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China take 2-0 lead in Fed Cup over France
2008-02-02
China won both singles matches on the first day of their Federation Cup World Group tie against France here on Saturday to go 2-0 up and stake a strong claim for a place in the last four of the competition. China need only to win one more match from the two reverse singles and the doubles on Sunday to clinch a place in the cup semi-finals against Spain or Italy as they look for a morale-boosting victory on home soil ahead of the August Olympics. China's number one Li Na beat 18-year-old Alize Cornet 6-3, 6-1 in the first rubber to put China one-up. Their number two Peng Shuai then ran out 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 winner over the top-ranked French player here, Virginie Razzano. But they will have to play on without Peng, 22, who is flying off to France later Saturday to meet a commitment to take part in another women's tournament. "Li Na will be playing the first singles tomorrow and if she wins that will wrap up the victory for China and they won't even need me anyway," she said. Li, 25, who is back from a rib injury that sidelined her for most of last year, said she was nervous at the start against Cornet, who is making her cup debut here. "I made mistakes at the start but after that it was pretty comfortable," she said. She predicts it could also be comfortable for China on Sunday. "I think China has the best chance ever to get into the last four of the cup" she said. "Against France, you can't take anything for granted. But tomorrow could be our big day." France's top three players are absent from the competition and it was down to the relatively untested Cornet and Razzano, 27th in the world, to carry their nation's hopes. Cornet was outclassed for most of the match by Li, but Razzano could have pulled off a different result against Peng if only she had managed to master a wayward forehand. French captain Georges Goven said that all was not lost. "We can still win three out of three games," he said. "I am not saying it is easy, but it is not impossible." Li, ranked 32 in the world, will play Razzano but it is unclear who China will field as their second singles player in place of Peng. Their doubles team of Zheng Jie and Yan Zi are scheduled to meet Razzano and Nathalie Dechy.
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