The surprising news from the Rod Laver Arena was that China, with a population of 1.3 billion, has more representatives through into the semi-finals of the Australian Open than one Californian family, after Li Na defeated Venus Williams in three messy sets in the quarter-finals.
For the first time, China has two players into the semi-finals of a grand slam, while only one of the Williams girls could survive beyond the quarter-finals at the slam Down Under, and at one stage it seemed as though there would be no Californians in the last four, though Serena, the defending champion and the world No 1, came from a set and 0-4 down to defeat Victoria Azarenka, from Belarus.
If this has so far been a mixed tournament for the Californians, it has been a promising one for Chinese women’s tennis, as Zheng Jie had made the semi-finals the day before. With Li to play Serena, and Zheng to meet Belgium’s Justine Henin, there is the possibility of an all-Chinese final on Saturday evening.
A few years ago, when the Australian Open was rebranded as the grand slam of Asia and the Pacific that seemed like a ploy to prevent any possible Chinese attempt to take this tournament away from Melbourne. Yet Asian players have had more of an impact on this tournament than the Australians.
Australia no longer has any players left in the women’s or men’s draws, but China has two. It will be Li’s first grand slam semi-final, and Zheng’s second, after her run at Wimbledon a couple of years ago. In Beijing, they are calling Li and Zheng the “golden flowers” of Chinese tennis.
It was not so long ago that the Chinese tennis authorities allowed Li and Zheng to opt out of the country’s tennis system, and to lead independent careers on the international professional circuit, but it is believed that they still have to pass some of their prize-money to the state.
“They are mature enough to manage themselves,” said a Chinese tennis official. “And have also proved that they now have a better understanding of tennis.”
For whatever reason, something about the Australian Open seems to disagree with Venus. Though she is a former finalist here, as she was the runner-up to her sister in 2003, she has since gone no further than the quarter-finals in Melbourne.
There had been more talk during this tournament about the flesh-coloured underwear she has been wearing under her dress than there had been about the possibility of her winning the tournament.
Li defeated Venus 2-6, 7-6, 7-5. Serena, who is attempting to win her fifth title at Melbourne Park, won 4-6, 7-6, 6-2.
"It is good for both players and also good for Chinese tennis," Li said. "Today I just play my tennis, even after I lost my first set."
A defeated Venus said: "In tennis you have to close it out. It's not like there's a clock ticking and then suddenly it's over. You just have to close it out. I didn't do that today."
Meanwhile Laura Robson and her Australian partner, Sally Peers, lost 6-4, 6-1 to Kirilenko and Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska in the women's doubles quarter-finals on Wednesday night.
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