Top seed Caroline Wozniacki and defending champion Kim Clijsters both advanced at the Australian Open - albeit in very different ways - to set up a mouthwatering quarter-final clash.
Clijsters had to save four match points and defy an ankle injury to again get the better of Li Na in a repeat of last year's final. Meanwhile, Wozniacki had a much easier time of it, beating Jelena Jankovic 6-0 7-5 in a match which belatedly sparked into life.
And while the Dane was largely impressive, the performance of the day came from Clijsters, who won 4-6 7-6 (8/6) 6-4 in over two hours of absorbing tennis.
That the match went that far was testament to Clijsters' spirit as a nasty ankle sprain in the seventh game looked as though it could result in a retirement.
The 11th seed, in her final year on tour, carried on but her efforts looked to have been in vain when Li moved 6-2 up in the second set tie-break only to choke horribly when on the cusp of a last-eight slot.
Clijsters took full advantage of her opponent's meltdown to edge the third set, despite some anxious moments, and reach the quarters in Melbourne for a seventh time.
"I knew it was going to be a tough match both physically and mentally but I didn't expect this," she said. "It is amazing to get through and to fight despite not having my best tennis. You just try to win each point and don't give up."
Earlier, third seed Victoria Azarenka became the first woman through to the last eight courtesy of a straight-sets win over Iveta Benesova.
The Belarusian has yet to drop a set and was again impressive in beating Benesova 6-2 6-2 in 77 minutes. She will next meet Agnieszka Radwanska, who strolled to a lop-sided 6-1 6-1 defeat of Julia Goerges.
The Pole's consistency proved key with just three unforced errors compared to 27 from Goerges, who sprayed the ball all over Hisense Arena.
