PARIS, France - After a historic final between two of the most seasoned and successful players on the WTA, it was time for China's Li Na and Italy's Francesca Schiavone to meet the press. Here's a taste of what they said...

Li Na
On the 7-0 tie-break...
"At 6-0 I thought, 'Don't do something stupid.' Many times I've had match points and I didn't win the match, so I was only thinking I needed one more point."

On what it feels like to be a Grand Slam champion...
"Today is a dream come true. When I was a young player I always wanted to be a Grand Slam champion. Here someone said I was getting old - it's not easy for the old woman's dream to come true! Not many players can win a Grand Slam."

On whether her mom, who has traditionally been too nervous to watch any of her daughter's matches, watched this one...
"I don't think so. I haven't talked to her yet. They always tell her I'm playing and she turns the TV off because it makes her too nervous! I don't think she did..."

On whether she has heard from any of her friends in China yet...
"I got a text message from my friend saying they were crying in China because they saw the national flag coming up."

On whether she will go back to China after this victory...
"The biggest thing right now is that in two weeks it's Wimbledon, so I don't have time to go back right now. I'll go back after Wimbledon, though. If I don't do well there maybe people will forget me already - these are tough times!"

On what's next...
"Right now, like Schiavone said, I'll just enjoy two or three days off, then I'll go to Eastbourne for the next tournament."

Francesca Schiavone
On whether she felt pressure as the defending champion today...
"No, no. Why would I be scared to win, not to lose? I was ready to play an intense match. We played some amazing points and had some great moments. I lived a good moment - in life you can win and you can lose. It's okay."

On the difference between the Li she beat in the third round last year, 64 62, and the one she lost to this year, 64 76(0)...
"She runs much more. When I played really well to one side and then to the other side on her forehand, she got there with the legs before she was even hitting the ball. Now she can hit one or two shots more. That is a big advantage on the clay. She also slides a little bit more. It makes a difference for her."

On the difference in tennis culture between Italy and China...
"I can imagine many people in China were watching this and will watch more now. I think it's also important for them to know clay courts over there - I think they just have hardcourts. This can be a good start for them. In Europe we know clay much better... Maybe it's a cultural difference. But this is a good start."

On how her feelings differ between this year's final and last year's final...
"The impact of winning is a big difference. But I'm happy to be here - now I can feel much more what I felt last year, much more. To be close to winning is different than winning. But at the same time, getting to a final means I had another chance to take the trophy. So I'm happy to be here. Doesn't matter if I win or lose, I just want to live every moment."

Read about Li & Schiavone's final battle in France right here...