Who's hot, who's not in China Sports (Week 5)

It's not a game of kings

Photo courtesy of Ray Morris-Hill

As her name suggests, Hou Yifan is extraordinary.

Rated 2605, the 17-year-old women's chess world champion staged a historical run at the 2012 Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival, finishing in first place at 8.0/10, the best achievement by a woman player in the event's 10-year history. She lost the title, however, after Nigel Short, who caught Hou in points (but not performance) defeated her in a blitz playoff.

Four grandmasters rated above 2700, including Judit Polgar (Hungary), 2710, the highest-ever rated woman player in the history of the game, were outplayed by Hou throughout the tournament.

My spin: Hou Yifan displayed superb talent and skill at the game, which has been deemed one for the kings, and proved it a ballet of the brain choreographed on a wooden slab. But what makes me more impressed is her humility off the courts. She has tremendous respect for every rival and always plays down her winning odds. The Chinese chess prodigy surely has a bright future.

Following in father's footstep

Hao Runze, son of former Chinese national football team captain Hao Haidong, was named to China's U16 football team on Tuesday. And he is still three months away from his 15th birthday. Hao Haidong said afterward that his son made the list through his own efforts. And he will not engage much in Runze's career planning. "I will be supportive if he loves and wants to go pro. The most important thing is he will learn how to deal with failures and to be a good person."

Smith brings scoring show, again

JR Smith exploded for 60 points (on 21/32 shooting, including 7 from deep) in a 122-110 victory for Zhejiang Golden Bulls over Qingdao Eagles on Wednesday night. Ridiculous? Wait, he did it in just three quarters, and 51 points are from the second half. Golden Bulls, 14-12 after 28 rounds, tied with three other teams at 7th place in the CBA, and Smith leads the league in scoring with 33.5 points per game. It's no secret that Smith isn't happy with his life in China in a number of ways. The forthright troublemaker has also hinted on many occasions that he can't wait to return to the US once the CBA regular season ends, in which case the Golden Bulls could lose their marquee player in the playoffs if they make it. Nevertheless, let's put the worries away for now, and take a look at Smith's career night here.

Li Na has something to say about her fans

Li Na thrashed her Taipei rivals 3-0 at their first match during the Fed Cup Asia/Oceania Zone Group I event in Shenzhen, Guangdong province Thursday. Li Na's easy win (6-2, 6-0) over Kelly Zhang provided some sparks, but as she said at the post-game press conference, she is "drowning amid spit from the fans." It all started with her complaints over fans who she thought distracted her during open practice. She also asked the sponsors to cordon them off away from watching on that occasion. Her seemingly self-centered comments soon drew critics from the public. But to be frank, that's Li Na being herself as always. And at least she held her tongue this time, not letting out, "Shut up" to the spectators directly.

Have more patience on Drogba signing

Nicolas Anelka joined Shanghai Shenhua's 15-day training camp for the first time in Valencia, Spain, on Saturday. As excited as the players are, Zhu Jun, the team's owner, is stuck in talks for signing Chelsea striker Didier Drogba. He admitted on Sina weibo on Wednesday that the talks have reached a deadlock as the Cote d'Ivoire star, whose current contract expires in June, is the target of too many international clubs.