Primed and ready for battle

After breezing into Asia Cup semis, Team China is braced for tougher tests

With its depth tested, flaws exposed and young guns firing well on a triumphant group-stage run, the Chinese women's squad is braced for even tougher battles en route to retaining its Asia Cup title, starting with the semifinals.

Of course, its first three wins, all in commanding fashion, looked quite convincing, as did towering prodigy Zhang Ziyu, whose imposing dominance in the paint has left opponents, fans and pundits at the FIBA continental showpiece in Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong province, in awe.

No one on the host team, though, is getting carried away by the feel-good run, as it gears up for a likely semifinal clash against its East Asian neighbor Japan, another continental powerhouse, on Saturday at the Shenzhen Sports Center Gymnasium.