Michael Chang: No male tennis great for Asia, unless there's proper coaching

Asia won’t be getting its own male tennis great anytime soon, former world No. 2 Michael Chang said yesterday – not unless they find better coaches.

“Tennis is relatively new in the Asia Pacific region. It’s not that easy for some of these players in China to get the coaching that they need. Nearly all of these Chinese girls that have had success have had coaching from foreign coaches,” said Chang in a telephone interview.

That’s eight Asian women ranked among the world’s top 100, versus one man: Taiwan’s Lu Yen-hsun, at No. 96.

In a game that conspicuously lacks male Asian faces, Chang blazed a trail that no other Asian player could match since.

Chang was the youngest-ever male Grand Slam winner by taking the French Open title in 1989 at just 17. He was the first Chinese player to win the French Open and the first American to win since 1955. To this day, Chang remains the 10th top earner in pro tennis.

The only one who came close was onetime world No.9, Thailand's Paradorn Srichaphan. But he dropped out due to wrist injury a few years ago.

Chang was speaking at a press conference for Hong Kong Tennis Classic, an exhibition tournament that mixes retired male players with active female pros and starts from January 6 next year. Apart from Michael Chang, stars that will volley at Victoria Park’s courts include the just-retired Marat Safin, tennis bombshell Maria Sharapova, and Danish wunderkind Caroline Wozniacki.

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