Chinese men's great: 'matter of if, not when'

MELBOURNE - China only needs time to produce a "great" male player to match its impressive women, men's tour chief Brad Drewett said Wednesday, calling the country's impact on tennis "unbelievable".

China's Li Na, seeded fifth at the Australian Open, last year became Asia's first Grand Slam singles champion at the French Open. The country also boasts the likes of Zheng Jie and Peng Shuai in the women's top 50.

By contrast, China's top men's player, Zhang Ze, languishes at 292nd in the rankings but Drewett, who took up his post as ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) chief this year, said a male champion will inevitably emerge.

"I think (with) the success of Li Na and the other women's players, I couldn't be more happy. I think it's great not just for women's tennis and Li Na, the WTA (Women's Tennis Association), but it's great for everyone in the game, including the ATP.

"I get asked this question a lot when I'm in China: 'When are we going to have the first great Chinese male player?' My answer is, 'it's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when'.

"China has a history of great athletes, in the Olympics, whether it be running, gymnastics. It's just a matter of time before some of those great athletes pick up a tennis racquet and hit the world stage.

"I'm very positive about the future of China in our game."

And Drewett said the impact of fast-developing China on the sport in the past 10 years has been "unbelievable", adding the country was a focal point for future growth.

"I don't think that is going to stop," he said. "We're like any company in the world. China is a focus in terms of growth. The ATP is very well placed in that we have major events in both Beijing and Shanghai."

Agence France-Presse