The Chinese top seeds are ranked third and fourth in the world, significantly higher than their opponents Chan Yung Jan and Chuang Chia Jung of Chinese Taipei, who have a combined world ranking of 186.
Zheng and Yan's pedigree also shows in their results, the pair having won two Grand Slam titles in 2006 at the Australian Open and Wimbledon - making them the first Chinese players to win a Grand Slam title in any event. The more experienced pair have dropped only one set in their three matches to the final - having had a bye in the opening round - in their quarterfinal with another Chinese Taipei pair in Hsieh Su Wei and Chan Chin Wei.
By contrast 17 year-old Chan and Chuang, 21, are yet to drop a set in their passage, which included an impressive 6-3, 6-2 defeat of No 2 seeds Li Ting and Sun Tiantian in the semi to deny an all-China final.
Chan and Zheng are certainly no strangers to each other at Doha 2006, having met in the quarterfinals of the women's singles, a match the Chinese player won in three sets - 3-6, 6-4, 6-2.
However Zheng is not the only gold medallist in the final with Chan and Chuang having helped Chinese Taipei win the women's team event, capturing the pivotal final rubber against Indian pair Sania Mirza and Shikha Uberoi to seal the win.
If Chan and Chuang cause a big upset in the final, which begins at 13:00, then they will become Chinese Taipei's first women's doubles champions in Asian Games history.
But if Zheng and Yan live up to their billing as strong favourites, then they will become the first Chinese champions since Li Fang and Chen Li won the event at the 1998 edition in Bangkok.
The women's doubles is followed by the final event of the tennis programme at the 15th Asian Games, the men's singles gold medal match between Lee Hyung Taik of Korea and Thailand's Danai Udomchoke.
Lee is the top seed in the competition and was arguably favourite to better his silver medal from four years ago even before Paradorn Srichaphan withdrew before the event began with an injured tendon in his wrist.
Srichaphan, who lost his standing as Asian No 1 to Lee in November - the Korean ranked 49th to the Thai's 54th - was the defending champion, but had been a doubt coming into the Games.
Lee though has been in impressive form at Doha 2006, not dropping a set in his eight singles matches he has played - including four in the team event to help Korea to victory - with Cecil Mamiit of the Philippines his latest victim in the semi.
That 7-5, 6-0 victory earned Lee a place among a select trio of players to reach consecutive Games men's singles finals, the others being China's Pan Bing (1990, 1994) and Yoon Yong Il (1994, 1998) - the last Korean to win the title.
Lee has certainly had the upper hand in his previous meetings with Udomchoke - who at 25 is five years younger than the Korean - with five victories from their six encounters, including two in 2006.
On hard courts at Challenger events in Busan and Seoul, Lee made the most of his home advantage to triumph in straight sets on both occasions. Their Busan encounter came in the final, while in Seoul, Lee went on to win the title.
No 3 seed Udomchoke has needed three sets in his last two matches - against Korea's Jun Woong Sun and Go Soeda of Japan - to reach the final and will need to be at the top of his game if he is to deny Lee another gold medal.
However if Udomchoke can cause an upset, then Thailand will become only the fifth nation to win back-to-back men's singles titles after the Philippines (1958, 1962), Japan (1966, 1974), Indonesia (1978, 1982) and China (1990, 1994).
Only time will tell if Udomchoke can raise Thai spirits after twin brothers Sanchai and Sonchat Ratiwatana squandered seven match points to eventually lose the men's doubles final to Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi of India.
15th Asian Games, Doha 2006
Posted December 14th, 2006 by COBA
