MELBOURNE -- Li Na was the only one left among the three Chinese players playing on Tuesday to progress into the next round at the Australian Open.
China's Li Na hits a shot to France's Severine Bremond at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne January 15, 2008. [Agencies] |
Li pushed aside French rival Severine Bremond 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 to book a second round clash with Italian Maria Elena Camerin who eased past host player Christina Wheeler 6-1, 6-2.
For Li's compatriots Peng Shuai and Yan Zi, the second day of the tennis Grand Slam event was not their day.
Peng lost a three-hours-and-a-half thriller to Russian teenager Alisa Kleybanova 7-5, 4-6, 9-7 while Yan fell to six Grand Slam winner Venus Williams 6-2, 7-5.
Li, coming to the Grand Slam fresh from her Gold Coast victory, hit 31 winners as compared with 12 by her opponent.
"I really don't think the match was that easy for me," said Li, with ice bag around her right knee.
"I took the first set with ease which made me over relaxed and led to losing the second one," she said.
Peng was bewildered by her own play.
"I don't know. I don't understand. I don't know why I lost," said the 22-year-old Peng.
"Actually I had a good winter training camp at the end of last year. I just can't bring out my best today. I can't feel my game. When I hit the ball, it responded in a weird way," she said.
Yan said she tried to cause some trouble to the American eighth seed on Rod Laver Arena but could not make a difference to the result.
"I did think about the way to restrict her forehand which is William's weak point," she said. "But beating her will be extremely difficult. She is a very strong rival."
Both Peng and Yan will also play in the doubles.
Peng will be paired up with Sun Tiantian, winner of the Athens Olympics doubles title, to face the team consisting of Li and Russian singles sixth seed Anna Chakvetadze in the doubles opening round.
Yan and Zheng Jie, newly crowned Sydney doubles champions, are going to play on Thursday.
