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Li Na tackled down by Clijsters, Murray out

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-09-09 17:45

NEW YORK: Former world No. 1 Kim Clijsters snapped Li Na's spectacular run at the US Open with a breezy quarterfinal win on Tuesday, while men's second seed Andy Murray failed to make the last eight.

Kim Clijsters of Belgium waves to the crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium after defeating Li Na of China in their match at the US Open tennis tournament in New York September 8, 2009. [Agencies]

The 27-year-old Li, who has already wrote a new chapter of China's tennis history by reaching the women's quarters of the grand hardcourt event, committed 41 unforced errors against Clijsters' 25 errors to lose 6-2, 6-4.

Three years ago when Li Na earned her first Grand Slam quarterfinal berth at the Wimbledon Open, it's also the Belgian who stopped the Chinese top woman to keep going ahead.

"Kim performed event better than the last time we meet, though she's a mum now and had left the court for a while," commented Li.

"I wouldn't give it a damn, but I could have played a better game," added the 18th seed.

Clijsters, having missed two years of competition to start a family, did not announced to compete until three weeks before the US championship and Tuesday's quarterfinal win granted her the event's best ever results made by a wildcard.

The 2005 champion will next play the semifinals against three times champion Serena Williams, who surged past Italian world No. 10 Flavia Pennetta 6-4, 6-3.

Related readings:  Rampaging Li Na makes quarterfinals  China's Li Na makes US Open quarters  Li Na beats Serena in Stuttgart tennis  Francesca Schiavone beats Li Na 2-0 Games just another 'stop' for Li Na

On the men's part, Briton Murray, who's tipped as one of the favourites to win his first major title here, was defeated 7-5, 6-2, 6-2 by Croatian Marin Cilic.

"Today I could have been better in pretty much every part of the game, whether it was mental or serve, forehand, backhand returns. I just struggled today. I played poorly," Murray said.

Cilic faces Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro, also 20-year-old, in the quarterfinals. The latter, seeded sixth, cantered to a 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 win over Juan Carlos Ferrero.

Spaniard Rafael Nadal stayed the hottest after beating Frenchman Gael Monfils 6-7, 6-3, 6-1, 6-3 to keep a possible meet against Roger Federer in sight.