AUSTRALIAN OPEN - TENNIS

Henin powers into quarter-finals

Sunday, January 20, 2008

World number one Justine Henin cruised into the Australian Open quarter-finals on Sunday after making small work of Taiwanese qualifier Hsieh Su-Wei. The Belgian top seed will meet the winner of the all-Russian clash between Maria Sharapova and Elena Dementieva.

World number one and top seed Justine Henin stormed into the Australian Open quarter-finals Sunday with a 6-2, 6-2 demolition of Taiwanese qualifier Hsieh Su-Wei.

Henin, who claimed the Australian title in 2004, will meet the winner of the all-Russian clash between Maria Sharapova and Elena Dementieva in the quarters.

"It's a tough draw," she said. "I just have to stay healthy and enjoy my game. It's going to be tough."

The world's top player asserted her authority early against Hsieh, breaking her opponent in the first game.

But the Taiwanese 22-year-old immediately broke back, making the most of her moment in the spotlight after winning two tough three setters in the early rounds of the tournamment to earn her showdown with Henin.

However, the Belgian's shot making skills proved too much for her opponent and Henin rattled through the rest of the set without losing another game.

The seven-time Grand Slam champion continued her charge in the second set and dominated Hsieh to go up 5-0.

The Taiwanese, the first player from her country ever to get this far in a Grand Slam, managed to stave off one match point then mustered some resistance to put herself on the second set scoreboard.

She defended her serve to make it 5-2 but it was only delaying the inevitable and Henin claimed victory in the next game after one hour 14 minutes

Results from day seven of the Australian Open at Melbourne Park here Sunday (x denotes seeding).


Men's singles
4th round
Jarkko Nieminen (FIN x24) bt Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER x29) 3-6, 7-6 (9/7), 7-6 (11/9), 6-3
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) bt Richard Gasquet (FRA x8) 6-2, 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (8/6), 6-3
Mikhail Youzhny (RUS x14) bt Nikolay Davydenko (RUS x4) 7-6 (7/2), 6-3, 6-1 3rd round
Juan Carlos Ferrero (ESP x22) bt David Nalbandian (ARG x10) 6-1, 6-2, 6-3
David Ferrer (ESP x5) bt Vincent Spadea (USA) 6-3, 6-3, 6-2



Women's singles
4th round
Justine Henin (BEL x1) bt Hsieh Su-Wei (TPE) 6-2, 6-2
Maria Sharapova (RUS x5) bt Elena Dementieva (RUS x11) 6-2, 6-0
Serena Williams (USA x7) bt Nicole Vaidisova (CZE x12) 6-3, 6-4

3rd round
Daniela Hantuchova (SVK x9) bt Virginia Ruano Pascual (ESP) 6-2, 6-3
Nadia Petrova (RUS x14) bt Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) 6-1, 7-6 (10/8)
Marta Domachowska (POL) bt Li Na (CHN x24) 2-6, 6-2, 6-4
Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) bt Sabine Lisicki (GER) 4-6, 6-4, 6-3



Men's doubles

3rd round
Arnaud Clement/Michael Llodra (FRA x7) bt Eric Butorac (USA)/Kevin Ullyett (ZIM x10) 6-4, 6-4
Daniel Nestor (CAN)/Nenad Zimonjic (SRB x2) bt Christopher Kas (GER)/Rogier Wassen (NED x15) 6-4, 6-4
Martin Damm/Pavel Vizner (CZE x4) bt Lucas Arnold Ker (ARG)/Feliciano Lopez (ESP) 6-4, 7-5
Jonathan Erlich/Andy Ram (ISR x8) bt Frantisek Cermak/Lukas Dlouhy (CZE x9) 7-5, 6-3
Bob Bryan/Mike Bryan (USA x1) bt Julien Benneteau/Nicolas Mahut (FRA x14) 6-3, 6-4

2nd round

Mariusz Fyrstenberg/Marcin Matkowski (POL x11) bt Thomas Johansson (SWE)/Andrei Pavel (ROM) 7-6 (7/3), 6-7 (5/7), 6-4
Carsten Ball/Adam Feeney (AUS) bt Leos Friedl/David Skoch (CZE x16) 7-6 (7/4), 3-6, 6-3
Mahesh Bhupathi (IND)/Mark Knowles (BAH x6) bt Yves Allegro (SUI)/Kristof Vliegen (BEL) 6-1, 6-4
Jeff Coetzee/Wesley Moodie (RSA) bt Edouard Roger-Vasselin/Gilles Simon (FRA) 6-2, 6-3
Rohan Bopanna (IND)/Rajeev Ram (USA) bt Paul Hanley (AUS)/Leander Paes (IND x5) 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (8/6)



Women's doubles

2nd round
Janette Husarova (SVK)/Flavia Pennetta (ITA x13) bt Ji Chunmei/Sun Shengnan (CHN) 6-0, 6-3
Victoria Azarenka (BLR)/Shahar Peer (ISR x12) bt Emmanuelle Gagliardi/Patty Schnyder (SUI) 6-3, 6-3
Chan Yung-Jan/Chuang Chia-Jung (TPE x3) bt Laura Granville (USA)/Vladimira Uhlirova (CZE) 6-1, 6-4
Sania Mirza (IND)/Alicia Molik (AUS x6) bt Nadia Petrova/Elena Vesnina (RUS) 6-3, 5-7, 6-4
Lindsay Davenport (USA)/Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) bt Gabriela Navratilova/Klara Zakopalova (CZE) 6-2, 6-1
Alona Bondarenko/Kateryna Bondarenko (UKR) bt Peng Shuai/Sun Tiantian (CHN x8) 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (8/6)

There are no reactions so far.

Be the first user to react to this article.

You will only have to select the button <<REACT>> and fill the indicated fields.