But her unusual training background and unruly personality limited her in international performances, as Li and Zheng climbed up the rankings and collected Grand Slam titles.

Peng differs from other Chinese athletes, most of whom are funded by their local sports authorities. Tianjin Sports Bureau, located some 1,000km from her hometown of Changsha, Hunan province, discovered Peng when she was 13 and snatched her up before her home province could recruit her. Thanks to Tianjin's sponsorship, she was able to join pro tennis much earlier than the most of her compatriots and has been collecting points and prize money ever since.

As the youngest player on the national team, Peng used to be China's No 1 singles player before Li emerged. Her best run came in early 2006 when she defeated several top-10 players to become the highest-ranked Chinese at 33.

But a left ankle injury slowed Peng down as she tumbled out of top 50 and failed to live up to people's expectations for the rest of the season.

After publicly challenging the country's sports authority during the China Tennis Grand Prix in Guangzhou in 2006 and refusing to join the national team, her future appeared uncertain. She was disqualified from the tournament for coming late, but claimed she was set up.

Fans started to criticize her professional attitude, a charge she fiercely contested.

"I just want to play tennis, that's simple," she said at the time. "I have never tried to challenge the authority of the Chinese Tennis Association. I don't want to make trouble. I tried very hard to concentrate on the court. If I hurt anybody, I have to say I didn't mean it."

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