China

China's Li into semi-finals at Pacific Open

(AFP)
Updated: 2007-03-15 09:01

China's Li Na defeated Russian 15th seed Vera Zvonareva 6-4, 7-5 in the quarter-finals of the ATP/WTA Pacific Life Open on Wednesday.

Li Na of China celebrates her victory over Russia's Vera Zvonareva at the Pacific Life Open tennis tournament in Indian Wells, California, March 14, 2007. [Reuters]

The 25-year-old from Wuhan province won 14 straight points in the first set and rallied from a 5-1 defecit in the second before winning the match when Zvonareva's final shot sailed into the net.

Li moves to the Indian Wells semi-finals for the first time in her career where she will face the winner of a match between Slovakia's Daniela Hantuchova and Shahar Peer of Israel.

Li broke Zvonareva's serve twice in the first set and three times in the second while hammering down 24 winners in the one hour, 27 minute match at the main Indian Wells Tennis Garden stadium.

Last year was a breakthrough season for not only Li but Chinese tennis as Li became the first from her country to reach a Grand Slam singles quarter-final ( Wimbledon).

Her best previous result at Indian Wells was a fourth round in 2006.

This is Li's second semi-final this year after she lost in the last four to Belgian Kim Clijsters at the WTA Sydney tournament.

Zvonareva's exit from Indian Wells comes one day after she knocked out defending champion and top seed Maria Sharapova of Russia 4-6, 7-5, 6-1.

Zvonareva never looked comfortable against Li, even when she was leading 5-1 in the second set. The Russian called for her coach to come down to courtside to talk to her during the break between sets.

Li, who is the first Chinese to be ranked in the top 20 in the world, won six straight games to finish off the second set, fighting off two set points in the tenth game to level the set at 5-5.