Li Na of China hits a return during her match against Karolina Pliskova (CZE) during the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, Indian Wells, Mar 10, 2014. Li won 6-3, 6-4. [Photo/Agencies]

In the women's third round, top-seeded Li Na defeated Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic 6-3, 6-4.

Li closed out the match with an ace, one of her 15 winners in a match in which the Chinese star had 28 unforced errors. The Australian Open champion has never been past the semifinals in six previous appearances at Indian Wells.

Li is playing as the No 1 seed in a major tournament for the first time.

"It is different," she said. "Now is high attention; everyone is focused. It's very tough to hang in there, especially at the beginning of the tournament."

Trailing 4-3 in the second set, Li rallied to win the final three games and dispatch Pliskova, who at 21 is 10 years younger than Li and was making her main draw debut after losing in qualifying the last two years.

Li needed a third-set tiebreaker to beat countrywoman Zheng Jie in her first match after an opening-round bye.

Aleksandra Wozniak of Canada defeated 21st-seeded Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia 6-1, 6-7 (3), 6-0 to set up a fourth-round match against Li.

No 16 seed Sam Stosur of Australia lost to 20th-seeded Flavia Pennetta of Italy 6-3, 3-6, 6-1.