HONG KONG: The nation's first Wimbledon semifinalist, Zheng Jie, is looking forward to facing off against former world tennis No 1 Maria Sharapova at the Hong Kong Tennis Classic today.

"It's going to be a tough first match but it's a great way to open the year and the rest of the lineup will definitely be excellent practice before the Australian Open," Zheng said at the Victoria Park Tennis Stadium.

Arriving a day late due to heavy snowfalls, which brought the nation's capital airport to a standstill for several hours, Zheng said the eight-hour delay in flying out of Beijing would not affect her condition because she has been training for seven hours a day over the holidays.

Zheng is feeling upbeat about the next few days and even plans to squeeze in some quick shopping trips during her stay in the city. The worst part about her delayed arrival was that she was not able to spend much time with American-Chinese tennis legend Michael Chang, whom she describes as her hero.

"I looked up to him when I was young. I watched him as a kid. I never had the opportunity to play with Chang before.

"It's not so much learning but more about being able to experience his playing qualities. His frame is similar to mine in scale and the tennis tour is much more difficult for male players but he managed to compete at the top level," she said.

The Classic will see Zheng play with Japan's Ayumi Morita and Paradorn Srichaphan of Thailand for Team Asia Pacific. Team America will be comprised of Venus Williams, Chang and Gisela Dulko. Team Russia includes Vera Zvonareva, Sharapova and Yevgeny Kafelnikov.

Team Europe is led by Stefan Edberg and includes Victoria Azarenka and Caroline Wozniacki. Having defeated Wozniacki in Toronto last year, Zheng said she was eager for a rematch with the Danish pro.

"We played last year and it's amazing how much she has improved in such a short period of time," Zheng said.

(HK Edition 01/06/2010 page1)