China's Zheng Jie silenced hundreds of noisy Indian fans by beating
Sania Mirza in the
Asian Games women's singles final yesterday,
saving a measure of face for an under-performing Chinese women's
team.
With only two days of competition left, China is set to beat its
gold count of 150 set at the 2002 Asian Games, after piling up nine
golds?yesterday from boxing, cycling, tennis, diving, fencing
and hockey to make it 147 in total.
Zheng Jie's gold came after the hailed Chinese women's tennis
team crumpled this week, enduring ignominious exits with its top
singles and doubles seeds crashing out, as well as its entry into
the team event. This infuriated Chinese top tennis officials who
called Asia's No.1 Li Na and Olympic champions Li Ting/Sun Tiantian
"irresponsible" and "unprofessional."
Zheng subdued Mirza 6-4, 1-6, 6-1 in a clash lasting almost two
hours.
"It was very difficult," said Zheng. "Everyone was supporting
Sania, I just told myself to hang on."
Zheng Jie (L2) and Sania
Mirza (L1)
Zheng and her partner Yan Zi, doubles champions in Australian
Open and Wimbledon Open this year, will fight for the doubles crown
with Chinese Taipei.
Mirza did bounce back though since only five hours after her
singles loss, she teamed up with Indian veteran Leander Paes to win
the mixed doubles, beating Japan's Satoshi Iwabuchi/Akiko Morigami
7-5, 5-7, 6-2.
The 20-year-old Mirza didn't show a sign of fatigue, nor did the
33-year-old Paes, who had only an hour break after combining with
Mahesh Bhupathi in their 5-7, 9-2, 6-3 victory over Thai twins
Sanchai Ratiwatana and Sonchat in the men's doubles final.
Paes owed the back-to-back victories to his tough nerves and a
supporting crowd.
The North Korean women's soccer team relied on their steely
mentality and raucous fans to beat Japan 4-2 on penalties after
the?play-off ended in 0-0.
Most of the North Korean delegation were in attendance when Jong
Myong-hui saved two Japanese penalties while Ri Kum-suk, Ri
Un-gyong, Ho Sun-hui and Jong Pok-sim all found the target.
In the bronze medal game, China routed South Korea 2-0 through
Wang Kun's brace.
While the Chinese women's soccer team, former Olympic and World
Cup runners-up, only showed a bit of their past glory in the Asian
Games, the hard-working women's hockey squad were rewarded with a
gold medal.
Ren Yi's diving deflection on a penalty corner in the 41st
minute clinched China a 1-0 victory over Japan, which had beaten
China 3-0 last week.
"The girls had trained very hard for the Asian Games, this gold
medal is a reward for their effort," said China's South Korean head
coach Kim Chang-back.
China also landed two rare golds in boxing as Zou Shiming
outscored Suban Pannon of Thailand in the light flyweight category
to win the country's first Asian Games boxing title since 1990, a
celebration?that Hu Qing doubled up by beating Munkh
Uranchimeg of Mongolia in the lightweight. The other four boxing
golds went to the Philippines, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and
Uzbekistan.
China clean-swept the day's diving and fencing titles. Olympic
champion Wu Minxia led teammate He Zi to a 1-2 finish in the
women's 3m springboard and He Chong and Luo Yutong added a gold and
a silver to China's collection.
Chinese fencers crossed swords with South Koreans on two fronts,
winning the men's team sabre final 45-44 and the women's epee
43-36.
The other team sweeping the board on?December 13?was
that of the Iranian freestyle wrestlers, who won the 60kg, 74kg and
96kg events.
Singapore enjoyed a gold binge on the sea, winning sailing's 420
men's race, the 470 women's race and Beneteau 7.5 open event.
South Korea, Japan and Thailand each picked a sailing gold.
Thailand had its second gold of the day from Sepak Takraw's
men's double event, with the women's double title going to
Vietnam.
(Xinhua News Agency December 14, 2006)
