China’s Li Na became the 2014 Australian Open champion after eventually accounting for Slovakia’s Dominika Cibulkova in a tightly fought contest. Despite the narrow first-set score line, it was a reasonably comprehensive victory by Li as she defeated Cibulkova in straight sets 7-6 6-0. Although suffering minor hiccups, Li eventually polished off the match in 97 minutes.

In a match that perhaps failed to reach the dizzying heights of past finals, it was Li who dictated play with her aggression and her well-directed strokes, forcing Cibulkova to scramble for every point. At times when the 20th seed was allowed into the game, she sprayed errors from both sides as she grasped for an opportunity to claw herself back into a match, one she would have felt was almost gone after the first game.

It’s unfair to say that the diminutive Cibulkova played a poor match, for she was accurate and ruthless when she was allowed to be. The game style that had worked so well against her earlier opponents was effective when she was able to work herself into the point. However, those moments were few and far between because the match never seemed to sway away from Li’s racquet. One felt that the only way Cibulkova would win the title was if the Chinese fourth seed essentially self-destructed.

It was a case of too accurate and too crafty as Li varied her game using a mix of power and precision. Her performance on vital points was world class, and it was the difference between the two players as Li just seemed to have a little extra in her shot repertoire. Cibulkova’s inability to hit past the fourth seed was evident in her producing only 11 winners, whereas Li stroked past her opponent with ease and tallied 34 winners.

While it was her first grand slam final, Cibulkova seemed far from overwhelmed as she strode onto Rod Laver Arena sporting that trademark ear-to-ear smile. Her nerves were clearly transferred into her opponent as Li looked nervous on her jaunt out onto the court. Perhaps those nerves were confused with determination, for Li broke Cibulkova in the first game of the match and signaled that she meant business.

Cibulkova admitted feeling a change in her opponent after winning the first set. “After she won the first two games, she was more relaxed and she was going for her shots,” a disappointed but forthright Cibulkova said.  “Afterwards, it was impossible for me to be aggressive because she was just playing really well.”

Cibulkova also felt that she couldn’t really get into the match because of her opponent’s playing style. “She was the one who was dictating the game”, she said.  “Today I can only regret that my serve was not really there – maybe because I felt a little nervous, but my serve wasn't working. Then she could push me from the first point.”

But the Slovakian took a lot of confidence from her performance at the tournament, which has spurred her on for future slams. “When you play a grand slam final, it's a big step,” she said. “I'm ready to take it. I’ve been waiting for this for a long time. Now I want to do 100% to keep it up.”

Offering champagne to all the journalists present at her press conference, Li admitted that this victory was sweeter than the Roland Garros title that she earned in 2011.

“I prepared for this one more,” she said. “Every day I was thinking about what I should do. When I prepared to play the semis, I was thinking what I should do. I’ve already been in the final twice here. Also in the French I was feeling that I should go for it, I didn’t think about winning or losing.”

Li also admitted to being nervous before the match as well as during the first set. “In the beginning of the match, I think both of us were tight,” she said. “Also I don't think I had a very good first serve. But I am really happy. I tried to do the best on the court and tried to hang in there to see all that I can do on the court. I think after I won the first set, I started the second much better. At least I tried to hit the ball on the court,” she reflected wittily.

And Li felt as if a weight has been lifted after being beaten in her last two finals at the Australian Open. “This wasn’t like the last two times. This time, I’m really so proud of myself.”