China

Zheng finds out size not a problem

By Lei Lei (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-02-05 11:54

Being thrashed by former world No 1 Justine Henin 6-1, 6-0 in the Australian Open semifinals in Melbourne showed China's Zheng Jie not only the gap between herself and the world's elite but also that smaller women can dominate the game too.

"I have given up on the idea of growing taller but playing against Henin, I realized that a player of moderate height can also play good tennis," said the 1.64m Zheng on the sidelines of the celebration party held by the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour on Wednesday.

"Henin is slim and not very tall but plays strong tennis. I should work hard toward it as well. Of course, I have to make more of an effort than others."

In a sport where height can play a huge role in success, the petite Zheng was never regarded as a "real" tennis prodigy, but the 26-year-old has proven herself to be one of the big names in China by repeatedly making breakthroughs.

In 2004, she became the first Chinese player to reach the last 16 at the French Open. Two years later, she and partner Yan Zi were crowned Grand Slam doubles champions at the Australian Open and Wimbledon.

She had stellar season in 2008 as she rebounded from injury-marred 2007 to reach her first Grand Slam singles semifinal, at Wimbledon, before being beaten by Serena Williams 6-2, 7-6 (5).

To achieve even better results, Zheng changed her serve during winter training sessions last year with renowned American coach Nick Bollettieri and the efforts have paid off.

"For anyone who has played tennis for 20 years, any change of technique is a big challenge but I think it was worth it for me to do that," Zheng told China Daily. "The coach not only helped me in serving but also gave me confidence.

"He always told me 'you like to play the key points very much and you can do very well in the key point', which boosted my confidence. Although he only worked with me for about 10 days, he followed each of my matches on TV or the internet and emailed me after each one. At the end of each message he always wrote that I could play even better. I'm very grateful to him."

Zheng boasts a powerful baseline game and sharp play at the net but had struggled with weak and inconsistent serves, which she feels prevented her from moving higher in the rankings.

Her determination to improve that facet of her game has won her a lot of respect from those who work with her.

"Zheng has no great physical advantages but her hardworking spirit has impressed me very much," Chen Fangcan, who has helped Zheng with physical therapy, told China Daily. "In order to change her serve she had had to strengthen her leg and waist muscles. The practice is very tough but she manages to do it all the time. Her fighting spirit is the key to her success."

Reaching the semis at Melbourne Park - with compatriot Li Na, Zheng, whose highest world ranking is 15, has broken into the top 20 again and now the next steps are to reach a Grand Slam final and win the crown.

"Those last two steps towards winning a Grand Slam will be very difficult and require even harder work," Zheng said.

"If we can reach more quarters and semis in those competitions we will be more confident in our matches. Reaching the semis for the second time, I have got much more belief in myself. I know I can do that."

Zheng is now recovering from a pulled thigh muscle and may be absent from China's first-round Fed Cup match in Slovakia this weekend.

Her next competition is likely to be the Dubai Championships, which start on Feb 15.