Li Na, Williams sisters reach Australian Open quarterfinals
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China's Li Na followed the footsteps of compatriot Zheng Jie to reach the quarterfinals at the Australian Open on Monday, beating No. 4 seed Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark 6-4, 6-3.
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Li Na of China celebrates her victory over Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark during the women's singles fourth round match at the 2010 Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, on Jan. 25, 2010. Li was qualified for the quarterfinal after beating Wozniacki by 2-0. [Xinhua/Wang Lili] |
It is the first time two Chinese players have made the last eight of the same Grand Slam.
Zheng became the first Chinese to reach the Australian Open quarterfinals in its 105-year history when she powered past No. 31 seed Alona Bondarenko of Ukraine 7-6(4), 6-4 on Sunday.
Li will play sixth seed Venus Williams for a place in the semifinals on Monday.
In an encounter that featured 13 breaks of serve, Venus Williams battled back from a set down to defeat Italian Francesca Schiavone 3-6, 6-2, 6-1 in just under two hours.
Top-seeded Serena Williams, the defending champion, had 10 aces as she moved into the last eight with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over No. 13 Samantha Stosur of Australia.
Serena next faces the winner of the match tonight between No. 7 Victoria Azarenka of Belarus and No. 9 Vera Zvonareva of Russia.
On the men's side, top-ranked Roger Federer marched into the quarterfinals with an impressive 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 victory over Lleyton Hewitt.
Despite the vociferous home support for Hewitt, Federer eased through just under two hours.
The Swiss will face sixth seed Nikolay Davydenko, who fought off Fernando Verdasco in five dramatic sets.
The Russian had to withstand a stern second-half fightback from the sixth seed to clinch a 6-2, 7-5, 4-6, 6-7(5), 6-3 on Rod Laver Arena.
Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, the 2008 finalist, also needed five sets to seal his quarterfinal place following a spirited display from world number 26 Nicolas Almagro in a 6-3, 6-4, 4-6, 6- 7, 9-7 thriller.
The world number 10 will now face third seed Novak Djokovic after the Serb thumped world number 86 Lukasz Kubot 6-1, 6-2, 7-5.
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