China's Li ready for repeat Robson roadblock

NEW YORK: China's fifth-seeded Li Na breezed into the third round of the US Open, and a possible revenge match against Britain's Laura Robson, before rain halted play Wednesday.

Li needed only 64 minutes to rout 100th-ranked Swede Sofia Arvidsson 6-2, 6-2 and book a date with either 30th seed Robson, who ousted Li in the third round of last year, or France's Caroline Garcia.

Li, the first Chinese player to win a Grand Slam title with her 2011 French Open triumph, was a runner-up at this year's Australian Open, but her best US Open finish was a 2009 run to the quarter-finals.

She hoped for a similar charge last year before Robson doomed those plans. Now Li wants a chance to see how much both players have changed in the past 12 months.

Court speed is cited as an improvement for Li, even at age 31, but she says she has always been as fast as she is now.

Li, wearing a right knee brace, broke in the second game of the match and again in the final game of the first set to win it in 32 minutes. After an early exchange of breaks, Li won the final four games of the second set.

The 31-year-old from Wuhan fired four aces and 29 winners in all as she improved to 3-0 against Arvidsson. (AFP)