China's Li Na charged into the third round of the Australian Open with a 6-2, 6-2 win over local hope Olivia Rogowska in the sunshine at Rod Laver Arena on Wednesday.
The French Open champion, who set the tournament alight with a brilliant run to the final last year, mowed past the 168th-ranked wild card in 62 minutes as her husband-coach Jiang Shan nodded approvingly from the stands.
Asia's first grand slam champion appeared in fine touch, landing nearly 80 per cent of her serves and overwhelming the 20-year-old Rogowska with raw power from the baseline.
Li captured the decisive break at 3-2 in the second set when Rogowska slapped a forehand wide and enjoyed her return to centre court, where she was beaten in the tension-charged final by Kim Clijsters last year.
"This year there's more fans (who have) come to watch me play, the fans aren't just from China, they're from all over the world," she said in a courtside interview.
Li faces Anabel Medina Garrigues in the third round after the 26th-seeded Spaniard blasted Olga Govortsova of Belarus 6-1, 6-0.
Meanwhile, defending champion Kim Clijsters flirted with dishing out the fifth Australian Open 'double bagel' of her career as she steamrolled her way past France's Stephanie Foretz Gacon 6-0, 6-1 and into the third round.
Clijsters has recorded four previous 6-0, 6-0 victories at Melbourne Park, the most recent of which was her first round victory over Dinara Safina in 2011.
Tennis Australia said that former champion Margaret Court has also recorded four 'double bagels' at the tournament.
The Belgian was rarely troubled by Foretz Gacon and despite the Frenchwoman managing to hold serve in the second game of the second set to end Clijsters' attempt to move past Court, the Belgian completed the victory in just 47 minutes.
Clijsters will meet Daniela Hantuchova in the third round after the number 20 seed was forced to work hard for her win over Ukrainian Lesia Tsurenko, coming from a set down to win 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.
Reuters
Tags: sport, australian-open, tennis, melbourne-3000, vic, australia First posted January 18, 2012 12:14:43
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