(June 25, 2014) WIMBLEDON – No. 2 Li Na, No. 4 Agniezska Radwanska and five-time champion Venus Williams are into the third round of Wimbledon, all women posting straight set victories on Wednesday.
Li Na took to Court No. 2 to defeat Yvonne Meusburger of Austria 6-2, 6-2.
“Can be better. Can be bad. You never know,” Li said about her play.
“But I was really happy the way I was hit the ball right now on the court.
Despite being placed on an outer court as the second seed, Li Na enjoys playing earlier in the day.
“I like to be the first match,” she said. “Yesterday they showed the Centre Court and Court 1, the schedule on the TV. I say, Go call the schedule. Maybe I was play first, at 11:30.
“I love to be the first match. You don’t have to wait. If they put you in like fourth or last match, you have to wait for the match. Whole day you couldn’t do anything.
The Chinese woman led off with two breaks of serve early in the first set and followed suit in the second for a convincing win.
Li Na hit 33 winners with 4 aces.
Li Na will play Barbora Zahlavova Strycova in the third round.
“I think the last time we meet was like in the clay court,” Li explained. “I know she was pretty smart player. Pretty flat. I think it’s good for her to play on the grass court.
“For me, I think I just play my game, play more aggressive, as much as I can come to the net, follow the plan.”
Radwanska defeated Australia’s Casey Dellacqua 6-4, 6-0 on Centre Court. The woman from Poland ran up a 5-1 lead, but the Aussie won the next three games to get back on serve, then dropped her next service game at love to give the set to Radwanska.
The Polish woman was very happy to be on Centre Court, the site of her only major final. “It’s always great to be out there, especially here what I really have the best memories on the Grand Slam.
“So of course I was really looking forward to being in the Centre Court again.”
No. 30 seed Venus Williams got off to a bit of a slow start against Japan’s Kurumi Nara but won in straight sets 7-6 (4), 6-1 on Court No. 3 to earn a spot in the third round of a major for only the second time in her last 10 major tournaments.
“I think at the important points in the game I was able to lift my game a little, Williams explained. “That’s what you really want to do. Then also in the second set lift my game.
“I thought she played well.”
“I know that no one’s going to give me a match,” she added. “You don’t get given a match, especially at the majors. I knew all points I would have to work for.”
“It’s very special for me because I saw the Venus like when I was a child, Nara said.
“So it’s very happy to play with her.
The American hit 7 aces and smacked 43 winners past her opponent.
“Definitely for me it’s definitely a step in the right direction,” Williams said about making the third round. “The thing that I just have to really work on is being on tour consistently and playing tournaments.
“Even leading up these last few months, I don’t feel I played as many matches as I would have liked, as many as my opponents. The more you play, the more you get used to being down or up or serving things out.
“My whole goal is just to keep playing and stay as healthy as I can.”
Karen Pestaina at Wimbledon