Li Fang (tennis)
# Li Fang (tennis)

Li Fang (Chinese: 李芳; pinyin: Lǐ Fāng, born 1 January 1973) is a retired female tennis player from China. She is widely regarded as the first professional tennis player from China.

Li turned professional in 1990, and won two WTA doubles titles in her career. In singles, Li Fang reached three finals on the WTA tour (Hobart 1995, Makarska and Pattaya in 1998), losing all of them. She represented her country at the 1992 Summer Olympics. Li played seven years on the China Fed Cup team. She retired in 2001.

## Personal

Li Fang was born in Hengyang in Hunan province to father Li Jianmin and mother Zhou Shanglian. As of 2014, Li Fang runs a tennis academy in Frisco, Texas.

## WTA Tour career finals

* Legend
* Tier I (0)
* Tier II (0)
* Tier III (1)
* Tier IV (4)

### Singles: 3 runner-up

| Outcome | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Runner-up | 1. | Jan 1995 | Hobart International | Hard | Leila Meskhi | 2–6, 3–6 |
| Runner-up | 2. | Apr 1998 | Makarska International Championships | Clay | Květa Hrdličková | 3–6, 1–6 |
| Runner-up | 3. | Nov 1998 | PTT Pattaya Open | Hard | Julie Halard-Decugis | 1–6, 2–6 |

### Doubles: 2 titles

| Outcome | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partnering | Opponents | Score |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Winner | 1. | Jul 1993 | Austrian Open, Kitzbühel | Clay | Dominique Monami | Maja Murić Pavlína Rajzlová | 6–2, 6–1 |
| Winner | 2. | Feb 1994 | China Open, Beijing | Hard (i) | Chen Li-Ling | Kerry-Anne Guse Valda Lake | 6–0, 6–2 |

## ITF finals

### Singles (18–6)

* $75,000 tournaments
* $50,000 tournaments
* $25,000 tournaments
* $10,000 tournaments

| Outcome | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Winner | 1. | 12 March 1990 | Murcia, Spain | Clay | Sabrina Lucchi | 6–2, 7–5 |
| Winner | 2. | 9 July 1990 | Fayetteville, United States | Hard | Im Sook-ja | 6–1, 1–6, 6–3 |
| Runner-up | 3. | 4 March 1991 | Granada, Spain | Clay | Isabel Cueto | 3–6, 3–6 |
| Runner-up | 4. | 11 March 1991 | Murcia, Spain | Hard | Maite Martínez | 6–7, 7–5, 3–6 |
| Winner | 5. | 25 March 1991 | Bilbao, Spain | Hard | Estefania Bottini | 6–3, 6–1 |
| Runner-up | 6. | 29 April 1991 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | Hard | Wang Shi-ting | 4–6, 2–6 |
| Winner | 7. | 29 July 1991 | Acireale, Italy | Clay | Jana Pospíšilová | 6–0, 7–5 |
| Winner | 8. | 5 August 1991 | Nicolosi, Italy | Hard | Kylie Johnson | 6–2, 6–4 |
| Winner | 9. | 2 September 1991 | Bangkok, Thailand | Hard | Tang Min | 7–5, 6–2 |
| Winner | 10. | 9 September 1991 | Bangkok, Thailand | Hard | Tang Min | 6–0, $7–6^{(8–6)}$ |
| Winner | 11. | 23 September 1991 | Kuroshio, Japan | Hard | Naoko Kijimuta | 6–3, 6–4 |
| Winner | 12. | 7 October 1991 | Matsuyama, Japan | Hard | Chen Li-Ling | 6–4, 6–3 |
| Winner | 13. | 14 October 1991 | Kyoto, Japan | Hard | Hiromi Yoshihara | $7–6^{(7–3)},$ 6–4 |
| Winner | 14. | 21 October 1991 | Oita, Japan | Hard | Kristine Kunce | 6–3, 6–0 |
| Runner-up | 15. | 28 October 1991 | Saga, Japan | Grass | Ei Iida | 3–6, 3–6 |
| Winner | 16. | 6 April 1997 | Phoenix, United States | Hard | Kristina Brandi | 6–1, 6–2 |
| Winner | 17. | 20 April 1997 | Wichita, United States | Hard | Sandra Cacic | 6–2, 6–2 |
| Winner | 18. | 6 July 1997 | Flushing, United States | Hard | Lindsay Lee-Waters | 7–5, 7–5 |
| Winner | 19. | 4 August 1997 | Wichita, United States | Hard | Laura Golarsa | 6–3, 6–2 |
| Runner-up | 20. | 13 July 1998 | Mahwah, United States | Hard | Amy Frazier | w/o |
| Winner | 21. | 21 June 1999 | Vaihingen, Germany | Clay | Patricia Wartusch | 6–4, 7–6 |
| Runner-up | 22. | 1 August 1999 | Salt Lake City, United States | Hard | Kristina Brandi | 4–6, 3–6 |
| Winner | 23. | 19 September 1999 | Hopewel, United States | Hard | Jana Nejedly | 6–0, 6–4 |
| Winner | 24. | 26 September 1999 | Kirkland, United States | Hard | Yi Jing-Qian | 6–3, 2–6, 6–1 |

### Doubles (8–5)

| Outcome | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Winner | 1. | 7 May 1990 | Manila, Philippines | Hard | Chen Li-Ling | Lin Ning Tang Min | 6–3, 6–0 |
| Winner | 2. | 29 April 1991 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | Hard | Tang Min | Tanti Trayono Agustina Wibisono | 7–5, 6–3 |
| Winner | 3. | 6 May 1991 | Manila, Philippines | Hard | Tang Min | Irawati Moerid Lukky Tedjamukti | $7–6^{(7–4)},$ $6–7^{(5–7)},$ $7–6^{(7–3)}$ |
| Winner | 4. | 5 August 1991 | Nicolosi, Italy | Hard | Tang Min | Gabriella Boschiero Kylie Johnson | 6–0, $7–6^{(7–3)}$ |
| Winner | 5. | 2 September 1991 | Bangkok, Thailand | Hard | Tang Min | Suvimol Duangchan Benjamas Sangaram | 6–4, 6–2 |
| Runner-up | 6. | 9 September 1991 | Bangkok, Thailand | Hard | Tang Min | Irawati Moerid Lukky Tedjamukti | 6–4, 5–7, 4–6 |
| Runner-up | 7. | 23 September 1991 | Kuroshio, Japan | Hard | Tang Min | Naoko Kinoshita Emiko Takahashi | 7–5, 3–6, 4–6 |
| Runner-up | 8. | 30 September 1991 | Hokkaido, Japan | Hard | Tang Min | Yukie Koizumi Miki Mizokuchi | 1–6, 6–3, 3–6 |
| Winner | 9. | 14 October 1991 | Kyoto, Japan | Hard | Tang Min | Diana Gardner Paulette Moreno | 6–4, 7–5 |
| Runner-up | 10. | 30 September 1991 | Saga, Japan | Grass | Tang Min | Lupita Novelo Kristine Kunce | 7–5, 2–6, 5–7 |
| Winner | 11. | 4 September 1995 | Tianjin, China | Hard | Chen Li-Ling | Kirstin Freye Tessa Price | 6–2, 6–3 |
| Runner-up | 12. | 6 July 1997 | Flushing, United States | Hard | Keri Phebus | Janet Lee Lindsay Lee-Waters | 2–6, 6–2, 3–6 |
| Winner | 13. | 19 September 1999 | Hopewel, United States | Hard | Alina Jidkova | Dawn Buth Kim Grant | 6–3, 6–3 |
