Women's team finally back to full strength

Chinese women's tennis players left for Australia yesterday to launch their final charge toward the Beijing Olympics.

And with Li Na and Zheng Jie back from injuries, the team is expected to hit the WTA Tour with full strength for the first time in seven months.

Li, the country's No 1 singles player who spent half the season recovering from a rib inflammation, and Grand Slam champion Zheng Jie, who is coming off an ankle injury, will begin their 2008 comebacks at the Mondial Australian Women's Hardcourts in Gold Coast on Monday.

The 24-year-old Zheng, who won the women's doubles at the Australian Open and Wimbledon in 2006, played the first event since her return at the China Grand Prix, a domestic competition where she and partner Yan Zi won the doubles title. Li Na has not played a match since the WTA grass event in Birmingham in May.

Zheng said she doesn't plan on playing in any singles event for now.

"I will skip the singles event at the Australian Open as I still need some time to get used to the tour," she said. "But as long as I feel healthy enough, I will join both events because China also has a goal in singles competition at the Olympics."

Despite the return of these top players, Chinese tennis officials don't expect too much from the team at the Australian Open.

"They need time to return to their usual level," said Gao Shenyang, vice-director of the Chinese Tennis Association. "I hope they can regain their confidence through three or four tournaments."

As for the other players on the team, Athens doubles gold-medalist Sun Tiantian will start her season at the Auckland Classics, while her new partner Peng Shuai opens her year at the Hong Kong Invitational.

Chinese officials have revealed that the women's team will strive for medals in both singles and doubles events at the Games. To realize this goal, the ladies will only play Tier I and II events next year and will very likely skip the whole clay court season to focus on closed-door training the month before the Olympics.

China Daily

(China Daily 12/28/2007 page22)