Athens 2004 Olympic gold medal-winning pair Li Ting and Sun
Tiantian should have been split up much earlier, Chinese Tennis
Association (CTA) chief Sun Jinfang has said.
The Olympic duo were taken apart before the Australian Open this
year to ensure the Chinese team has the best possible pairings for
the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.
Sun Tiantian has teamed up with 20-year-old Sun Shengnan in
Melbourne, while Li Ting is paired with Ji Chunmei.
The two Suns have been an instant hit, enjoying a six-game
winning streak in 2007. The duo outmuscled US Open titlists
Nathalie Dechy of France and Russian Vera Zvonareva to book an
all-China quaterfinal clash with defending champions Zheng Jie and
Yan Zi today.
They also played well before the Grand Slam tournament when they
reached the semifinals of the Auckland ASB Classic earlier this
month, before Sun Tiantian retired with an elbow injury.
"We should have broken them (Li Ting and Sun Tiantian) earlier
last year as the change of pair has really given us what we
expected," said Sun Jinfang. "We wanted to split the pair right
after the Athens Olympics but we had a lot of pressure to keep them
because they won China's first ever (tennis) gold medal.
"The shining performance of the Suns proves our decision was
right, and I am very sorry we didn't do it a year ago."
After Athens Li and Sun Tiantian slumped, winning only one title
last year and losing in the semifinals of the Doha Asian Games.
Sun Jinfang and national team head coach Jiang Hongwei have
criticised the pair for their "lack of motivation" and "bad form",
but have not ruled out the possibility of bringing them back
together.
Li Ting had been contemplating retirement after winning a bronze
medal at the Doha Asian Games last month, but the CTA has asked her
to stay on through the preparatory period for the Beijing Olympics,
Sun Jinfang added.
Li Na, Peng Shuai, Li Ting, Sun Tiantian, as well as youngsters
Sun Shengnan and Ji Chunmei, will be tried out in different
partnerships at upcoming WTA tournaments. The final three Olympic
pairs will be decided in June, when a new Olympic Points System
takes effect.
The CTA chief said she was not surprised to see the two Suns
performing well, as Sun Shengnan won the junior doubles title at
the Australian Open in 2004 with Latisha Chan of Chinese
Taipei.
With the combination of youth and experience, the duo is
expected to be China's second ranked pair behing Zheng and Yan,
winners of the Australian Open and Wimbledon doubles titles last
year.
"I think we've got a great rhythm because our games are
similar," said Sun Tiantian. "Sun Shengnan is very talented and the
games are much easier when she is around."
Singles specialists Peng Shuai and Li Na are paired up in a
fiery combination, but less is expected of them after they lost in
the first round in Auckland and then the second round of the
Australian Open. Li Ting and Ji Chunmei haven't performed well, and
lost in the first round in Melbourne.
"We will try more pairings after the Australian Open," said Sun
Jinfang. "Our adjustments aim to ensure we qualify for the Olympics
and occupy good positions in the draw," she said.
(China Daily January 24, 2007)