Li Na Urges 'Lazy' China's Male Players To Buck Up
Source: Agencies |
June 24, 2010, Thursday
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Print Edition
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CHINA'S Li Na urged her male counterparts to buck up their ideas and stop being lazy if they want to compete at tennis's top table like Chinese women.
Australian Open semifinalist Li, who booked her place in the second round of Wimbledon on Tuesday with a comfortable 7-6, 6-2 victory over South Africa's Chanelle Scheepers, has become a regular challenger at majors along with Zheng Jie.
China's male players, however, are struggling to make an impact and none of them are in the top 300 in the world.
"Hopefully some day the men can wake up and play grand slams also," Li said. "The men are lazy. They are maybe not as strong in the mind. They grew up without high aspirations. The women want to be top 30 or 40 but men are happy if they are top 200."
Zheng, who in 2008 was the first Chinese player to reach the semifinals of a grand slam, enjoyed an equally easy stroll into the second round on Tuesday, but is kinder to her male counterparts.
"Asian men are not too tall and not too strong so they probably need to work harder," she said after dispatching France's Pauline Parmentier 7-5, 6-4.
Thailand's Tamarine Tanasugarn said Asian male players struggled with the physical nature of the modern game.
"I think with body types, in the men's they have to be taller and stronger and be competing with all the other body types," she said. "But in the women's, the game is not that strong so we are able to cope. But mental strength is another part of it."
Australian Open semifinalist Li, who booked her place in the second round of Wimbledon on Tuesday with a comfortable 7-6, 6-2 victory over South Africa's Chanelle Scheepers, has become a regular challenger at majors along with Zheng Jie.
China's male players, however, are struggling to make an impact and none of them are in the top 300 in the world.
"Hopefully some day the men can wake up and play grand slams also," Li said. "The men are lazy. They are maybe not as strong in the mind. They grew up without high aspirations. The women want to be top 30 or 40 but men are happy if they are top 200."
Zheng, who in 2008 was the first Chinese player to reach the semifinals of a grand slam, enjoyed an equally easy stroll into the second round on Tuesday, but is kinder to her male counterparts.
"Asian men are not too tall and not too strong so they probably need to work harder," she said after dispatching France's Pauline Parmentier 7-5, 6-4.
Thailand's Tamarine Tanasugarn said Asian male players struggled with the physical nature of the modern game.
"I think with body types, in the men's they have to be taller and stronger and be competing with all the other body types," she said. "But in the women's, the game is not that strong so we are able to cope. But mental strength is another part of it."
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