Peng Shuai, one of China's top players in the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour singles, is planning to take her game to the next level.
Recently she announced on New Year's Day a new partnership with world-renowned tennis coach Tarik Benhabiles.
The pair began training last month in Florida, and they will continue to work together full-time throughout 2009.
In 2008, Peng reached two singles finals and won two doubles titles on the Tour, eventually finishing the season ranked No.40.
The 22-year-old splitted with former coach Zhang Depei last year. Peng has been looking for committed cooperation with a new coach - and now she seems to have found it.
Benhabiles is a former professional tennis player, reached a career-high of no.22 on the ATP World Tour Rankings and represented France in Davis Cup. He captured the Roland Garros junior singles title in 1981 and the French National Championships in 1986.
He ended his playing career in 1992 and started to coach a young Andy Roddick, taking the American superstar into the Top 10 in 2003. Besides a strong relationship with Roddick, Benhabiles has worked with other top players, including Benjamin Becker, Ivo Karlovic and Gael Monfils.
Benhabiles is also the founder of the Tarik Benhabiles Tennis Academy, an elite tennis school in Florida that helps create and train future tennis stars.
"Peng Shuai is a disciplined player with many weapons and superior internal strengths," Benhabiles said.
"She is a girl of destiny and I expect her to be in the top group of the rankings by year's end."
Paul-Henri Mathieu has claimed a spot in the semifinals of the Brisbane International with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Japanese Kei Nishikori.
Kei didn't look fine after a medical time out before the 4th game in the second set.
Now Frenchman Mathieu who is the world no. 31 will play against Fernando Verdasco next in the semifinals after the Spaniard beat another Frenchman, Florent Serra.
Earlier this week in, after playing mini tennis with kids in downtown Brisbane, Kei was interviewed by ATP. He discussed about his breakout 2008 season, his 2009 hopes and how he lost five straight sets to Radek Stepanek in practice during the off season.
Indian wildcard Somdev Devvarman stunned two-time former champion Carlos Moya 4-6, 7-5, 6-4 in the second round of the Chennai Open today.
The 23-year-old Devvarman, who is based in the U.S., produced an inspired display to triumph in 2 hours and 14 minutes in hot conditions in the southern Indian city to move into his second ATP tour quarterfinals.
Sixth seed Moya won the first set comfortably but Devvarman, who spent his formative years in Chennai, delighted the home crowd when he grabbed the second set.
The highest-ranked Indian at 202, Devvarman broke the Spaniard in the third game of the final set as he wore down the former world no. 1 for the biggest victory of his career.
Moya said he was at a disadvantage with organizers scheduling matches in the heat of the Chennai afternoon to make up for matches that had been delayed by rain.
"The heat affected me more than it bothered him,'' Moya said.
"(Devvarman) plays much better than his rankings reflect,'' Moya added.
"I was not surprised, because I saw him play two days ago and knew he was very fast and was solid from the back of court.''
Devvarman became the first Indian player to reach the quarterfinals in Chennai since Leander Paes reached the semifinals in 1998
"I sent a message to him that I just wasn't going to go away," said Devvarman. "When you see a player on the other side trying to do too much, you know he's under pressure."
"Hopefully, I'm not just quarters. I'm not one of those guys who gets content easily,'' he added.
Maria Sharapova was spotted at the Staples Centre recently watching the LA Lakers take on the New Orleans Hornets.
She was joined by her father Yuri and rumoured boyfriend Charlie Ebersol.
Looks like Sharapova and Ebersol are not having much fun together. Especially Sharapova.
Anyway, it doesn't matter whether they are together or not. I believe we are more concern whether Sharapova will be hopping on a plane to Australia soon. (Images via sports.sina.com)
Peng Shuai, one of China's top players in the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour singles, is planning to take her game to the next level.
