China's Li keeps Asian flag flying

MELBOURNE, Jan 21 (Reuters) China's Li Na kept the Asian flag flying in the Australian Open singles with an emphatic 6-2 6-2 win over ninth seed Dinara Safina in the third round today.

The 24-year-old Li, seeded 19th, overpowered Russian Safina, sister of former men's champion Marat Safin, to set up a fourth-round match against Swiss sixth seed Martina Hingis.

Hingis beat Japan's Aiko Nakamura on Saturday to leave Li as her continent's only survivor in the women's draw at the tournament that calls itself the grand slam of Asia Pacific.

At last year's Wimbledon Li became the first Chinese player to reach the quarter-finals of a grand slam singles before losing to Belgian Kim Clijsters.

Thailand's Danai Udomchoke was Asia's lone representative in the men's third round where he lost to 14th seed Novak Djokovic.

Reuters PM GC0916