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Venus Williams to meet Li Na in quarterfinals
Source: Agencies |
January 25, 2010, Monday
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VENUS Williams advanced to the Australian Open quarterfinals for the seventh time to set up a meeting with Li Na, who helped make more Chinese history by reaching the last eight.
The sixth-seeded Williams beat Francesca Schiavone 3-6, 6-2, 6-1 today, recovering after dropping a set to the Italian for the first time since 2003.
Li upset No. 4-seeded Caroline Wozniacki 6-4, 6-3 in a 98-minute match featuring 12 service breaks. Li held when it counted: saving three break-point chances against the US Open finalist in an 11-minute opening game; and serving it out on her second match point.
Li's progress means there's two Chinese players in the quarterfinals of the same major for the first time. Zheng Jie, the 2008 Wimbledon semifinalist, is into the quarters on the other half of the draw.
"Nothing better," Li said, smiling, "Yeah, I mean good for us."
In men's fourth-round matches, 2008 champion Novak Djokovic beat Poland's Lukasz Kubot 6-1, 6-2, 7-5 and No. 6 Nikolay Davydenko held off 2009 semifinalist Fernando Verdasco 6-2, 7-5, 4-6, 6-7 (5), 6-3 to extend his winning streak to 13.
Kubot, who finished last season at No. 101, got a walkover into the second week when No. 20 Mikhail Youzhny withdrew from their third-round match.
Davydenko was only two points from finishing off Verdasco in four sets but the Spaniard rallied to win the last four points of the tiebreaker and force a fifth set.
Davydenko fended off three break points and held to open the fifth set, then broke 9th-seeded Verdasco's serve in a crucial sixth game. He finished it off in just under four hours.
Verdasco lost to eventual champion Rafael Nadal in the semifinals here last year in the longest match in the tournament's history. He didn't help himself against Davydenko, with 20 double-faults and 81 unforced errors.
Davydenko has beaten both No. 1 Roger Federer and No. 2 Nadal in runs to his last two titles.
"I just read last year I am ice man, now I am very hot," the 28-year-old Davydenko, who has never reached the final of a major, said of his recent surge.
A regular on the outside courts through the earlier stages of the tournament, Davydenko joked that he thought it was the first time he'd won a center court match in Australia.
Federer was playing last night against Australia's Lleyton Hewitt on Rod Laver Arena. Federer has reached the semifinals or better here every year since winning the 2004 title.
Li already has reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon and went out at that stage in the last US Open. She beat Williams in the quarterfinals at the Beijing Olympics in their only previous meeting, but she wasn't drawing too much from that.
"It was good experience for me, for my tennis, also," Li said. "But I just want to forget, because I will play her again. So I didn't want always think about the last match. I want to look forward."
Williams has won seven singles majors and reached the final of the Australian Open in 2003, losing to her younger sister Serena, in her best run at Melbourne Park.
The Williams are on track to meet in the semifinals, with defending champion and No. 1-ranked Serena playing in a fourth-round match later today against Australia's Sam Stosur. Serena has won four of her 11 Grand Slam singles titles in Australia.
Venus struggled to hold serve in the first set against Schiavone but was in command by the end, when she won the last six games after the 29-year-old broke her to open the third set.
"Francesca was playing so well, she was so tenacious, she has so much speed," Williams said. "I had a little bit of a slow start."
Williams' win extended a streak in which at least one American woman has reached the Australian Open quarterfinals every year since 1977.
The sixth-seeded Williams beat Francesca Schiavone 3-6, 6-2, 6-1 today, recovering after dropping a set to the Italian for the first time since 2003.
Li upset No. 4-seeded Caroline Wozniacki 6-4, 6-3 in a 98-minute match featuring 12 service breaks. Li held when it counted: saving three break-point chances against the US Open finalist in an 11-minute opening game; and serving it out on her second match point.
Li's progress means there's two Chinese players in the quarterfinals of the same major for the first time. Zheng Jie, the 2008 Wimbledon semifinalist, is into the quarters on the other half of the draw.
"Nothing better," Li said, smiling, "Yeah, I mean good for us."
In men's fourth-round matches, 2008 champion Novak Djokovic beat Poland's Lukasz Kubot 6-1, 6-2, 7-5 and No. 6 Nikolay Davydenko held off 2009 semifinalist Fernando Verdasco 6-2, 7-5, 4-6, 6-7 (5), 6-3 to extend his winning streak to 13.
Kubot, who finished last season at No. 101, got a walkover into the second week when No. 20 Mikhail Youzhny withdrew from their third-round match.
Davydenko was only two points from finishing off Verdasco in four sets but the Spaniard rallied to win the last four points of the tiebreaker and force a fifth set.
Davydenko fended off three break points and held to open the fifth set, then broke 9th-seeded Verdasco's serve in a crucial sixth game. He finished it off in just under four hours.
Verdasco lost to eventual champion Rafael Nadal in the semifinals here last year in the longest match in the tournament's history. He didn't help himself against Davydenko, with 20 double-faults and 81 unforced errors.
Davydenko has beaten both No. 1 Roger Federer and No. 2 Nadal in runs to his last two titles.
"I just read last year I am ice man, now I am very hot," the 28-year-old Davydenko, who has never reached the final of a major, said of his recent surge.
A regular on the outside courts through the earlier stages of the tournament, Davydenko joked that he thought it was the first time he'd won a center court match in Australia.
Federer was playing last night against Australia's Lleyton Hewitt on Rod Laver Arena. Federer has reached the semifinals or better here every year since winning the 2004 title.
Li already has reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon and went out at that stage in the last US Open. She beat Williams in the quarterfinals at the Beijing Olympics in their only previous meeting, but she wasn't drawing too much from that.
"It was good experience for me, for my tennis, also," Li said. "But I just want to forget, because I will play her again. So I didn't want always think about the last match. I want to look forward."
Williams has won seven singles majors and reached the final of the Australian Open in 2003, losing to her younger sister Serena, in her best run at Melbourne Park.
The Williams are on track to meet in the semifinals, with defending champion and No. 1-ranked Serena playing in a fourth-round match later today against Australia's Sam Stosur. Serena has won four of her 11 Grand Slam singles titles in Australia.
Venus struggled to hold serve in the first set against Schiavone but was in command by the end, when she won the last six games after the 29-year-old broke her to open the third set.
"Francesca was playing so well, she was so tenacious, she has so much speed," Williams said. "I had a little bit of a slow start."
Williams' win extended a streak in which at least one American woman has reached the Australian Open quarterfinals every year since 1977.
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