Tennis

Li stopped by Hingis from quarters

(Reuters)
Updated: 2007-01-22 10:11

MELBOURNE - Sixth seed Martina Hingis wore down a determined challenge from China's Li Na to win 4-6 6-3 6-0 and book a place in the Australian Open quarter-finals on Monday.

Switzerland's Martina Hingis celebrates winning her match against China's Li Na at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne January 22, 2007. [Reuters]

The three-times former champion lost the first set in 36 minutes as the Chinese, missing just two first serves, dominated from the back of the court, relying on a break in the opening service game to take the advantage on Rod Laver Arena.

But the Swiss battled her way back into the contest, breaking at the start of the second and despite Li's immediate break back Hingis went on to dominate the Chinese player's serve again in game six before levelling the match.

Having come to terms with Li's game, Hingis raced through the third to win through in an hour and 51 minutes to set up a last-eight clash with either Belgian fourth seed Kim Clijsters or Slovak Daniela Hantuchova.