The migration fiasco surrounding Novak Djokovic has stolen each the tennis headlines for the past week, sidelining a overmuch much superior contented - that of the information of China's Peng Shuai.
While Djokovic was held successful detention implicit the weekend, claims that his wellbeing was astatine hazard were axenic fantasy. That's thing but the lawsuit for Peng, with enigma inactive surrounding her whereabouts.
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Former satellite No.4 and grand-slam winning doubles subordinate Pam Shriver enactment the contented backmost connected the docket this greeting with a elemental tweet, highlighting the soundlessness surrounding some Peng and Czech subordinate Renata Voracova, who had her visa cancelled by Australian authorities connected the weekend.
Next week's Australian Open volition beryllium the archetypal expansive slam tourney since Peng made accusations of intersexual battle against a elder Chinese authoritative connected societal media.
The post, successful aboriginal November, was rapidly removed, arsenic concerns grew for the information of the 36-year-old.
Speaking to the Sydney Morning Herald, Defence Minister Peter Dutton said much needs to beryllium done to gully attraction to China's attraction of women.
"I don't recognize how, successful the twelvemonth 2021, successful the #MeToo age, we tin person an planetary pistillate tennis prima who claims to person been raped and sexually assaulted and she's present efficaciously nether location apprehension and has had her societal media relationship wiped, and someway that's behaviour that we should tolerate," Mr Dutton told The Sydney Morning Herald.
"Well, it's not – and we're amended disconnected to talk publically astir it due to the fact that different the behaviour won't change."
Beijing is owed to big the Winter Olympics successful little than a month's time, meaning the eyes of the satellite volition beryllium connected China.
Late past twelvemonth Peng took portion successful 2 video calls with International Olympic Committee brag Thomas Bach, though the IOC aboriginal conceded it couldn't warrant that Peng was safe.
No transcripts of the calls were released.
"We can't supply you with implicit certainty connected anything," IOC spokesperson Mark Adams said.
"All we tin bash is bash the champion we tin successful the process that we judge is successful the champion interests of the wellbeing of the athlete.
"We can't springiness assurances and we don't cognize the afloat facts."
Speaking to CNN successful December, quality rights lawyer Teng Biao said the concern was wholly unacceptable.
"Of course, Peng Shuai is not safe," helium said.
"What we cognize is she's inactive live and she's inactive successful China. But she is decidedly not safe, not good and she's wholly controlled by the Chinese authorities.
"And cipher knows wherever she is being detained."
A week earlier Christmas Peng retracted her intersexual battle allegations, with the expansive slam doubles champion claiming it was each a "misunderstanding."
The WTA has announced it is suspending events successful China until the allegations are investigated "in a full, just and transparent manner."
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