Key Biscayne, FL (SportsNetwork.com) - Australian Open champion Li Na didn't even have to unpack her racquet in order to reach the third round at the $5.4 million Sony Open.
The second-seeded Li received a walkover when Russian Alisa Kleybanova pulled out of their scheduled second-round match Friday on the hardcourts of Crandon Park, citing a viral illness. The 24-year-old Kleybanova overcame Hodgkin's Lymphoma two years.
January's Aussie Open runner-up to Li, 10th-seeded Slovak Dominika Cibulkova, reached the third round by pasting Austrian Yvonne Meusburger 6-1, 6-2 on Day 4 in Miami.
Also on Friday, sixth-seeded Romanian Simona Halep pulled out of the draw due to a toe injury. She was replaced by Slovakian lucky loser Jana Cepelova.
An upset came when Czech Barbora Zahlavova Strycova doused 13th-seeded Italian Roberta Vinci 6-4, 2-6, 7-5.
Meanwhile, 32nd-seeded Russian Elena Vesnina whipped American Alison Riske, 6-2, 6-2.
The winner of this lucrative event will collect $787,000.
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