Any eligible player free to go, says tennis official

By sportswriter Wang Jimin

With China's top tennis aces freed to play the professional tour, the country's tennis governing body has kept an open mind, willing to allow more eligible players to test water in the world stage by themselves.

"Chinese tennis has changed a lot in the past few years and as the governing body, we also have to make change to adjust to the situation," Gao Shenyang, vice director with the Chinese Tennis Association (CTA), told Xinhua on Wednesday.

The decision to allow Zheng Jie, Li Na, Yan Zi and Peng Shuai to keep 92 percent of their earnings and choose their own coaches was a reflection of a rapidly changing society.

"Maybe you can put constraints on them but it will not be a win-win result," said Gao.

"The reform is not an expedient, it's based on the mutual understanding. If the coming players are eligible, we also allow them to go it alone.

"But they have to come of age physically and mentally for the big change. Haste makes no speed," he added.

Before the change, the four women kept only 35 percent of their winnings. In return, the CTA covered all their travel, coaching and equipment expenses.

The system worked well as China's tennis stars started to make a splash in the WTA tour, but it also brought about spat on the surging prize money which reached the climax when Peng, a then Chinese number one, asked to leave the state system in 2005, leading to a war of words between Peng and the CTA.

"The state system contributed a lot to their growth and is even admired by foreign countries. It's a sure thing that the state system will rule the sport for a long time," Gao said.

Li, the first Chinese to reach the last eight of a Grand Slam tournament, has collected 646,000 U.S. dollars after playing all by herself while Zheng, the Grand Slam doubles winner, has won 530,000U.S. dollars. Expect the prize money, the players also earned a large amount of sponsorship.

The CTA is keeping close contact with the four self-managed players and Gao had no doubt that they will all conduct their duty when it comes to the Olympics, Asian Games or Fed Cup.

Source: Xinhua