Li Na serves against Olivia Rogowska. Photo: CFP
China's ace Li Na did not have to break a sweat to reach the third round after demolishing Australia's wildcard Olivia Rogowska yesterday, while Peng Shuai was toppled by Czech's Iveta Benesova.
The French Open winner Li proved to be in a class above the native, easing to a 6-2, 6-2 victory in 62 minutes at the Rod Laver Arena.
The fifth seed, who will next take on Anabel Medina Garrigues of Spain, is one win away from a fourth-round showdown against Belgium's Kim Clijsters, a rematch of last year's final where Clijsters prevailed.
The Belgian will next play Daniela Hantuchova and insisted she hadn't looked that far ahead.
"In the media people always start to talk about the future, quarterfinal, semifinal, a tough third, fourth round coming up before the tournament even starts," she said.
"I don't like to waste my energy on those kind of thoughts, because I can use all that focus on whatever match I have coming up next."
Li, who hit a stream of 17 winners to Rogowska's five, said she enjoyed coming back to the center court.
"Coming back to Rod Laver Arena, I was feeling like, yeah, I like this court a lot, I like to hit on this court."
Li was on fire right from the outset and stormed to a 2-0 lead in the first set relying on her booming serve, but Rogowska took advantage of Li's mistakes to break back in the third game.
Li then dominated the rallies as the 20-year-old was too nervous to match Li's rasping ground strokes. A fifth double fault from the native player gifted Li the first set.
The young left-hander sensed slight hopes of a comeback when she went 2-2 in the second set, but Li tighten herself up to reel off the following four games.
Elsewhere, Benesova upset China's 16th seed Peng Shuai 6-2, 6-4.
Peng, who will continue her Australian Open in the doubles with Francesca Schiavone, owed his failure to high pressure.
"I was too cagey from the beginning. She (Benesova) is a left-hander and I failed to handle her serve well," Peng said.
"It is pressure that cost me the match, not injury. I felt pressured from the first round."
Agencies contributed to this story