Be yourself says Li Na, the Chnese Dragon Lady

Tennis is a very hard game. It is not only fast , accurate and it needs a lot of power and mental strength to win the game. I am not an expert in tennis but I watch the game with interest and as an inspiration to survive in this hard hitting world.

Li Na will be the 1st Asian woman to win a grand slam and 1st woman from China in a 100 years to be a winner in this game. Her win opens up the possibility of Asian women standing up to the more powerful women in the US, Russia and Europe. In the past, USA have been dominating the game and then followed by the Russians and Europeans.  The women in these region are bigger , stronger and have greater exposure and training in this area. The training system and exposure in China is very limited and very much controlled and that is why players like Li Na and Peng Shuai left China to train in the US.  These players know what they need and they go for it  and this is a fine example of persistency and focus.

I have seen Li Na played many times and her form have been fluctuating very much. After losing the Australian Open in the Finals , she has also been knocked out at 1st and 2nd rounds in the subsequent events. Finally, she make history in China and in Asia. She is already 29 and for tennis, it needs a lot of strength apart from experience. The pace and power  of the game will worn her down in competitive tennis and she will only have one or two more years of top level game before she will bow out. Everybody is hungry in the tennis arena.

I have watch the William sisters dominating the tennis arena and they have fade away and I have also admire the Russian player , Sharapova who lost in the semi-finals to Li Na before she became the champion. All these recent Greats enjoy only a short time at their peak and they will eventually slide into oblivion. So, will be Li Na. The only difference is that she is an Asian Chinese women and she breaks new grounds for her country and region.

In her statement after her final game, she said that she is nervous and she do not like playing in the clay court. But, she overcome these two factors and stood up to win her game. She displayed excellent skills and mental strength in the final set winning 7-0 and stood in command. It was a delight to see her displaying the confidence  and be herself in handling the pressure , the tiredness , the heat, the intensity  and power of the game.

I want to use her win to send a message to everyone , be yourself , don't quit , persevere and learn event even to the extend of uprooting yourself  to gain exposure and knowledge in a foreign land if you want to be the best.  Be mindful and aware of your own capabilities.

Namaste.