Rockets center Yao opts for operation

HOUSTON: China's giant center Yao Ming will undergo surgery Monday to fix a stress fracture in his left foot, the Houston Rockets announced on Saturday.

Yao, who is already out for the rest of the National Basketball Association's 2007-08 season and whose long-anticipated Beijing Olympics campaign is in jeopardy, will have the surgery at the Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center in Houston. Rockets doctor Tom Clanton will perform the surgery.

Before the injury, the 27-year-old Yao was enjoying one of his best seasons in the NBA, averaging 22.0 points and 10.8 rebounds per game.