BEIJING - The WTA confirmed on Thursday that Li Na's title match against Italy's Francesca Schiavone at the French Open on Saturday was the most watched sporting event to date this year in China.

A record-breaking 116 million viewers in China witnessed the match, which was broadcast live on two China Central Television (CCTV) stations from 9 pm on Saturday night (Beijing time). That was almost twice as much as the 60 million who tuned in when Li lost to Kim Clijsters in the Australian Open final in January. The figure also easily beat the 25 million for the men's singles gold medal match at the table tennis World Championships in the Netherlands last month.

"The viewership numbers for Li Na's historic Roland Garros win are a fantastic sign of the continued growth potential of women's tennis in China," WTA chief Stacey Allaster said in a news release.