China’s Li Na, seeded 16th, beat sixth-seeded Venus Williams in 2–6, 7–6, 7–5 on Wednesday morning in Australia, in a match that started out all Venus but changed midway into a tough battle.
Li Na was down 5–3 in the second set but battled back to take the match, ensuring that Venus and Serena Williams would not meet in the semifinal.
“I knew I was 5–3 down but didn’t think she [Venus Williams] needed two points to finish the match. I just tried to play aggressive and to concentrate,” Li told ESPN.
Venus got off to a quick start breaking Li in her opening two service games. She raced out to a 4–0 lead and closed out the first set 6–2.
Venus broke Li to start the second set, taking Li to 5–3. Li fought back to tie the set and won the tiebreak 7–4.
Venus again broke Li at the first opportunity to start the third set but Li hung tough and broke back soon after. Halfway through the third set, Venus broke Li, who broke right back. With Li serving at 6–5 with the match on the line, Venus fought off two match points but on the third, Li beat her with a forehand down the line.
Li reached the quarters of last year’s U.S. Open and Wimbledon in 2006. Her showing at this year’s Australian Open is the best of her career in the grand slams. She joins countrywoman Zheng Jie in the semifinals.
Venus, who will turn 30 in June, has always struggled on the slower surfaces of the French Open and the Australian Open. However, she excels on the faster surfaces of the U.S. Open and Wimbledon. She has won two U.S. Opens and five Wimbledon titles.
This is Li’s first semifinal and the first time two Chinese women have reached a grand slam semifinal.
