BEIJING, June 28 -- Chinese No. 2 Peng Shuai paid tribute to her new coach Michael Chang for helping getting her game back on track after she considered quitting tennis last year.

Peng crashed out of the first round at Wimbledon on Tuesday, losing 6-4, 6-4 to Hana Sromova of the Czech Republic, the world No. 170.

But nonetheless she insisted that life was much better now under the tutelage of Chang, the 1989 French Open winner, who is American of Taiwanese heritage.

Since hanging up his rackets in 2002, the former world No. 2 has largely labored away unnoticed from the tennis world. But with the lure of the Beijing Olympics calling, the 35-year-old Chinese-American star is suddenly back.

Chang has been running his family's charitable foundation, hitting the speech circuit and studying to become a pastor.

"I've been really busy, actually," Chang said. "I thought retiring I would travel less and take it easy. That has not been the case."

Chang is hitching his cart to Peng at a time when officials, agents and other companies are targeting China's booming economy as the country prepares to host the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

The Sony Ericsson WTA Tour already has picked Beijing to host one of its four "crown jewel" events anchoring the revamped 2009 calendar. The ATP Tour has held the year-ending Masters Cup in Shanghai three of the last five years and will do so again this year.

A second-generation American, Chang first traveled to the Chinese mainland in 1990. His popularity has helped propel the sport in Asia.

Chang is currently scouting locations in China for a tennis academy, which he said could be operational as early as 2008. "I have a heart for China," he said.

China now has just one competitor left in the singles at Wimbledon, which must come as a huge disappointment to those who felt Chinese tennis was on the march ahead of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

There are no Chinese players in the men's draw and Sun Tiantian lost to France's Emilie Loit 6-3, 6-1 Tuesday, leaving just qualifier Yan Zi in the draw. She faces Italian No. 21 seed Tathiana Garbin in the first round.

(Source: Shenzhen Daily/ Agencies)