(XINHUA)

Chinese tennis player Li Na reached the WTA Championship final on October 28, the first for a regional player. Despite her loss to Serena Williams from the United States via a three-set final, Li, 31, showed that she is improving at an age when many players suffer a decline in performance.

She achieved her best ever season-end world ranking of No. 3, a new high for Asian players. She rose to international prominence after clinching the 2011 French Open singles title and has won seven WTA singles titles.