Li Na sweeps Robson aside

Fifth seed avenges last year’s result by blitzing Brit with 11 aces

CHINESE fifth seed Li Na and third-seeded Pole Agnieszka Radwanska made the US Open last 16 yesterday as heavyweights Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and Serena Williams waited in the wings.

Li hit 11 aces in a 6-2 7-5 victory against teenager Laura Robson, avenging her loss to the Briton at the same stage last year.

The 31-year-old Li, who saw her opponent hit 30 unforced errors and seven winners, goes on to face either Japanese qualifier Kurumi Nara or Serbian ninth seed Jelena Jankovic, the 2008 runner-up, for a quarter-final spot.

“I was really happy how I was hitting on the court,” Li said. “And I thought I served really well.”

Robson, 19, had been bothered by a wrist injury in the run-up to the tournament and now has a problem with her teeth.

“I will see my doctor when I get back (about the wrist). I have to get my wisdom teeth taken out, as well,” she said.

Li’s best US Open performance was a run to the quarter-finals in 2009. But that is one round better than Radwanska, who has stumbled at the fourth-round stage on three occasions.

Last year’s Wimbledon runnerup made the last 16 once again with a 6-4 7-6 (7/1) win over Russian 32nd seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, a quarter-finalist in 2011.

Pavlyuchenkova, seeded at a Grand Slam for the first time, was undone by 41 unforced errors, which rendered her 32 winners irrelevant against Radwanska.

Murray, who had to wait until Wednesday night to get his title defense under way, tackled Leonardo Mayer, the Argentine world number 81, for a place in the last 32 after brushing aside French veteran Michael Llodra in his opener.

Four- time champion Serema Williams, the top seed, has dropped just four games in her opening two matches and was due to take on bighitting Russian-born Kazkhastan player Yaroslava Shvedova, the world number 78, for a last-16 spot. In early men’s action yesterday, top seed Novak Djokovic sur- vived a first-set wobble to defeat Germany’s Benjamin Becker 7-6 (7/2) 6-2 6-2 and reach the US Open third round.

The 2011 champion goes on to face either Jarkko Nieminen of Finland or Portugal’s Joao Sousa for a place in the last 16. – Sapa-AFP

REUTERS WINNING MOMENT: Li Na of China celebrates her victory over Laura Robson of Britain at the US Open in New York yesterday.