The 2010 Australian Open is the Major tournament of the South Pacific, and so it’s entirely fitting that in one of the world’s most ethnically diverse nations, just west of the international dateline, the women’s singles tournament has witnessed the rise of China.

Before tonight’s women’s semifinals get underway at Rod Laver Arena, it’s worth recognizing the accomplishments of Zheng Jie and Li Na, the two women who stand in the way of a potential Serena Williams-Justine Henin blockbuster matchup in Saturday’s final.

Zheng punched her ticket to the final four in the women’s draw on Tuesday by knocking off Maria Kirilenko in the quarterfinals. On Wednesday afternoon, Li – the 16th seed – overcame multiple daunting deficits to knock off sixth-seeded Venus Williams in the round of eight, 2-6, 7-6 (4), 7-5, in 2 hours and 47 minutes. The twin victories put two Chinese women in the final four of a major singles championship for the first time ever. In a century that has witnessed China’s rise as a global superpower, the events between the painted white lines in Melbourne have given the ascendant nation ample reason to celebrate something truly inspiring.

Zheng did make a Major semifinal once before, at Wimbledon in 2008. On that occasion, the diminutive 26-year-old, who stands at under 5-foot-5, got dismissed by Serena Williams. At the time, it was reasonable to think that Zheng’s big run in suburban London was a distinct aberration, so her ability to once again crack the semis at a signature tournament says a great deal about her resilience and perseverance.

As for Li, the long and protracted survival act against Venus Williams, a seven-time Major champion, propelled the 27-year-old veteran to her first-ever semifinal in one of the four Grand Slam events. Li called the win over Venus “the best moment of my life.” Clearly, Li recognized the magnitude of her achievement, not to mention the importance of being able to join Zheng, her compatriot, in celebrating China’s finest tennis hour.

The exhilaration witnessed in Li’s bearing after her quarterfinal-round victory was not just the product of nationalism or the extra-large paycheck that will soon be deposited into her bank account. What had to make this top 20 player so happy in the bright and punishing sun of an Australian summer was the fact that she beat Venus Williams the way Venus has outclassed so many foes over the years.

Like her sister Serena, Venus created much of her fame and fortune by coming back from deficits and racing past opponents near the finish line. Being down 3-5 in the final set was merely an invitation for Venus to reveal the full measure of her competitive attributes, and pull out a 7-5 triumph that would leave an accomplished tennis pro muttering to herself on the other side of the net.

In this match, however, it was Venus who established the early lead, only for Li to take ownership of the afternoon’s most consequential sequences.

Venus cruised in the first set and served for the match at 5-4 in the second, but Li broke to stay in the thick of the fight. In a second-set tiebreak, it was Li who remained composed while Venus’s groundstrokes unraveled, enabling the Chinese underdog to force a third and deciding set.

Venus gained a 2-0 lead that became a 4-2 advantage, but Li was undeterred. The less heralded player on the court became the more confident one, as that two-game deficit turned into a 5-4 lead. Venus broke back for 5-all, but Li found the mental fortitude needed to return the favor, break for 6-5, and eventually close the sale when she nailed a forehand winner.

Maybe, just maybe, Li Na and Zheng Jie will be able to derail the Serena-Henin final that is generating a lot of buzz throughout the tennis community. But even if they don’t prevail in the semifinals, Li and Zheng have already served notice that their careers on the professional circuit have borne more fruit than the nation of China ever had a right to expect.

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