China's women's doubles Grand Slam champions Zheng Jie and Yan Zi entered the quarterfinals of the US Open after beating Ashley Harkleroad of the United States and Galina Voskoboeva of Russia 6-3, 6-4.

The second-seeded Chinese duo found their rhythm slowly, losing their service in the first game.

After exchanging services once and reducing the deficit to 3-2, they were back on track. Zheng and Yan won the next four games to take the first set.

The Chinese pair continued their run by winning the first two games of the second set and kept their advantage to secure the victory.

The ousted Russo-American pair eliminated Olympic champions Li Ting and Sun Tian in the first round.

In the women's singles, China's Li Na's US Open tour came to an end as she suffered a straight-set loss against Russia's Maria Sharapova in the fourth round.

She became the first Chinese woman to reach the last 16 of the US Open, after she beat last year's runner-up Mary Pierce in the third round.

The former badminton player from Wuhan, started the match confidently, shooting out of the blocks to break Sharapova in the second game for a 3-0 and then 4-1 lead.

But then Sharapova began to find her range, and a big forehand return on break point allowed her to get back on level pegging at 4-4.

Li double-faulted and had to concede her serve for a second time.

Sharapova wrapped up the set at 6-4, after taking five consecutive games.

The 2004 Wimbledon champion switched on full power in the second set, winning it 6-2.

The third-seeded Russian will play Tatiana Golovin from France for a place in the semi-finals.

(CRI September 5, 2006)