Chinese tennis star Li Na came back from a set down in punishing
conditions to defeat Alona Bondarenko 5-7, 6-3, 6-3 in a third
round match at the Pacific Life Open Sunday.
The 25-year-old Hubei native moves to the fourth round where she
will face off against Martina Muller or seventh seed Jelena
Jankovic.
With temperatures peaking at 37 degrees Celcius (98 Fahrenheit)
Sunday, Li wore down the 22-year-old Bondarenko with her trademark
backhand.
Li has come of age this season, becoming the first Chinese woman
to break into the top 20.
Seeded 12th at Indian Wells, should Li win her next match it
would constitute her best run at the 5.3 million dollar hardcourt
tournament. So far in 2007, Li's record stands at 10-5.
In other women's matches, fourteenth seeded Daniela Hantuchova,
the 2002 Indian Wells champion, brushed off Italy's Francesca
Schiavone 6-2, 7-6 (7-3).
In the men's draw, Czech Tomas Berdych (11th seed) suffered the
event's first upset, losing 7-6 (7-2), 6-4 to American Michael
Russell.
(Xinhua News Agency March 13, 2007)
