Tennis: Li Na advances to second round of Sydney International
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SYDNEY (AP) - Former champion Li Na advanced to the second round of the Sydney International with a 7-6 (7/2), 7-5 win over Christina McHale on Monday to continue her winning streak at the start of 2013.
The fourth-seeded Li, who won the Shenzhen Open title last week, started her breakthrough 2011 season with a title in Sydney before reaching her first Grand Slam final at the Australian Open, then winning her first Major at Roland Garros.
The 30-year-old Chinese player will next meet Japanese qualifier Ayumi Morita, who ousted Slovak Daniela Hantuchova 1-6, 6-3, 6-3.
Former No. 1-ranked Jelena Jankovic beat Tamira Paszek 6-2, 7-6 (7/5) to set up a showdown with unseeded Italian Roberta Vinci, who upset eighth-seeded Nadia Petrova 7-5, 7-5.
