Lyon Chiang: Taipei
Following last year’s Asian Games in Hangzhou, Taiwanese-English mixed-race tennis prodigy Joanna Garland flew to Changsha, mainland China, on 4/6 to join teammates Hsieh Su-wei, Chan Hao-ching, and others to represent the Chinese Taipei team in the Kingen Cup starting on the 8th. During the press conference, Joanna Garland revealed her biggest goal this year is to assist Taiwan in the Olympics. Whether or not she ultimately has the chance to partner with Hsieh Su-wei, she hopes to see Taiwanese athletes win medals at the Olympics.
Hsieh Su-wei, who recently reclaimed the title of world champion in women’s doubles, is expected to represent Taiwan at the Paris Olympics this year. She will select a doubles partner from among the top 300 players in the world. Despite Joanna Garland’s current world ranking of 307 being just outside this range, she mentioned during today’s press conference that she won’t face deduction pressure going forward. Winning “a match” before the Olympic points deadline would restore her ranking within the top 300.
Considering Hsieh Su-wei as her idol, Joanna Garland openly stated that representing Taiwan in the Olympics is a major goal in her career. Regardless of whether there’s a chance to partner with Hsieh Su-wei in Paris this year, her mindset won’t change. She expressed, “Whether or not I can participate, I really hope to see Su-wei win medals at the Olympics. She’s a very experienced player and will definitely choose the best partner for herself. If she ultimately selects me, I will do my best. If not, I’ll still be happy to see Taiwanese athletes win medals.”
Joanna Garland revealed she has always followed Hsieh Su-wei’s matches, particularly observing her partnership with current teammate Elise Mertens. She remarked, “Su-wei is strong in every aspect of the game, whether it’s baseline or net play, especially her net skills are among the best in the world. A good baseline player paired with her would be the best match. If I have the opportunity to work with her, it will definitely be a great experience.”
Although serving has been Joanna Garland’s strength, she acknowledges the need to further strengthen it if she’s to partner with Hsieh Su-wei. She also disclosed that despite encountering injuries at the end of last year, causing her ranking to slip outside the top 300, she doesn’t see this injury as a setback. Instead, it provided her with time to practice backhand slices and improve her on-court weaponry.
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