SHENZHEN, China - Former French Open champion Michael Chang is no longer coaching China's Peng Shuai but still believes he could help Chinese chances of winning medals at next year's Beijing Olympics.
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Michael Chang | Peng Shuai |
I'm not going to be her official coach any more, he told reporters at Mission Hills, where he will open a tennis academy next year.
She needs someone to travel with her and I just don't have the time to be able to do that. We'd always keep our door open and if she ever needs anything...
Peng Shuai and I would butt heads a little bit on the time she put in to training, he added. I think she thought that at times I was too strict and (she) ended up putting in more time than she was used to.
Chang, champion at Roland Garros in 1989, said the Chinese needed to change the way they prepared their players in areas such as physical training, playing style, scouting opponents and racket technology.
My experience over this past year is that there are things that can be improved upon and certainly an open mind is a good start, he said.
If I was more heavily involved with preparing the Olympic team I think the opportunity for them to do well and possibly win another medal or multiple medals, in my opinion, would increase, he added.
China's Sun Tiantian and Li Ting were the surprise winners of the women's doubles at the 2004 Olympics and a stellar 2006 encouraged hopes of more medals on home soil in 2008.
The 2007 season was, however, disappointing for the Chinese women as injury and poor form took their toll.
Despite his split with world number 45 Peng, Chang said his relationship with the China Tennis Association (CTA) was pretty good and he still hoped to be part of China's team at the Beijing Games next August.
My heart is with Chinese tennis so if there's an opportunity to help the team or have an advisory role then I'll take advantage of that, the former world number two said.