Li Na kept alive local hopes of a first homegrown champion in the China Open when she reached the quarterfinals with a tough 7-5, 6-4 win over Sabine Lisicki of Germany on Wednesday.
Also, 2005 champion Rafael Nadal edged Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany 6-4, 7-6 (3) to move into the third round.
Li broke Lisicki twice in each set, overcoming seven double faults and holding off six of eight break chances.
To equal her previous best efforts in Beijing, the semifinals in 2010 and last year, Li will face Petra Kvitova, against whom she has a 3-2 record.
Kvitova beat Sara Errani of Italy 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-3 in a 2 1/2-hour third-round match which featured 19 breaks of serve.
Former champions Agnieszka Radwanska (2011) and Jelena Jankovic (2008) won their second-round matches, but two-time former winner Svetlana Kuznetsova lost to Andrea Petkovic of Germany 4-6, 6-4, 6-1.