Li eases past Stosur to reach Rome quarters
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E-mail China.org.cn, May 16, 2014
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Li Na produced a near-faultless performance to record her first win in seven attempts against Samantha Stosur. |
World No 2 Li Na required little more than an hour to brush aside Samantha Stosur, 6-3, 6-1 to take her place in the quarterfinals of the Internazionali BNL d'Italia.
Stosur, a 2010 Roland Garros finalist, had beaten second seed Li in all six of their previous meetings since 2007.
But China's top female athlete made inroads against Stosur's one-way scoreline with her first victory, achieved in 68 minutes with five breaks of the 30-year-old Australian.
Li will play a quarter-final against Italian tenth seed Sara Errani, who was made to work hard for her spot, eventually overcoming the stubborn resistance of qualifier Petra Cetkovska, 6-4, 7-6(3). Li has never lost to the Italian in six meetings, winning five of these in straight sets.
Elsewhere, Ana Ivanovic handed Maria Sharapova her first loss of the spring clay season, taking down the eighth seed 6-1, 6-4.
Third-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska put out Italian veteran Francesca Schiavone, the 2010 French Open winner, 6-4, 6-1.
In the men's draw, Monte Carlo champion Wawrinka joined fellow Swiss Roger Federer on the scrapheap as back pain resulted in a 5-7 6-2 6-3 loss to 15th seed Tommy Haas.
Andy Murray, who quit the event with back problems a year ago and eventually required surgery, closed out a welcome win over Jurgen Melzer with his sixth ace for a 7-6 (7/1), 6-4 victory,
Murray will play Rafael Nadal next after the world number one bounced back from one set down to beat Mikhail Youzhny 6-7 (4/7), 6-2, 6-1.
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