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Fine China: Li and Zheng Charm On
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January 27, 2010 - 10:18 AM
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Back From the Brink: Li, Serena, Federer
 A few hours ago, Roger Federer extended his never-to-be-broken record for consecutive Grand Slam semifinal appearances to an otherworldly 23, a mark whose origin dates back to George W’s first term. Federer was in dire straights tonight, down a set, 1-3, 15-40 against a zeroed-in Nikolay Davydenko, before the Russian imploded and Federer reeled off 13 straight games to take control of the proceedings. The fourth set was extremely competitive, and when Federer served for the match at 5-4, Davydenko hit two incredible returns (“Why now?” Federer said he was thinking) to even the score at 5-all. But the 15-time Grand Slam singles winner was able to hold at 6-5, his second time serving for the match, and book his semifinal berth.
That match capped a dramatic day session that saw No. 16 seed Li Na upset No. 6 Venus Williams, 2-6, 7-6 (4), 7-5, in a match of dubious quality which “featured” (or, more accurately, was marred by) more breaks of serve (17, including six straight in the deciding set) than holds (15). Not long after Venus’ expulsion, it looked like her sister, top-seeded Serena, would also be bowing out in the quarterfinals. But down a set and 0-4 to dangerous No. 7 seed Victoria Azarenka, Serena started striking the ball with fury, firing winners with lethal ferocity. She won five consecutive games and 12 of the next 16, plus a tiebreaker, to advance 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-2.
Serena’s sudden, sharp upshift in level was reminiscent of what happened in the quarterfinals here last year. In 2009, she was down a break in the third to Svetlana Kuznetsova when the heat rule was invoked and the match paused so the roof could be closed. The resolute Williams who reemerged in Rod Laver Arena after the delay played dominating tennis the rest of the tournament, dispatching with Kuznetsova, Elena Dementieva, and a hapless (and teary) Dinara Safina en route to her fourth Aussie Open title. During that run, and again in the second half of her match today, Serena made it clear that she’s the best women’s player on the planet.
Azarenka is prone to the occasional mental lapse, but it was her fitness, not her psyche, that let her down this afternoon. Winded and wilting throughout the third set, the Belarussian could do nothing to impede the force of nature that is Serena when she’s steely-eyed and playing well. But though Azarenka could have perhaps made the third set more competitive if she’d been less fatigued, the outcome was not up to her. Serena’s third-set level today would’ve rendered any opponent helpless.
Year of the Ox on the Women’s Tour
So the 13th Grand Slam edition of the Williamses’ serial family drama did not materialize; there will be no Serena-Venus semifinal. Instead, a fresher and arguably more compelling storyline has emerged here in the form of the success of the Chinese women. While Russia, the deepest nation in women’s tennis, has no women left in the draw, half of the remaining final four are Chinese.
On Monday, Li Na ran through U.S. Open finalist Caroline Wozniacki in straight sets, and in so doing ensured that for the first time in history, China would have two quarterfinalists at a Grand Slam. Now both Li, the No. 17 player in the world, and Zheng Jie, ranked 35th, are into the semis. Though they both had some tough early-round matches—Zheng won three straight three-setters to open the tournament, and Li faced down two match points against Agnes Szavay in the second round—Zheng’s quarterfinal matchup was by far the easier of the two. The diminutive and uber-speedy Zheng rolled past an overmatched Maria Kirilenko (ranked No. 58), 6-1, 6-3, on Tuesday. Today, by contrast, Venus seemed to be cruising to a routine victory; she served for the match at 5-4 before Li found her game. (Li will crack the Top 10 for the first time when next week’s rankings come out.)
 No Chinese player has ever made a Grand Slam final, and Zheng has the better chance of the two here, simply because she doesn’t have to face Serena. Unseeded but undaunted, the 2008 Wimbledon semifinalist shouldn’t be overwhelmed by the occasion when she plays Justine Henin on Thursday. (She pushed Serena to a second-set tiebreaker in that semi at the All England Club.) Zheng's cream puff second serve is a liability that Henin, unlike Kirilenko, should be able to exploit. But the 5-foot-4½ Zheng, fleet of foot and long on confidence, is by no means a gimme for Henin. The Belgian has played ten and a half hours of tennis through her first five matches—a tough run for just her second tournament back from retirement.
Zheng, who lost to Henin four years ago in their only previous meeting, doesn’t plan to hold back. “It’s tough for me, but I’m so happy I can play against her, because [she] is my favorite player,” the 26-year-old said of Henin Tuesday. I don’t have anything [to lose], I just want to do my tennis.” And colleague Pete Bodo, for one, thinks her tennis will be enough for the win; he picked Zheng to take out Henin in this podcast. Zheng, whom a Chinese reporter told me is friendly and chatty with the national press, should have some crowd support on Thursday. She’s had a loyal local fan base since her victory in the women’s doubles with Yan Zi here four years ago.
As for Li, her hard-fought, come-from-behind win gives her a 2-0 career record against Venus; she also beat the American in the quarterfinals of the Beijing Olympics in 2008. But the 5-foot-8, hard-hitting baseliner should have a much harder time against Serena, whom she’s beaten once in four tries. The two-time Grand Slam quarterfinalist is strong and poised, but will be the clear underdog, given the fearsome form Serena showed in the second half of her match today.
Like Zheng, the 27-year-old Li is an appealing character with a rebellious spirit. She sought independence from the Chinese national tennis federation, an arrangement that she says accommodates her “lazy” nature: “Right now if I didn’t want to practice, I just tell my team, ‘We take day off.’” She sports a large tattoo of a rose with a heart on the left side of her chest; it’s a symbol of love she got for her boyfriend (now her husband) when she was 16. She has funky red highlights, and a wry, self-deprecating sense of humor. Her standard reaction, when asked if she’s capable of making the Top 5 or if she’s close with Zheng Jie: “Why not?”
I spent the better part of a decade as an Olympics researcher, and most of the Chinese gymnasts and figure skaters I encountered were stoic and unforthcoming in interviews. (That was largely a product of the language barrier; it’s hard to get a good glimpse into an athlete’s personality when every sentence must be run through a team-appointed translator. And it’s not surprising that a young athlete who has spent most of his childhood and adolescence in a skating rink or gymnasium would not have had time to develop many outside interests.) By contrast, Zheng and Li are warm and outgoing. They’re both grown and married women, worldly and savvy, and both speak passable English. The western media might not be paying them much attention (ESPN continues to confuse their given names and family names on their full-screen draws), but it’s good for women's tennis that these semifinalists have big personalities to match their big games.
In particular, Li, who studied journalism at a university in her hometown of Wuhan, doesn’t miss a chance for a joke. Today, when the follicularly-challenged Ubaldo Scanagatta, an Italian journalist who looks like he hasn’t had a hair day—good or bad—in 30 years, asked her why she dyes her tresses so often, Li gave him an impish grin and suggested he try it.
A Quarterfinal ‘Birth’
Quick update to one of last week’s posts: According to his Twitter page, second-round loser Taylor Dent made it home from Australia in plenty of time for the arrival of his first child, a baby boy. Declan James Phillip Dent, who arrived Tuesday in the States, weighed in at 8 pounds, 12 ounces. Congrats to the proud new papa and his wife, Jenny, on their new addition.
32 Comments
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Posted by Chek19 |
January 27, 2010 at 10:55 AM |
Kudos to these amazing Chinese women for reaching the "Asian Slam". I sure hope we'll be hearing more from them during the 2010 season and beyond.
I'm disappointed, however, at the "slighting" Justine has been receiving from commentators on this site, especially Pete Bodo. Not to take away anything from Zheng, but I do think Justine's attacking game is well-suited to overwhelm her Asian opponent, and let's not delude ourselves in believing otherwise. The biggest deterrent for Henin would be her physical well-being, after all those marathon matches. But somehow, as shown in this tournament, she has found the goods to overcome fatigue and win convincingly. Just based on this pattern, how can anyone count her out?
I, for one, am looking forward to a Serena-Justine final. I think followers of the women's tour deserve it, after 2 years of mediocrity. I don't like Justine's chances in that match, but I'm sure there's going to be fireworks before she goes down...or if she ends up surprising all of us with a win. Who knows? ;) |
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Posted by xxx |
January 27, 2010 at 10:57 AM |
hfgs |
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Posted by jadel |
January 27, 2010 at 11:20 AM |
Venus should do her best to win winblemdon and then retire, i can't understand how a woman of such greatness still haven't work on her weakness all this years. She hasn't improved or fixed her problem(serve) all this years, so win wimb and then retire on top
serena once again proved who is the best woman in the world when she's playing at her best. i have said it before and i WILL SAY IT again, every other players can be beat when they're playing at their best, SERENA CAN NOT BE BEATED BY ANYONE WHEN SHE'S PLAYING AT HER BEST.
SO THE SEMI AND THE FINAL IS UP TO HER, SHE WILL WIN IT ALL IF THE GREAT SERENA PLAYS, BUT SHE WILL LOSE IT CAUSE OF INJURIES OR IF BAD SERENA SHOWS UP TO PLAY.
WOULD LOVE TO SEE JUSTINE/SERENAL FINAL WHILE SERENA PLAYING AT HER BEST TO SEE HOW MUCH CARLOS COACHING HENIN FROM HIS SEAT WILL HELP. LOL |
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Posted by State of game |
January 27, 2010 at 11:25 AM |
Good quality piece. Thank you. |
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Posted by Fudoshin |
January 27, 2010 at 11:51 AM |
Cheers to the Chinese women. Chinese women have been doing well in Grand Slam doubles. It is nice to see that they are now doing wells in singles also. |
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Posted by Ash |
January 27, 2010 at 11:53 AM |
Delude yourself if you like, Jadel. Serena is a disgrace to women's tennis. |
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Posted by Gutt |
January 27, 2010 at 11:58 AM |
Ash,
Get over it, your attitude is so last September. |
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Posted by jb (Go Smiley Fed!! ) |
January 27, 2010 at 12:12 PM |
chek19 - i don't think its a slam against justine to predict she will not be in the final. she's had a tremendous run here - but its only her 2nd tourney back. She's alternatedly played great and ishy tennis.
Abbey - been meaning to say thanks for all the posts. its been great fun having you on the ground down thar in Oz.. :) |
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Posted by Christopher |
January 27, 2010 at 12:12 PM |
For those of you wondering how to correctly pronounce Zheng Jie's name, here's a video explaining how by some friends of mine:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRqAa8f-CAY |
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Posted by Fudoshin |
January 27, 2010 at 12:21 PM |
That is a fantastic video. Good show! |
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Posted by BillyBob |
January 27, 2010 at 12:34 PM |
Why are earth does James Martin use Oracene Williams as someone who has the "right view of on-court coaching?"(she supposedly sleeps during matches). Um, wasn't she the one yelling "get out of Melbourne" to Serena just two years ago at the Assie Open? Isn't that an example of on court coaching? Anyway, frankly, I don't care what a coach yells from the stands, if that works, whatever. Just no sit down in-depth discussions about tactics and mental attitudes on the courts with players. It's lame, and boring -not to mention it favors players who can afford personal coaches. I simply can't fathom why the some broadcasters continue to insist on pushing for it(see: Martina I'll-Say-Something-Negative-About-Each-And-Every-Point-If-I-Can Navratilova), it's almost as if they've been paid by a sponsor to do so. |
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Posted by Blockhead |
January 27, 2010 at 12:44 PM |
Zzzzzzzzzz....
Someone wake me when Abigial's posts are over.
Agreed Ash -- Serena is a complete piece of trash. |
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Posted by jadel |
January 27, 2010 at 01:29 PM |
yeah ash, serena is a disgrace to women tennis cause nobody can't beat her when she's at best so it's a huge disgrace for those other girls shaking scare in the lockeroom when they have to face the best woman out there..lol
sweety, nobody is perfect, we all make mistake..yes, i can acknowledge she should have handled things differently, but a disgrace to tennis? are you kidding me, more like the face of tennis and the best woman on the court. sorry if the truth hurts but fantasy is what we want but reality is what we need and she's the real deal |
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Posted by BrooklynNY |
January 27, 2010 at 01:30 PM |
I actually think Martina Navratilova is one of the better female commentators, actually the best.
Sometimes when people hit like bad volleys, she comes off as 'elitist' like saying what the person did wrong, but at the same time, Professional tennis players should be able to amazing volleys.
She speaks from, and to you, in a players perspective, not just a random sports fan attempting to watch sportscenter only to find out tennis is on |
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Posted by BrooklynNY |
January 27, 2010 at 01:44 PM |
and for the record:
Serena is definitely the real deal.
Azarenka didn't play bad, Serena just picked it up and started actually moving her feet a bit at 0-4
you can't do anything but applaud that effort. |
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Posted by NickR |
January 27, 2010 at 01:50 PM |
Nice work Abigail, love the posts. Please don't let any of those haters irk you.....you're doing a great job out there. |
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Posted by The Spider |
January 27, 2010 at 02:04 PM |
Jadel, it kinda looks like you're right on point. Venus has been at square one for quite some time now. Yet she doesn't seem to be growing. You're right. She's had plenty of time to adjust her serve and her game. Entering her late 20s many thought she'd have fine tuned her game by now. After all, you just can't keep on baselining. To her credit, though, she has decided to come to the net for play oftener. But her stubbornness in not adusting her game to suit the times is tarnishing her brand.
Someone made a comment about Navratilova. Yes, she, along with Bud Collins, is one of the best commentators/analysts in the business, someone we should hear more from. |
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Posted by EBEB2 |
January 27, 2010 at 02:12 PM |
Gosh,
There's been several comments and not one yet saying how they won't watch the AO anymore since there are no more AMERICANS left. I guess they will stay tuned hoping for an Asian beat down of Serena.
So what has happened to the REAL American women's tennis. Nothing against her, but why isn't America's little darling,Oudin, in the semis. Afterall according to Dick Enberg she's the "Queen of Queens" even if she doesn't have an US Open title!
I'm sure a large number of Americans will be cheering for China to reign supreme over the "American Imposter." No wonder China's economy is passing the U.S. We outsource everything....even pride. |
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Posted by Critic |
January 27, 2010 at 02:18 PM |
Martina Navaratilova may be a good commentator, but I for one can't understand a word she is saying, or rather mumbling through her nose. She should seriously consider using a nasal decongestant before she gets on the air. |
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Posted by Bob |
January 27, 2010 at 02:25 PM |
Since Zheng's first serve averages only 82 mph, an her secon serve 10 kpm slower, Henin shoul be able to attack both of her serves regularly. Unless she's really off her game, that shoul be a pretty quick match. |
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Posted by Slice-n-Dice |
January 27, 2010 at 02:28 PM |
I fell hard for Zheng Zie during her improbable run to the 2008 Wimbledon semifinals. |
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Posted by jadel |
January 27, 2010 at 02:33 PM |
BROOKLYNNY IS RIGHT ON, AZARENKA PLAYED GREAT AND DIDN'T LOST IT MENTALLY LIKE SHE USUALLY DOES, SO ALL MY CREDIT GOES TO SERENA CAUSE SHE WON IT WITH HER AMAZING GAME, NOT CAUSE AZARENKA CHOKED OR STARTED PLAYING BAD. LIKE SERENA HAS ALWYAS SAID, WHEN SHE PLAYS HER BEST, IT'S HARD TO BEAT HER, THE WOMAN IS AMAZING WHEN SHE'S AT HER BEST.
I RESPECT NAVARATILOVA MORE THAN CARILLO CAUSE AT LEAST NAVATILOVA HAS BEEN THERE, KNOW THE FEELING, CARILLO TALKS IS MORE PERSONAL AND NOTHING ELSE, SORRY BUT DON'T PREACH TO ME WHAT YOU HAVEN'T PRACTICED, AND I HAVE TO SAY I'M SORRY CAUSE A FEW DAYS I CALLED HER "LESBO" AND TALKED GARBAGE, I'M NOT THAT TYPE OF PERSON BUT SHE GOT THE BEST OF ME. SO I'M SORRY TO YOU READERS.
THE SPIDER, I HEAR YOU AND I AGREE, VENUS BIGGEST PROBLEM IS STUBBORNESS, IF SHE WANTS TO WIN AGAIN, SHE NEEDS TO FIX THOSE FEW THINGS IN HER GAME THAT CAN BE FIXED IF SHE REALLY WANTS TO.. SHE CAN BE AMAZING BUT FOR WHATEVER REASON SHE HASN'T REALLY ELEVATE HER GAME TO THE NEXT LEVEL.
WHY IS SERENA AND LINA PLAYING FIRST TONIGHT? WHEN THEY'RE STILL TIRED FOR LAST NIGHT AND THE OTHERS TWO HAVE HAD 2 DAYS OFF, WHO IS RUNNING THE AUSTRALIA OPEN?, IT MAKES NO SENSE AND IT'S UNFAIR. |
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Posted by BrooklynNY |
January 27, 2010 at 02:35 PM |
jadel, i like the fact you agree with me, but I dont like you typing in ALL CAPS
YoU MiGhT aS wElL TyPe LiKE tHIs, iTs AnNoYiNg tO rEaD |
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Posted by jadel |
January 27, 2010 at 03:11 PM |
lol..sorry brooklynny, i'm at work an had the caps on and didn't pay mind to it.
can't wait for tonight matches, it will be really interesting to see how it goes down |
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Posted by PC |
January 27, 2010 at 04:30 PM |
Love the Asian influence. But me love Serena long time! |
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Posted by Hungarian Rhapsody |
January 27, 2010 at 06:25 PM |
Not much has changed since that racist Peter Bodo revealed his true inner feelings/colors towards Chinese players or Asian athletes/people in general when Na Li made some noise at a Grand Slam event a couple yrs ago; folks like Peter Bodo, the media and the journalists are still confused & dazed as to how to go about treating and portraying an Asian success at an international athletic event. Hey, why not exploit this opportunity for one thing? China happens to be the fastest growing economic market in the world and happens to be the most populous country as well.
Long Live Peter Bodo! |
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Posted by p |
January 27, 2010 at 06:50 PM |
Peter Bodo is a jerk sometimes. He's very critical of both Henin and Clijsters and unreasonably so. |
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Posted by John |
January 27, 2010 at 06:52 PM |
ALL EDITORS PICKS SUCKS!- All their predictions are totally wrong who's going to be the Australian Open Champion this year? They're all dumb except ED MCGROGAN Who is rooting for ROGER FEDERER to win!! they're all against the greatest player on the planet and the world number one! You know why? They're all insecure with FEDERER AND CAN'T ACCEPT THE FACT THE HE IS THE GREATEST OF THEM ALL!!
Sorry guys, FEDERER is going for his 16TH MAJOR TITLE and his 4TH AUSTRALIAN OPEN TITLE!
GO ROGER!!!!! |
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Posted by plod |
January 27, 2010 at 07:30 PM |
Congrats to the chinese women. I'm not expecting however that Li and Zheng will make it to the finals (although I would love to see them both compete for the title) nor will they continue to reach this deep in every grandslam they enter afterwards. Nonetheless, I think that China will now put even greater premium on tennis in its national sports program, entailing a probable surge of even better tennis players (with bigger arsenal of shots) from China in 2-3 years perhaps. Notably, China is now very much represented in the juniors' circuit than ever before. It would not be surprising therefore if chinese players end up dominating the sport similar to what happened in other racket sports such as table tennis and badminton. We might see tennis versions of Deng Yaping, Zhang Yining, Wang Nan, Wang Liqin, Kong Linghui, Lin Dan, Zhang Ning, Ge Fei, Gu Jun, Li Yongbo, etc. |
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Posted by robin |
January 28, 2010 at 12:27 AM |
Zheng and Li are fanastic palyer.
Do you best to reach the pinnacle. |
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March 22, 2010 at 11:52 PM |
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