The tennis is great; the food is too

Editor's note: During the China Open, China Daily will collaborate with the WTA to bring you columns from various women's players in an effort to provide insight into life on the tour.

Hi everyone! I am Hsieh Su-wei from Chinese Taipei.

My China Open this year got off to a flying start as I won my opening match against Zheng Saisai, who is a very familiar opponent and friend from the mainland.

I know the Chinese mainland players very well because I've partnered with most of them - Peng Shuai, Zheng Jie and Saisai - in doubles. I feel very relaxed playing against them, but they are all tough opponents.

Off the court, they are funny, nice girls. We share a great sisterhood. When we play overseas, we always spend a lot of time together, hanging out shopping or dining. We speak the same language so we have a lot of to share.

They are part of the season l like Beijing. Every time I come, they treat me to my favorite food, roasted duck. I take them to try local snacks in the Shilin Night Market when they travel to Taipei for the OEC Ladies Open, which is a WTA Challenger event.

This year is special because Yan Zi is coming back from retirement to play doubles and promised to take me to Quanjude, the oldest and most famous roast-duck restaurant in town. It's a pity we can't play with her new-born baby girl, who she had at the beginning of this year. She is too little to be taken out.

Another place I always go is Houhai, where you drink and talk with friends in nice bars mixed with traditional Chinese decoration and good pop music. We usually have a lot of fun there.

OK, that's enough about fun. Let's talk tennis.

I am happy with my performance this year. I concentrated on my game without being distracted by questions about my style. Some people complained that I use too many slices and chops, which make my game a little bit weird. But that's what I am and what I am good at. I don't care about others' opinions. If I don't keep winning, I will consider a change or maybe quit. It doesn't matter. Playing tennis is only part of my life. I can also go another way when the day comes.

So far, I've done a good job, claiming my first and second career WTA titles in Kuala Lumpur and Guangzhou. I was actually not at my best in those finals. I felt pretty tired in Malaysia.

I was very surprised that Laura Robson the runner-up in Guangzhou) defeated Li Na in the US Open. No offense, but I was like "oh, are you kidding me? How did that happen?"

I was really shocked, but I have to admit (Robson) is a genius. All the left-handers are geniuses. She improved her serve a lot and is going to be a tough opponent very soon.

I was excited to beat her, and have to thank my coach, Paul McNamee, who keeps motivating me, giving me a lot of advice and teaching me how to develop a nice personality off the court.

He stays humble and friendly to everyone, even though he's a household name in Australia. His honesty and humor influence me all the time.

For professional players, travel is our life. I usually watch movies on flights if I'm not too sleepy. I always take a notebook in my bag so I can write down interesting ideas.

I like taking photos with my cell phone and posting them on my micro-blog. I'm a big fan of micro-blogging. I do it all day, even in the locker room in the minutes before I step on the court.

My other hobbies include watching basketball and listening to pop music. During my time off in Taipei, I often watch my basketball local team, Yulon Luxgen (a SBL club). One of the team's former players, Lee Hsueh-lin, is playing for Beijing in the CBA and won the league championship last season. That's another reason I love playing here.

Hsieh Su-wei is the reigning Guangzhou Open champion. She is ranked 39th in the world.