Chinese star Li Na brushed aside in-form Russian Nadia Petrova in straight sets on Tuesday to progress to the last 16 of the China Open in Beijing.

Asia’s top women’s player, who needs a strong showing this week to qualify for the WTA Championships in Istanbul later this month, won the match convincingly at a packed National Tennis Stadium 6-1 6-2.

It was the 2011 French Open champion’s first win against Petrova, who triumphed at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo on Saturday, in seven attempts.

Thirty-year-old Li, who has never won her home tournament, played at a frenetic pace throughout, breaking her opponent’s serve twice in the first set and three times in the second.

Li was broken just once – in the sixth game of the second set, which lasted more than 13 minutes – and served consistently better than Petrova, hitting five aces to her opponent’s one.

Li, ranked eighth in the world and seeded seventh in Beijing, will play compatriot Peng Shuai in the third round of the tournament – the fourth and final compulsory event of the women’s calendar.