Chang chimes up for new breed

Tennis great Michael Chang's almost single-handedly inspired a new generation of Chinese to pick up a racket during his legendary career. Now, 14 years after the much-loved Chinese American's quit laying, he continues to act as a force for the betterment of the game here.

Chang was a guest at this week's China Open in Beijing on Tuesday, where he began a new ambassadorial role for tennis by hailing the "sensational" growth of the sport nationwide and vowing to promote it even more here.

At the same news conference, Change was officially announced as the 2018 global ambassador for the International Tennis Hall of Fame, 10 years after he was named a Hall of Famer in recognition of his tremendous play on the court and his winning personality, both on and off it.