BEIJING, August 11, 2008 (AFP) - Wimbledon women's semi-finalist Zheng Jie and Li Na carried Chinese hopes into the second round of the Olympic Games tennis tournament here on Monday with upset wins over seeded players.

Li, the first Chinese woman to reach the world's top 20 and the first to win a WTA event, recorded a stunning 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 win over Russia's number three seed Svetlana Kuznetsova, the former US Open champion.

Li, ranked 42nd in the world, battled back from three games down in the first set and dominated the Russian in the second set in front of a partisan home crowd.

On court two, Zheng, 25, carried on the good form that saw her create history last month by becoming the first Chinese player to reach the last four of a Grand Slam to beat Hungarian 11th seed Agnes Szavay 4-6, 6-3, 7-5.

'That was a very tough match because I was facing the world number 14,' said Zheng.

'I actually had some good opportunities in the first set but I failed to take advantage of them. But even though I lost the first set I still had a very good attitude to the match.'

At 2hr 50min, Zheng's match was the longest in Olympic history but she said she had been well prepared for the test.

'After Wimbledon, we actually took one month for physical training, so I've got lots of physical strength,' she said.

Li and Zheng will be joined in the second round by compatriot Peng Shuai, who saw off Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro 7-5, 7-6 (7/2).

Russian ninth-seeded Vera Zvonareva proved too strong for Yan Zi, however, with a 6-2, 6-0 victory.

Peng, whose match had been carried over from Sunday because of heavy rain, said she had prepared thoroughly for the game against Navarro, against whom she lost in a Fed Cup encounter.

'This is the Olympic Games, so it was very different,' she acknowledged. 'I was very excited, but at the same time, I felt pressure and nervous. So I lost quite a few of the games.

'I was leading 5-3 (after play resumed Monday) and I thought there were some chances for me to win. But at that time I couldn't control the game, so I lost three games. Then afterwards, I settled down and won.'

In the men's competition, Zeng Shaoxuan was hammered by Argentinian David Nalbandian 6-2, 6-1 but insisted that it was a hard lesson worth learning.

'Nalbandian played well today,' he said. 'But I am glad to be here at the Olympics and to play against the number seven in the world. It's good for me.'

'I was doing well at the start but I began to feel a little bit weary later on. The most difficult part is my consistency and strength.

'I wasn't serving well on the first serve, many of which hit the net.'