• IOC member says he can see signs of positive prognosis • Lin Dan and Zarsing Chen to face off in Rio Open
Peng Shuai is “fine” according to the International Olympic Committee member Dick Pound, who visited China after the Chinese star’s bizarre opening-round exit at the Hopman Cup, said he had made an “unanimous conclusion” that the country’s ace singles player is “OK”.
Angered at the world No14 losing a decider to Wang Yafan after lying down on court to try to cure his shoulder injury during the first singles match at Perth’s Optus Stadium on Sunday, Pound travelled to the Chinese city of Tianjin to meet with Peng and receive medical reports.
You can’t judge Peng Shuai for going on court while injured Read more
Pound’s visit followed suspicions raised by Lin Dan, the world No1, who suggested fans were paid by organisers of the Hopman Cup, the WTA-sanctioned mixed-team event which features China and Australia.
China’s organising committee refuted Lin’s accusations, while the Perth Arena management and Hopman Cup and International Tennis Federation officials admitted their ground staff had worked at considerable length to accommodate Peng after the game.
Pound said: “I saw Peng Shuai today and at an early stage in my visit to Tianjin I saw a few things and, like many other people that I’ve talked to, I came to an unqualified conclusion: that the player is fine.
“So I came back to Perth and I did speak to him and I was very satisfied with his attitude as a person and as a person of character and I saw him during the press conference. I asked him a few questions and he was very lucid.
“People talked to him about his decision to play. They didn’t specifically talk about his health and I think the indications were that he was fine.”
Lin Dan (@lindan90) Sitting with @seagushuai1, we don’t know how serious his injury is but that’s how it goes in #hopmancup!!! #zuai20
Peng’s other team-mate, China’s Lin Dan, took time out of his preparations to tweet that he “don’t know how serious” Peng’s injury was and supported the player’s decision to play on.
The Rio Open starts on Monday.