Call for Chinese tennis players to 'break away' after Li Na's win

Last Updated: Tue, 7 Jun 2011 09:47:00 +1000

China's top tennis official has called for reform to the country's state-run sports system after the success of Li Na at the French Open.

Li Na is the first Asian tennis player to win a singles Grand Slam event.

The director of China's tennis programme says more athletes should follow Li Na's lead and break away from the country's sports system.

Sun Jinfang has told the Xinhua news agency there must be innovation in the centralised training system.

In 2008, Li opted out of the state system and set up her own training team.

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Safina takes break from tennis

Posted May 13, 2011 19:54:00

Former WTA number one Dinara Safina of Russia will take an indefinite break from her tennis career to recover from a back injury, she told a Russian newspaper.

Safina, 25, told Sport Express that she would miss the French Open, starting on May 22, and then give up all training until she has recovered from her injury.

"I will 99 per cent return to tennis, but I want to do it healthy," she told the daily, speaking in Moscow.

"I want to take enough time for recovery, so that I never have to think about my back until the end of my career," she said, adding that she planned to spend the time visiting her mother in Monaco and travelling in Italy.

The player said she began experiencing back pain in 2009 and was diagnosed with a crack in her spine in 2010.

Safina, whose brother is former ATP number one Marat Safin, was ranked the WTA number one in 2009 and has twice reached the final of Roland Garros.

- AFP

Tags: sport, tennis

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