Li Na edges past Chanelle Scheepers in the second round - Apia International Sydney 2012
Chinese world number five, Li Na, bounced back from being a set down to oust her opponent, Chanelle Scheepers of South Africa, in the second round of Apia International Sydney tournament on Tuesday. Both players contested for an
hour and 35 minutes before Li Na confirmed her place in the last eight with a cumulative score of 2-6, 6-4, 6-1.
Sydney Olympic Park was jam packed to witness this encounter, for the world number 39, Scheepers, was expected to continue her prolific form in the Apia Sydney International tournament; she came through the qualifiers and defeated
Melinda Czink in the first round. Start to the match was impressive by the South African and she looked on route to level the head-to-head scores with 1-1 and revenge her first round Wimbledon 2010 loss. Tables were turned upon her in the second and third
set as the Chinese picked up the momentum and went for the kill.
Scheepers struck the fourth gear in the first game and she stunned everyone with a successful break right up and then again in the third game to carry on her winning roll. She held her serves in between to take 4-0 lead upfront.
This was already expected from her, considering her supreme form in the new season. Both players exchanged breaks in the sixth and seventh game that took the score to 5-3 in favour of the inferior ranked contestant.
World number five looked completely out of touch and seemed to have not settled into the atmosphere at all. It was becoming increasingly difficult for her to retrieve to some other plan, as her laid back approach was backfiring.
She was consoled by her husband c*m coach in the break and it had a great impact on her game.
Li turned the tables on her opponent in the second set with an all-round onslaught. She held her serve and broke in the second to take 2-0 lead. Both players were playing extremely aggressive tennis and crowd was delighted to see
such a heated contest. Series of breaks was ignited when both players broke each other’s serve in the next five games and score reached 4-3 in favour of Li, with her opponent to serve the next game.
The African contestant held her serve after a long time and levelled the score at 4-4. The Chinese had to continue her aggressive game play because she had ‘nothing to lose’ situation. She broke in the last game and won the set
and enforced the third set to decide the winner.
Cautious start to the third set witnessed both players handing on to their serves in the first three games. Two consecutive breaks by Li helped her to place a berth in quarter-finals against the Czech Lucie Safarova.
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