In 2006, my paper Sports Editor Chia Han Keong attended the China Tennis Open in Beijing and interviewed Zheng Jie, who became the first Chinese to reach a Grand Slam semi-final at Wimbledon on Tuesday.

Here are his recollections of their conversation and his analysis of the fortunes of China tennis' "Golden Flowers".

YOU can tell a lot about a person's demeanour through his handshake.

A firm grasp and he will likely be confident and open with you. A limp shake and he is likely to be reserved and hesitant.

When I first met Zheng Jie for our scheduled interview, my first impression of her was that of a reserved woman - very polite but unlikely to reveal much about her private life.

Then we shook hands - and she grasped my hand firmly as she welcomed me to Beijing.

Looks can definitely be deceiving.

During our 15-minute chat in the players' rest area at the Beijing Tennis Stadium, Zheng was forthcoming and candid as she spoke in fluent Mandarin.

She had just lost her China Open singles match against former world No. 1 Lindsay Davenport who, at 1.89m tall, towered over Zheng's 1.64m frame.

However, she was upbeat throughout, telling me that she had given a good account against Davenport, putting up a stiff fight against the American in the second set, which went into a tie-breaker.

She really opened up as we talked about life as a professional tennis player.

She confessed that she missed her parents and whined about having to be disciplined with her diet, adding with a laugh that she missed eating greasy food.

Yet, it was evident that she is determined to strike out a successful path in women's tennis, as she had fought her way from being an academy reject in her native Sichuan province to becoming a doubles champion at both the Australian Open and Wimbledon.

She said: "I knew since young that I would have to work harder than the rest to succeed. I believe I will treasure my success more than the others."

Which is why two years later, she has overcome a serious ankle injury that put her out of action most of last year and barged her way into the Wimbledon singles semi-finals on Tuesday, making her the first Chinese national to do so.

The smallest player among China tennis' "Golden Flowers" has climbed higher than any of her peers - Li Na, Yan Zi, Peng Shuai, Li Ting and Sun Tiantian.

Indeed, her fairytale run at this year's Wimbledon goes against the declining fortunes of these players, upon whom the nation had pinned their hopes of getting a tennis gold.

After a stellar 2006, when Zheng and Yan won their Grand Slam doubles titles and Li Na reached the Wimbledon quarter- finals, the "Golden Flowers" were struck down by a combination of injuries and poor form.

Li Ting and Sun, who won the 2004 Olympic doubles gold, are close to retiring. Peng and Li Na are struggling in the mid-40s in the world rankings.

Even Zheng and Yan have floundered in the doubles, winning only three WTA titles since 2006.

All the talks of gold died down last year, but Zheng's gritty Wimbledon run has reignited such talks.

Chinese sports news service Sina Sports proclaimed Zheng the "Sichuan Gem" and wrote: "With Zheng's win, the line-up of the Chinese team at the Olympics will be its strongest."

Such immense pressure - but Zheng gave a hint of her resilience during our chat two years ago.

"The Beijing Games has always been our biggest target and we will battle all the way for this ultimate triumph," she said.

With her Wimbledon exploits, she is showing China and the world just how to do it.