Li Na Frustrates Li Na Frustrates Petra Petkovic

With all the buzz about Wozniacki (1), Zvonareva (2) and Clijsters (3), the only woman who is undefeated in 2011 is the 9th seed China’s Li Na.

China's Li Na celebrates after defeating German Petra Petkovic in the Quarterfinals of Australian Open 2011 Tennis Tournaments.

And, if you ask Petra about it, she will say that nobody in Melbourne will beat the WTA’s version of the Energizer Bunny.

Li’s 6-2, 6-4 dismissal of the German dance enthusiast at times looked like a teaching clinic. There is no doubt that Petkovic is a star of the future and now she knows how tough it is to reach the quarters and beyond.

Li Na has the ability to move Petkovic off the baseline, where she was rendered helpless watching incoming salvo after incoming salvo. There are very few women who are going to defeat Li Na by firing away from behind the baseline.

Caroline Wozniacki Downs Valiant Schiavone

The top seed showed more verve than usual in a come form behind victory against Italy’s Francesca Schiavone. The 3-3, 6-3, 6-3 triumph solidified the Dane’s grip on the game’s top billing. The 20-year old has had an eventful tournament. She has jockeyed with the press, been charming and polite but on Tuesday, the Dane was all business.

After her marathon 4 hour forty minute war with Svetlana Kuznetsova, there were questions about Schiavone’s energy level. Those questions faded as the Italian jumped to the lead and methodically steamrolled a nervous Wozniacki in the first set.

After grabbing an early break in the second set, Francesca seemed to have control of the match. She was certainly carrying the play and made a conscious effort to shorten points. Her tactics included bold net charges and an assortment of drop shots.

After a sloppy service game from Schiavone, the match turned quickly. Wozniacki sensed the fatigue across the net and began to do what she does best; hit deep, strong groundstrokes and minimize the errors. In the long run, it is this formula that won for the Dane.

Caroline made just 15 unforced errors and many of those were in the first set. Schiavone committed 48 unforced errors and those numbers made the uphill climb seem like Mt. Everest. On the other hand, Schiavone’s gutsy riverboat gambling style netted her 41 winners compared to Caroline’s 13. Wozniacki registered 6 service breaks to Francesca’s 4.

While Wozniacki takes a fair amount of criticism for being designated the top ranked player, she has earned her stripes. She has played in numerous events, built her points up and won 129 matches inn two years and six titles last season.

Caroline deserves to be the number one seed, but she will be the underdog in all the remaining matches.

Semifinal Match up – Wozniacki (1) vs. Li (9)

It is hard to imagine but the number one seed is a definite underdog in this semifinal pairing. In fact, the bookmakers rank her as the least likely survivor to claim the crown. To defeat Li, Wozniacki must leave her nerves in the lockerrom. She must be as forceful at the beginning of the match as she was at the end of the Schiavone win. Most importantly, Caroline needs to bolster her successful first serve percentage. Grand Slam Champions succeed on more than 70 percent of their first serves.

For Li to win, she must keep the emotions in check. Play your all court game but be careful going to the net. Keep Wozniacki behind the baseline. In other words no changes are required.

Caroline will fight to the end, but Li will prevail.

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