China

Li Na reaches last 16 at Pacific Life

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2007-03-13 08:09

Chinese player Li Na battled back under the sweltering California sun to defeat Alona Bondarenko 5-7, 6-3, 6-3 in a third round match at the Pacific Life Open Sunday.

The 25-year-old from Hubei province advances to the round of 16 where she will face the winner of a match between Martina Muller and seventh seeded Jelena Jankovic.

With temperatures slated to peak at 37 degrees Celcius (98 Fahrenheit) Sunday, Li wore down the 22-year-old Bondarenko with a precision backhand.

Li enjoyed a breakthrough season last year, becoming the first Chinese woman to be ranked in the top 20.

She is the 12th seed at Indian Wells, and if she wins her next match this would be her best finish ever at the 5.3 million dollars hardcourt tournament.

Li, a quarter-finalist at Wimbledon last year, is now 10-5 in 2007.

In other early women's play, fourteenth seeded Daniela Hantuchova, the 2002 Indian Wells champion, advanced with a 6-2, 7-6 (7-3) win over Italy's Francesca Schiavone.

Czech Tomas Berdych (11th seed) became the first high men's seed to crash out of the event, losing 7-6 (7-2), 6-4 to American Michael Russell.