World number four Li Na secured a place in the Australian Open 2014 semifinals after she eliminated first time Melbourne quarterfinalist Flavia Pennetta of Italy. The Chinese star will next face first-time semifinalist Eugenie Bouchard of Canada in the next round.
This will be the third time in the tournament that Li will face a teenager. She defeated a couple of 16-year olds in the earlier rounds. She had to save a match point against Lucie Safarova in the third round. However, she was at her element in the quarterfinals, reducing mistakes to secure the victory 6-2, 6-2.
“After saving the match point, I think I got a lot of confidence,” Li said, referring to that third round scare. “Even more belief in myself.”
