Grand Slam title when she defeated Samantha Stosur in the 2010 final.
Li, who is 29 years and four months, came through with a 6-4, 7-5 win over Russian diva Maria Sharapova and she is, for the second time this year, just one win away from becoming the first player from China to win a Grand Slam title. And Schiavone is wary of a player who has suddenly become a convert to claycourt tennis after years of struggling on the slippery, dusty surface. "I think she's played some of the best tennis in her career in Australia," she said referring to Li's run into the final in Melbourne where she lost to Kim Clijsters.
"She's pushing strong physically, mentally.
She is not so much down anymore, but she keeps going at a high level. We are not similar in playing. I play kicker, slice, and topspin. She plays much more with power. For Li the final will have an added burden of responsibility as for the second time in a few months she stands just one win away from an historic achievement in becoming the first Chinese player to win a Grand Slam title.
She believes she will be all the better placed this time for the experience she gained Down Under. "Melbourne was my first time in a final... didn't have any experience before. But this time it is my second time in the final. Now of course I know what you should do. I know it's a different surface, but I've played six matches already. So, yeah, this time I know what I should do in the final."
