THE HEAD OF the Women’s Tennis Association said he is prepared to cut lucrative business ties with China if tennis star Peng Shui remains unaccounted for and her sexual assault allegations against a top Communist Party official are not investigated.
WTA boss Steve Simon’s comments on Thursday came after Tennis great Serena Williams called for an investigation into Peng’s whereabouts.
Peng, a former Wimbledon and French Open doubles champion, alleged on Chinese social media earlier this month that former vice-premier Zhang Gaoli — who is in his seventies — had “forced” her into sex and they had an on-off relationship.
The claims, which brought the #MeToo movement into the highest echelons of China’s ruling Communist Party for the first time, were quickly scrubbed from the Twitter-like Weibo platform and the 35-year-old has not been seen since.
Simon told CNN that he is willing to lose hundreds of millions of dollars worth of Chinese business in one of the WTA’s biggest markets to ensure Peng’s safety.
“We’re definitely willing to pull our business and deal with all the complications that come with it,” Simon said.
“Women need to be respected and not censored,” he added.
Serena Williams on Thursday joined Naomi Osaka and Novak Djokovic in drawing attention to the case.
“I am devastated and shocked to hear about the news of my peer, Peng Shuai,” former world number one Williams wrote on Twitter.
“I hope she is safe and found as soon as possible. This must be investigated and we must not stay silent.”
Williams’ tweet was accompanied by a photo of a smiling Peng captioned with #WhereIsPengShuai.
The WTA, the top world body for women’s tennis, has called for proof that she is safe as pressure mounts on Chinese authorities to clarify Peng’s status and safety.
- Email doubts -
Beijing has repeatedly refused to comment on her fate or the case.
But the editor of the state-run Global Times, Hu Xijin, tweeted Friday that he didn’t believe that “Peng Shuai has received retaliation and repression speculated by foreign media for the thing people talked about”.
Earlier this week, state-run CGTN published a screenshot on Twitter of what it said was an email written by Peng to Simon and other WTA officials.
In the email, Peng claims that her earlier accusations are “not true” and says she is “resting at home and everything is fine”.
But doubts were quickly flagged about the awkward language used in the purported email from Peng, which Twitter users noted had a cursor visible in the screenshot posted by CGTN.
Simon said that he was struggling to believe the email was authentic.
“Whether she was coerced into writing it, someone wrote it for her, we don’t know,” Simon told CNN.
“But at this point, I don’t think there’s any validity in it and we won’t be comfortable until we have a chance to speak with her.”
Beijing has in the past faced allegations of using forced confessions on state media, with British regulators revoking CGTN’s licence for failing to comply with fairness and privacy rules.
Bernard Jackman, Gavan Casey, and Murray Kinsella reflect on Ireland’s stunning win over the All Blacks, hail Ciara Griffin’s Ireland career, and chat about Rassie:
The42 Rugby Weekly / SoundCloud
Furlong really is exceptional. There isn’t another tighthead prop even close to him in world rugby. Any thoughts on the sub position? For me I think John Ryan has done enough to be second behind Furlong. He was very good in the first test and I think he’s slightly ahead of porter. Only slightly though.
@Jim Demps: I agree regarding Ryan/Porter but I’d say Ryan is further ahead than you might. What largely sealed that for me, apart from Ryan’s excellent performance last week, was the fact Porter had serious difficulties in the few scrums he was involved when he replaced Furlong. Porter’s all round play is excellent but Ryan’s scrummaging was very impressive
@Richard James: That’s what it comes down to really, what do you want off the bench, more impact around the park or greater solidity in the set piece. I think Schmidt will persist with Porter on the bench, but if, God forbide, Furlong got injured, Ryan would be the starter
@Jonny Martin: Yea I’d probably go along with that but I think Schmidt is going to invest lots of time in Porter before the World Cup. The guy is incredibly talented and is so new to the position. He’s already made huge strides in the last 18 months.
@Jim Demps: Jim Demps in Munster player preference shocker! :)
@Jonny Martin: How comme Ryan didn’t start in the 6N then when Furlong injured?
I must have imagined Porter more than holding his own in two games in the scrum, including a 78 minute shift.
@Jim Demps: porter is younger and has vast more natural ability to ryan. He will be favoured by the management id imagine going forward. If you consider ryan better now porter will gain on him all time. Predict a similar injured blighted career for porter to healy and obrien. His body is carrying so much muscle and his current playimg style he will be broken up by 27
@Jim Demps: At 29 Ryan is only coming into his prime as a TH. Considering this is only his third year as a tighthead, he has been a revalation for Munster. I thought he put in a tremendous shift in semi final. Particularly against Jack McGrath who is so technically proficient in the scrum. In choosing between Porter and Ryan, i think it depends on the opposition. Porter is so tall, that shorter props cause him difficulties, and he is continuing to learn as he develops. However, he is incredibly dynamic around the field. Exciting times for Ireland fans, and 2012 looks ever more distant.
@Brian Meagher: Porter and Ryan are the same height. I don’t disagree though, Porter is not as good in the set piece, Ryan not as good around the pitch. The Aussie scrum is very good, so I’d go with Ryan on the bench for next week.
Furlong was immense, just rewatched there with the Aussie commentators who were quite biased in their teams favour, but they were still blown away by Furlong. I haven’t seen the stat replayed, but they said he’d made the most metres of any Irish player so far, and they predicted he was odds on for MOTM. Even after he break, his attempted looping pass would have been a beauty, all other tightheads would have gone to deck. And then when it was touched by an Aussie player, to still have the wherewithal to regather. He really is a new breed.
@Conor Paddington: I think Tupou could potentially be better than Furlong. He just turned 22 and is already better in the loose I think.
@Conor Paddington: Unfortunately I had to watch the game, again, with Aussie commentators on Rugbypass. Again, I had it muted long before half time. This time it was after POM won a turnover penalty early in the first half. The first thing Phil Kearns do was suggest POM came in from the side. Their default position is always that the ref is wrong, then the reply comes up. Oh. Commentators annoy fans. Ryle Nugent was useless. BBC too. The NZ commentary team were so patronizing towards France. The problem with Aus is not bias. It is the terminology they use. They strike me as very ladish, masochistic, sneering and yet yet groveling (towards Pocock). Rod Kafer is the best of a truly dreadful bunch. Collectively, they offer absolutely nothing as team.
@Minami: of course he is
@Conor Paddington: Aweeee that pass, so close. Would have been fitting for him to pop a pass like that which led to a try. We really can’t do without Sexton, Furlong or Murray for the world cup. Everyone else can be replaced by someone as good, if not far behind.
@Alan Madden: I’d have to add Ringrose to those players as well, we have very good midfield options but he is a step above the rest.
Watching this on Aussie TV. Second week in a row they have a go at Ireland’s project players (Stander et al).
They think nothing however of their own Tongan Thors , and so many other Islanders that the likes of the Wobblies or the ABs consistently ensure will never get to play for their country of birth.
You don’t know how lucky you are not to have to suffer watching this on such blindly biased and myopic TV here down under
@Gordon Kelly: worth it when they lose tho
@Gordon Kelly: u ok hun?
@Gordon Kelly: hear hear. I say the same thing every match. Phil Kearns being by far the worst culprit.
@Gordon Kelly: it’s moronic. Stander was the only project player yesterday as I think Herring qualifies through his heritage. Let them off.
@Gordon Kelly: Superiority complex. They think they have a right to these Pacific Islanders. Sure aren’t they taking them out of poverty and giving them a better life? Dreadful.
@Gordon Kelly: Aussie commentators really are pathetic. The bias doesn’t bother me. That’s just how it is everywhere. But their attitude is so awful. They know it all. They’re the guardians of the game. They strike me as pals who pat each other on the back regularly throughout the game, then collectively scoff when a decision goes against them. “It’s a ripppppppppaaaaaaa.” Morons.
What a player. He was looking tired at the end of the season for Leinster but that was a performance for the ages. The range of skills he’s shown for Ireland this season has been incredible. And at just 25 years old he’s got plenty of years ahead of him to get better.
Immense – that’s how you deal with Pocock.
It was a right on all right. Not as good as SOB against France in the last world cup.
@John A. Dixon: Are you not thinking of SOB against France in Lansdown 3 years ago?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVUHFFUvjKk
@yvan buggy: Best clearout i have ever seen from a standing start.
@yvan buggy: I stand corrected. Good man. Some clear out.
Can you imagine how Pococks body must be after regularly getting cleaned out like that.
I think that is part of England’s problem. Guys like Billy Vunipola and Robshaw seem to be going through the motions and trying to avoid really putting their bodies on the line. Almost like the physical toll is too much.
Seeing that again pocock makes no attempt to release, just goes for the ball straight away when he clearly was part of the tackle. Have i got that wrong?
@Patrick Corrigan: he releases. Went down with his left hand on the player but takes it off before his initial swipe at the ball with his right
@Patrick Corrigan: No, you got it right, he is often illegal. I read recently that his body movement looks like he is disengaging, but his hands stay in there.
@Patrick Corrigan: spot on. he gets away with murder. him hooper similar to mccaw. Savage player tho!
Some player .
Sean o briens clear out v france is way better and the best I’ve seen!
@Fred McHugh: O’Briens was amazing, no doubt. Which one was better? Donno. Furlongs one hurt more, Pocock didn’t know what hit him. I bet it made him think twice about putting his body on the line again like that.
Furlong was immense but you also have to give it to Pococks reading of the game to get into those positions multiple times during each half.
Yeah he is. Spot on in fact..