Beijing: China's 'flyaway' policy, which allows top tennis players independence from the state system, is working well but may not be suitable for all sports, former grand slam doubles champion Yan Zi said. The Olympic bronze medallist, who made her debut appearance as a member of the advisory body to China's parliament last week, was one of the four players allowed their independence last year along with Zheng Jie, Li Na and Peng Shuai.
While Zheng and Li reaching the semi-finals of the Australian Open vindicated the policy, Yan said, it might not prove to be a blueprint for all of China's 23,000 professional athletes.
"The results speak for themselves, no matter which system it is. A system that produces good playing records is a good one," the 25-year-old told Reuters on the sidelines of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).
"It depends on which kind of the sports it is, though. Some of the sports are not as fully professional as tennis. They still need support from the country. They don't have so much prize money as tennis."
The highlights of Yan's career have mainly come with Zheng in the doubles, winning Wimbledon and the Australian Open in 2006 and the Olympic bronze in Beijing two years later.
Although they remain good friends -- Zheng was guest of honour at Yan's recent marriage to the son of a Shenzhen multi-millionaire -- they parted company last year.
"Last year Zheng Jie and I both felt we had been together for too long and after 10 years we had become too familiar to doubles specialists," Yan said.
"In 2006 they did not know us so we beat them by surprise. But eventually they got to know us better and worked out a way to beat us."
Bureau Report
First Published: Friday, March 12, 2010, 16:28