Li sets up clash with Clijsters
Source: Agencies |
January 14, 2011, Friday
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CHINA'S Li Na continues to suggest she might match or even better last year's breakthrough at the Australian Open after she reached the final of the Sydney International yesterday.
The big-hitting 28-year-old, who made it to the last four at Melbourne Park last year, came back from a break down in the first set to beat Serbian teenager Bojana Jovanovski 7-6, 6-3 and reach her eighth career final.
"It wasn't easy, she's young but she's playing well," said Li, who couldn't explain her great start to the year.
"I just came in, and then finally I was in the final," Li said. "I was surprised. I always play well in Australia. I don't know why."
Li will play Kim Clijsters in the final today. The Belgian came through a major test early in the season to defeat Alisa Kleybanova 4-6, 6-3, 7-6.
Clijsters, 27, is the favorite for the Australian Open but required all of her expertise at winning clutch points in a ding-dong battle with the big-hitting Russian at a windy Sydney Olympic Park.
The US Open champion clinched her place in the final when Kleybanova went long with a backhand after a hard-fought two hours and 38 minutes, maintaining her record of not having lost a semifinal or final since coming out of retirement.
On the men's side, former top 10 player Gilles Simon continued his battle back from a serious knee injury to reach the last four in the men's tournament with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Ukrainian Alexandr Dolgopolov.
The French baseline hustler, who was ranked as high as sixth in the world at the start of 2009 after beating Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal and Novak Djokovic in 2008, said his mobility was improving.
"My physical trainer is 47-years-old, and when we were running he was faster than me," he said. "He's still fit, but still, I was one of the fastest players on the tour."
His semifinal opponent will be Ernest Gulbis, who secured a 6-4, 6-4 quarterfinal victory over another Ukrainian, Sergiy Stakhovsky.
In Auckland, New Zealand, former world No. 3 David Nalbandian beat ailing defending champion John Isner 6-4, 7-6 (3) yesterday to reach the semifinals of the Heineken Open.
Nalbandian, the No. 6 seed in Auckland and the 27th-seed for next week's Australian Open, beat the third-seeded American who appeared to have an arm injury.
The tournament's top two seeds, Spaniard's David Ferrer and Nicolas Almagro, also won through to the semifinals in three-set matches.
Nalbandian will play Almagro in the semifinals while Ferrer will take on unseeded Colombian Santiago Giraldo.
The big-hitting 28-year-old, who made it to the last four at Melbourne Park last year, came back from a break down in the first set to beat Serbian teenager Bojana Jovanovski 7-6, 6-3 and reach her eighth career final.
"It wasn't easy, she's young but she's playing well," said Li, who couldn't explain her great start to the year.
"I just came in, and then finally I was in the final," Li said. "I was surprised. I always play well in Australia. I don't know why."
Li will play Kim Clijsters in the final today. The Belgian came through a major test early in the season to defeat Alisa Kleybanova 4-6, 6-3, 7-6.
Clijsters, 27, is the favorite for the Australian Open but required all of her expertise at winning clutch points in a ding-dong battle with the big-hitting Russian at a windy Sydney Olympic Park.
The US Open champion clinched her place in the final when Kleybanova went long with a backhand after a hard-fought two hours and 38 minutes, maintaining her record of not having lost a semifinal or final since coming out of retirement.
On the men's side, former top 10 player Gilles Simon continued his battle back from a serious knee injury to reach the last four in the men's tournament with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Ukrainian Alexandr Dolgopolov.
The French baseline hustler, who was ranked as high as sixth in the world at the start of 2009 after beating Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal and Novak Djokovic in 2008, said his mobility was improving.
"My physical trainer is 47-years-old, and when we were running he was faster than me," he said. "He's still fit, but still, I was one of the fastest players on the tour."
His semifinal opponent will be Ernest Gulbis, who secured a 6-4, 6-4 quarterfinal victory over another Ukrainian, Sergiy Stakhovsky.
In Auckland, New Zealand, former world No. 3 David Nalbandian beat ailing defending champion John Isner 6-4, 7-6 (3) yesterday to reach the semifinals of the Heineken Open.
Nalbandian, the No. 6 seed in Auckland and the 27th-seed for next week's Australian Open, beat the third-seeded American who appeared to have an arm injury.
The tournament's top two seeds, Spaniard's David Ferrer and Nicolas Almagro, also won through to the semifinals in three-set matches.
Nalbandian will play Almagro in the semifinals while Ferrer will take on unseeded Colombian Santiago Giraldo.
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