Peng defends third tennis title at National Games

DALIAN - Tennis star Peng Shuai made it three gold medals out of four at the Chinese National Games after winning the women's doubles title here on Monday.

Peng and her partner Zhang Shuai were handed a walkover victory in the final when their opponents Zheng Saisai/Xu Yifan pulled out due to Zheng's injury in her left thigh.

Peng, who has already won gold medals in women's team and mixed doubles, now needs just one more match to complete the feat of winning  all four events as she has also reached the women's singles final.

The women's doubles gold is also the third one at these National Games for the Tianjin delegation, a traditional tennis powerhouse in China.

Tianjin is virtually guaranteed the fourth gold as Peng's opponent in the women's singles final is another Tianjin player - Duan Yingying, who advanced after Zheng withdrew from the semifinals citing injury.

Elsewhere, Shanghai's Wu Di/Zhang Zhizhen won the men's doubles gold after defeating Beijing's Gao Wan/Gao Peng.

The 12th Chinese National Games are to be held August 31-September 12 in the northeastern province of Liaoning. The tennis competition was brought forward to avoid collision with the U.S. Open which starts on August 26.

Held every four years, the National Games are China's premier sporting event and a crucial testing ground for future Olympians.