China’s Li Na ousts Germany’s Petkovic to enter Oz Open semi-finals
By ANITuesday, January 25, 2011
MELBOURNE - Chinese ninth seed Li Na entered her second consecutive Australian Open semi-final after comprehensively defeating Germany’s Andrea Petkovic 6-2 6-4 in just 80 minutes.
Li moved well, keeping Petkovic on the defensive for most points despite a taped right knee, which she had surgery on in 2008.
Li joins Kim Clijsters and Caroline Wozniacki as the only remaining players not to have dropped a set this tournament.
The victory was Li’s tenth straight win in 2011, following her title at Sydney’s Medibank International earlier this month.
Petkovic felt Li could make it 12 straight, to capture the year’s first Grand Slam.
“It’s just [a] feeling, how she is on court, her confidence and the way she’s playing, I just feel she has a great chance to win the tournament… sometimes you get the feeling during a match that somebody is really strong and just has that confidence going on, that aura maybe,” The Age quoted Petkovic, as saying.
Li was happy with her performance. She now faces the winner of this afternoon’s clash between number one seed Caroline Wozniacki and Italian stalwart Francesca Schiavone. (ANI)
