ISTANBUL: Li Na made an encouraging start to her bid to qualify for her first WTA Championships semifinals when she contained a courageous second set fight-back by Sara Errani, the sixth-seeded Italian, to win 6-3, 7-6 (7/5) on Wednesday.

The first Chinese player to win a Grand Slam attacked with flair and ambition with her flat hitting and dominated many periods of the match, though she needed to fight and focus harder to regain control after her level dropped early in the second set.

“I have a very good physio,” Li had said before the match, explaining her enduringly good court coverage, and it seemed that Errani, who had considered withdrawing with an injury, must have had good treatment too.

She appeared with spectacular blue taping from the back of her ankles to the knees on both legs, but was still able to run, fight, and make it difficult for an opponent she had never beaten.

It means that if Li can on Thursday overcome Jelena Jankovic, the former world number one from Serbia, she will almost certainly make the last four.

However Li began with a struggle. She only hung on to her opening service game after three deuces, with the good returning and consistent ground-stroking of Errani applying steady pressure.

But the Italian generated few big shots and the Chinese player was given chances to dominate the rallies, to which she responded by trying to finish them quickly.

It brought errors, but Li’s flat striking and varied placements also threatened to do damage. She succeeded in that in the sixth game, when she forced the first break of serve.

It took five attempts to convert the chances though, as Errani ran, defended, and sometimes counter-attacked, to contain Li’s risk-taking aggression.

Eventually the breakthrough came with the help of an Errani double fault, though perhaps some credit was due to Li for this, for the threat she constantly exerted on her opponent’s second delivery.

There was still plenty of work to do though, as Errani battled with even more gristle and tenacity and earned herself a break back point. Li saved that with a well-placed first serve down the middle, squeezed through to 5-2, and closed out the set with less difficulty two games later.

It was nevertheless a particularly creditable fight by Errani, who had indicated that there was doubt about her continuing after finishing her match against Victoria Azarenka the night before with a pronounced limp, apparently from problems with her calves.

Errani took advantage of some Li errors to break for 3-1, and then withstood a heavy ground stroke battering as the Chines player fought back with four games in a row to reach match point at 5-3.

Ferrer overcomes Monfils test

In Valencia,Spain, world No. 3 David Ferrer booked his place in the second round of the Valencia Open with a confident 6-3, 6-2 win over Gael Monfils on Wednesday.

The number one seed was expected to be stretched by the mercurial Monfils having lost three of the previous four meetings between the pair.

However, he edged a tight first set, saving two break points to serve it out in the ninth game before breaking twice early in the second to cruise to victory.

“Games against Gael are never easy, he has great physical power and it was a hard fought match,” said the Spaniard.

Monfils however appeared to be struggling with an injury during the second set as Ferrer pulled away, denying the Frenchman a route back into the match.

Fourth-seeded American John Isner also sealed his place in the second round as he edged past Ernests Gulbis 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/2).

And seventh seed Fabio Fognini became the first man to book his place in the quarter-finals as he eased past Marcel Granollers 6-3, 6-2.