Tennis
Historic all-Chinese women's final in Estoril
By Bill Scott
May 6, 2006, 16:48 GMT

Estoril, Portugal - Jie Zheng and Na Li won their semi- finals on Saturday at the 647,250-euro Estoril Open to meet in the first ever all-Chinese final on the WTA-level.

Jie put out Italy's top-seeded Flavia Pennetta 6-2, 6-3 in an hour with five breaks of serve.

Na, losing finalist in 2005 to Czech Lucia Safarova, beat 2004 champion Emilie Loit of French in a comprehensive 7-5, 6-2.

On the men's side, Argentine David Nalbandian hammered 100th-ranked Albert Portas 7-5, 6-1, spoiling the Spaniard's upset hopes in a rare semi-finals appearance.

On Sunday, the 2002 winner Nalbandian meets another ex-champion, either number 2 seed Nikolay Davydenko or sixth-seeded Carlos Moya.

Chinese women have played finals numerous times at lower-level events, mainly at home but never contested for a major title at the top level of the sport.

The 49th-ranked Jie won an event in Hobart in January, Tasmania, in January, 2005. The 22-year-old from Cheng Du in Sizchuan province, also owns four lower level crowns, three of them earned in China.

Na, ranked 70th, is aiming for the first WTA trophy of her career after a 2006-best quarter-final in Doha at the start of the season.

'It will be exciting to play in the first final between Chinese,' said Jie. 'I have the higher ranking, but Li Na is more powerful on the court.

'We train together every day, so we know each other's games well.'

Nalbandian overcame a first-game break, getting level at 3-3 and charging through handily after after lifting the first set.

'This was my toughest match of the week, it was incredibly windy,' said the winner in reference to the difficult conditions.

'It was a tight first set. But everything went perfectly for me in the second,' said Nalbandian.

Portas, who plays almost exclusively on clay, was playing his first semi-final in five years.

Nalbandian, by contrast, lifted the trophy in his 2002 debut at the Estadio Nacional, is ranked fourth in the world and won the season-ending Masters Cup last year ober world number 1 Roger Federer.

'Playing two finals here can't be compared,' said Nalbaidian.

'(But) That was a different time and a different opponent. Both Davydenko and Moya are great players. I'm feeling fit and ready for anyone in the final,' he said.