MELBOURNE, Australia - It has been a breakthrough fortnight for China, with both Li Na and Zheng Jie reaching the final four of the Australian Open - the first time two players from China made it that far at a major - in fact, never before had two Chinese even been in the second week of a major at the same time.
Although the rankings aren't officially released until Monday, the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour projects that both Chinese stars will make significant leaps on the new list: Li is projected to jump inside the Top 10, while Zheng is Top 20 bound.
The current Chinese national ranking record sits at No.15, which both Li and Zheng have already touched (Li is currently at No.17 though, while Zheng is No.35). Li will become China's first Top 10 player.
"It's so exciting. My goal for this year was to be Top 10. But right now it's only January, so it came quickly," Li said after upsetting Venus Williams in the quarterfinals. "Right now you can see many media from China right here. After the match I got 20 text messages from my friends who watched it."
Check out the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour's Chinese-language website!
Li has been pulling off several Houdini acts, not just with a three set win over Daniela Hantuchova in the third round or her 26 76(4) 75 win over Williams, but more dangerously a 36 75 62 second round win over Agnes Szavay, during which she was down a pair of match points while serving at 36 45.
"In China we say if you have a tough time and come back from it, maybe you'll have good luck after," Li continued. "I still believe that."
Zheng was the first Chinese player ever to reach No.15, going that high last spring. She is also the first player ever to make the semifinals of a major, at Wimbledon in 2008. Additionally, she is one of only three Chinese ever to win a major, doing so in doubles with Yan Zi (they won the Australian Open and Wimbledon in 2006); Sun Tiantian has since won a mixed doubles major.
