A year later, she faced now-world No.1 Wozniacki again, staring down a match point in the semifinals at 6-3, 5-4, 40-30. She hit out courageously, and her power and aggression were rewarded.

That stunning 3-6 7-5 6-3 victory made her the first ever Chinese Grand Slam singles finalist, and it was the real beginning of Li Na-as-Australian-favourite, thanks to an iconic post-match interview.

First final

She lined up against Kim Clijsters in the AO 2011 final, a player she’d beaten just two weeks earlier in the Sydney International final.

Li appeared on track to repeat that result and cap a memorable fortnight in Melbourne, only to fade in three sets against the Belgian champion.

Nevertheless, she departed the tournament buoyantly. “After the match, back to the locker room, I make joke, tennis should only play one set,” she laughed after the 3-6 6-3 6-3 defeat. “I mean, of course, take positives. I think I play great tennis. She play better than me.”

She was less buoyant when she faced Clijsters 12 months later on the same court.

Li led their final rematch by a set and 6-2 in the second-set tiebreak, a bundle of match points she couldn’t convert.

Clijsters recovered to win in three, a loss which left Li devastated.

Second final

Thankfully, it didn’t seem to affect her when she returned for Australian Open 2013.

In devastating form, she ripped through the draw without losing a set, outplaying No.2 seed Maria Sharapova 6-2 6-2 in the semifinals.

In her second AO final, this time against Victoria Azarenka, she again led by a set before the Belarusian reeled her in during an emotional, dramatic decider.