Two Young Women from Hsinchu and Xiangtan Conquer Wimbledon

Two Young Women from Hsinchu and Xiangtan Conquer Wimbledon
United Daily News editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
July 8, 2013

Summary: Women's Tennis Association (WTA) players Su-Wei Hsieh from Taiwan and Peng Shuai from the Mainland partnered in the women's doubles competition. Together they won the Wimbledon women's doubles finals. This was a career best for both players. It was also a successful model for cross-Strait cooperation. Su-Wei Hsieh became the first player from Taiwan to win a Grand Slam title. Congratulations are in order.

Full Text below:

Women's Tennis Association (WTA) players Su-Wei Hsieh from Taiwan and Peng Shuai from the Mainland partnered in the women's doubles competition. Together they won the Wimbledon women's doubles finals. This was a career best for both players. It was also a successful model for cross-Strait cooperation. Su-Wei Hsieh became the first player from Taiwan to win a Grand Slam title. Congratulations are in order.

This year's Wimbledon match has been described as a "graveyard for top seeds." Many world famous players were eliminated during the first and second rounds. The Su-Wei Hsieh and Peng Shuai "cross-Strait partnership" received little advanced attention. They left the impression that it was easy going all the way. They made their way through the third round, the quarterfinals, and semifinals with straight sets all the way. During yesterday's winning match, the first set was closely fought. But the two were formidable during the second set. Su-Wei Hsieh played the net and Peng Shuai played the baseline, adopting an up-and-back strategy that permitted both offense and defense.

Wang Chien-ming have been sent down to the Triple-A Toronto Blue Jays. Jeremy Lin is reported going to being traded by the Houston Rockets. Golf champion Tseng-Ya-ni remains in a slump. Su-Wei Hsieh's Wimbledon triumph, by contrast, has shone a spotlight on Taiwan on the international stage. This is a truly exciting development.

Su-Wei Hsieh first picked up a tennis racket when she was only 5 years old. Her talent has been obvious since childhood. But her family was so poor it had to sleep in a minivan at night. Hsieh even ran away from home because she was unhappy with her father's strict discipline. But 20 years honing her skills on the tennis court have finally won her a Grand Slam title. Her efforts have paid off. Interestingly enough, the Mainland government, optimistic about Li Na's prospects, dispatched scores of reporters to cover her matches. Who knew that after losing the quarterfinals, Li Na would use harsh language in response to reporters' questions, and cause an uproar. Many Mainland reporters responded by tracking the stunning performance by Su-Wei Hsieh and Peng Shuai's "cross-Strait doubles team" and its shared cross-Strait victory.

Su-Wei Hsieh was born in Hsinchu, Taiwan. Peng Shuai was born in Xiangtan, Hunan. The two are the same age. They have known each other since childhood, when the two met and competed on the tennis court. The two became life long friends. The two have each experienced career ups and downs. In singles competition, Peng Shuai has fared somewhat better. The highest she has ranked is 14th. The highest Su-Wei Hsieh has ranked is 23rd. She has never reached the top ranks. In the women's singles matches at Wimbledon, the two shared the same fate. Both were defeated in the second round. But as predicted, their "cross-Strait joining of hands" made them stronger. It made them invincible. In the end, their victory enabled both sides of the Strait to shine.

Between 2008 and 2009, Su-Wei Hsieh and Peng Shuai partnered in four matches and won four victories. They easily won four championships in Indonesia, Australia, Italy, and Mainland China. Later on, during their golden years, the two chased after their own dreams. For four years, each pursued solo victories. This year however, the two players' parents encouraged the two to once again work together. The two recently won the women's doubles championship in Italy, offering us a preview of their upcoming success at Wimbledon.

The greatest challenge in doubles is reaching an unspoken understanding. This requires practice, practice, and more practice. Only that will enable two people to work together as one. Su-Wei Hsieh and Peng Shuai have achieved a rare fit. Su-Wei Hsieh has a "gui zhi qie qiu," or "demonic slice." Her volley shots are difficult to read. She is skilled at exploiting weaknesses. Peng Shuai is adept at lobs and defending the baseline. As a result, the two working together are able to play a synergistic game in which one plus one adds up to more than two. This six time "cross-Strait partnership" has led to six championships. It is the secret of their success.

Top Taiwan tennis pro Rendy Lu Yen-hsun was expected to do well in this year's Wimbledon men's doubles. He abandoned the partner handpicked by his Czech coach, in favor of Ricardas Berankis of Lithuania. But to everyones' surprise, a singles loss led to a lack of moral during the doubles tournament. The result was a rout. In response, Lu declared he would no longer partner with Berankis. As one can see, one's choice of partner can determine the fate of the game.

Examine the tennis record. Mainland Chinese women champions Zheng Jie and Yan Zi won the 2006 Wimbledon women's doubles championship. Taiwan champions Yung-Jan Chan and Chia-Jung Chuang were runners up in the 2006 Australian Open and U.S. Open women's doubles championships. This time, cooperation between Su-Wei Hsieh and Peng Shuai saved the day. The two helped Taiwan make WTA history. They successfully blazed a new "cross-Strait partnership" trail. The two benefitted from long years of friendship and mutual trust. Their tennis styles complemented each other. They achieved an unspoken understanding. Together they paved the way to a shared victory a the summit.

On the tennis court, arguments about "whether one may choose one's ancestors" are pointless. The real issue is whether one can choose one's opponents. One cannot. One can only choose one's partners. On the tennis court, there can be no such thing as demands for "concessions." Athletic competition is a showdown. One cannot pull one's punches. Two young women, Taiwan's Su-Wei Hsieh and Hunan's Peng Shuai, worked together at Wimbledon, enabling both to shine. The two sides of the Strait are about to sign TISA. Perhaps the example provided by these two young women can provide a flash of inspiration. 

新竹女兒和湖南姑娘聯手征服溫布頓
【聯合報╱社論】
2013.07.08 02:59 am

台灣女網好手謝淑薇和中國大陸女將彭帥搭檔，聯手在英國溫布頓球場摘下了女子雙打冠軍金杯，不僅成就兩人網球生涯的最佳成績，也寫下兩岸選手合作出擊的成功模式。謝淑薇成為首位在大滿貫賽奪冠的台灣選手，可喜可賀！

今 年溫布頓網球賽被形容為「種子墳場」，多位世界名將在前兩輪賽局即慘遭淘汰。而謝淑薇和彭帥的「兩岸拍檔」，在事前未受高度關注的情況下，一路打來反而顯 得輕鬆，闖進十六強、八強、四強都以「直落二」的成績過關斬將。昨天的冠軍之役，第一盤打得糾纏，得手之後，第二盤便勢如破竹；謝淑薇的刁鑽封網，搭配彭 帥的穩健底線，構成無懈可擊的攻守火網。

正當王建民被藍鳥下放三Ａ，林書豪數度傳出將被火箭交易，而曾雅妮遲未走出揮桿低潮，謝淑薇此次在溫布頓的大放異采，持續點亮了台灣在國際球場發光的火炬，讓人振奮。

五 歲即拿起球拍的謝淑薇，自小即展露天分；卻曾因家境困窘到一家擠在小貨車上過夜，乃至因不滿嚴父管教而叛逆逃家。但歷經廿多年的球場奔馳磨練，如今終於戴 上網壇大滿貫的榮耀桂冠，一切努力均有了代價。有趣的是，中國大陸這回派出大批媒體，看好的是國家選手李娜的表現；不料，在八強前止步的李娜在輸球後以粗 話回敬記者，引起軒然大波。大批中國記者隨後卻意外等到了謝淑薇和彭帥「海峽雙打」的驚豔演出，等到了兩岸共同的燦爛金杯。

出 生於台灣新竹的謝淑薇，和來自湖南湘潭的彭帥同齡，兩人自少女時代即在球場結識、過招，從而培養出長遠的純厚友誼。兩人的職業生涯各有起伏，論單打成績， 彭帥略勝一籌，最高排名曾達十四，謝淑薇則為廿三，但均未曾登峰。這次在溫布頓女單，兩人命運一樣，都在第二輪便敗下陣來；孰料，她們的「兩岸攜手」組合 卻是愈戰愈勇，所向披靡，最後光耀了兩岸。

事實上，謝淑薇和彭帥在○八到○九年間曾經四度搭檔出賽，四戰皆勝，順利 奪下印尼、澳洲、義大利和中國四地巡迴賽的冠軍。其後，或許兩人忙於追逐自己黃金歲月的發展，各自單飛了四年。直到今年，雙方父母因緣際會促使兩人重新攜 手合作，兩人不久前又在義大利拿下女雙冠軍寶座，也為這次溫布頓的出擊成功暖身預演。

雙打最大的挑戰就在默契，須有 較多的搭配練習，兩人才能磨合成為一體；而謝淑薇和彭帥之間，就有這種難得的契合。謝淑薇的球風被稱為「鬼之切球」，形容她的截擊出手詭異，在網前尋找突 破機會；而彭帥善於長擊抽球，守住底線滴水不漏。也因此，兩人聯手，往往能發揮一加一大於二的能量。這對「海峽搭檔」，六次合作，六次奪冠，祕訣在此。

相形之下，台灣網球一哥盧彥勳原對這次溫網雙打寄予厚望，特意捨棄原本搭配的捷克教練，找了立陶宛選手比蘭基斯合作。不料，對方因為先在單打輸球，竟在雙打賽打得毫無鬥志，讓球賽輸得極為難看；盧彥勳因此宣稱，再也不找此人合作。搭檔夥伴決定球賽終極命運，由此可見。

檢 視網壇紀錄，中國女將鄭潔和晏紫曾拿下二○○六年溫網女雙冠軍；台灣方面，則是詹詠然與莊佳容曾在二○○七年取得澳網與美網女雙亞軍。這次，謝淑薇和彭帥 的合作奪冠，不僅為台灣寫下女網的最佳成績，也成功開闢了一條「兩岸搭檔」的新路。兩人長年的友誼，彼此的互信，球風的互補，乃至臨場的默契，共同鋪成了 這條攜手登峰之路。

在球場上，「祖先能不能選擇」這樣的討論是沒有意義的，因為你不能選擇對手，但可以選擇夥伴。在 球場上，要求「讓利」這樣的事也不會發生，因為運動競技就是結結實實地一決高下，不能放水相讓。新竹女孩謝淑薇與湖南姑娘彭帥在溫布頓的攜手合作，使兩人 璀璨發光；在兩岸服貿協議爭議方殷之際，或許也提供了一閃靈光。