Li, Zhou cruise to Shenzhen quarterfinals
Source: AFP |
January 3, 2013, Thursday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
CHINA'S Li Na cruised through to the quarterfinals of the Shenzhen Open yesterday with a straight sets victory over American Julia Cohen.
The 2011 French Open singles winner and top seed took one hour and 34 minutes to defeat Cohen 6-3, 6-4.
The Chinese No. 1 will face eighth-seeded Serb Bojana Jovanovski in the next round.
Li's compatriot Zhou Yimiao also powered through to the quarterfinals with a hard-fought 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 victory over Chang Kai-chen from Chinese Taipei.
She will face Romania's Monica Niculescu, who disposed of British teenager Laura Robson in their second-round match on Tuesday.
The Shenzhen Open, carrying total prize money of US$500,000, is being played for the first time as tennis expands in China on the back of Li's huge popularity.
In Auckland, New Zealand, Polish world No.4 Agnieszka Radwanska advanced easily to the quarterfinals of the ASB Classic women's tournament, beating Simona Halep of Romania 6-3, 6-1 in the second round.
Top-seeded Radwanska dropped her opening service game but then clicked into gear, breaking Halep twice to take the first set, then swept through the second set to win the match in just over an hour.
Radwanska will now face Russia's Elena Vesnina in the quarterfinals after Vesnina beat No.6 seed Yaroslava Shvedova 6-2, 6-3.
Radwanska, third-seeded former champion Yanina Wickmayer and eighth-seeded Mona Barthel of Germany are the only seeds still alive in the tournament.
In Brisbane, top-ranked Victoria Azarenka opened her 2013 season with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Germany's Sabine Lisicki to join No. 3 Serena Williams and fourth-seeded Angelique Kerber in the Brisbane International quarterfinals.
Azarenka, who won the tournament in 2009 without dropping a set, got the better of 37th-ranked Lisicki in a match containing nine breaks of serve.
The Belarusian won the Sydney International and then her first major at the Australian Open last year during a 26-match winning streak to start the season and spent most of 2012 atop the women's rankings. She said her focus ahead of her first major title defense was more about attacking than defending.
"I actually don't really look at defending anything. I'm just looking to win," Azarenka said. "I'm going to have the same mindset for as long as I'm playing."
In earlier second-round matches, Angelique Kerber recovered from 5-2 down in the deciding tiebreaker to beat Puerto Rican qualifier Monica Puig, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7) and Sloane Stephens had a 6-3, 6-4 win over Sweden's Sofia Arvidsson to set up a quarterfinal against fellow American Williams.
In men's second-round matches, third-seeded Gilles Simon of France beat Alejandro Falla of Colombia 7-6 (5), 7-6 (5), and No. 5 Kei Nishikori of Japan had a 6-3, 6-3 win over Tommy Robredo of Spain. Sixth-seeded Florian Mayer lost 6-4, 6-2 to 2006 Australian Open finalist Marcos Baghdatis.
The 2011 French Open singles winner and top seed took one hour and 34 minutes to defeat Cohen 6-3, 6-4.
The Chinese No. 1 will face eighth-seeded Serb Bojana Jovanovski in the next round.
Li's compatriot Zhou Yimiao also powered through to the quarterfinals with a hard-fought 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 victory over Chang Kai-chen from Chinese Taipei.
She will face Romania's Monica Niculescu, who disposed of British teenager Laura Robson in their second-round match on Tuesday.
The Shenzhen Open, carrying total prize money of US$500,000, is being played for the first time as tennis expands in China on the back of Li's huge popularity.
In Auckland, New Zealand, Polish world No.4 Agnieszka Radwanska advanced easily to the quarterfinals of the ASB Classic women's tournament, beating Simona Halep of Romania 6-3, 6-1 in the second round.
Top-seeded Radwanska dropped her opening service game but then clicked into gear, breaking Halep twice to take the first set, then swept through the second set to win the match in just over an hour.
Radwanska will now face Russia's Elena Vesnina in the quarterfinals after Vesnina beat No.6 seed Yaroslava Shvedova 6-2, 6-3.
Radwanska, third-seeded former champion Yanina Wickmayer and eighth-seeded Mona Barthel of Germany are the only seeds still alive in the tournament.
In Brisbane, top-ranked Victoria Azarenka opened her 2013 season with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Germany's Sabine Lisicki to join No. 3 Serena Williams and fourth-seeded Angelique Kerber in the Brisbane International quarterfinals.
Azarenka, who won the tournament in 2009 without dropping a set, got the better of 37th-ranked Lisicki in a match containing nine breaks of serve.
The Belarusian won the Sydney International and then her first major at the Australian Open last year during a 26-match winning streak to start the season and spent most of 2012 atop the women's rankings. She said her focus ahead of her first major title defense was more about attacking than defending.
"I actually don't really look at defending anything. I'm just looking to win," Azarenka said. "I'm going to have the same mindset for as long as I'm playing."
In earlier second-round matches, Angelique Kerber recovered from 5-2 down in the deciding tiebreaker to beat Puerto Rican qualifier Monica Puig, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7) and Sloane Stephens had a 6-3, 6-4 win over Sweden's Sofia Arvidsson to set up a quarterfinal against fellow American Williams.
In men's second-round matches, third-seeded Gilles Simon of France beat Alejandro Falla of Colombia 7-6 (5), 7-6 (5), and No. 5 Kei Nishikori of Japan had a 6-3, 6-3 win over Tommy Robredo of Spain. Sixth-seeded Florian Mayer lost 6-4, 6-2 to 2006 Australian Open finalist Marcos Baghdatis.
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