Li Na faced Agnieszka Radwanska in the first of eight Australian Open quarter-finals in what promised to be a tight encounter.
In the first serve neither player could hold serve and Na just edged it 7-5.
She went down 2-0 in the second but responded by dropping just one more game on her way to a 7-5 6-3 win.
Read how the action unfolded with Sports Mole's live commentary.
Hello all and welcome to our first match of this quarter-final stage.
It's a very long walk out onto the court. And a quiet one, for the players. They both look focused.
It's the 10th time these have met, with Li currently 5-4 up. They are seeded fourth (Radwanska) and sixth, so there's nothing to choose.
Today we have four matches, one after the other. Two from the men's and two from the women's.
Following this one will be the all-Spain clash between David Ferrer and Nicolas Almagro at approximately 2am, Ekaterina Makarova vs. Maria Sharapova at around 5am and Novak Djokovic vs. Tomas Berdych not before 8.30am
I would expect this one will go to three sets, but you never know if one of them comes out firing.
We're off here, Li to serve. Let's hope for a competitive game now at this stage of the tournament.
Big serve spinning out wide that is not returned gives
Li a game point.
Li a game point.
Big baseline rally goes Radwanska's way, as you might think. Na eventually went for the winner but put a backhand into the net. Radwanska will play those points all day long.
At advantage another patient rally from Radwanska ends with Li hitting a forehand wide.
Deuce number four..
Well, if all the games are as long as that one we'll be here until the weekend. Li saves two break points in that one and finally holds a 12-minute game with a couple of volleys.
This time Li comes out on top of a big rally, with a fantastic forehand across the court, finishing right in the corner.
Then puts a simple volley wide and it's 15-15 instead of 0-30.
The second game also goes to deuce, after Radwanska goes just long with a tricky baseline lob.
However, the Pole takes the game and we're with serve at the moment.
BREAK! I think it's quite rare that Radwanska doesn't get a point on her opponent's service game, although she was helped by some poor shots from the Chinese in this game. Radwanska nets a simple backhand on first break point, but Na returns the favour on the second one and first blood the Pole.
Also rare is a foot fault, but Li was given one in that last game. It was very close, in her defence. A little picky.
Great response from the Chinese. Radwanska comes to the net but Li passes her down the backhand line for 0-30, great shot.
A double fault from Radwanska and three break points for Li.
BREAK! Radwanska gave that up surprisingly easily, but it was much more aggressive from Li as she hit the corners a few times.
Na goes from the sublime - a superb backhand down the line - to the poor - an overhit forehand - to gift another break point to the Pole.
BREAK! Li saves it but Radwanska pings the ball into the corner forcing the Chinese into a net shot to set up another. Radwanska breaks again, the third straight in the match.
BREAK! Another game, another battle. That's the fourth break in a row and once again we're back on serve. Or is that back on break?
Li starts with her first double fault, after twice going long with the serve.
There is a fascinating story in the boys' draw, with deaf teenager Lee Duck-hee reaching the second round. Here's what he had to say.
I think every game apart from one so far has been at 30-30. Li wins a good rally with a forehand winner to reach 40-30
A hold of serve! Well done Li, who responded well in that game to put a little pressure back on the Radwanska serve.
Li dominates a fantastic rally. Radwanska gets to almost everything, however, but Li finishes the point with a big backhand winner.
What a fantastic point. After a baseline rally, Radwanska tries a sublime drop shot, which Li reach only for the Pole to flick it back over her head and right on to the line.
Radwanska wins the game with her first point in a comfortable hold.
Three break points for Radwanska...
BREAK! Too good from Radwanska in that rally. A 26-shot rally ends with Li going long after typical accurate hitting from the Pole. She will now serve for the set.
Li responds with a booming forehand for 0-30. Maybe this set has another twist?
Fantastic passing forehand this time, and 0-40.
BREAK! It's happened again. Li breaks Radwanska back for the third time and this one was to love. This one's got to be ending in a tie-break.
Now Radwanska 0-30 up. Really bizarre flow to this one, both players are far better off-serve.
Li battles back to 30-30 after a good rally ends with a controlled smash at the net.
Oh, my. What an incredible cross-court backhand Li has just pulled off. That's one of the best I've seen in the past week and a half.
Li hangs on after deuce and Radwanska now to serve to take this into a breaker.
At 15-30 Li goes for the pass after a weak Radwanska smash, but it's wide.
Terrible decision for a drop shot from the Pole allows Li to win off the forehand for set point.
Radwanska saves it with a fantastic piece of net play. Deuce. Again.
SET! Li makes no mistake with her second set point, putting Radwanska on the defensive and finally finishing with the Pole netting.
It was a topsy-turvy set and could have gone either way. It went the way of the Chinese after she finished the set much stronger. Really interesting tennis, if not of the highest quality.
BREAK! Radwanska comes out for the second set on the attack and moves 0-40 ahead. Na finishes off with an atrocious backhand and it's the perfect start for the Pole.
Now she's 30-0 up on her serve. Li yet to win a point in this set.
The set loss has awoken Radwanska. Eight points from eight go her way to start this set and she's racing ahead without being brilliant.
Li finally gets a point in the set with a good volley winner at the net.
Li is now up and running. She responds well from two games down and finishes off her next serve with an ace out wide.
She's now 0-30 up in her effort to break back.
Two set points for Li after a good advancement to the net and a backhand winner.
BREAK! Indeed she does break back. After losing the first eight points of the set, Na has now won six of the next eight. This odd game continues.
Li has just submitted her entry for the worst fault competition. That one didn't even bounce in court, let alone the serving box. She responds to take the point for 30-0.
Radwanska battles back but Na has recovered superbly from her poor start to go ahead in the set for the first time.
Li races into a 0-30 lead and she's bossing things on court.
Three set points earned with a gloriously confident volley after a late arrival at the net. Wow.
BREAK! She needs just the one! A backhand return down the line and Radwanska doesn't even move for it. Incredible few games from Li.
It's nine points in a row for Li before she nets, but a routine service game for her moves her to within a game of the semi-finals.
Raswanska does all that she can do by holding serve relatively routinely. The ball is now in Li's court to win this. Quite literally.
Radwanska goes up 0-30 but Li responds with another brave advancement and volley. She could have been staring down the barrel of a break there.
She is now after going long... Two break points.
Fantastic, huge hitting from Li drags her back to deuce. Huge point that was.
Match point Li.
GAME, SET AND MATCH! Radwanska goes long and Li advances! She played impeccably at 2-0 down in that second set but she was incredibly strong mentally and takes it in straight sets. She's still to drop one and is improving game by game.
That wraps up the coverage of the first quarter-final. Join me shortly for Ferrer vs. Almagro.
Written by
Matt Domm
Matt Domm
