Fresh from her victory in the women's singles, Zheng Jie is favourite to
claim her second gold medal of the 15th Asian Games when she partners Yan Zi in
the women's doubles final at Khalifa International Tennis and Squash
Complex.
The Chinese top seeds are ranked third and fourth in the world, significantly
higher than their opponents Chan Yung Jan and Chuang Chia Jung of Chinese
Taipei, who have a combined world ranking of 186.
Zheng and Yan's pedigree also shows in their results, the pair having won two
Grand Slam titles in 2006 at the Australian Open and Wimbledon - making them the
first Chinese players to win a Grand Slam title in any event. The more
experienced pair have dropped only one set in their three matches to the final -
having had a bye in the opening round - in their quarterfinal with another
Chinese Taipei pair in Hsieh Su Wei and Chan Chin Wei.
By contrast 17 year-old Chan and Chuang, 21, are yet to drop a set in their
passage, which included an impressive 6-3, 6-2 defeat of No 2 seeds Li Ting and
Sun Tiantian in the semi to deny an all-China final.
Chan and Zheng are certainly no strangers to each other at Doha 2006, having
met in the quarterfinals of the women's singles, a match the Chinese player won
in three sets - 3-6, 6-4, 6-2.
However Zheng is not the only gold medallist in the final with Chan and
Chuang having helped Chinese Taipei win the women's team event, capturing the
pivotal final rubber against Indian pair Sania Mirza and Shikha Uberoi to seal
the win.
If Chan and Chuang cause a big upset in the final, which begins at 13:00,
then they will become Chinese Taipei's first women's doubles champions in Asian
Games history.
But if Zheng and Yan live up to their billing as strong favourites, then they
will become the first Chinese champions since Li Fang and Chen Li won the event
at the 1998 edition in Bangkok.
The women's doubles is followed by the final event of the tennis programme at
the 15th Asian Games, the men's singles gold medal match between Lee Hyung Taik
of Korea and Thailand's Danai Udomchoke.
Lee is the top seed in the competition and was arguably favourite to better
his silver medal from four years ago even before Paradorn Srichaphan withdrew
before the event began with an injured tendon in his wrist.
Srichaphan, who lost his standing as Asian No 1 to Lee in November - the
Korean ranked 49th to the Thai's 54th - was the defending champion, but had been
a doubt coming into the Games.
Lee though has been in impressive form at Doha 2006, not dropping a set in
his eight singles matches he has played - including four in the team event to
help Korea to victory - with Cecil Mamiit of the Philippines his latest victim
in the semi.
That 7-5, 6-0 victory earned Lee a place among a select trio of players to
reach consecutive Games men's singles finals, the others being China's Pan Bing
(1990, 1994) and Yoon Yong Il (1994, 1998) - the last Korean to win the
title.
Lee has certainly had the upper hand in his previous meetings with Udomchoke
- who at 25 is five years younger than the Korean - with five victories from
their six encounters, including two in 2006.
On hard courts at Challenger events in Busan and Seoul, Lee made the most of
his home advantage to triumph in straight sets on both occasions. Their Busan
encounter came in the final, while in Seoul, Lee went on to win the title.
No 3 seed Udomchoke has needed three sets in his last two matches - against
Korea's Jun Woong Sun and Go Soeda of Japan - to reach the final and will need
to be at the top of his game if he is to deny Lee another gold medal.
However if Udomchoke can cause an upset, then Thailand will become only the
fifth nation to win back-to-back men's singles titles after the Philippines
(1958, 1962), Japan (1966, 1974), Indonesia (1978, 1982) and China (1990,
1994).
Only time will tell if Udomchoke can raise Thai spirits after twin brothers
Sanchai and Sonchat Ratiwatana squandered seven match points to eventually lose
the men's doubles final to Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi of India.
(Credit: Doha 2006. Click here for further
information.)
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