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| China's Li Na Advances in Wimbledon |
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??? While in another match of the women's section, 1997 champion Martina Hingis saw her dreams of a second title also ended by Asian player Ai Sugiyama of Japan who won their third round clash 7-5, 3-6, 6-4. ??? There was also upset in the men's singles when Argentine fourth seed David Nalbandian lost 7-6, 7-6, 6-2 to Spain's Fernando Verdasco. American eighth seed James Blake also went out, losing in five sets to big Belarussian Max Mirnyi. ??? However, men's defending champion Roger Federer and Belgians Justine Henin-Hardenne and Kim Clijsters all prospered on a sweltering day at the grass court grand slam. ??? Li, seeded 27, is only the second Chinese player to make the last 16 of a grand slam singles event after her fine recovery against 2004 U.S. Open champion Kuznetsova on court three. ??? The 24-year-old from Chinese central city Wuhan smacked forehand winners at will after losing the first set. ??? "When I was in the locker room afterwards I still couldn't quite believe it," said Li, who was beaten by Kuznetsova in the French Open third round this year. ??? "Before I was just a little girl and when something happened on court I couldn't really think properly. I think now I've grown up a lot." ??? Li was one of a record three Chinese women to have reached the Wimbledon third round this year. She will play either Czech teenager Nicole Vaidisova or Croatian Karolina Sprem in the fourth round. ??? Zheng Jie reached the French Open fourth round in 2004 but on Friday she lost 6-3, 6-2 to second seed Clijsters in round three. ??? Sugiyama's Center Court win over 12th seed Hingis was only her second win in eight meetings with the Swiss but they have not played since 2001, which was the year former world number one Hingis last played Wimbledon. ??? "She's a tough cookie, a strong survivor," said Hingis. "Today was not the right day. Her backhand down the line was deadly." ??? Hingis's compatriot Federer, seeking a fourth consecutive Wimbledon singles title, brushed aside Frenchman Nicolas Mahut 6-3,7-6, 6-4 on court one despite suffering the indignity of losing his serve and being taken to a tiebreak. He plays either talented Czech Tomas Berdych or German Tommy Haas in the last 16. ??? Nalbandian, the 2002 runner-up, paid a heavy price for demanding that his match be scheduled as early as possible to allow him time to watch Argentina face Germany in the World Cup quarter-finals. ??? "I had never played a match before on the same day as a World Cup game, but the organizers were OK about it," said Nalbandian. ??? Lleyton Hewitt, the 2002 champion, reached the third round after edging a marathon five-setter against South Korea's Lee Hyung-Taik. ??? The sixth-seed Australian broke Lee's service in the tenth game of the fifth set to clinch a 6-7 (4/7), 6-2, 7-6 (8/6), 6-7 (5/7),6-4 victory in a match that had been interrupted on Thursday night at the end of the fourth set. ??? In the other third round match held over from Thursday, Britain's Andy Murray saw off France's Julien Benneteau 7-6 (7/5), 6-4, 4-6, 6-1 to set up a fourth round clash against Andy Roddick. (Xinhua News Agency July 1, 2006) |
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