Li Na devastates Akgul Amanmuradova to clear round two - Porsche Tennis Grand Prix 2012
Chinese number one, Li Na, cleared the Uzbek lucky loser, Akgul Amanmuradova, from the draws of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix to cruise into the quarter-final in Stuttgart, Germany. She clasped the win in straight sets 6-4, 6-4
and ended the cameo of the 116th ranked Uzbek who ousted the Slovak, Dominika Cibulkova, in the opening round.
Li took an hour and 23 minutes to book a date with the fourth seed Pole, Agnieszka Radwanska. The eighth seed Chinese started well and controlled her serve in the better fashion compared to her overall performance this season.
Scores were kept together for the first four games before the Chinese superstar took a lead in the following game courtesy to a breakthrough. She consolidated the break with a serve hold and mounted a lead of 4-2 on her competitor.
The Uzbek starlet didn’t lose heart and kept on the fight until the end but wasn’t able to convert any of the allotted three opportunities to break serve. It was the major factor that made the difference at the end. Li just had
one opportunity and she clasped on it but her counterpart couldn’t.
A difference of five points separated the two players in the opening battle and the stage was set for another cracking face-off in the second half of the match. A similar start witnessed serve holds at both ends before the Chinese
broke serve and took a lead in the initial stages.
It was the critical breakpoint as there was no such scenario in the latter part of the match where any player gobbled up the breakpoint. The Uzbek lucky loser had an opportunity on one occasion to level the scores but she failed
to convert it in her favour.
At the end of the match, Li stated, “Even though her ranking isn't too high right now, Akgul has played many good matches over the years, so I knew I had to play well. I liked how I was hitting the ball and fighting for every point
out on the court today."
All Asians have their eye upon the eighth seed Chinese and she carries a lot of expectations. Next battle for the Chinese superstar is crucial for her. She is up against the in-form Pole but if she wants to hold on to her crown
of the French Open then she needs to step up and prove her worth against any competitor at the clay courts.
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