The Beijing Oriental International Tennis Development (BOT) program has begun its search for a new generation of Chinese tennis stars after its grand launch in the capital on Saturday.

"It's not enough to have only a few of good players like Zheng Jie and Li Na," Sun Kanglin, director of the Beijing Sports Bureau, said at the opening ceremony at the Beijing Tennis Center on Saturday.

"As a significant tennis development program, BOT is looking to bring the sport into every school, community as well as rural area."

Sun said tennis will expand its presence to compete with table tennis and badminton for young talent.

"Almost every school has table tennis and badminton courts. The tennis courts will come up soon, especially in the elementary schools. We have to develop the sport at the grassroots level."

Apart from promotions, BOT aims to run tennis coaching programs and increase the sport's exchanges by organizing international competitions. To draw extra attention to the program, BOT also appointed China's No 1 player Zheng, now women's world No 16, as ambassador.

"Thanks to international achievements by our women's tennis players, the sport has gained big popularity," said Sun. "More people are interested in the sport but there are not enough courts in the city. The BOT's priority is to set up as many courts as possible in the following years to meet people's demands."

Beijing is looking to become the center of the sport in Asia, highlighted by the China Open, one of four main events on this season's WTA Tour.

Meanwhile, Beijing, after opening a new regional WTA office last July, has been named one of 10 cities to host the coveted ATP 500 Series, second only to the Masters Series in prestige.

Players will descend on Beijing in November for the first ATP tournament on Chinese soil.

"We are developing the city into the tennis capital of Asia. The China Open has been promoted and it's very important to launch the BOT program in order to lift the overall level in China."

Tennis officials are also optimistic about China's tennis prospects.

ATF Honorary Life President Eiichi Kawatei of Japan has witnessed the sport's rapid development in the past 35 years and believes China's capital city has already emerged as the center of Asian tennis.

"Thirty-five years ago when I first came to China, there was a court in the Xiannongtan Stadium and a few in some international clubs," he said. "I was also surprised as I saw only one court in the Beijing Sports University.

"There was no way to play on the court as there was long grass on it.

"Now it's totally different. There are so many tennis courts here and Beijing has become the center of Asia's tennis.

"The Beijing Olympic Games proved China not only has good players, but also showed tennis is greatly supported by the public, government and the whole country.

"We are looking forward to seeing how China's tennis comes up in the 21 century."

Chinese tennis players have been making impressive breakthroughs in singles and doubles events in recent years, typified by world No 31 Li Na.

She became the first Chinese to reach the quarterfinals in a Grand Slam before her compatriot, Zheng, currently ranked world No 16, made another step forward by making the Wimbledon Open semifinals last year.

(China Daily April 14, 2009)