China's top tennis player Li Na opened her hard court season with a victory in Stockholm.

 

The second seeded player defeated Maret Ani of Estonia in front of some 1,500 spectators on center court Tuesday morning (Beijing Time).

 

The Chinese number one makes her first appearance at Nordea Nordic Light Open and was really on fire in the first set as she comfortably won, 6-1.

 

She even had a 3-1 lead in the second set, but then Ani showed why she is number 80 in the world. She played some tremendous tennis on center court and came back to a 4-3 lead.

 

The spectators hoped for a third set in the beautiful evening-sun at Stockholm Stadium. However, down 3-4 and 4-5 Li got back in the match and took the second set 7-5.

 

In other matches, Danish supertalent Caroline Wozniacki showed no mercy against the 7th seeded Iveta Benesova. In only about an hour she outclassed the Czeck girl with the scores 6-2, 6-0.

 

Chinese duo Zheng Jie and Yan Zi also sailed into the second round of the doubles competitions after a two-set straight win over their opponents.

 

(CRI August 8, 2006)