Li powers past Venus
Source: Agencies |
January 8, 2011, Saturday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
LI Na of China defeated Venus Williams 6-3, 7-6 (3) yesterday at the Hong Kong Classic exhibition tournament in Hong Kong.
The American, who is returning from a left knee injury, lost her serve in the eighth game and Li held to take the first set. The seven-time Grand Slam winner continued to be pressured on her serve in the second set.
She saved the first break point in the seventh game but lost the second to go down 4-3. Down 3-5, Williams saved match point, then broke in the next game to even the score at 5-5.
But Li powered through the tiebreaker, securing the win with a forehand winner down the line.
Melanie Oudin beat Hong Kong's Zhang Ling 6-3, 6-1 earlier in the day.
In Perth, Australia, Bethanie Mattek-Sands beat Britain's Laura Robson 6-4, 6-2 yesterday to secure the win the United States needed to reach the final of the Hopman Cup today.
The US team of Mattek-Sands and John Isner will meet Belgium, which advanced after Serbia had to withdraw from the tournament because of an injury to Ana Ivanovic.
Ivanovic told a news conference that she will miss next week's Sydney International but hopes to be fit for the Australian Open, which begins on January 17.
"It's very frustrating," Ivanovic said. "Hopefully I'll be fine for Melbourne but it's definitely a scare."
Isner lost to Andy Murray 6-4, 6-2 in the second singles match yesterday as the No. 4-ranked Briton produced his most assured performance of the week.
The US won the tie 2-1 when Britain forfeited the doubles.
Mattek-Sands' power and consistency proved too much for the 16-year-old Robson, who received treatment for tightness in her right thigh on a day dominated by injuries.
In Auckland, New Zealand, defending champion Yanina Wickmayer beat China's Peng Shuai yesterday to reach the final of the ASB Classic and a match against Hungarian veteran Greta Arn.
Wickmayer struggled with a shaky serve, squandering her first match point with her ninth double fault before clinching a 3-6, 7-6 (3), 7-5 semifinal win.
"It was a really, really tough match," Wickmayer said. "She had a lot of chances in the second set to close it out. I just had to keep my focus and I pulled it through."
Arn beat Julia Goerges of Germany 7-6 (3), 6-3 to reach only her second WTA final. Her only previous final was her Estoril title win in 2007.
The American, who is returning from a left knee injury, lost her serve in the eighth game and Li held to take the first set. The seven-time Grand Slam winner continued to be pressured on her serve in the second set.
She saved the first break point in the seventh game but lost the second to go down 4-3. Down 3-5, Williams saved match point, then broke in the next game to even the score at 5-5.
But Li powered through the tiebreaker, securing the win with a forehand winner down the line.
Melanie Oudin beat Hong Kong's Zhang Ling 6-3, 6-1 earlier in the day.
In Perth, Australia, Bethanie Mattek-Sands beat Britain's Laura Robson 6-4, 6-2 yesterday to secure the win the United States needed to reach the final of the Hopman Cup today.
The US team of Mattek-Sands and John Isner will meet Belgium, which advanced after Serbia had to withdraw from the tournament because of an injury to Ana Ivanovic.
Ivanovic told a news conference that she will miss next week's Sydney International but hopes to be fit for the Australian Open, which begins on January 17.
"It's very frustrating," Ivanovic said. "Hopefully I'll be fine for Melbourne but it's definitely a scare."
Isner lost to Andy Murray 6-4, 6-2 in the second singles match yesterday as the No. 4-ranked Briton produced his most assured performance of the week.
The US won the tie 2-1 when Britain forfeited the doubles.
Mattek-Sands' power and consistency proved too much for the 16-year-old Robson, who received treatment for tightness in her right thigh on a day dominated by injuries.
In Auckland, New Zealand, defending champion Yanina Wickmayer beat China's Peng Shuai yesterday to reach the final of the ASB Classic and a match against Hungarian veteran Greta Arn.
Wickmayer struggled with a shaky serve, squandering her first match point with her ninth double fault before clinching a 3-6, 7-6 (3), 7-5 semifinal win.
"It was a really, really tough match," Wickmayer said. "She had a lot of chances in the second set to close it out. I just had to keep my focus and I pulled it through."
Arn beat Julia Goerges of Germany 7-6 (3), 6-3 to reach only her second WTA final. Her only previous final was her Estoril title win in 2007.
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