Jankovic and Williams top bill in Hong Kong
World number one Jelena Jankovic and Wimbledon champion Venus
Williams top the bill at this week's World Team Challenge as the players
gear up for the season's opening Grand Slam.
The Hong Kong event, which sees teams from four regions battling for
the trophy, also includes China's top player Zheng Jie and Indian
superstar Sania Mirza, who is recovering from serious injury.
Top-ranked Serbian Jankovic, captaining the European team, said she
was looking forward to getting on the courts in Hong Kong as she bids to
break her Grand Slam duck at the upcoming Australian Open.
Jankovic, who ended 2008 as world number one after a see-saw battle
for the top spot, has yet to win one of the four majors.
"It's a great opportunity to play many matches and to get my rhythm
and get match fit. It's really great preparation for the Australian
Open," she said of the tournament starting Wednesday.
"My main goal is to stay number one as long as possible and one of
the priorities is to win a first Grand Slam," the 23-year-old added,
saying she had worked hard on her fitness in the off-season.
Leading the US team will be Williams, 28, currently number six in the
world, who won her seventh Grand Slam title and her fifth Wimbledon
crown last season as well as her first WTA Tour Championships title.
Meanwhile, 22-year-old Mirza said she was was delighted to be back on
court after a painful wrist problem which forced her out of the Beijing
Olympics in tears and left her unable even to lift a fork to eat.
The Indian, who reached a career-high ranking of 27 in August 2007,
said she was feeling fit again following treatment recommended by Yuvraj
Singh, her friend and an Indian Test batsman.
"Coming back from a career-threatening injury makes it very special
to be back," said Mirza, whose ranking plummeted last year as injury
blighted her season and is now ranked 100.
China's Zheng, who last year became the first Chinese player to reach
a Grand Slam singles semi-final when she reached the last four at
Wimbledon, said her successful run there had boosted her confidence.
"I came back and everyone was saying congratulations," said Zheng. "I
was just so happy. That semi-final gave me more confidence and more
belief that I can play the best players in the world and I can get
better and better." The World Team Challenge, which runs until January
10, features teams representing Europe, Russia, the Americas and
Asia-Pacific.
The Russian team includes world number seven Vera Zvonareva and Anna
Chakvetadze, who is a replacement for Maria Sharapova, the 2008
Australian Open champion, who was forced to pull out of the exhibition
event because of an injury.
HONG KONG, Tuesday, AFP |