At the ASB Classic in Auckland, world No.34 Zheng Jie won her first title since 2006, but the final match was an unfinished battle, as her opponent Flavia Pennetta retired at 2-6 6-3 2-0 with a low back injury. We're only a week into the tennis season, and the number of WTA players injured or ill is close to ten.

In the first round Zheng defeated Ayumi Morita, in the second eighth seeded Monica Niculescu, in the quarterfinals Lucie Hradecka, then third seed Svetlana Kuznetsova for the first time in their seven meetings, and finally Pennetta.

Zheng's first title came in Hobart in 2005, and since winning Estoril and Stockholm in 2006 she hasn't clinched any titles, even though she played two Grand Slam semifinals – at Wimbledon 2008 and Australian Open 2010.

Regarding Pennetta's injury, she started feeling it at 4-2 in the first set and an MRI scan will reveal how serious it is. (photo via ASB Classic)

Now that China’s Li Na has won Roland Garros I decided to use the opportunity to make a language point about the proper usage of Chinese names, as I have noticed a lot of confusion around.

The most important thing is to understand that the first part of a Chinese name is the family name and the second part is the given name, i.e. the order is reverse compared to the Western cultures. Therefore, Li is the family name, Na is the given name.

There is another peculiarity: if you meet the Chinese tennis star in the street, it would be perfectly natural to call her "Li Na".

Personal names are used when referring to adult friends or to children, although, unlike in the west, referring to somebody by their full name (including surname) is common even among friends, especially if the person's full name is only two syllables. – Wikipedia

A correct way of formal addressing would be Ms. Li. Read more »

Zheng Jie marked the beginning of the 2010 season with an Australian Open semifinal, but the Chinese will not get back to Melbourne to try to repeat the success, because of her left wrist injury. Zheng sustained the injury at the US Open, and worsened it by playing doubles all the way to the semifinals. Then she skipped all the post-US Open events because of the injury which even required a surgery.

Zheng is currently ranked 26th in the world, but her ranking will drop after the Australian Open, when she loses the points earned by the 2010 semifinal. (photo: Nick Bollettieri)

Zheng Jie dethroned Elena Dementieva in the third round of the Rogers Cup with a 7-6(3) 6-4 victory in their first career meeting. The Chinese has recorded her seventh Top 10 win.

Before defeating the fourth-seeded Dementieva, Zheng made one more upset, coming back from 7-5 4-2 down to beat seed No.16 Aravane Rezai in the second round. Zheng is now the only unseeded player left in the Rogers Cup draw.

Second seed Caroline Wozniacki advanced to the quarterfinals by defeating 15th-seeded Flavia Pennetta 4-6 6-3 6-1 for her fourth win in as many meetings with the Italian. Next for Wozniacki is French Open champion Francesca Schiavone who ended Dinara Safina’s seven-match winning streak in Montreal by defeating the Russian 6-4 6-3.

Fifth seed Kim Clijsters followed up her second round thriller against Bethanie Mattek-Sands with an easy victory over Kaia Kanepi, 6-2 6-1.

The Rogers Cup quarterfinals are set now: Marion Bartoli vs. Victoria Azarenka, Kim Clijsters vs. Vera Zvonareva, Svetlana Kuznetsova vs. Zheng Jie, and Francesca Schiavone vs. Caroline Wozniacki. (photos: © Neal Trousdale)

Grand Slams are the places where tennis players want to look their best and sponsors want to use the opportunity of huge publicity to market their products. Let's have a look at what women's tennis stars are sporting during one such event, Roland Garros 2010 in Paris.

Venus Williams raised many eyebrows by her lingerie-like black dress. But the dress raises all the eyebrows when in action!

Sorana Cirstea lost on Day one to Svetlana Kuznetsova, but her adidas dress can win all the awards, if you asked me. Just like Ana Ivanovic's.

Bethanie Mattek-Sands is wearing her cool tube socks and looks sporty. Well, Venus took Bethanie's role of ball boy distractor. Caroline Wozniacki, nice dress but nothing new, really nothing. Read more »