Li Na has broken new ground at the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

 

李娜在国际网球名人堂创出新天地。
 

 

The 37-year-old former Chinese star became the first Asian-born player to be inducted on Saturday.

 

She was enshrined along with Mary Pierce of France and Russian Yevgeny Kafelnikov during a lengthy¹ on-court ceremony that followed the Hall of Fame Open semifinals and stretched from sunset into nighttime, forcing grounds' crew members to scramble² and bring in smaller spotlights³.

 

Li became the first Asian to win a Grand Slam tournament, capturing the 2011 French Open in a final that was watched by an estimated 116 million people in her country.

 

"I did not (know) before I came to the court or it would have made me more nervous," she said during a mid-afternoon press conference.

 

"I started @ about 8 years old, but I hated tennis," she told the crowd that was sitting in near darkness. "Not bad, at least I'm standing⁴ here right now."

 

She also captured the 2014 Australian Open after being runner-up twice.

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