Match point for new star
郑洁：个子小怎么啦,我一样行.
Zheng Jie is not like other girls her age.While most girls struggle to stay slim (苗条),Zheng wishes she could put on some weight and pack on more muscle.And,while other girls wear sunscreen (防晒霜) and whitening cream in the summer,Zheng Jie stays in the sun all day long,without any make-up.
"My goal is to play the best tennis," the 23-year-old explained.Zheng Jie is now one of the highest-ranking Chinese women's players.She made it to the second round (轮) of the China Open last week.
Zheng Jie has achieved far more than many people expected.The moment she picked up a tennis racket,the girl from Chengdu was told she was not suited to the game."They said I didn't have much potential to develop." Compared with other kids,Zheng looked weak and she was also the shortest.She was very upset and thought about giving up.
"My height is my biggest disadvantage but it is something I can't control," said Zheng Jie,who now stands 1.64 metres tall.But she refuses to let this stand in her way."If others say I am not good enough,then I must get better.If I give up,it will prove they are right," she said.
So Zheng makes full use of what she can control.She has worked hard on her physical fitness (体能) and runs endlessly on court."Now when someone says I am too short for the game,it will not hurt me anymore.It only stimulates (刺激) me to try harder," she said.
Zheng Jie and Yan Zi signed in for the Australia Open women's doubles (双打) in January.But the staff (工作人员) thought they were too short to be professional players and told them they were in the wrong place.But Zheng and Yan finally won the finals.They went on to pick up their second Gram Slam doubles title at Wimbledon in August.
However,Zheng Jie hasn't got time to relax and enjoy her success."If I am not in the training centre,then I am on the court.If I am not on the court,I am on the way to it," she said,humorously describing her hard schedule.
But Zheng admitted (承认) fame and success have changed some things."Before,when I played a tournament abroad,the training court given to me was very far away and inconvenient.But now I can have a better court and the staff pick me up after training," she said.
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