We’re just about to the end of the 2014 Australian Open. On Saturday, women’s No. 4 seed Li Na will take on No. 20 seed Dominika Cibulkova in the final. On Sunday, the men’s final will take place, as No. 1 seed Rafael Nadal takes on No. 8 seed Stanislas Wawrinka.
2014 Australian Open women’s final: How to watch Li Na vs. Dominika Cibulkova
Li Na and Dominika Cibulkova are set to face off in the women’s singles final at the 2014 Australian Open. Here’s how you can watch on TV and online.
Michael Dodge
But up first, we’ve got the matchup between Li and Cibulkova. The final will take place early in the morning for those of you watching in the U.S. -- it’s set to begin at 7:30 p.m. local time, but will get underway at 3:30 a.m. ET.
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This should be an exciting matchup, as Li seeks her second major title and Cibulkova plays in her first ever Grand Slam final.
Li was somewhat overlooked for this tournament. All of the talk was on top seeds Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka, especially given that Li was almost bounced out in the third round against No. 26 Lucie Safarova. But Williams fell to Ana Ivanovic, the No. 14 seed, while Azarenka fell to No. 5 seed Agnieszka Radwanska.
Li also avoided a matchup with No. 9 seed Angelique Kerber in the first round, and drew No. 30 seed Eugenie Bouchard in the semifinals as opposed to Williams. She’s definitely seen a few lucky breaks go her way, but she dominated her round of 16, quarterfinals and semifinals opponents in straight sets.
Cibulkova has been playing the best tennis of her career. She managed to oust No. 3 seed Maria Sharapova in the round of 16, and then took down No. 11 seed Simona Halep in the quarterfinals, before dominating Radwanska in the semis to reach this final.
That matchup against Sharapova was the only match in which Cibulkova has dropped a set all tournament. She could rise all the way to No. 11 in the rankings if she wins this. The 24-year-old from Slovakia may be one of the most surprising finalists we’ve seen in awhile, but she’s got all the talent required to reach this point and is definitely a game opponent for Li.
Li does hold a 4-0 mark against Cibulkova overall, however, including a victory at the Rogers Cup in August, in straight sets.
Television coverage for the match will be provided by ESPN. They’ll have coverage on the flagship network beginning at 3 a.m. and it’s expected to run through 5:30. If you’re hoping to watch online, you have two choices from ESPN. The two services are the same, but the English stream of WatchESPN will require log-in verification, while the ESPN3 broadcast in Spanish will be available to all.
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