WTA tapping China potential

The WTA's heavy schedule of China events is a point of contention in some quarters, but the boss of women's tennis says it's a sign of the nation's growing presence on the sport's global stage.

Women's Tennis Association CEO Steve Simon, who is overseeing this week's year-end tournament in Zhuhai, insists that the increasing number of tournaments in China signifies the country's commitment to grow the sport and its untapped market potential.

"No, I don't think it hurts at all," Simon said on Wednesday when asked whether the busy Chinese schedule posed an issue.

China now hosts seven WTA tournaments on the mainland. Four of them, including the Premier 5 Wuhan Open and the Premier Mandatory China Open in Beijing, are scheduled within a month after the US Open.

Some players in Zhuhai, such as American world No 12 Coco Vandeweghe, have complained about the intense workload after the season's last Grand Slam.

"This is probably the toughest part of the year after the US Open ... there is no secret about that," Vandeweghe said after pulling through a three-set opening match against Chinese ace Peng Shuai at the WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai on Tuesday.

"I had to miss most of the China events just because I was exhausted after the US Open," said Vandeweghe, who only played in Beijing. She lost there in the second round before coming to Zhuhai.

As the season finale of the WTA Tour, the Zhuhai tournament features 12 of the world's top female players in four round-robin groups. Winners advance to the semifinals to compete for the overall champion's 700 ranking points and the lion's share of $2.2 million in prize money.

Simon said a growing appreciation of the game and its stars in this country, coupled with lucrative prize money, make the China swing very attractive to most players.

He also revealed the WTA is seriously evaluating Shenzhen as a candidate to land its crown jewel event, the WTA Finals, after its contract with current host Singapore expires in 2019.

"We are very proud and excited about Shenzhen's interest in bidding for the Finals. I think the city is going to put forward a very compelling offer for the WTA to consider," said Simon, who traveled to the city in Guangdong province to assess its facilities before arriving in Zhuhai.

If Shenzhen is successful in its bid, three consecutive WTA tournaments, including the Guangzhou Open, would take place in the same province during a short period of time, and all the top players, including the highest-ranked eight featured at the Finals, would wrap up their season in China.

sunxiaochen@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 11/03/2017 page22)