Li Na showed the greater resolve in a baseline battle as the Chinese overcame the challenge of Agnieszka Radwanska to advance to the semi-finals of the Australian Open.
Li, seeded sixth, showed calmer nerves in the big points, in a match which saw ten breaks of serve in all, toppling the fourth seeded Pole 7-5, 6-3.
"She's a tough player," Li said. "I was feeling today against a wall. She can hit everywhere, but without a mistake. You have to focus on every shot. Not every point, every shot."
The difference-maker was Li's efficiency in converting her break points, six of seven, while Radwanska only managed to take advantage of four of her ten.
"She was very solid from the beginning of the match," Radwanska said. "She was really playing good tennis.
"Some of the games she didn't let me do anything. Very deep balls all the time. Good serve. She was really playing good tennis today.
"Of course, I had my chances. But when you're not really taking them, it's really turning around and it goes away."
Radwanska really should have taken advantage of Li's unforced errors, 40 in all, but the world number four just could not capitalize on her chances, with former French Open champion Li bringing her experience of winning a Grand Slam into play on the big points.
"If you have to win Grand Slam, at least you have to win seven matches," Li said. Doesn't matter you lucky or unlucky, you still have to win seven matches.
"This is very tough. Right now, I mean, I think this time I was change a little bit for my mind, because before I was think, OK, if I win, what I should play, who I should against for the fourth round or fifth round.
"But this time I really didn't see the draw. I really didn't think like far, just like match by match how you say to prepare for yourself."
Li will next face the winner between Maria Sharapova and Ekaterina Makarova, with the duo set to battle it out later on at the Rod Laver Arena.
