Taking aim at making net gains

Young players shoulder China's future in tennis

With tennis interest booming across the nation, Chinese players fully embraced the challenge of the Olympic tournament - despite knowing they faced some very long odds.

Since 2004, when Li Ting and Sun Tiantian won China's first and only gold medal in women's doubles at the Athens Games, the sport's growth in the Olympics-obsessed country has been aimed at medal-winning performances in the global showcase.