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WTA suspends tennis match in China over Peng Shuai case

The US Women’s Tennis Association is set to suspend its matches in China, escalating conflicts along with Beijing over how tennis expert Peng Shuai claimed he had been raped by a former Chinese government official.

Steve Simon, chairman and head of the women’s tennis tour, said on Wednesday he had not received satisfactory assurances that Peng was “free, safe, and uninvolved” since his accusation against Zhang Gaoli old high A member of the Chinese Communist Party, of rape in a post on the Weibo website on November 2, which was immediately removed.

The biggest tennis stars, from Naomi Osaka and Serena Williams to Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer, have all expressed concern for Peng’s defense, with Djokovic backing past WTA threats to cancel his match in China.

Simon reiterated the call for a “complete and clear investigation” on Peng’s remarks and suspend WTA celebrations in the region, including events in Hong Kong.

“If powerful individuals can suppress the voices of women and eradicate rape cases, then the very foundations on which the WTA was established – the equality of women – could be seriously undermined,” she said.

The WTA hosts more than 50 demonstrations worldwide each year, about 10 of which take place in China, according to a spokesman. In 2018, the tour signed a 10-year contract to participate in its WTA Finals in Shenzhen. His 2022 calendar has not yet been completed.

The announcement comes two months before the 2022 Winter Olympics begin in Beijing. Late last month, Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee, shared a video with Peng, stating that he was in Beijing and that the two were planning a dinner in the Chinese capital before the game.

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It was the first evidence from officials outside China including Peng, who had been missing for weeks in public.

Chinese journalists also released several videos Peng, as well as a statement allegedly written by a tennis player, who said he was “resting at home” and that the assertion was “not true”.

Simon did not mention the Olympics or Bach in his Wednesday speech, but he did mention the dangers of running in the region next year.

“Given the current situation, I am also very concerned about the risks that all our players and teammates would face if we had an event in China in 2022,” said Simon.

An IOC spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

WTA move to abolish its celebrations in China it is different and the manner in which some Western organizations have responded after initiating conflicts in the region. Officials of all races from Mercedes-Benz to McDonald’s have apologized for offending or separating Chinese consumers.

US National Basketball Association suffered power outages and strikes in China after former Houston Rockets manager Daryl Morey posted on Twitter the support of protesters in Hong Kong in 2019.


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