Li Na to Play in Australian Open Final Saturday; Win a Copy of Her Book, "My Life"

Local favorite and world number three women's tennis player Li Na will play for the Australian Open title on Saturday, January 25, at 4:30pm local Beijing time. Li will face Slovakia's Dominika Cibulkova, the tournament's Cinderella story. The match will be broadcast live on CCTV-5, with Chinese commentary.

In the Beijinger's interview with Li during a visit to the International School of Beijing in December, she expected good things in Australia. "I think I'm ready. Melbourne is my favorite Grand Slam," she said. Read the whole interview here or below.

Penguin Books China have very graciously provided us some copies of Li's autobiography, My Life, published in English in December 2013, for us to give to some lucky readers. To win, send an e-mail to editor@thebeijinger.com by Saturday, January 25, at 4.30pm Beijing time, with the correct answer to this question: What is Li Na's hometown? Our December interview with Li follows below.

World third-ranked women's tennis player Li Na is ready for a run at next month's Australian Open title, she said in an interview with the Beijinger on Sunday during a visit to the International School of Beijing (ISB).

"I think I'm ready. Melbourne is my favorite Grand Slam," she said. "My goal for next year is to win another Grand Slam [title]." Li spoke at ISB Sunday to students and families in support of the English translation of her autobiography, My Life, which was published December 1 by Viking, a Penguin Group imprint.

Li said becoming the world's top-ranked female player was her goal for 2013, but was not disappointed with her current ranking. "The champion is not always the winner," she said.

Li shot to global prominence when she won the 2011 French Open, becoming the first player from an Asian nation to win a Grand Slam title, male or female. Li was the runner-up in the 2013 Australian Open, and made it to this year's semi-finals at the US Open. She achieved her world number three ranking on October 28.

The Wuhan native hopes for more tennis tournaments in China like Beijing's annual China Open, where she played against then-world male number one Novak Djokovic as a way to increase awareness and participation, and also to improve competition for younger players. "Tennis has not been in China for such a long time. We don't have the junior programs like the Europeans and the Americans do," she said. "We need more tournaments in China. It's good for the fans. Starting next year, they will be able to enjoy top tournaments four weeks in a row here.

She was not discouraged by high levels of pollution during this year's China Open in October, which drew criticism from other players like Rafael Nadal. "That's something that we all experience. We just have to get used to it," Li said.

Li met with players from ISB's female tennis team and other athletes, with whom she posed for pictures and signed autographs. Three ISB students then interviewed her in front of an audience of about 400 ISB families and community members, followed by a question and answer session. Afterwards, she spent another 40 minutes signing books and other items, and posing for photos.

The trip wasn't Li's first visit to Beijing's Shunyi suburb: during her public talk, Li revealed that she has committed to supporting seven Shunyi orphans in school through their university education.

Read more about Li Na's reflections on her childhood and recommendations for parents on the beijing kids website.

Photos: Australian Open and Steven Schwankert