ON THE RISE: Hsieh Su Wei, the highest ranked Taiwan player on the WTA Tour at World No 26 and reached the second round of the ongoing Australian Open. Su Wei, who will compete in the BMW Malaysian Open on Feb 25-March 3, speaks to Timesport’s Ajitpal Singh and Fadhli Ishak.
Question: You achieved your career high ranking of World No 25 last October. Can you break into the top-10 soon?
Answer: Well, I don't put pressure on myself about achieving targets. I put this pressure on my coach (Paul McNamee) to ensure I make progress. Of course everyone wants to break into the top-10 and hopefully, I can achieve it.
Question: You made a breakthrough in singles last season by winning your first title in Kuala Lumpur as a qualifier and then in Guangzhou. Do you feel you can do better this year?
Answer: It was quite tough for me last season as I was not really focused on singles... I did not try very hard. The win in Kuala Lumpur was a great achievement as I had to qualify for the main draw as my ranking was low at 123. It gave me the confidence to win a second title in China. I am working on my singles game this season.
Question: China's Li Na and yourself are role models for Asian women tennis. How far can Asia go in the sport?
Answer: We have many players with potential in Asia. I believe Asia stands a better chance in the women's game as we share similar body types and strengths with players from other continents. We can sustain the pace and play a powerful game like them. I believe Asian tennis will achieve greatness soon.
Question: You achieved World No 25 ranking last October. How do you feel about it?
Answer: It was exciting and also the proudest moment for my family and friends. However, I need to work harder and win tournaments to move up the rankings.
Question: What are your expectations in Kuala Lumpur? Caroline Wozniacki, at World No 10, is the top seed here. Will you also play doubles?
Answer: I will focus on singles. I love Kuala Lumpur and want to do many things here off the court. I am, of course, focused on defending my title successfully. This is my first ever experience, playing in a tour tournament as defending champion in singles. It will be something new for me.
Question: What are your targets for this season?
Answer: My focus last season was only in doubles as I wanted to win a grand slam. I did not really train for singles but my coach pushed me to play the event in tournaments. Things happened so quickly then. I hope to win titles in singles and doubles this year.
Question: What are your hobbies?
Answer: I play a lot of sports, especially football, in my free time but I don't like watching it. I also listen to music, snap pictures of flowers, write on something interesting and read on fashion.
Question: You were introduced to tennis at five by your father, Hsieh Tze Lung. Did your father play tennis actively?
Answer: My dad was not a tennis player. He held a racquet for the first time a couple of days before I did. He then tried coaching me, using training manuals of professional players. Despite his limited experience, I achieved a lot as a youngster. If not for my Dad, I wouldn't be a good tennis player.
Question: You lost 6-2, 6-1 to Russia's Svetlana Kuznetsova in the second round of the Australian Open and you also bowed out in the doubles third round. Did you play well?
Answer: I like playing in grand slams but I did not get the results in Melbourne. Anyway, I am happy with my performance.
