PARIS (AP) -- The first tennis match Zheng Jie remembers watching on TV back home in China was Steffi Graf against Monica Seles in the French Open. Now Zheng finds herself playing in the same tournament -- and in the fourth round. She became the first Chinese woman to advance that far in a Grand Slam event by beating Tathiana Garbin 5-7, 7-6 (1), 6-2 Friday. The victory was even more impressive because Garbin's previous match was a victory over 2003 champion Justine Henin-Hardenne. ``At the beginning, my goal was to win in the first round, then the second round,'' Zheng said through a translator. ``I never imagined I could win in the third round.'' For her success at Roland Garros, Zheng is guaranteed about $66,600, but most of it will be returned to the Chinese tennis program. She said successful players from China provide financial support for the system that helps them progress. ``The Chinese tennis association spends a lot of money on the players to let them travel abroad,'' Zheng said. ``All the expenses are covered.'' The nation is pushing to improve its tennis program before the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, said Zheng, 21. At the moment, China is a land of 1.3 billion people and few tennis courts. Zheng's victory over Garbin will be good news back home. But big news? ``This is only one match,'' she said. ``I cannot say I'll become a big star. I'll try to play more tournaments. In the future, maybe I can be a star, but not after this match.'' A French Open title might do the job. No Chinese woman has won a WTA Tour event , much less a major championship. Zheng's opponent in the fourth round will be 14th-seeded Paola Suarez. No controversy accompanied Zheng's victory, but she did make history. Li Fang achieved the best previous result by a Chinese woman in a major event, reaching the third round at the 1992 Australian Open. Li climbed to 36th in 1998, the highest ranking for a woman from China. Zheng, now ranked 58th, will break into the top 50 in the next rankings. Zheng is most proud of her two-handed backhand and superior endurance, which she said gave her an edge against Garbin. ``In China, coaches pay more attention to training,'' Zheng said. ``Every after noon, they have 1 1/2 hours for training. That's why we're in good physical condition.'' The 5-foot-4 Zheng hails from Sichuan province, where her father has a restaurant. She's an all-around athlete who plays golf, badminton and table tennis. Her idol growing up was Graf, and her favorite current player is Lindsay Davenport. ``She's very clever,'' Zheng said. Zheng and Davenport could meet in the semifinals -- a pairing that would surely draw a big TV audience back in China. --

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