By Yu Yilei (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-02-27 09:02

When a beaming Sun Tiantian raised the Australian Open mixed doubles trophy with her partner Nenad Zimonjic of Serbia last month, Jiang Hongwei knew he had overcome one of the darkest periods of his coaching career.

Jiang Hongwei, head coach of the Chinese national women's tennis team, gestures during an recent interview with China Daily in Beijing. [China Daily]

For the eight months before the Aussie Grand Slam tournament, the head coach of China's national women's tennis team had been trying to steer an ailing squad back on track since losing his top two players to injury.

It appears the coach has succeeded, with Sun's landmark title, the continued improvement of doubles specialists Zheng Jie and Yan Zi, and top singles player Li Na reaching the fourth round of the Australian Open as proof.

"I think we made a big recovery," Jiang told China Daily in an exclusive interview.

"There is an old Chinese saying: Keep the mountain green and you don't have to worry about where to get firewood. We never lost our confidence, no matter what the situation was."

Jiang is just happy to put a hellish 2007 behind him. His fast-improving team had to deal with injuries to two of its best players in the same month - Zheng to ankle surgery and Li to a rib inflammation she suffe red after an allergy to pollen left her sneezing too much.

The injuries were a major setback for a team that had just finished a heroic 2006 and was ready to move full swing into preparations for the Olympics.

Jiang readily admits the team has had problems getting back into form.

"The problem is with their stamina," he said. "They could not deal with the intensity of the professional tennis tour and became vulnerable."

Searching for balance

But injuries and stamina have been the least of the team's worries since it shot to fame in 2004, a year that saw Zheng finish in the last 16 at the French Open and take a surprising Olympic gold medal at the Athens Olympics.

In the years after Athens, singles player Peng Shuai threatened to quit the national team over a dispute about splitting prize money with the Chinese Tennis Association (CTA), the sport's national governing body. Li also had a testy relationship with the CTA as she claimed the association was too harsh on her.

"We are in a highly professional sport in which making money is the number one task," Jiang said. "At the same time, we are keeping the traditional national sports training system to ensure athletes win glories for the nation.

"We need a balance."

But finding balance has proven difficult. It was even difficult during Jiang's previous national coaching stint from 1988-93, although he made some remarkable achievements in those years, leading Li Fang to world No 36.

Back then Jiang was the youngest member of the team's coaching staff and had just returned from a year of studying tennis-teaching skills with the USPTA (US Professional Tennis Association).

Better the second time

But compared to those early years of struggle, which ended in Jiang's resignation, the coach has found the experience much more pleasant this time around.

"This time, the situation is much better after China's consistent exposure to the world," he said. "I can say that we've become more open and have introduced the good things from overseas."

Now his players can travel around the world and take part in almost three times as many tournaments as 15 years ago.

The team has also hired a support staff that includes top foreign coaches, psychologists, nutritionists and doctors.

Jiang believes he can speed up the team's success by merging the merits of China's state-funded sports system with professional sport, a process he calls "professional tennis with Chinese characteristics".

"In a highly individual sport like tennis, emphasizing national pride and team spirit is very difficult. But we are working on solutions."

The CTA has made several concessions to inspire players such as demanding less of their winnings and allowing family members to travel with them on tour.

"We are driving on a bumpy road. But despite the difficulties, the situation is improving," Jiang said.

Aiming for singles

Such improvement makes Jiang believe Chinese tennis players have a shot in Beijing, in both doubles and singles.

"We already proved to the world that Chinese are strong in doubles. Now we are showing Chinese players also have a strong ability in singles."

Li Na, who returned from injury in January with back-to-back semifinal appearances in Antwerp and Doha and is currently ranked No 22 in the world, leads the charge of China's singles movement.

"Our ambition has spread to singles and we are looking for a good result in Beijing," Jiang said.

The coach admits winning medals in a star-studded field in Beijing will be a difficult task.

Still, he doesn't want to push his players too hard.

"We are working like we used to. I will not to give them too much pressure," he said. "I try to make them happy, enjoy life and enjoy tennis, even as we get close to the Olympics."

After years together, Jiang said he and his players share a strong bond.

"I treat them like my own kids," he said with a smile. "First you need to love them, to help them wholeheartedly. Then they will do the same thing back.

"They know they are a part of the family and affection among us is the drive behind our hard work."

Jiang said he might resign after the Olympics to give himself a change, but he promised he would stay in tennis and continue following China's women's team.

"I think China's tennis has a very good future and the team will benefit from the experiences and lessons we learned along the way."