China abuzz with tennis success

PHOTO

Zheng Jie of China celebrates her victory against Maria Kirilenko of Russia in their women's singles quarter-final on day nine of the Australian Open in Melbourne on January 26, 2010. [AFP]

Tom Iggulden, China correspondent

Last Updated: Thu, 28 Jan 2010 07:45:00 +1100

The success of two Chinese women tennis players at the Australian Open is making for front page news in China, a country not used to being a force in world tennis.

Tennis doesn't have a huge following in China, but now with not one but two local girls doing well on the world stage the game's suddenly got front page attention.

One newspaper's describing the two as "golden blooms", predicting Li Na and Zheng Jie would continue to blossom for years to come.

News of Li Na and Zheng Jie's catapult up the world tennis rankings couldn't have come at a better time for Chinese sports fans.

A widening corruption probe into the local soccer league is laying out some ugly truths about professional sports in the country.

Much of the Chinese media is attributing Li and Zheng's success at the Australian Open to the professional teams of coaches and agents they've used over the last couple of years.

Previously, the pair had battled China's bureaucratic tennis establishment for control over their careers.

Much is now expected of the pair as their Australian Open campaigns continue.