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Peng Shuai has almost completely disappeared from public view
Photo:
Kim Hong-Ji / REUTERS
At the Australian Open, after an initial ban, spectators can now draw attention to the fate of Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai with T-shirts.
Tournament boss Craig Tiley told the AFP news agency after the organizers of the first Grand Slam tournament of the year had trouble explaining how they were handling the case.
A video surfaced on Sunday showing security forces at Melbourne Park preventing fans from wearing "Where's Peng Shuai?" t-shirts in support of the Chinese tennis player.
This had caused a great deal of excitement, and tennis legend Martina Navratilova described the procedure as "pathetic".
The shirts are now allowed - as long as their wearers "do not come as a mob to disturb, but are peaceful", as Tiley said restrictively: "If they come to watch tennis, that's fine.
But we cannot allow anyone to cause a disruption at the end of the day.” As recently as Monday, Tennis Australia had reiterated its stance of not allowing banners, signs or clothing that are commercial or political.
Concerns about Peng Shuai remain high.
The former double world number one reported in November in a short article in the Chinese short message service Weibo about a relationship with China's former Deputy Prime Minister Zhang Gaoli and accused him of sexual abuse in the same post.
Her subsequent absence from the public led to protests and calls from numerous prominent colleagues and institutions for independently verifiable safety guarantees for the athlete.
In the meantime, Peng Shuai could be seen in videos, including with IOC President Thomas Bach.
International observers doubted whether she could express herself freely.
kra/sid