China's top female tennis player Wang Qiang suffered her sixth straight defeat after losing to Italian Sara Errani 6-2, 4-6, 4-6 in the opening round of the women's singles event at the 2021 Australian Open on Monday.

Last weekend, Sports Scene's Greg Laffradi spoke to Wang. The two-time Asian Games gold medalist talked about her expectations for this season, as well as her preparations for the Tokyo Olympics.

Wang made the worst possible start to her preparations when she missed two match points and then lost to Italy's Jasmine Paolini at the Gippsland Trophy tournament at Melbourne Park on last Monday. Talking about that defeat, the 29-year-old Tianjin native said it's not because of quarantine.

"Everybody is facing the same situation," said Wang. 

"I think it's because I've been away from the Tour for a long time. I haven't played a Tour-match for a while, so I need to adapt to the rhythm, and hope I can find my form in the upcoming events."

Last year, Wang upset 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams in the third round in Melbourne, marking herself as the first Chinese to beat the former world No.1 in any major. But when she looked forward to this year, Wang said she hoped to regain form and improve her level of play.

"I've been away from the Tour for a long time, so I will try my best to regain my form, and improve my competitive level. That is what my team and I are looking for. We want to see improvement in every match."

World No.34 Wang has won two Asian Games titles in a row. As the first player to enter the postponed Tokyo Games, Wang said she's always proud to represent China.

"I hope to live up to people's expectations and support, with good results. I will prepare well, train hard, and look forward to getting a good result at the Tokyo Olympics. Quarantines and empty stadiums are becoming the norm, so I want to focus on my training, as the rules are all about ensuring everybody's safety, as well as the smooth operation of events."