鲜花( 152) 鸡蛋( 1)
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Li Na may have fallen short of an Australian Open title, but she remains "the pride of China."
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! `2 ]6 D1 j- p% Y1 _& O; L(AP)Li, the first Chinese to play in a Grand Slam singles final, lost to Kim Clijsters 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 Saturday in Melbourne.6 L4 x4 Y* v ^/ G! u
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CCTV had predicted that about 15 million people would watch the match live on its sports channel. CCTV read text messages from citizens just after Li lost, including ones that said, "No problem. We'll always support you" and "You're the pride of China."
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5 P- _/ y$ L5 ~5 u" y"The meaning isn't just in victory," Tong said. "This will have a benefit on the sport that we perhaps can't measure just yet."
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There had been expectations that a victory for Li in a Grand Slam tournament would inspire a rush of new players in a country where table tennis and badminton remain far more popular. |
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