Beijing beckons Zhang

Zhang Yining, the number one female table tennis player in the world, is also the hot favourite to retain her Olympics crown in her birth city in August.

Zhang, who was born on October 5, 1981 in Beijing, started playing table tennis at the age of six, entered the province team at 10 and the national team at 12.

Her playing style is tough, sharp and clinical. This, added with her short hair and expression-less face, has made some fans nickname her as 'cool assassin'.

The leading position of Zhang in the table tennis powerhouse China was sealed when she clinched a double gold, in singles and doubles (partnering Nan Wang) at the 2004 Athens Olympics. Her singles gold medal was China's 100th Olympics gold medal in Athens.

Zhang often stands on the top step of the medal podium and has now won no less than 27 singles titles from international tournaments. This record tally is no surprise but as she has been the top female player in the world since 2003.

But Zhang's table tennis career has not been one long smooth ride. She went through a rough patch in 2007.