Determined Clijsters spoils Chinese New Year for Li

By Bill Scott Jan 22, 2012, 9:06 GMT

Melbourne - Heroic holder Kim Clijsters staged a Sunday fightback to win a fourth-round repeat of last year's Australian Open final as the Belgian saved four match points and overcame a rolled ankle to stun Li Na 4-6, 7-6 (8-6), 6-4.

The 11th-seeded Clijsters, who only recovered from an early January hip strain in time to start the event this week, looked done as she rolled her ankle in the seventh game of the opening set, but got it taped and somehow ploughed through the 61-minute set.

'(Quitting) definitely crossed my mind at some point, but I knew if I could let the medication sink in, if I could get through the first 20 minutes, half hour, I think the pain would go away a little bit and then, maybe with the adrenaline, I could just fly through it. 'I did, and I'm happy that I didn't give up.'

The 28-year-old then saved four Li match points in the second set tiebreaker to break the Chinese spirit on the New Year weekend. Li suffered a similar collapse last year when she missed on four in the second round against Yanina Wickmayer.

'It doesn't matter (if the match was) close or far away. In the end I lost the match. I think I was pretty not bad today,' said a tearful Li.

'I can't believe I won'' said Clijsters. 'This will be my last time at the Open and I didn't want to quit. You never know what goes on at other side of the net.'

French Open champion Li, who only recently regained her confidence after a poor second half to last season following her history-making success, went into freefall after the gritty Clijsters denied her.

The Belgian landed a lob on the fourth match point, much to Li's frustration, with Clijsters then comprehensively turning the match tide by claiming the set on Li error to level the contest at a set apiece.

The Belgian then went up two breaks in the third set, lost one of them in the eighth game, but regained control to sweep to the victory on her second match point after nearly two and a half hours of mental and physical struggle.

Third seed Victoria Azarenka defeated Czech Iveta Benesova 6-2, 6-2 while Polish eighth seed Agnieszka Radwanska crushed German Julia Goerges 6-1, 6-1.

Azarenka, who came to Melbourne after winning the Sydney title, said her confidence is booming. 'I think I'm in the best shape physically right now, so it kind of helps other aspects of the game. I feel pretty good out there.

'I feel like I can play there as long as I need to play, I'm there on every point.'

On the men's side, Rafael Nadal continued his friendly stranglehold on Spanish compatriot Feliciano Lopez inflicting a 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 thrashing on his friend to reach the last eight.

Second seed Nadal worked for two and a half hours to earn the victory and maintained his record of never losing a set on hardcourt to Lopez over four career matches. The six-time French Open winner owns their overall series 9-2.

2009 champion Nadal will play in his sixth consecutive Melbourne quarter-final against the winner from Spain's Nicolas Almagro and Czech seventh seed Tomas Berdych.

'It's positive winning three sets,' said Nadal, adding: 'The most positive thing is feeling positive during all the tournament and happy about how I am playing and enjoying the tournament. I'm in the quarter-finals. That's very good news.'

Nadal advanced with four aces, 20 winners and 14 unforced errors, breaking his opponent on five of 18 chances.

The 10-time Grand Slam winner has stalled at the quarter-final stage in Melbourne at the last two editions and will try to correct that when he faces seventh seed Tomas Berdych, a winner over Nicolas Almagro 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-2).

The winner refused to shake hands and got booed after the Spaniard tagged him with a ball during play. Juan Del Potro reached his first Grand Slam quarter-final since winning the US Open in 2009 as he beat Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany 6-4, 6-2, 6-1.