Li avenges bitter loss to Robson, reaches last 16
Print Edition
China’s Li Na became the first player to reach the round of 16 at this year’s US Open when she defeated Britain’s Laura Robson 6-2, 7-5 on Friday.
Li needed just 81 minutes to avenge her third-round loss to Robson at Flushing Meadows last year and is yet to drop a set in the tournament.
“At least this year I’m in the second week,” said Li, whose next opponent will be Serbia’s Jelena Jankovic who beat Kurumi Nara of Japan 6-4, 7-6 (5).
As a former French Open champion and two-time Australian Open finalist, Li had too much experience and firepower for the British teenager, 12 years her junior. The 31-year-old Li was rewarded for her aggressive approach, hitting 23 winners and banging down 11 aces on a windy day at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
“I was a little bit surprised because today I have a lot of aces. It was like, wow.” Li said.
The fifth-seeded Li was nervous after she noticed that her draw was a repeat from last year. A pep talk from coach Carlos Rodriguez eased her anxiety.
“After the talk I was feeling much, much better,” she said. “Because before I never try to share the feeling with the team.”
Li, who is seeking her eighth career title, is the only Chinese left in the singles after Zheng Jie, who put out Venus Williams, lost to 18th seed Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain 2-6, 4-6.
Lleyton Hewitt pulled off a stunning five-set win over Juan Martin del Potro after a classic late-night thriller between the two former champions.
Twelve years after he upset Pete Sampras to win the US Open, the 32-year-old Australian showed he still has plenty of fight left in him as he floored Del Potro 6-4, 5-7, 3-6, 7-6 (2), 6-1 in a four-hour slugfest.
“I don’t know how many years I have left in me so I was just hanging to get back on this court again,” said Hewitt, who also won Wimbledon in 2002 but has not tasted grand slam success since and tumbled to 66th in the world rankings.
“This is why I still play, to have moments like this.”
Argentine Del Potro, who beat Roger Federer in the 2009 US Open final, became the biggest casualty of this year’s championship, leaving the top half of the draw seemingly at the mercy of Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray, who both overcame wobbles to win on Friday.
Murray experienced a minor hiccup, dropping his first set of the tournament, but recovered quickly to beat Argentine Leonardo Mayer 7-5, 6-1, 3-6, 6-1.
Djokovic, the world No. 1, saved two set points in the opening set before rebounding to win 7-6 (2), 6-2, 6-2 over Germany’s Benjamin Becker.
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