Sporting Life - Summer Olympics - Beijing 2008

Li Na delighted the home crowd by becoming the first Chinese tennis player to reach the quarter-finals of an Olympic tennis tournament after she set up a meeting with Venus Williams.

Li defeated Estonia's Kaia Kanepi 4-6 6-2 6-0 to reach what will be a huge clash with 2000 singles and doubles champion Williams in the last eight.

"I couldn't find my rhythm at first - I was completely unfamiliar with her," Li said.

"But finally I got my chance. I feel lucky to play on my home court and with so many Chinese fans behind me."

The Chinese fans could not help Wimbledon semi-finalist Zheng Jie though, as she was knocked out by Russian Dinara Safina.

Cruise

Venus Williams is still going strong in her bid for a second Olympic gold after she got rid of Victoria Azarenka of Belarus 6-3 6-2.

"I love the atmosphere," said Venus. "I think the most important part (about the Olympics) is it's only every four years, so now is the time to really play well.

"I think I'm coming closer. Quarter-finals now, so it's coming closer every round. It's my dream."

Her younger sister Serena though had to fight tooth-and-nail to get beyond Alize Cornet after dropping the first set against the Frenchwoman.

Serena missed Athens four years ago and looked in trouble as she smashed her racket after losing the opening set against the French teenager, but she came back to go through in three.

"I missed so many shots and I was not playing anywhere near the way I was practising," Serena said.

Errors

"I didn't play well. I made a lot of errors, including some key errors early on which gave her a lot of confidence. She started moving better and running with it.

"It's good and I'm excited. Anything is good at the Olympics and I'm still here."

New world number one Jelena Jankovic came through a tough first set to beat Slovakia's Dominika Cibulkova 7-5 6-1.

Unseeded Austrian Sybille Bammer beat Czech Lucie Safarova 7-5 6-4 to set up a quarter-final clash with Vera Zvonareva.