Chang closing in on deal to coach China’s Peng Shuai

COACHING: Michael Chang, the youngest ever player to win a grand slam event, appears close to landing a deal to coach China’s Peng Shuai, one of the country’s tennis hopes in next year’s Beijing Olympics.

“We are negotiating with Michael Chang but there is no agreement yet,” Xie Miqing, a spokeswoman for the Chinese Tennis Association, said Wednesday. The Chinese American began talks late last year with the CTA, showing interest in coaching the Chinese team for next year’s Olympics, but he has since focused on coaching individual players.

China has three women ranked in the top 40: Li Na (17), Shang Jie (32) and Peng (40). Once ranked number two in the world, Chang - a Chinese American - won the French Open in 1989 at age 17. He is very popular in China, where he is better known by his Mandarin name Zhang Depei.

BEIJING, Wednesday, AP.