Li leads Chinese charge, Nalbandian exits

LONDON, June 30 (Reuters) China's rise as a tennis force gathered pace today when Li Na became the first player from the Asian nation to reach the Wimbledon singles fourth round.

Li upset Russian fifth seed Svetlana Kuznetsova 3-6 6-2 6-3 in the biggest shock of the women's singles so far.

David Nalbandian became the highest-ranked men's singles loser.

The Argentine fourth seed was beaten 7-6 7-6 6-2 by Spain's Fernando Verdasco.

American eighth seed James Blake also went out, losing in five sets to big Belarussian Max Mirnyi.

There was no such difficulty for men's defending champion Roger Federer nor French Open champion Justine Henin-Hardenne on a sweltering day at the grasscourt grand slam.

Federer brushed aside Frenchman Nicolas Mahut 6-3 7-6 6-4 on court one while Henin-Hardenne beat Russian Anna Chakvetadze 6-2 6-3.

Li, seeded 27 in the women's singles, is only the second Chinese player to make the last 16 of a grand slam singles event after her fine recovery against French Open runner-up Kuznetsova on court three.

The 24-year-old from Wuhan smacked forehand winners at will after losing the first set and secured victory on her first match point when 2004 US Open champion Kuznetsova netted a backhand service return.

Li was one of a record three Chinese women to have reached the Wimbledon third round this year. She will play either Czech teenager Nicole Vaidisova or Croatian Karolina Sprem in the fourth round.

No Chinese player has been beyond the fourth round of a grand slam singles event. Zheng Jie, who is due to play Belgian second seed Kim Clijsters in the Wimbledon third round later today, reached the French Open fourth round in 2004.

Verdasco, the Spanish 28th seed, won identical tiebreaks 11-9 to break Nalbandian's will on court 13.

The Argentine, runner-up in 2002, had to retire from his French Open semi-final against Roger Federer with an abdominal strain three weeks ago.

SOCCER MATCH He did not blame the injury but admitted he had asked for the match to be played early so that he could watch Argentina's soccer World Cup quarter-final against Germany later today.

''I didn't play good, I couldn't return any serves and I missed a lot of chances,'' Nalbandian said. ''I just lost by myself.'' Federer, seeking a fourth consecutive Wimbledon singles title, suffered the indignity of losing his serve and being taken to a tiebreak against world number 77 Mahut but was otherwise in total control.

The Swiss plays either talented Czech Tomas Berdych or German Tommy Haas in the last 16.

Blake reached the final of the Queen's Club warmup event but predicted he would struggle against the big servers at Wimbledon. He competed well early on against Mirnyi but suddenly collapsed in the fourth set and lost the last nine games.

Henin-Hardenne is attempting to complete her full set of grand slam titles and is yet to drop a set at the All England Club this year.

''When I was a little girl, I was dreaming of winning the Grand Slam one day,'' said the Belgian third seed and 2001 runner-up.

''I've won everything except Wimbledon so it's a big challenge for me.'' Australian Lleyton Hewitt, the 2002 champion, finished off a battling five-set win over South Korean Lee Hyung-taik in the second round.

Hewitt was level at two sets-all with Lee overnight and today's resumption he broke decisively at 5-4 to secure a third round meeting with Belgian Olivier Rochus.

Reuters HS VV2140