Publications
Partners
London - Li Na, shrugged off the cyber-warriors sniping at her as the Chinese sixth seed booked her place in the second round at Wimbledon on Tuesday.
The 2011 French Open champion was slammed on social networks after she tumbled out of Roland Garros this year in the second round.
Asked if she had an explanation for her legions of fans in China, "Do I need to explain?" she replied at the time. "It's strange. I lost a game and that's it. Do I need to get on my knees and kowtow to them? Apologise to them?"
That triggered a torrent of condemnation in Chinese media and from posters on social networks, criticising her attitude and professionalism.
But the 31-year-old said people had misunderstood her meaning.
"Maybe they have it wrong," she said, adding that she had "no idea" how many followers she had on social media.
Li raced into the second round at Wimbledon with a comprehensive 6-1, 6-1 defeat of Michaella Krajicek of the Netherlands.
"It was a pretty good start to Wimbledon. Because the last two years I didn't do well on the grass court. I was shocked a little bit.
"I have to get used to playing on the grass. I was feeling pretty happy."
Li's Wimbledon best was reaching the 2006 and 2010 quarter-finals, though she tumbled in the second round on her last two All England Club outings.
"When I was standing up on the grass court, I was feeling, who made this court? I couldn't run on the court. The team, they say, you should like this court. Why? I play more aggressive, so I can use the court," she said.
"Sometimes it's very tough to listen to what other people say."
She signed autographs for Chinese fans who mobbed her on the courtside after her victory. She said she appreciated their support.
"Maybe they are students, studying in England. Give their holiday to watch tennis, have fun," she said.
"I love it. Really."
Li faces world number 32 Simona Halep next in one of the toughest possible second round encounters for a seed. The Romanian beat Li in straight sets in the US Open first round in 2011 in their only ever match so far.
"I played Halep one time on a hard court. Halep is doing well now," she said.
"For me, it's always a tough match in a Grand Slam. You never have any easy matches because everyone is fighting a lot."
Her compatriot Peng Shuai, the 24th seed, beat Spain's Anabel Medina Garrigues 6-3, 6-2 to set up a second round clash with Marina Erakovic of New Zealand.
Meanwhile Zheng Jie, China's world number 47, missed the chance of a rematch with Serena Williams when she lost 6-3, 6-4 to 100-ranked French qualifier Caroline Garcia.
In the third round last year, Zheng, a 2008 Wimbledon semi-finalist, gave eventual champion Williams a scare in a thrilling encounter, with the American eventually winning 6-7 (7/5), 6-2, 9-7.
Results from the second day at Wimbledon (x denotes seeded player):
Men's singles:
First round:
Novak Djokovic (SRB x1) bt Florian Mayer (GER) 6-3, 7-5, 6-4
Jan-Lennard Struff (GER) bt Blaz Kavcic (SLO) 6-4, 6-1, 6-3
Jrmy Chardy (FRA x28) bt Ryan Harrison (USA) 7-6 (7/4), 4-6, 7-5, 6-2
Jimmy Wang (TPE) bt Wayne Odesnik (USA) 7-6 (7/5), 4-6, 6-2, 3-6, 7-5
Tommy Haas (GER x13) bt Dmitry Tursunov (RUS) 6-3, 7-5, 7-5
Go Soeda (JPN) bt Andreas Haider-Maurer (AUT) 7-6 (8/6), 7-5, 6-1
James Blake (USA) bt Thiemo de Bakker (NED) 6-1, 6-3, 6-2
Bernard Tomic (AUS) bt Sam Querrey (USA x21) 7-6 (8/6), 7-6 (7/3), 3-6, 2-6, 6-3
Kevin Anderson (RSA x27) bt Olivier Rochus (BEL) 6-4, 6-2, 6-1
Michal Przysiezny (POL) bt Philipp Petzschner (GER) 6-3, 7-6 (8/6), 6-0
Roberto Bautista (ESP) bt Teimuraz Gabashvili (RUS) 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7/3)
Alexandr Dolgopolov (UKR x26) bt Gasto Elias (POR) 6-1, 7-6 (7/2), 6-2
Milos Raonic (CAN x17) bt Carlos Berlocq (ARG) 6-4, 6-3, 6-3
Igor Sijsling (NED) bt Alex Kuznetsov (USA) 6-3, 6-4, 6-4
Denis Kudla (USA) bt James Duckworth (AUS) 6-4, 6-2, 3-6, 4-6, 6-1
Ivan Dodig (CRO) bt Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER x16) 4-6, 6-7 (6/8), 7-6 (7/3), 6-3, 2-1 - retired
Kei Nishikori (JPN x12) bt Matthew Ebden (AUS) 6-2, 6-4, 6-3
Leonardo Mayer (ARG) bt Aljaz Bedene (SLO) 6-2, 6-3, 6-4
Michael Llodra (FRA) bt Jarkko Nieminen (FIN) 7-6 (7/3), 6-4, 6-3
Andreas Seppi (ITA x23) bt Denis Istomin (UZB) 7-6 (8/6), 7-6 (7/3), 5-7, 3-6, 6-3
Grigor Dimitrov (BUL x29) bt Simone Bolelli (ITA) 6-1, 6-4, 6-3
Jesse Levine (CAN) bt Guido Pella (ARG) 6-4, 6-2, 4-6, 3-6, 4-3 - retired
Juan Martn Del Potro (ARG x8) bt Albert Ramos (ESP) 6-2, 7-5, 6-1
Women's singles:
First round:
Serena Williams (USA x1) bt Mandy Minella (LUX) 6-1, 6-3
Caroline Garcia (FRA) bt Zheng Jie (CHN) 6-3, 6-4
Kimiko Date Krumm (JPN) bt Carina Witthoeft (GER) 6-0, 6-2
Alexandra Cadantu (ROM) bt Tamira Paszek (AUT x28) 6-2, 7-5
Olga Puchkova (RUS) bt Arantxa Rus (NED) 6-4, 6-2
Samantha Stosur (AUS x14) bt Anna Schmiedlov (SVK) 6-1, 6-3
Laura Robson (GBR) bt Maria Kirilenko (RUS x10) 6-3, 6-4
Mariana Duque (COL) bt Julia Grges (GER) 6-4, 6-7 (3/7), 7-5
Marina Erakovic (NZL) bt Ayumi Morita (JPN) 4-6, 6-0, 7-5
Peng Shuai (CHN x24) bt Anabel Medina Garrigues (ESP) 6-3, 6-2
Alison Riske (USA) bt Romina Oprandi (SUI x31) 6-7 (5/7), 7-5, 3-1 - retired
Urszula Radwanska (POL) bt Mallory Burdette (USA) 7-6 (7/3), 4-6, 6-2
Angelique Kerber (GER x7) bt Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA) 6-3, 6-4
Madison Keys (USA) bt Heather Watson (GBR) 6-3, 7-5
Mona Barthel (GER x30) bt Monica Niculescu (ROM) 6-3, 4-6, 7-5
Roberta Vinci (ITA x11) bt Chanelle Scheepers (RSA) 6-2, 6-1
Jana Cepelov (SVK) bt Kristna Plskov (CZE) 6-4, 6-1
Mara Teresa Torr (ESP) bt Irina Begu (ROM) 6-3, 6-4
Dominika Cibulkova (SVK x18) bt Maria Elena Camerin (ITA) 6-4, 4-6, 6-4
Simona Halep (ROM) bt Olga Govortsova (BLR) 6-2, 3-6, 6-3
Li Na (CHN x6) bt Michalla Krajicek (NED) 6-1, 6-1
