Athens 2004 Olympic gold medal-winning pair Li Ting and Sun Tiantian should have been split up much earlier, Chinese Tennis Association (CTA) chief Sun Jinfang has said.

The Olympic duo were taken apart before the Australian Open this year to ensure the Chinese team has the best possible pairings for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

Sun Tiantian has teamed up with 20-year-old Sun Shengnan in Melbourne, while Li Ting is paired with Ji Chunmei.

The two Suns have been an instant hit, enjoying a six-game winning streak in 2007. The duo outmuscled US Open titlists Nathalie Dechy of France and Russian Vera Zvonareva to book an all-China quaterfinal clash with defending champions Zheng Jie and Yan Zi today.

They also played well before the Grand Slam tournament when they reached the semifinals of the Auckland ASB Classic earlier this month, before Sun Tiantian retired with an elbow injury.

"We should have broken them (Li Ting and Sun Tiantian) earlier last year as the change of pair has really given us what we expected," said Sun Jinfang. "We wanted to split the pair right after the Athens Olympics but we had a lot of pressure to keep them because they won China's first ever (tennis) gold medal.

"The shining performance of the Suns proves our decision was right, and I am very sorry we didn't do it a year ago."

After Athens Li and Sun Tiantian slumped, winning only one title last year and losing in the semifinals of the Doha Asian Games.

Sun Jinfang and national team head coach Jiang Hongwei have criticised the pair for their "lack of motivation" and "bad form", but have not ruled out the possibility of bringing them back together.

Li Ting had been contemplating retirement after winning a bronze medal at the Doha Asian Games last month, but the CTA has asked her to stay on through the preparatory period for the Beijing Olympics, Sun Jinfang added.

Li Na, Peng Shuai, Li Ting, Sun Tiantian, as well as youngsters Sun Shengnan and Ji Chunmei, will be tried out in different partnerships at upcoming WTA tournaments. The final three Olympic pairs will be decided in June, when a new Olympic Points System takes effect.

The CTA chief said she was not surprised to see the two Suns performing well, as Sun Shengnan won the junior doubles title at the Australian Open in 2004 with Latisha Chan of Chinese Taipei.

With the combination of youth and experience, the duo is expected to be China's second ranked pair behing Zheng and Yan, winners of the Australian Open and Wimbledon doubles titles last year.

"I think we've got a great rhythm because our games are similar," said Sun Tiantian. "Sun Shengnan is very talented and the games are much easier when she is around."

Singles specialists Peng Shuai and Li Na are paired up in a fiery combination, but less is expected of them after they lost in the first round in Auckland and then the second round of the Australian Open. Li Ting and Ji Chunmei haven't performed well, and lost in the first round in Melbourne.

"We will try more pairings after the Australian Open," said Sun Jinfang. "Our adjustments aim to ensure we qualify for the Olympics and occupy good positions in the draw," she said.

(China Daily January 24, 2007)