MELBOURNE (AFP) - Chinese star Li Na advanced to the Australian Open last eight on Sunday, beating Julia Goerges in her quest to make a second final at Melbourne Park in three years.

Sixth seed Li beat the 18th-seeded German 7-6 (8-6), 6-1 and will play either fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska or 13th seed Ana Ivanovic for a place in the last four.

Li, who wants to crack the top three this year with the help of new coach Carlos Rodriguez, had never before faced Goerges, who was gunning for her first Grand Slam quarter-final appearance.

And the Chinese said the tight first-set tiebreaker was the turning point of the match.

"If I had lost the first set, it could have been another story," she said. "I just kept going point by point, not thinking too much."