China's Li Na returns the ball during the third round match against Mary Pierce of France at the US Open in New York, the United States on Sept. 3, 2006. Li won the match 2-1 (4-6/6-0/6-0) and advanced into the quarterfinal. (photo: xinhua)

China's Li Na returns the ball during the third round match against Mary Pierce of France at the US Open in New York, the United States on Sept. 3, 2006. Li won the match 2-1 (4-6/6-0/6-0) and advanced into the quarterfinal.

Li Na came out the first Chinese woman to reach the last 16 of the U.S. Open here on Sunday after upsetting last year's runner-up Mary Pierce 4-6, 6-0, 6-0.

"I'm not nervous. I'm excited," said the 24-year-old, who came back to sweep the last 12 games to seal victory after losing the first set to the 13th-seeded French veteran.

Li, having battling injuries this season, blasted 51 winners to just 14 for Pierce though committing 22 unforced errors in the opening set, and turned to make only three errors in a near-perfect second set to turn the match around.

"I was hitting the ball short and my opponent played very good. She served well and hit the ball hard and deep. She didn't give me much of a chance," said Pierce, runner-up at Flushing Meadows last year to Kim Clijsters.

Li will next play third-seeded Russian Maria Sharapova, who has beaten Li three times without losing a set, twice this season and in the third round of the 2005 Australian Open.

Also on Sunday, several seeded players were knocked out on the final day of the first week, including Argentine number four David Nalbandian on the men's side and Russian number five Nadia Petrova on the women's.

Top seed Roger Federer and number two Rafael Nadal continued their march toward the final by securing straight-sets victories.

Former champion Lindsay Davenport saved two match points to beat Slovenian Katarina Srebotnik, joining women's top seed Amelie Mauresmo in next round.

Spotlight, however, was on America's all-time tennis great Andre Agassi who ended his glittering career with a four-set defeat to German qualifier Benjamin Becker, losing 7-5, 6-7, 6-4, 7-5 in the third round.

Becker, the world number 112 who is playing just his second grand slam event, sent the 36-year-old Agassi into retirement with 27 aces.

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Editor: Donald