Search begins for the next generation of stars

Li Na is looking for her old form.

China is looking for a new Li Na.

The 2011 French Open champion brought Chinese tennis to prominence. But now she's 30, an age when careers have a tendency to decline.

The problem is, nobody seems poised to fill her shoes.

Li was knocked out in the first round of the singles competition at the London Olympics, and compatriots Zheng Jie and Peng Shuai were eliminated in the first and second rounds respectively.

Zheng and Peng also partnered in the women's doubles, only to be knocked out in the last eight on Thursday.

Zheng is 29, while Peng is 26.

Those three are responsible for just about all of China's tennis success, but it's unlikely any will be of much help in four years at the Rio Olympics.

So, who's closest now?

Zheng Saisai, 18, is ranked 165th in the world, while 23-year-old Zhang Shuai, who teamed with Li in women's doubles in London, is 168th.

Both have been mired around the same place in the rankings, and neither has enjoyed much international success.

"We can see there is a big gap between China and other countries at the junior level," Zheng said. "Take Russia for example. It has a smaller population than China. But it boasts more people playing the sport at the grassroots level and the pro level.

"In China, if we could have 100,000 juniors playing on pro tours, I am sure we would see more Chinese in the top 100."

Tennis is clearly a young player's game.

The current women's top 10 is dominated by players born after 1987.

Seven out of the top 10 were born after 1987, with Danish world No 8 Caroline Wozniacki the youngest at 22.

The story is similar in the semifinals of the Games. American Serena Williams is 31, but Victoria Azarenka from Belarus was born in 1989, and Russia's Maria Kirilenko and Maria Sharapova were both born in 1987.

"Our young players lack experience in high-level competitions," said Li, who is No 11 in the world. "If our kids cannot come out and play in a systematic way, they won't be able to gain enough points step by step and raise their rankings to play on the WTA tour."

So China still needs Li to be its representative at major international competitions, though she hasn't said if she'll compete at the next Games.

"I will keep playing like a fool. Just work hard and never give up until the last moment," Li said.

"But, maybe some day, I will get up and feel really exhausted. Then, I will call it quits."

chenxiangfeng@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 08/04/2012 page7)