Li, Zheng left to shoulder Asian hopes
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Chinese stars Li Na and Zheng Jie were left to shoulder Asian hopes at the Australian Open yesterday after veterans Tamarine Tanasugarn and Kimiko Date-Krumm were bundled out.
It was familiar story with Li (pictured left) and Zheng (pictured right) routinely being the last left standing from a region that boasted 11 contenders on day one.
Li, Asia's top player and seeded 16 after a stellar 2009, stormed into the second round with a 6-2, 6-0 romp over New Zealand's Marina Erakovic, as she wrapped up a match postponed due to rain on the opening day.
Zheng, who made the fourth round last year, is deeper into the tournament after beating Spain's 24th seed Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 for a third-round berth.
It sets her up with a clash against 11th seeded Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli, a quarter-finalist last year, as Zheng seeks to match her exploits in 2009.
Since both players severed ties with China's state sports system last year to manage their own careers and keep all of their prizemoney, Li has flourished more.
Moving up to 17 in the world and having made the fourth round at Roland Garros and her second Grand Slam quarterfinal appearance at the US Open last year, she is now targeting the top 10.
"The goal for me this year is to break into the top 10. Yeah, that's a good goal," she said after her victory.
While Li and Zheng stayed alive, Tamarine was sent packing by comeback queen Kim Clijsters but not before giving the Belgian a decent run for her money.
Clijsters went into the match as the overwhelming favorite against the experienced 32-year-old campaigner but was made to work hard for more than 90 minutes at the Rod Laver Arena before grinding out a 6-3, 6-3 win.
Tamarine had her chances and was kicking herself afterwards, saying she got herself into good positions by changing tactics but couldn't find the killer touch.
Nevertheless, she said she enjoyed herself and had no plans to retire. "Right now I'm actually enjoying my tennis more than before," she said.
"Before it was like 'you have to keep up your ranking, you have to step up your game and improve everything'.
"Now I'm just enjoying the tour, and doing the best I can."
Another veteran still on the tour is Japan's Date-Krumm, a former world No 4 who came out of retirement in 2008.
She is now her country's highest ranked player but was overpowered by Kazakhstan's Yaroslava Shvedova 6-4, 6-2 in her first-round match.
Date-Krumm, who turns 40 in September, said she planned to return to the tour in 2010, saying her game was better now than a year ago.
"I still feel I can keep going," she said. "I played three seeds at the Sydney International and I feel okay.
"My level has gone up over the past year and I think I have better chances now against the better players."
Among other Asians in action, Taiwan's Chang Kai-Chen was knocked out by Czech Iveta Benesova 7-5, 6-2.
