Li, just 5’7”, and Cibulkova, one of the smallest players on the women’s tour at 5’3”, will meet with a new champion at Melbourne Park ready to be crowned.
There could be no disputing their place in the final, with both women ruthlessly crushing their opponents in straight sets today.
With the much-vaunted and much taller Serena Williams (5’9”), Maria Sharapova (6’2”) and Victoria Azarenka (6’0”) all dismissed before the semi-final stage it seems it really is the size of the fight in the dog that counts.
For Li Na it’s a third attempt at the Australian Open crown after losing in the final in 2011 and 2013. Last summer Li twisted her ankle and tumbled to the ground, hitting her head on the hard surface, midway through the final, and admitted an incident free final ‘would be nice’.
It would be hard to begrudge her victory after coming so close twice before.
Cibulkova is the first Slovak player to reach a Grand Slam final and will go in brimming with confidence, having thumped fifth seed Agnieszka Radwanska in straight sets. The 20th seed will be a rank outsider but on form, having dismissed seeds 3, 5, 11, 16 and a former French Open champion in Francesca Schiavone already this tournament, she should maintain that belief all the way through to Saturday night.
No matter who wins, it will be a high-energy clash, with one diminutive woman to stand tall and collect the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup as Australian Open champion.
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