Li knocked out by qualifier, Tsonga through
Source: AFP |
June 5, 2012, Tuesday
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DEFENDING champion Li Na of China crashed out of the French Open yesterday, losing a fourth round tie 3-6, 6-2, 6-0 to unseeded Yaroslava Shvedova of Kazakhstan.
Shvedova, the world No. 142, will play either Varvara Lepchenko of the United States or fourth seed Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic for a place in the semifinals.
Li, the 30-year-old world No. 7, was attempting to be the first French Open women's champion to successfully defend the title since Justine Henin in 2007.
After a confident start, Li had a spectacular meltdown in the second set and never recovered, notching 41 errors and ending up broken seven times by her 26-year-old opponent.
Shvedova had also made it to the Roland Garros quarterfinals in 2010, her first time in a grand slam last eight, and was the sole qualifier remaining in the women's draw when she beat Li.
Earlier, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga followed up a long night of worrying with a short day of tennis.
In the end, everything turned out OK for France's favorite player.
The No. 5 seed returned to Roland Garros yesterday and finished off a five-set victory over No. 18 Stanislas Wawrinka, quickly dropping a service break but rebounding to win the last two games of a match that was suspended by darkness the night before.
"To a certain extent, it was a bit of a nightmare until the moment I hit my first ball, because before that, I had a thousand questions in my head," Tsonga said. "I really wanted to win that match, and it was very difficult."
Tsonga led 4-2 in the fifth when play resumed and won by the score of 6-4, 7-6 (6), 3-6, 3-6, 6-4 to advance to the French Open quarterfinals, with a meeting against No. 1 Novak Djokovic up next.
Tsonga's five sets against Wawrinka lasted 4 hours, 6 minutes, most of it played in the dimming light the night before. Still, the Frenchman said he felt as if the hardest work came after the restart. "I've spent more energy in four games today than in five sets yesterday," he said.
Other winners included 12th-seeded Nicolas Almagro, who defeated No. 8 Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia 6-4, 6-4, 6-4. Another Spaniard, sixth-seeded David Ferrer, wiped out No. 20 Marcel Granollers 6-3, 6-2, 6-0. Ferrer has dropped only 25 games en route to the quarterfinals.
Like Tsonga, Juan Martin del Potro returned to finish his match yesterday. The No. 9 seed won the fourth set to close out a victory over No. 7 Tomas Berdych, 7-6 (6), 1-6, 6-3, 7-5.
Del Potro will play Roger Federer in the quarterfinals.
Shvedova, the world No. 142, will play either Varvara Lepchenko of the United States or fourth seed Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic for a place in the semifinals.
Li, the 30-year-old world No. 7, was attempting to be the first French Open women's champion to successfully defend the title since Justine Henin in 2007.
After a confident start, Li had a spectacular meltdown in the second set and never recovered, notching 41 errors and ending up broken seven times by her 26-year-old opponent.
Shvedova had also made it to the Roland Garros quarterfinals in 2010, her first time in a grand slam last eight, and was the sole qualifier remaining in the women's draw when she beat Li.
Earlier, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga followed up a long night of worrying with a short day of tennis.
In the end, everything turned out OK for France's favorite player.
The No. 5 seed returned to Roland Garros yesterday and finished off a five-set victory over No. 18 Stanislas Wawrinka, quickly dropping a service break but rebounding to win the last two games of a match that was suspended by darkness the night before.
"To a certain extent, it was a bit of a nightmare until the moment I hit my first ball, because before that, I had a thousand questions in my head," Tsonga said. "I really wanted to win that match, and it was very difficult."
Tsonga led 4-2 in the fifth when play resumed and won by the score of 6-4, 7-6 (6), 3-6, 3-6, 6-4 to advance to the French Open quarterfinals, with a meeting against No. 1 Novak Djokovic up next.
Tsonga's five sets against Wawrinka lasted 4 hours, 6 minutes, most of it played in the dimming light the night before. Still, the Frenchman said he felt as if the hardest work came after the restart. "I've spent more energy in four games today than in five sets yesterday," he said.
Other winners included 12th-seeded Nicolas Almagro, who defeated No. 8 Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia 6-4, 6-4, 6-4. Another Spaniard, sixth-seeded David Ferrer, wiped out No. 20 Marcel Granollers 6-3, 6-2, 6-0. Ferrer has dropped only 25 games en route to the quarterfinals.
Like Tsonga, Juan Martin del Potro returned to finish his match yesterday. The No. 9 seed won the fourth set to close out a victory over No. 7 Tomas Berdych, 7-6 (6), 1-6, 6-3, 7-5.
Del Potro will play Roger Federer in the quarterfinals.
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