The Tennis Thread

[poshrule_uk]

That's absolutely crazy but not surprising.
China really can't handle any criticism.

[Grumpy David]

So it looks like the Chinese Communist Party have kidnapped female tennis player Peng Shuai because she made an allegation of sexual assault against a top CCP official

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-59325399

That email from Peng Shuai is fooling no one.

[Drumstick]

Unvaccinated players will not be allowed to compete at the 2022 Australian Open, says tournament director Craig Tiley.

There had been confusion over the issue in recent months with contradictory statements from leading Australian politicians.

Defending men's champion Novak Djokovic has said he does not want to reveal his vaccination status publicly.

[Knoyleo]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-59368774

Peng Shuai: Chinese tennis star tells Olympic officials she is safe

Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai said she was safe and well in a video call on Sunday, the International Olympic Committee says.

In a statement, the IOC said its President Thomas Bach had spoken to Ms Peng for 30 minutes.

"[She] was doing fine, which was our main concern," the statement read.

Ms Peng, 35, disappeared from the public eye for almost three weeks after she made sexual assault allegations against a senior Chinese minister.

Her absence triggered widespread concern, with international sports stars and governments calling on China to provide proof that she was safe.

"At the beginning of the 30-minute call, Peng Shuai thanked the IOC for its concern about her wellbeing," the statement from the organisation said.

"She explained that she is safe and well, living at her home in Beijing, but would like to have her privacy respected at this time," it added.

"She prefers to spend her time with friends and family right now," it said. "Nevertheless, she will continue to be involved in tennis."

The IOC statement also included an image of the video call taking place, with Ms Peng seen smiling to the camera.

The outcry over the tennis star's apparent disappearance from the public eye prompted Chinese state media to release a series of photographs and videos that appeared to show all was well.

Earlier on Sunday, a state media journalist posted a video clip on Twitter showing Ms Peng smiling while standing with officials at a tennis tournament in Beijing.

Reuters news agency reported that the event organisers also published photos of the player on the event's official WeChat page.

But a spokesperson from the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) told Reuters the videos were "insufficient" evidence of her safety and did not address its concerns about Ms Peng.

And later on Sunday, the WTA said in a fresh statement that the recent videos "don't alleviate or address the WTA's concern about her wellbeing and ability to communicate without censorship or coercion".

"This video does not change our call for a full, fair and transparent investigation, without censorship, into her allegation of sexual assault, which is the issue that gave rise to our initial concern," it said.

Ms Peng - a former number one-ranked tennis doubles player - posted an allegation about former Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli on Chinese social media site Weibo in early November.

She alleged she was forced into sexual relations with Mr Zhang, in a post that was taken down minutes later. It was the first time such a claim has been made against one of China's senior political leaders.

Why a call with the IOC and not the WTA? Why just release an image of the call happening, rather than a recording of the call. The only real conclusion is that the IOC are in the pockets of the CCP and desperate to avoid damaging the Beijing winter Olympics.

Massively disappointing that the IOC would allow themselves to be used as a pawn like this, but not surprised.

Really hoping for a big athlete boycott of these winter Olympics, especially if the IOC are so openly willing to corroborate in the disappearance of a fellow athlete.

[Denster]

I'm Novak's biggest fan and he is the defending champion but i hope they stick to their guns - if he doesn't follow the rules he has no right to compete.

[Memento Mori]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-59368774

Peng Shuai: Chinese tennis star tells Olympic officials she is safe

Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai said she was safe and well in a video call on Sunday, the International Olympic Committee says.

In a statement, the IOC said its President Thomas Bach had spoken to Ms Peng for 30 minutes.

"[She] was doing fine, which was our main concern," the statement read.

Ms Peng, 35, disappeared from the public eye for almost three weeks after she made sexual assault allegations against a senior Chinese minister.

Her absence triggered widespread concern, with international sports stars and governments calling on China to provide proof that she was safe.

"At the beginning of the 30-minute call, Peng Shuai thanked the IOC for its concern about her wellbeing," the statement from the organisation said.

"She explained that she is safe and well, living at her home in Beijing, but would like to have her privacy respected at this time," it added.

"She prefers to spend her time with friends and family right now," it said. "Nevertheless, she will continue to be involved in tennis."

The IOC statement also included an image of the video call taking place, with Ms Peng seen smiling to the camera.

The outcry over the tennis star's apparent disappearance from the public eye prompted Chinese state media to release a series of photographs and videos that appeared to show all was well.

Earlier on Sunday, a state media journalist posted a video clip on Twitter showing Ms Peng smiling while standing with officials at a tennis tournament in Beijing.

Reuters news agency reported that the event organisers also published photos of the player on the event's official WeChat page.

But a spokesperson from the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) told Reuters the videos were "insufficient" evidence of her safety and did not address its concerns about Ms Peng.

And later on Sunday, the WTA said in a fresh statement that the recent videos "don't alleviate or address the WTA's concern about her wellbeing and ability to communicate without censorship or coercion".

"This video does not change our call for a full, fair and transparent investigation, without censorship, into her allegation of sexual assault, which is the issue that gave rise to our initial concern," it said.

Ms Peng - a former number one-ranked tennis doubles player - posted an allegation about former Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli on Chinese social media site Weibo in early November.

She alleged she was forced into sexual relations with Mr Zhang, in a post that was taken down minutes later. It was the first time such a claim has been made against one of China's senior political leaders.

Why a call with the IOC and not the WTA? Why just release an image of the call happening, rather than a recording of the call. The only real conclusion is that the IOC are in the pockets of the CCP and desperate to avoid damaging the Beijing winter Olympics.

Massively disappointing that the IOC would allow themselves to be used as a pawn like this, but not surprised.

Really hoping for a big athlete boycott of these winter Olympics, especially if the IOC are so openly willing to corroborate in the disappearance of a fellow athlete.

The IOC are a load of corrupt bootlickers, I'm not surprised they'd go along with this charade.

[Grumpy David]

Wtf I agree with Knoyleo.

This is turning into such a huge PR disaster that I'm beginning to think the only option for the CCP will be to just sacrifice Zhang Gaoli.

I'm Novak's biggest fan and he is the defending champion but i hope they stick to their guns - if he doesn't follow the rules he has no right to compete.

Novaxx Djocovid.

[Tineash]

Impressed by the WTA's backbone.

[Knoyleo]

Wtf I agree with Knoyleo.

Chinese state sponsored disappearances, the great unifier.

I admire your optimism, but I think the CCP will be more than willing to wait this out, especially with the IOC are still backing them and the winter Olympics going ahead, because that's the spectacle they want, and if they can get past there, the noise around Peng Shuai will drop off. It's not even like the tennis community could stage much of a scene there either. It'll take other athletes to make a stand, and they'll all be under a huge amount of pressure from their own funding bodies not to make a fuss.

Noticed that the most watched item on the BBC News site yesterday was a well timed piece of winter Olympics Chinese propaganda, a snowboarding 11 month old.

[Grumpy David]

Wtf I agree with Knoyleo.

Chinese state sponsored disappearances, the great unifier.

I admire your optimism, but I think the CCP will be more than willing to wait this out, especially with the IOC are still backing them and the winter Olympics going ahead, because that's the spectacle they want, and if they can get past there, the noise around Peng Shuai will drop off. It's not even like the tennis community could stage much of a scene there either. It'll take other athletes to make a stand, and they'll all be under a huge amount of pressure from their own funding bodies not to make a fuss.

Noticed that the most watched item on the BBC News site yesterday was a well timed piece of winter Olympics Chinese propaganda, a snowboarding 11 month old.

My optimism is probably just wishful thinking but my reasoning that rather than the usual case of the CCP doubling down is that Zhang Gaoli might be an easy sacrifice.

He is tied to the shrivelled toadman faction of the CCP (Jiang Zemin, he's famed for ramping up industrial level organ harvesting and Falun Gong persecution) that Xi Jinping has purged over the years. The vast bulk have been low ranked members but Xi has previously purged a member of the Politburo Standing Committee - Zhou Yongkang. Whilst Zhang is a retired PSC member and so it might be to Xi's benefit to just draw a line on this.

When writing my previous post, I had hoped other famous non-Tennis sporting professionals would have helped add further pressure but it seems like Enes Kanter in the NBA and Piqué at Barcelona were and remain the 2 most prominent whilst the news cycle is already moving past the disappearance of Peng.

[Cuttooth]

twitter.com/BBCSport/status/1466124748778262540

Big development and hopefully the ATP might follow suit.

[Drumstick]

What strawberry floating BS is this:

World number one Novak Djokovic says he will defend his Australian Open title later this month after receiving a medical exemption from having a Covid-19 vaccination.

All players and staff at the tournament must be vaccinated or have an exemption granted by an expert independent panel.

Djokovic, a nine-time Australian Open winner, has not spoken publicly about his vaccination status.

The tournament begins in Melbourne on 17 January.

"I've spent fantastic quality time with my loved ones over the break and today I'm heading down under with an exemption permission," he said on Instagram on Tuesday. "Let's go 2022."

[Tomous]

strawberry floating bonkers

[Moggy]

What strawberry floating BS is this:

World number one Novak Djokovic says he will defend his Australian Open title later this month after receiving a medical exemption from having a Covid-19 vaccination.

All players and staff at the tournament must be vaccinated or have an exemption granted by an expert independent panel.

Djokovic, a nine-time Australian Open winner, has not spoken publicly about his vaccination status.

The tournament begins in Melbourne on 17 January.

"I've spent fantastic quality time with my loved ones over the break and today I'm heading down under with an exemption permission," he said on Instagram on Tuesday. "Let's go 2022."

The exemption is "I'm really rich".

[Tomous]

I really don't think being a stupid twat should count as a medical exemption

[Cuttooth]

Remember though if you call him trash you can't also call people worse than him trash.

Are there going to be crowds at the Open? Will be interesting to see how constant booing might affect him.

[Grumpy David]

Press X to doubt

Are the Australian government really going to accept this obvious bullshit? What obscure medical exemption can an elite athlete have that prevents a vaccine but doesn't prevent becoming an elite athlete?

Presumably no hotel quarantine either if Australia does let him in, a nice isolated villa with professional standard tennis courts and training facilities etc.

[Tineash]

The healing pyramids of Bosnia have granted him life-long immunity to all disease, of course.

[Parksey]

Making an ill-informed, potentially damaging decision that goes against all advice and evidence, and then being rich or privileged enough to not have to deal with any negative results of that decision.

I mean, for his job, he needs to travel internationally constantly, will be in regular, unmasked contact with thousands of people in an enclosed space and needs to keep working/travelling during a worldwide pandemic that is repeatedly spiking.

It's a no-brainer that he's going to need to have the vaccine or face restrictions on what he can and can't do. You don't get to avoid worldwide medical advice and recommendations regarding keeping yourself and others safe, but still get to just do what you want like normal.

This isn't the first time he's shown himself to be a selfish, foolish prick on the issue though.

[Memento Mori]

I knew they were going to buckle and let Novax play. What utter cowards.