Li, Nadal and Federer advance with ease
Source: Agencies |
January 21, 2012, Saturday
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Print Edition
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IN the same half of a Grand Slam singles draw for the first time since 2005, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer are taking similar paths to a potential semifinal matchup at the Australian Open in Melbourne.
Meanwhile, a rematch of the women's 2011 final is in place, with defending champion Kim Clijsters and China's Li Na both winning yesterday to set up a meeting in the fourth round.
Li advanced to the fourth round when her opponent, Anabel Medina Garrigues of Spain, had to retire in the first set after badly twisting her right ankle attempting a shot. Li won the first three games and was up 0-30 on Medina Garrigues' serve when the Spaniard went to the net to retire just a game and a half after she had sustained the injury.
Clijsters advanced with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Daniela Hantuchova.
The Belgian beat Li 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 in an absorbing final in 2011 for her only title of the year.
"That was one of my favorite matches I've ever played. I won, so that helped," she said. "Of all the Grand Slam finals I've played, that was the one with the highest standard."
Far from allowing the disappointment to get her down, Li seemed inspired. She won the next Grand Slam she entered, lifting the French Open trophy to become the first Asian player to win a major singles title.
"Although she lost I think it helped her to win the French Open," Clijsters said.
Li agreed.
"After that match I was feeling I really can win the Grand Slam," she said.
Clijsters takes a 5-2 head-to-head advantage into the match. Li warned fans not to expect a contrast in styles.
"I think we play the same way, like play against a mirror," she said.
Neither the four-time Australian champion Federer nor 2009 titleholder Nadal have dropped a set so far, although Federer's path has been made easier by a walkover win in the second round.
Nadal, his right knee still taped from a recent injury, showed no problems while moving briskly around the court in a 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 win over qualifier Lukas Lacko.
Federer followed in the marquee matinee program by beating Ivo Karlovic 7-6 (6), 7-5, 6-3, saving a set point in the tiebreaker with a scrambling lob over the 6-foot-10 Croatian. Federer will play Australian teenager Bernard Tomic tomorrow in the fourth round.
Nadal will next meet fellow Spaniard Feliciano Lopez, who beat No. 16 John Isner 6-3, 6-7 (3), 6-4, 6-7 (0), 6-1 to put the last US man out of the draw.
No. 7 Tomas Berdych beat No. 30 Kevin Anderson of South Africa 7-6 (5), 7-6 (1), 6-1 and will next play No. 10 Nicolas Almagro of Spain, who beat 21st-seeded Stanislas Wawrinka 7-6 (2), 6-2, 6-4.
Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber defeated Alejandro Falla of Colombia 6-3, 6-2, 7-6 (3), 11th-seeded Juan Martin del Potro beat Yen-Hsun Lu of Chinese Taipei 6-2, 6-3, 6-0.
On the women's side, top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki beat Monica Niculescu of Romania 6-2, 6-2 and third-seeded Victoria Azarenka defeated Mona Barthel 6-2, 6-4.
Meanwhile, a rematch of the women's 2011 final is in place, with defending champion Kim Clijsters and China's Li Na both winning yesterday to set up a meeting in the fourth round.
Li advanced to the fourth round when her opponent, Anabel Medina Garrigues of Spain, had to retire in the first set after badly twisting her right ankle attempting a shot. Li won the first three games and was up 0-30 on Medina Garrigues' serve when the Spaniard went to the net to retire just a game and a half after she had sustained the injury.
Clijsters advanced with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Daniela Hantuchova.
The Belgian beat Li 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 in an absorbing final in 2011 for her only title of the year.
"That was one of my favorite matches I've ever played. I won, so that helped," she said. "Of all the Grand Slam finals I've played, that was the one with the highest standard."
Far from allowing the disappointment to get her down, Li seemed inspired. She won the next Grand Slam she entered, lifting the French Open trophy to become the first Asian player to win a major singles title.
"Although she lost I think it helped her to win the French Open," Clijsters said.
Li agreed.
"After that match I was feeling I really can win the Grand Slam," she said.
Clijsters takes a 5-2 head-to-head advantage into the match. Li warned fans not to expect a contrast in styles.
"I think we play the same way, like play against a mirror," she said.
Neither the four-time Australian champion Federer nor 2009 titleholder Nadal have dropped a set so far, although Federer's path has been made easier by a walkover win in the second round.
Nadal, his right knee still taped from a recent injury, showed no problems while moving briskly around the court in a 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 win over qualifier Lukas Lacko.
Federer followed in the marquee matinee program by beating Ivo Karlovic 7-6 (6), 7-5, 6-3, saving a set point in the tiebreaker with a scrambling lob over the 6-foot-10 Croatian. Federer will play Australian teenager Bernard Tomic tomorrow in the fourth round.
Nadal will next meet fellow Spaniard Feliciano Lopez, who beat No. 16 John Isner 6-3, 6-7 (3), 6-4, 6-7 (0), 6-1 to put the last US man out of the draw.
No. 7 Tomas Berdych beat No. 30 Kevin Anderson of South Africa 7-6 (5), 7-6 (1), 6-1 and will next play No. 10 Nicolas Almagro of Spain, who beat 21st-seeded Stanislas Wawrinka 7-6 (2), 6-2, 6-4.
Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber defeated Alejandro Falla of Colombia 6-3, 6-2, 7-6 (3), 11th-seeded Juan Martin del Potro beat Yen-Hsun Lu of Chinese Taipei 6-2, 6-3, 6-0.
On the women's side, top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki beat Monica Niculescu of Romania 6-2, 6-2 and third-seeded Victoria Azarenka defeated Mona Barthel 6-2, 6-4.
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