Francesca Schiavone (born June 23 1980 in Milan) a female Italian tennis player turned professional in 1998. She won the 2010 French Open singles title, becoming the first Italian woman to win a Grand Slam event in singles. She was runner-up at the 2011 French Open. Her current ranking is World No. 7 and her career high ranking is World No. 4, achieved on 31 January 2011.

PARIS -- When Li Na walked back into the players' lounge on Saturday afternoon, she did so as a Grand Slam champion. It was only minutes before that she'd dominated defending champion Francesca Schiavone 6-4, 7-6 (0) to become the first Chinese player to win a Grand Slam singles title.

There were tons of relatives, friends and others hanging around for Schiavone. Members of the Li entourage could be counted on less than two hands, but when Li entered the facility the sound of their cheers belied their small number. They clapped and chanted for her, which brought tears to her eyes. 

She gave a quick hug to her husband, Jiang Shan, then to all the others in her party. The couple isn't the type that goes for any public displays of affection, but this was a special occasion. He shyly put his hands on her face, drawing her closer to exchange a brief kiss. She walked away smiling and wiping away yet another tear.

"Before the match I tell her, 'Don't think about win or lose, you are here,'" Jiang said. "Just play tennis and enjoy the match. But she [did] win, so I'm happy."

Coaching match

Four weeks ago Li decided to shake things up because she thought her game had stalled since reaching the Australian Open final. At the Madrid tournament, she replaced her husband -- as her coach -- with a new voice, Michael Mortensen.

Now she's a Grand Slam champion, and she knew that Mortensen deserved a nod of appreciation. 

"Thank you, Michael," she said, hugging him in the players' lounge. He responded in kind: "I'm so proud of you."

The two don't have a permanent coaching arrangement in place, at least not yet. But Mortensen will be with her at least through Wimbledon. Mortensen, a former player, first spied Li when he did commentary for Eurosport.

"I thought she was one of the most interesting players on the tour," Mortensen said. "You would always see tennis on a high level, because she was not afraid of trying different things. That's what I like about her and her personality: she has a big heart, is a funny girl, and very nice to be around." 

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[Formerly Italy at St Louis]