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| Li Na, aged 5. She started to play tennis at the age of 9. (Zhou Guoqiang /China Daily) |
"It's changed a lot in the 10 years I've been visiting China. There's a lot more interest in the sport generally. You are starting to see more opportunities for Chinese players to play at home and to travel to other countries, where tennis is already a major sport. The interest will continue to grow and the performances of players like Li Na will help it grow even faster and further," said Ayles.
Bringing new tournaments, such as this year's WTA Shenzhen Open and the Premier 5 event in Wuhan next year, the Chinese Tennis Association has decided to push forward its professional reforms by allowing the players more freedom.
That fact was evident as Xu Shilin, a 15-year-old who competed at the Australian Open's girls' event, chose to manage her own career with a personal coach and agent, just as Li was allowed to do after the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
"Her (Li's) success proved that this is the right way to go, so I think I can emulate her path to realize my dream to be the world No 1," said the forthright teenager. Xu's vision may sound a little over-ambitious, but the impact of a good role model shouldn't be underestimated.
Newbery believed that after reaching three major finals, Li's influence will mirror the effect that world No 3 Andy Murray had on British tennis last year.
"In Britain, the interest in Murray (after his Olympic and US Open wins) is huge. The Premier League (soccer) is the biggest thing, but Murray winning a Grand Slam and being in the final again will get the sport close to that.
"I imagine the same for Li, if that translates into people picking up a racquet and playing tennis. It's been a different story in the UK. People love to watch and enjoy the sport, no matter whether they play or not."
China's weekly story (2013.01.21-01.27)
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