Li flies the flag for China at Australian Open
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-01-19 12:38

Li Na sounded a warning that China is poised to replace Japan as Asia's dominant tennis power after bundling 28th seed Shinobu Asagoe out of the Australian Open on Wednesday.

China's Na Li hits a backhand during her 6-3, 6-4 victory over Japan's Shinobu Asagoe, 28th seed, in their second round match at the Australian Open at a court in Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia Wednesday, Jan.19, 2005. [AP]

World number 64 Li, who made history last year by becoming the first Chinese player to win a title on the WTA Tour when she won in Guangzhou, advanced to the third round after downing Asagoe 6-3, 6-4 in 1hr 7min.

The 22-year-old from Wuhan, playing in the main draw of a grand slam event for the first time, overcame a string of unforced errors -- 28 throughout -- to dig in and claim her place in the next round.

"I felt good in the match," Li said through an interpreter. "I didn't have any specific goals, just to play," added Li, who switched from badminton to tennis at the age of eight on the advice of her coach.

"He said that I played badminton like a tennis player, so he suggested I start playing tennis," added Li, who played down any suggestion that victory over her opponent was particularly sweet in view of Sino-Japanese rivalry.

"This match has nothing to do with politics or rivalry or anything like that," she said.

It was the latest in a series of notable results by Chinese women, who have come from nowhere in the past decade to establish themselves on the international circuit.

Doubles duo Li Ting and Sun Tiantian shot to worldwide fame last year when they lifted Olympic gold in Athens, just a few weeks before Li scored her landmark title in Guangzhou.

This year, world number 59 Zheng Jie became the second Chinese player to win a WTA crown when she won in Hobart in the build-up to the Open.

Meanwhile Peng Shuai, who faces Venus Williams in the third round on Thursday, will be looking to pull off another giant-killing feat after claiming the scalp of French Open champion Anastasia Myskina in Sydney last week.

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