Wozniacki's tough draw at Australian Open

January 13, 2012 | 08:25

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World number one Caroline Wozniacki was drawn Friday to face French Open champion Li Na in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open as she searches for her maiden grand slam title in Melbourne.

World number one Caroline Wozniacki, pictured in action on January 10, was drawn Friday to face French Open champion Li Na in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open as she searches for her maiden grand slam title in Melbourne.

The Danish top seed, whose top ranking is under threat by Czech number two Petra Kvitova, also has defending champion Kim Clijsters and third seed Victoria Azarenka in her top half of the women's singles draw.

Wozniacki, who starts her Open campaign against Australian Anastasia Rodionova, also has Agnieszka Radwanska in her side of the draw after losing to the Polish eighth seed at this week's Sydney International.

Wimbledon champion Kvitova, beaten by Li in Thursday's semi-finals of the Sydney International, will also have some tough obstacles in her path.

Thirteen-times grand slam champion Serena Williams, US Open champion Samantha Stosur and three-time major winner Maria Sharapova are all in the Czech left-hander's bottom half of the draw.

Kvitova will open against Russian Vera Dushevina, while five-time Australian Open champion Williams, seeded 12 this year, takes on Austrian Tamira Paszek first up.

Stosur, drawn to face Kvitova in the quarter-finals and bidding to become the first Australian woman to win her national Open since 1978, begins against Romania's Sorana Cirstea.

Russia's Sharapova, who won in Melbourne four years ago, plays Argentina's Gisela Dulko in the first round.

AFP

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