The third time's a charm for Chinese star Li Na, who defeated Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia, 7-6, (7-3) 6-0 to win the 2014 Australian Open and nab her second Grand Slam title after winning the 2011 French Open.
The world's fourth-ranked female tennis player came back strong this year after losing in the 2011 and 2013 finale of the year's first Grand Slam tournament.
"At least, you know, I made it," Li said after the match to CNN.com. "Not like the last two times, always feeling (there was) one more step. But this time I'm so proud myself."
Li, who was the odds-on favorite to beat the 24-year old Slovak, took command of the game early with a 2-0 lead in the first set. However, Cibulkova rallied and even grabbed a 4-3 advantage. The first set was close that a tiebreaker was required to decide the winner. But once Li got her groove, the Slovak had no chance stopping her.
The Chinese not only endeared herself to the crowd for her outstanding play on the court, but also for her comical comments during the post-game interview. She particularly thanked her agent Max Eisenbud for helping her achieve success. She said: "Max, my agent, thanks for making me rich," which drew laughs from the crowd. According to Forbes, Li is the third richest female athlete in the world next to Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams. She reportedly took home $18.2 million in earnings last year.
Li also poke fun at her husband Jiang Shan, saying: "Now of course my husband is even famous in China. You are a nice guy. Also you are so lucky to find me!"
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