China's Li Na swept impressively into the Australian Open quarter-finals Sunday as she targets her second Grand Slam title, while Japan's Kei Nishikori met his match in David Ferrer.
Li, who became Asia's first Grand Slam champion at the 2011 French Open, showed her pedigree as she took apart Germany's 18th seed Julia Goerges 7-6 (8/6), 6-1 to reach the last eight for the third time.
But there was heartbreak for Nishikori, the Japanese number one, who failed to match last year's run to the quarter-finals as he went down in straight sets to dogged Spaniard Ferrer.
Li has an enduring love affair with the Australian Open after reaching the semi-finals in 2010 and finishing runner-up to Kim Clijsters a year later. Last year, she crashed out in the fourth round against the Belgian.
However, after saving a first-set set point in a tense tie-break against Goerges, the world number six was untouchable and she completed her surge into the second week in just 86 minutes.
"If I had lost the first set it could have been another story," beamed Li. "I just kept going point by point, not thinking too much."
Meanwhile Nishikori, troubled by a knee injury, was outclassed 6-2, 6-1, 6-4 by super-consistent Ferrer, the world number five, who reached the quarter-finals for the third year in a row.
For Nishikori, it was a disappointing outing after last year's run to the last eight, which went down as the best ever performance by a Japanese man.
"I tried to go aggressive, but I think I forced it too much," he said. "So I was missing too many (shots), making too many unforced errors. And also he was playing well. He didn't miss much, and he gets every ball.
"Yeah, it was tough for me to play."
It was a difficult defeat to swallow after Nishikori, the world number 18, came into the match with a winning record against Ferrer including victories at the 2008 US Open and last year's Olympics, held at Wimbledon.
Nishikori said he was "a little bit" bothered by the left knee injury which forced him out of this month's Brisbane International and which needed treatment on court.
But the 23-year-old said he was getting close to improving his record against top-10 opposition, against whom he has now lost seven of his last nine matches, and make another deep run at a Grand Slam.
"It's getting close, but, you know, there's a little more work to do. Hopefully I can beat them in a Grand Slam some time," Nishikori said.
He added: "That's my next goal, to get to a quarter-final, semi-final in a Grand Slam. The French Open is always tough for me to play, on clay courts.
"But, yeah, for sure I have a chance if I play my best tennis."
Nishikori's defeat leaves Li as the last Asian player in the competition after Japan's Ayumi Morita and Kimiko Date-Krumm, 42, both went out on Saturday.
th/mp
© 1994-2012 Agence France-Presse
AFP
Sun Jan 20 2013
Hidup bersama secara aman antara 10 resolusi Persidangan Antarabangsa Ketua-Ketua Agama
Resolusi itu dibacakan oleh Ketua Pengarah Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia (JAKIM) Datuk Hakimah Mohd Yusoff.
Lintasan Karem Shalom dibuka semula
Susulan tindak kejam israel menutup lintasan Rafah, satu-satunya laluan bantuan kemanusiaan memasuki Gaza.
Amerika Syarikat berkata, mereka dimaklumkan bahawa lintasan Karem Shalom, yang sebelum ini ditutup Israel akan dibuka semula pada Rabu.
Amerika Syarikat berkata, mereka dimaklumkan bahawa lintasan Karem Shalom, yang sebelum ini ditutup Israel akan dibuka semula pada Rabu.
Operasi Israel di Rafah berbentuk terhad
Penasihat keselamatan White House, John Kirby mengesahkan operasi Israel di Rafah bertujuan mengekang penyeludupan senjata dan dana kepada Hamas.
Henti serang Rafah, atau tiada gencatan senjata – Hamas
Kumpulan pejuang Hamas, memberi kata putus kepada Israel untuk menghentikan serangan ke atas Rafah, atau ia menarik diri daripada perjanjian gencatan senjata.
Isu teknikal: Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa UK alami masalah sistem e-gate
Sistem laluan automatik (e-gate) di beberapa lapangan terbang antarabangsa United Kingdom mengalami masalah teknikal pada malam Selasa menyebabkan orang ramai terpaksa beratur panjang dan menunggu lebih lama.
TikTok saman kerajaan Amerika Syarikat
TikTok dan syarikat induknya di China, ByteDance memfailkan saman ke atas kerajaan Amerika Syarikat susulan tindakan pengharaman aplikasi itu.
Dasar Pengurusan Bencana Negara akan disemak semula - Ahmad Zahid
Dasar Pengurusan Bencana Negara akan disemak semula bagi meningkatkan daya tahan serta mengukuhkan kesiapsiagaan dan keupayaan negara dalam menguruskan bencana dengan lebih baik.
Empat stesen monorel ditutup sementara - Rapid Rail
Empat stesen monorel ditutup sementara untuk kerja-kerja pembersihan dan baik pulih susulan insiden pokok tumbang berhampiran Stesen Monorel Bukit Nanas petang Selasa.
Kenaikan gaji penjawat awam: Cuepacs harap harga barang tidak naik
Harga yang ditawarkan di pasaran mestilah setara dan adil dengan pendapatan pengguna.
PM bentang pendigitalan & kecerdasan buatan dalam mesyuarat Kabinet
Perdana Menteri mengesahkan akan membentangkan mengenai pendigitalan & pengadaptasian kecerdasan buatan (AI) dalam kerajaan ketika mesyuarat kabinet hari ini.
Tenis Terbuka Australia: Serena pamer aksi cemerlang, selesa ke pusingan ketiga
Serena Williams berjaya mengetepikan bintang Serbia, Nina Stojanovic pada Terbuka Australia untuk kemenangan 6-3, 6-0 di Melbourne Park.
Novak Djokovic muncul juara Terbuka Australia 2020
Novak Djokovic muncul juara perseorangan lelaki kejohanan tenis Terbuka Australia 2020 selepas berjaya membenam Dominic Thiem sebentar tadi.
Terbuka Australia: Thiem tempah aksi dengan Djokovic untuk takhta kejuaraan
Austria Dominic Thiem mara ke final Terbuka Australia buat kali pertama selepas tundukkan Alexander Zverev sebentar tadi.
Federer terkandas, Djokovic buru kejuaraan ke-8 Terbuka Australia
Roger Federer gagal melepasi Novak Djokovic untuk mara ke final Terbuka Australia 2020.
Terbuka Australia: Nadal layak ke suku akhir kali ke-10
Rafael Nadal bertarung bagi mendapatkan tempat ke perlawanan suku akhir Terbuka Australia selepas menundukkan Diego Schwartzman, sebentar tadi.
Terbuka Australia: Wozniacki mara ke suku akhir
Caroline Wozniacki melangkah ke suku akhir Terbuka Australia buat kali pertama sejak 2012 selepas melakar kemenangan ke atas Magdalena Rybarikova.
Djokovic doubtful for Australian Open after withdrawing from Abu Dhabi event
The 12-time grand slam winner was scheduled to kickstart the new season against Roberto Bautista Agut but was advised by his medical team to skip the tournament just hours before the match.