China's Zheng Jie silenced hundreds of noisy Indian fans by beating Sania Mirza in the Asian Games women's singles final yesterday, saving a measure of face for an under-performing Chinese women's team.

With only two days of competition left, China is set to beat its gold count of 150 set at the 2002 Asian Games, after piling up nine golds yesterday from boxing, cycling, tennis, diving, fencing and hockey to make it 147 in total.

Zheng Jie's gold came after the hailed Chinese women's tennis team crumpled this week, enduring ignominious exits with its top singles and doubles seeds crashing out, as well as its entry into the team event. This infuriated Chinese top tennis officials who called Asia's No.1 Li Na and Olympic champions Li Ting/Sun Tiantian "irresponsible" and "unprofessional."

Zheng subdued Mirza 6-4, 1-6, 6-1 in a clash lasting almost two hours.

"It was very difficult," said Zheng. "Everyone was supporting Sania, I just told myself to hang on."

Zheng Jie (L2) and Sania Mirza (L1)

Zheng and her partner Yan Zi, doubles champions in Australian Open and Wimbledon Open this year, will fight for the doubles crown with Chinese Taipei.

Mirza did bounce back though since only five hours after her singles loss, she teamed up with Indian veteran Leander Paes to win the mixed doubles, beating Japan's Satoshi Iwabuchi/Akiko Morigami 7-5, 5-7, 6-2.

The 20-year-old Mirza didn't show a sign of fatigue, nor did the 33-year-old Paes, who had only an hour break after combining with Mahesh Bhupathi in their 5-7, 9-2, 6-3 victory over Thai twins Sanchai Ratiwatana and Sonchat in the men's doubles final.

Paes owed the back-to-back victories to his tough nerves and a supporting crowd.

The North Korean women's soccer team relied on their steely mentality and raucous fans to beat Japan 4-2 on penalties after the play-off ended in 0-0.

Most of the North Korean delegation were in attendance when Jong Myong-hui saved two Japanese penalties while Ri Kum-suk, Ri Un-gyong, Ho Sun-hui and Jong Pok-sim all found the target.

In the bronze medal game, China routed South Korea 2-0 through Wang Kun's brace.

While the Chinese women's soccer team, former Olympic and World Cup runners-up, only showed a bit of their past glory in the Asian Games, the hard-working women's hockey squad were rewarded with a gold medal.

Ren Yi's diving deflection on a penalty corner in the 41st minute clinched China a 1-0 victory over Japan, which had beaten China 3-0 last week.

"The girls had trained very hard for the Asian Games, this gold medal is a reward for their effort," said China's South Korean head coach Kim Chang-back.

China also landed two rare golds in boxing as Zou Shiming outscored Suban Pannon of Thailand in the light flyweight category to win the country's first Asian Games boxing title since 1990, a celebration that Hu Qing doubled up by beating Munkh Uranchimeg of Mongolia in the lightweight. The other four boxing golds went to the Philippines, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

China clean-swept the day's diving and fencing titles. Olympic champion Wu Minxia led teammate He Zi to a 1-2 finish in the women's 3m springboard and He Chong and Luo Yutong added a gold and a silver to China's collection.

Chinese fencers crossed swords with South Koreans on two fronts, winning the men's team sabre final 45-44 and the women's epee 43-36.

The other team sweeping the board on December 13 was that of the Iranian freestyle wrestlers, who won the 60kg, 74kg and 96kg events.

Singapore enjoyed a gold binge on the sea, winning sailing's 420 men's race, the 470 women's race and Beneteau 7.5 open event.

South Korea, Japan and Thailand each picked a sailing gold.

Thailand had its second gold of the day from Sepak Takraw's men's double event, with the women's double title going to Vietnam.

(Xinhua News Agency December 14, 2006)