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China's Li Na, seen in Brussels on Feb. 11, 2008, continued her storming 2008 comeback after a six-month injury absence, crushing Russian Elena Likhovtseva 6-1, 6-1 in the first round of the WTA Diamond Games on Monday. (Xinhua Photo)
| BRUSSELS, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- China's No. 1 women's tennis player Li Na beat Russian veteran Elena Likhovtseva in straight sets on Monday to advance to the second round of the WTA Diamong Games being held in Antwerp, Belgium.
However, China's No. 2 player Peng Shuai crashed out in the first round after 6-0, 6-4 defeat by Belgian Yanina Wickmayer.
The 25-year-old Li, the ninth seed of the tournament, dominated throughout the match against Likhovtseva, winning 6-1, 6-1.
Li is enjoying a super comeback this season after being sidelined by injuries for most of 2007, winning the Gold Coast tournament in Australia in January and making to the fourth round of the Australian Open. She also spearheaded China's success to reaching its first ever Fed Cup semifinal by defeating France one week ago in Beijing.
Li, ranked 33rd, will play the winner of the Tuesday match between Israeli Tzipora Oblizer and Slovak Dominika Cibulkova.
In the night match, Peng suffered her second first-round exit in as many weeks, and was completely out of thoughts against Wickmayer, who has earned the right to play third seed Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia in the second round.
In other actions involving seeded players on Monday, fifth seed Sybille Bammer of Austria was upset by Russian Yaroslava Shvedova 6-0, 3-6, 6-2.
Shevedova will entertain Italian Karin Knapp, who beat Frenchwoman Nathalie Dechy 7-6 (7-3), 6-4, in the second round.
This year's field at the second-tier WTA tournament is headed by Belgian World No. 1 Justine Henin, who, along with Russian World No.6 and No. 2 seed Anna Chakvetadze, Hantuchova and fourth seed Patty Schnyder of Switzerland, has received a bye in the first round.
This will be the final year of the 600,000-U.S.-dollar tournament after a WTA calendar revision which will take effect in2009.
Henin, playing for the only the third time in Antwerp, was a losing finalist in 2002 and a losing semifinalist in 2003.
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China's Li Na, seen in Brussels on Feb. 11, 2008, continued her storming 2008 comeback after a six-month injury absence, crushing Russian Elena Likhovtseva 6-1, 6-1 in the first round of the WTA Diamond Games on Monday.(Xinhua Photo)
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