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June 20, 2013

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Li advances after Bartoli pullout, Raonic bounced

China's Li Na reached the quarterfinals of the Aegon International in Eastbourne yesterday without hitting a ball while men's top seed Milos Raonic was upset for the second straight week on grass.

Li, the second seed at Devonshire Park, got the news from her coach that French opponent Marion Bartoli, the 2011 winner, would not be playing their second-round match due to a viral infection.

"I have a virus and a fever and am really feeling terrible, I started feeling this way on Monday but it has gotten worse," said the unseeded Frenchwoman. "I'm hoping to be back on the court after a few days of rest to get ready for Wimbledon."

Li went back to the practice court after her free ride in the pre-Wimbledon event. "This is not the best way to win a match. So I was feeling so sorry for her," said the former Roland Garros champion.

Czech Lucie Safarova put out Australian Samantha Stosur 7-6 (5), 6-3 while American qualifier Jamie Hampton followed up her defeat of top seed Agnieszka Radwanska by beating Hsieh Su-wei of Chinese Taipei 6-4, 7-6 (2).

Raonic, playing as top seed on a wildcard, will head to the Monday start of Wimbledon without a grass win after defeats in Halle and Eastbourne.

Raonic was beaten 2-6, 6-7 (7) by Croatia's Ivan Dodig and then admitted that he struggles on grass. "It's more me," he said of his problems on the surface. "I've got to figure out my thing.

"Obviously the surface doesn't make it easy. I think it's easier for me to figure out things on hardcourts per se, but I think it's all on my shoulders."

Feliciano Lopez of Spain upset Argentine fourth seed Juan Monaco 6-4, 6-4 while fellow Spaniard Fernando Verdasco reached his first quarterfinal since Bangkok last September with a 6-4, 6-0 defeat of compatriot Albert Ramos.


 

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