Sports

Australian Open Results: Na Li, Jie Zheng Out, Murray Through

by Yuliya Talmazan | January 28, 2010 at 11:43 am

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Almost all finalists of the 2010 Australian Open have been determined now, with only Roger Federer left to play Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on Friday. On the women's side, the all-Chinese final was not destined to happen, as both Na Li and Jie Zheng were eliminated in the semi-final stage today.

In the first men's semifinal, Andy Murray beat Marin Cilic of Serbia in four sets. Murray said he believes he can win the Australian Open. Murray has never reached the final stage of the Australian Open before. His best result was reaching forth round in 2007 and 2009. However, 22-year-old Murray did reach the finals of the U.S. Open in 2008, so he knows how pressure feels.

In ladies, Serena Williams beat Na Li of China, while Justine Henin of Belgium beat Jie Zheng. Both Chinese women were defeated in just two sets, but Williams really had to labour it, while Henin crashed Zheng 6-1, 6-0. The Chinese athletes say they believe their accomplishments at this year's Australian Open will inspire a new generation of players from China.

"It's not just a good thing for both of us, but also for the development of tennis in China," Li said. "I think for children watching in China, it might give them confidence that they can also do this one day. So, I think this is really a happy moment for tennis in China."

Serena Williams will seek her fifth Australian Open title of the career. While Henin will battle it out for her second title. She won Australian Open in 2004. Henin holds seven Grand Slam titles, but planned to retire from the sport in May of 2008. She came back to competitive tennis in September of 2009.