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Asian players have point to prove at Aussie Open

Lu Yen-hsun of Taiwan plays a forehand return against Arnaud Clement of France during their Hopman Cup singles match in Perth, Australia, last Thursday. PHOTO: AFP

After a year in which they failed to turn promise into any significant success, Asian players have a point to prove at the Australian Open.

Going into the tournament, eight Asian women are ranked within the top 100, with China's Li Na at 24 the highest placed and the best hope for regional success in Melbourne, if she recovers from a knee injury.

Others making the grade include India's Sania Mirza (31), Ai Sugiyama of Japan (38), Peng Shuai of China (45), Japan's Akiko Morigami (48), China's Yan Zi (58), Chan Yung-jan of Taiwan (68), and Aiko Nakamura of Japan (70).

Asian men's tennis is in dire straits with just one player inside the top 100 -- South Korea's Lee Hyung-taik at 46. Three more are in the top 200, including Taiwan's Jimmy Wang and Lu Yen-hsun but the signs are not good.

Much was expected of China's emerging women, in particular, last year but they failed to deliver, partly due to injury.

The signs were encouraging this time last year but no Asian went beyond the fourth round at Melbourne when Li was sent packing by the now drug-tainted Martina Hingis.

"I became a better player after the six-month absence. I am a calm woman right now and I will take my future challenges with a stronger heart."

Li Na

Thailand's Danai Udomchoke was the best performing man, as he battled into the third round before going down to Serbian star Novak Djokovic.

Li had an impressive first half to her season, making the quarter-finals or better five times before succumbing to a right rib stress fracture which forced her out the final 13 events of last year.

But she bounced back, winning the Australian Women's Hardcourt championships last week, although a knee injury forced her out of this week's Sydney International.

The 26-year-old, the first Chinese player to reach the last eight of a Grand Slam, at Wimbledon in 2006, said she grew mentally during her time away.

"I became a better player after the six-month absence," she told Chinese media. "I am a calm woman right now and I will take my future challenges with a stronger heart."

Jie Zheng, who partnered Yan Zi to win the women's doubles at the Australian Open and Wimbledon in 2006, injured her left ankle at Roland Garros last year which wrecked her season.

Before the onset of injuries she had climbed to 34 in the world, but is now languishing at 163.

However, according to Gao Shenyang, vice-director of the Tennis Administrative Center, tennis's governing body in China, she has successfully come through surgery and is raring to go.

As well as Li and Zheng, Yan Zi will be one to watch.

The Sichuan-native is currently ranked at a career high 58 after zooming 112 ranking places last year with 31 victories to 15 defeats.

India's Mirza, 21, has been built up as a star of the future but questions remain over her abilities on the big stage, where she has failed to go beyond her fourth round appearance at the US Open in 2005.

A youth icon in India, she crashed out in the second round in Melbourne last year, but had success on the doubles circuit where she won four tournaments.

She also broke into the world top 30 for the first time, and says she wants to crack the top 20 this year.

"I am playing my best and will strive to achieve a ranking of 20 before the end of the 2008 season," she said.

Japanese veteran Ai Sugiyama remains a legitimate hope with the 32-year-old set for her 14th consecutive Australian Open.

The Kanagawa-based star made the quarter-finals in 2000 but has yet to revisit such lofty heights.

Asian men have only South Korea's Lee to hang their hopes on.

Whatever happens, Asia will be watching.

For the first time, Australian Open organizers will put high-profile Asian matches on a designated showcourt.

Officials have long promoted the season's opening major as "the Grand Slam for Asia-Pacific" and they said having a special Asian court would deepen ties with the region.
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