Li Na suffered a heartbreaking loss in the fourth round of last year’s Australian Open, losing a tightly match to eventual semifinalist Kim Clijsters. This time around, though, Li breezed right through to the quarterfinals.
Li Na vs. Agnieszka Radwanska, Australian Open women’s quarterfinal preview
Li Na and Agnieszka Radwanska are set to face off in quarterfinals. Here’s a rundown of what you need to know.
Lucas Dawson
Going up against the No. 18 seed Julia Georges, Li claimed a first-set tiebreak and eventually won 7-6 (8), 6-1 in a match that spanned just 86 minutes. Li won all five of her break points and slammed 16 winners in her victory.
Now the No. 6 seed awaits Agnieszka Radwanska in the quarterfinals. Radwanska, the No. 4 seed, hasn’t dropped a single set in four matches so far down under. Her latest win over Ana Ivanovic didn’t pose much of a threat, as she cruised to a 6-2, 6-4 victory.
Radwanska has reached the quarterfinals at the Australian Open four times in her career, but has been unable to make it past that point. Li appeared in the 2011 Australian Open final, making her the first Chinese player to do so.
These two faced off nine times in the past, with Li besting Radwanska in five matches. At the age of 30, Li brings more experience to the table, but Radwanska is a tough young competitor. She committed just four unforced errors and no double faults in the fourth round. Li will need a clean match to claim her sixth victory over her.
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