Li joins Zheng in Melbourne last 16
Source: Agencies |
January 24, 2010, Sunday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
CHINA will have two players in the last 16 of a grand slam for the first time after Li Na beat Daniela Hantuchova at the Australian Open yesterday to join compatriot Zheng Jie in the fourth round.
Li, who in recent years has vied with Zheng for top player status in China, passed the milestone with a hard-fought 7-5, 3-6, 6-2 win over the Slovakian, and will face US Open runner-up Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark, a 6-4, 6-0 winner over Israel's Shahar Peer, for a place in the quarterfinals.
"It was not easy to play against (Hantuchova) because we are friends, so it was a little bit of a different feeling, but still you can see we were both fighting a lot on the court," the 27-year-old told reporters.
Li, who became China's first title-winner in 2004 and first to reach the last eight of a grand slam with her run to the quarterfinals at Wimbledon in 2006, has become used to milestones and was not all that fussed about passing another. "I didn't play last year. If I played, I think it would have happened last year," quipped the 16th-seeded Li, whose friend Zheng reached the fourth round in 2009.
"I think it's very good (for) Chinese tennis, (for) women. It's because we are working so hard and never giving up in every match ... step by step."
Elsewhere, normal service resumed at Melbourne Park. Roger Federer and Serena Williams outclassed their opponents to book their places in the second week and Lleyton Hewitt gave Australians hope of an overdue local champion by pounding his.
The only place busier than the Rod Laver Arena was the casualty ward. Three players, including the 2006 runner-up Marcos Baghdatis, succumbed to injury as the first grand slam of the year lived up to its reputation as a test of survival as much as skill.
The packed center court was heaving with anticipation when Baghdatis and Hewitt prepared to lock horns. Their last match, two years ago, had been an epic that did not finish until 4:34am, but this one ended in a whimper.
Hewitt won the opening set 6-0 and was leading 4-2 in the second when the Cypriot quit, unable to continue because of a shoulder injury.
Earlier, Austria's Stefan Koubek retired after one set of his match against Spain's Fernando Verdasco after being drained by the effects of a mystery virus.
Russia's Mikhail Youzhny withdrew before the start of play because of a wrist problem, handing Poland's Lukasz Kubot a free ride into the next stage.
Of the third round matches that went the full distance, all went according to the script even after Nadia Petrova had given hope to the would-be giantkillers still left in the tournament when she upset Kim Clijsters on Friday.
Federer, his confidence growing with each match, provided a masterful display against Spain's Albert Montanes, winning 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 to extend his incredible record of making it to the last 16 of every grand slam since the 2004 French Open.
Serena Williams also turned in her best performance of the week, trouncing Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro 6-0, 6-3 to remain on track to defend the title she won for the fourth time last year.
Her older sister Venus had a tougher time but still managed to carve out a 6-1, 7-6 (4) win over Australia's Casey Dellacqua. The Australian Open has not been a happy hunting ground for Venus though she has never given up hope of winning it one day.
Serbia's Novak Djokovic showed he was building the kind of momentum that carried him to the 2008 title, giving up just four games in a 6-1, 6-1, 6-2 demolition of Uzbekistan's Denis Istomin.
Nikolay Davydenko is also impressing those who tipped the Russian as a dark horse for the title after he eased to a routine 6-0, 6-3, 6-4 victory over Argentina's Juan Monaco.
Li, who in recent years has vied with Zheng for top player status in China, passed the milestone with a hard-fought 7-5, 3-6, 6-2 win over the Slovakian, and will face US Open runner-up Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark, a 6-4, 6-0 winner over Israel's Shahar Peer, for a place in the quarterfinals.
"It was not easy to play against (Hantuchova) because we are friends, so it was a little bit of a different feeling, but still you can see we were both fighting a lot on the court," the 27-year-old told reporters.
Li, who became China's first title-winner in 2004 and first to reach the last eight of a grand slam with her run to the quarterfinals at Wimbledon in 2006, has become used to milestones and was not all that fussed about passing another. "I didn't play last year. If I played, I think it would have happened last year," quipped the 16th-seeded Li, whose friend Zheng reached the fourth round in 2009.
"I think it's very good (for) Chinese tennis, (for) women. It's because we are working so hard and never giving up in every match ... step by step."
Elsewhere, normal service resumed at Melbourne Park. Roger Federer and Serena Williams outclassed their opponents to book their places in the second week and Lleyton Hewitt gave Australians hope of an overdue local champion by pounding his.
The only place busier than the Rod Laver Arena was the casualty ward. Three players, including the 2006 runner-up Marcos Baghdatis, succumbed to injury as the first grand slam of the year lived up to its reputation as a test of survival as much as skill.
The packed center court was heaving with anticipation when Baghdatis and Hewitt prepared to lock horns. Their last match, two years ago, had been an epic that did not finish until 4:34am, but this one ended in a whimper.
Hewitt won the opening set 6-0 and was leading 4-2 in the second when the Cypriot quit, unable to continue because of a shoulder injury.
Earlier, Austria's Stefan Koubek retired after one set of his match against Spain's Fernando Verdasco after being drained by the effects of a mystery virus.
Russia's Mikhail Youzhny withdrew before the start of play because of a wrist problem, handing Poland's Lukasz Kubot a free ride into the next stage.
Of the third round matches that went the full distance, all went according to the script even after Nadia Petrova had given hope to the would-be giantkillers still left in the tournament when she upset Kim Clijsters on Friday.
Federer, his confidence growing with each match, provided a masterful display against Spain's Albert Montanes, winning 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 to extend his incredible record of making it to the last 16 of every grand slam since the 2004 French Open.
Serena Williams also turned in her best performance of the week, trouncing Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro 6-0, 6-3 to remain on track to defend the title she won for the fourth time last year.
Her older sister Venus had a tougher time but still managed to carve out a 6-1, 7-6 (4) win over Australia's Casey Dellacqua. The Australian Open has not been a happy hunting ground for Venus though she has never given up hope of winning it one day.
Serbia's Novak Djokovic showed he was building the kind of momentum that carried him to the 2008 title, giving up just four games in a 6-1, 6-1, 6-2 demolition of Uzbekistan's Denis Istomin.
Nikolay Davydenko is also impressing those who tipped the Russian as a dark horse for the title after he eased to a routine 6-0, 6-3, 6-4 victory over Argentina's Juan Monaco.
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