Li, Zheng count their blessings back home

Australian Open semifinalists Li Na and Zheng Jie were praised by Chinese tennis officials for proving they were capable of masterminding their own success during a homecoming party on Wednesday.

The duo had developed their careers under the China Tennis Association's (CTA) state system but opted to break free last year and manage their own careers.

Sun Jinfang, the head of the CTA and reluctant architect of the "fly away" policy, said she was pleased the Zheng and Li's gamble had paid off.

"I was a very worried about how they would cope in their first year on their own, now I'm greatly relieved seeing how well they are doing," she said.

Li and Zheng got an inkling of how their lives will change following their Australian Open exploits when they were warmly welcomed back to Beijing on Wednesday.

Both reached the semifinals in Melbourne, the first time China had two players into the last four of a grand slam, and they now feel they have much more to offer in the future.

"Life has been different but I have not changed," Li, who has risen to a career-high 10th in the world, told reporters.

"I have had a difficult two years and lost a lot of self-belief. My achievement in Melbourne was like a blessing from heaven. My efforts paid off.

"Now, I want to play in the season-ending championships in Doha and rank as high as possible," the 27 year old added.

Zheng, who was humbled by Justine Henin in her second grand slam semi-final, said she was eyeing a place in the Chinese team for the 2012 London Olympics.

"I feel in the past year I have grown up," said the world number 20, who won a doubles bronze medal at the Beijing Games.

"The memory of my first grand slam final was still close. And it was exciting to reach another one. Now I know better about professional tennis after managing myself for the last year".

The WTA, who co-hosted the homecoming with the CTA and China Open, are also delighted by the double achievement, having invested so much in China.

"After Zheng got to the semifinals at Wimbledon (in 2008), I would never have imagined that less than two years later, both Li Na and Zheng Jie would make it to the semifinals of another grand slam," said WTA president David Shoemaker.

"They didn't just capture China, they captured the hearts of the rest of the world."