World record holder Dayron Robles breezed through the second round of the men's 110 meters hurdles on Tuesday night at the Beijing Olympic Games.

The Cuban clocked 13.19 seconds in heat 2. After defending Olympic champion Liu Xiang of China pulled out of the race on Monday morning due to a tendon injury, Robles became almost unbeatable in the event.

Robles said after the race, "It's a shame what happened to Liu. I feel bad for him. I would have liked to race against him." He considered Americans being his strongest rivals in the final which is scheduled for Aug. 21.

David Payne of the United States, who also got through the second round, spoke of Liu, "It's unfortunate. He's one of the greatest hurdlers out there."

Shi Dongpeng, Liu's teammate and the only Chinese who is going to line up for the semifinals, said, "It is a pity for Liu Xiang to quit the competition. I hope he will get well as soon as possible."

"Before the competition," Shi said, "Liu Xiang gave me a call to encourage me."

(Xinhua News Agency August 19, 2008)