Defending doubles champions Zheng Jie and Yan Zi battled into
the quarter finals of the Australian Open with a hard fought 4-6
6-1 6-2 victory over Elena Dementieva and Flavia Pennetta on
Tuesday.
The number two seeds, who were also successful at Wimbledon in
2006, had enjoyed a relatively easy progress to the third round
after dropping just three games during comfortable straight sets
victories but were handed an early scare at the Margaret Court
Arena.
Dementieva and Pennetta, who created 11 break points in the
first set, converted the crucial break midway through the first
after each pair had shared early breakthroughs on their opponents
serve.
But the Chinese duo responded and raced through the second set
in 38 minutes and grabbed an early break in the third as the match
looked to have turned in their favour.
But Dementieva and Pennetta, the 14th seeds, responded with a
break of their own to level at 2-2 before the defending champions
finally found the breakthrough and opened up match winning a 4-2
advantage.
Zheng and Yan will face compatriots Sun Shengnan and Sun
Tiantian in the last eight.
(China Daily via sportinglife.com January 24, 2007)