Pratt through to last 16
Pratt through to last 16 
From correspondents in Tokyo
Former Australian Captain January 30, 2007
AUSTRALIA’S Nicole Pratt has set up another meeting with Swiss star Martina Hingis after winning through to the second round of the Pan Pacific Open today.
Pratt, a qualifier in Tokyo after her first round exit at the Australian Open, beat American Meghann Shaughnessy 6-7 (4-7) 6-1 6-4.
It earned the world No.65 another shot at Hingis after the Swiss former world No.1 won 6-0 6-1 in the pair’s first ever meeting earlier this month on the Gold Coast.
World No.6 Hingis, who bowed out in the quarter-finals in Melbourne, is seeded two for the WTA tournament behind world No.1 Maria Sharapova. The top four seeds all received first round byes.
China’s Li Na continued her fine early season form by thrashing American Lilia Osterloh 6-3 6-2 in the first round today.
Sixth seed Li, who had never previously played on the slick indoor carpet in Tokyo, took advantage of rules allowing on-court coaching at the $US1.3 million ($1.69 million) tournament to cruise into the last 16.
“When I practiced on the court I thought ‘How can they play on this?’,” Li said.
“I needed to talk to my coach during the match too… but I think I played okay.”
The fast-improving Li reached the semi-finals in Sydney before pushing Martina Hingis to three sets in the fourth round of the Australian Open.
“I had a good start in Sydney,” Li said.
“After Sydney, I told myself I could do it. My ranking has never been top 20 and now I’m 17 I know I can play better.”
Meanwhile, fifth seed Ana Ivanovic also advanced to the second round, the Serb overpowering American Shenay Perry 6-4 6-2.
However, Slovakia’s Daniela Hantuchova became the first big-name casualty when she was beaten 6-4 6-4 by Italian Roberta Vinci.
Eighth seed Hantuchova, once a top-five player, paid the price for an error-strewn performance as she fell to her second first-round defeat in four tournaments in 2007.
In other matches, Severine Bremond trounced fellow Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli 6-0 6-2.
AAP