BEIJING, 24 September 2004 — China’s lowly-ranked Na Li played the match of her career yesterday against US Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova before finally falling in a grueling three-set battle at the $585,000 China Open. Second seed Kuznetsova from Russia, who this month has claimed back-to-back victories in New York and Bali, faced a tough match against crowd favorite and world No. 193 at the Beijing Tennis Center.
Her 6-3, 6-7 (6-8), 7-6 (7-3) victory put the 19-year-old into a Friday quarterfinal against Argentine sixth seed Gisela Dulko. Like top seed Serena Williams 24 hours earlier, Kuznetsova had trouble closing out against an inspired lesser-ranked opponent.
The Chinese woman saved three match points in a tight second set to force a tie-breaker, which she won. The third set also went to a tiebreaker. “I had to play well in the end,” said the Russian. “I just didn’t know what to do (on court).”
Li, 22, who ranked a career-high 123 four years ago, has impressed at home at the lower levels of the game, winning four ITF titles in China this season. This week was her first main draw appearance at WTA level since Shanghai three years ago.
Kuznetsova, ranked fifth in the world, owns three titles this season, starting her 2004 trophy collection at Eastbourne the week before Wimbledon.
In other matches, seventh seed Jelena Jankovic overwhelmed Russian qualifier Vera Douchevina 6-1, 6-3 to book a quarterfinal match-up with Wimbledon winner Maria Sharapova.
Jankovic, from Serbia-Montenegro, earned her 27th victory of a busy season in which she has played 24 events. The win books world No. 36 Jankovic into a clash with the current teenage queen of the game Sharapova, who has played only one match here to reach the last eight after a bye.
Fourth seed Vera Zvonareva, one of six Russians who have competed at this inaugural edition of the tournament, defeated Swiss qualifier Emmanuelle Gagliardi 6-2, 6-3.
Zvonareva next faces Spain’s Anabel Medina Garrigues after reaching her eleventh quarterfinal of a year in which she also won an indoor title at Memphis. Williams will play Russian fifth seed Nadia Petrova, who beat Sandra Mamic of Croatia 6-3, 6-3.
Roddick to Lead Off US Davis Cup Challenge
Andy Roddick will start off the American squad’s Davis Cup semifinal tie against Vladimir Voltchkov of Belarus today. Mardy Fish, who won the silver medal at the Athens Olympics last month, will follow against Max Mirnyi, the star of the Belarussian team, who are playing in their first Davis Cup semifinal. Bob and Mike Bryan are slated to face Mirnyi and Alexander Skrypko in tomorrow’s doubles. On Sunday, Roddick plays Mirnyi in the first reverse singles match with Fish and Voltchkov to close out the best-of-five match tie.
Roddick, who failed to retain his US Open title earlier this month, losing to Joachim Johansson in the quarterfinals, is hoping to rescue his year by leading the United States to the Davis Cup final. The Americans have won the Davis Cup on 31 occasions, but have not been in a final since 1997, and have not won the Cup since 1995. “All of us have been close to picking up some serious hardware this year, with Mardy at the Olympics, the boys [Byran brothers’ final loss] in Australia, and myself at Wimbledon,” Roddick said.
