MELBOURNE: Asian players go into the opening Grand Slam of the season with plenty still to prove, and at least one will be going home today.
Li Na
The region’s best hopes at the Australian Open lie with Li Na and Zheng Jie, while Japanese veteran Kimiko Date Krumm lurks as a dark horse.
But their numbers have been boosted with China’s Han Xinyun coming through qualifying.
There are now 10 Asian women in the tournament, two more than last year, but only Taiwan’s Lu Yen-Hsun in the men.
Once again Li and Zheng carry the baton for Asia.
Li has crept up to 17 in the world and needs a good run to reinforce her reputation but Zheng has slipped down the rankings to 35 after abandoning the Chinese state sports system to manage her own career.
Others making the grade include China’s Peng Shuai (46), Indian underachiever Sania Mirza (56) and Japan’s 39-year-old Date Krumm at 64.
The veteran, who was once four in the world, made a comeback last year after more than a decade in retirement and has been showing some solid form, recently beating two top 20 players — Virginie Razzano and Nadia Petrova.
Other Asian women in the main draw are fellow Japanese Ayumi Morita (91), Taiwanese pair Chan Yung-jan (85) and Chang Kai-Chen (94) and evergreen Thai star Tamarine Tanasugarn (99).
But there is no Ai Sugiyama, who called it quits last year after 15 successive Australian Open campaigns, leaving just two Japanese to carry the flag next week.
Li has long been Asia’s most high-profile player and continued her steady rise last year, winning through to the fourth round at Roland Garros and making her second Grand Slam quarter-final appearance at the US Open.
A first round exit at the ASB Classic in Auckland didn’t bode well but she bounced back with an impressive victory over US Open finalist Caroline Wozniacki, now world number four, at the Sydney International last week.
She opens her tournament tomorrow against New Zealand’s Marina Erakovic.
Zheng, who has won three tour singles titles and 11 doubles titles, including the 2006 Australian Open and Wimbledon doubles trophies, made the fourth round last year but has been drawn against Peng in the first round.
While one of them will be going home today, Zheng is confident that Chinese players will continue improving.
“I think people can see the improvement in our ranking in the last few years,” she recently told reporters.
“They can see more Chinese players active on the tennis scene. So I think there will be a top 10 player from China.”
Mirza, who won the mixed doubles title partnered by Mahesh Bhupathi last year, has a tough first round tie against French 26th seed Aravane Rezai.
She said her key focus this year was staying fit.
“It’s not that easy to win a Grand Slam singles title,” she said.
“My target this year will be to stay fit for as long as possible and to play in as many matches as possible.”
Once again, there is little hope for the Asian men, who have been in the doldrums for years.
While Japan’s hottest new prospect Kei Nishikori climbed the rankings last year, he has since faded after an elbow injury forced him onto the sidelines.
He has yet to fully recover and has withdrawn from the Australian Open. It leaves Taiwan’s Lu as Asia’s only men’s hope. He opens this year against Ireland’s Louk Sorensen. — AFP