Li downs Cibulkova to reach semifinals

Li Na, of China, serves to Dominika Cibulkova, of Slovakia, during a quarterfinal match at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament, Thursday, March 13 in Indian Wells, Calif. (AP Photo)
 
INDIAN WELLS, March 14 (AFP): Australian Open champion Li Na booked her semifinal berth at the Indian Wells hardcourt tennis tournament with a 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 win over Dominika Cibulkova.

China's Li, the world number two who is the top seed in the event, reprised her triumph over Slovakia's Cibulkova in the final in Melbourne, although she labored two hours and 36 minutes to do it. Li was firmly in control in the opening set, breaking Cibulkova to start the match.

She dropped her own serve in the next game, but immediately broke the Slovakian again, and fended off two break points in the fourth game to stretch her advantage. Li couldn't convert break chances in the fifth, but pocketed the set with a break in the ninth game, sealing it with a forehand cross court winner. But Cibulkova turned the tables in the second set as Li's error count crept up, breaking the Chinese in the third and fifth games and holding for a 5-1 lead. Li won the next three games, but couldn't hold off Cibulkova any longer as the Slovakian held to force a third set.

After an exchange of breaks in the first two games, Li gained the decisive break in the eighth. Both players struggled with their serves at times on the sunny stadium court, each coughing up eight double faults and facing double-digit break points. Li, who successfully defended her title in Shenzhen before capturing her second career Grand Slam title in Australia, will face the winner of Thursday's quarter-final clash between rising US talent Sloane Stephens and Italian veteran Flavia Pennetta.