By sportswriters Spencer Musick and Yue Wenwan
WUHAN, China, Sept. 22 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Tennis great Li Na's new status as an International Tennis Hall of Fame inductee was highlighted here at the opening ceremony of the 2019 Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open.
Dianne Hayes, Senior Vice President for Global Business at the International Tennis Hall of Fame, was present at the ceremony and praised Li's hard work and dedication to advancing the sport of tennis.
"With two Grand Slam titles (Roland Garros and the Australian Open) to her name, and as a pioneer for tennis in China, Li Na is the recipient of the ultimate honor in tennis globally, induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame," Hayes said on court.
"She was honored in a grand ceremony in the Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island in the United States this past July, and we are so pleased to be able to celebrate her today in Wuhan, her birthplace, among her many fans and friends," Hayes continued.
Li called the induction the biggest milestone in her long career.
"It is a great honor to be enshrined in the International Tennis Hall of Fame. When I saw my name listed with so many legendary players, I realized that it is the biggest recognition possible of my tennis career," Li said.
"I hope to better serve tennis in the future," Li concluded.
The ceremony continued with a dance routine and performance that blended both modern cheerleading acrobatics and traditional Chinese performance art including opera and a dragon dance.
Round one action continues here this evening at the Optics Valley Tennis Center.
