Yao returns as China win warm-up

Yao Ming gave China's Olympic basketball hopes a boost when he returned to action for the first time after five months on the sidelines in China's 96-72 victory over Serbia in a warm-up tournament on Friday.

The 7ft-6in (2.28m) centre, who had an operation on a stress fracture to his left foot in March, was greeted by a huge roar from the Hangzhou crowd when he came on to the court midway through the first period.

The Houston Rockets All-Star, China's most popular sportsman, scored 11 points in their opening game of the Stankovic Cup.

China play Angola on Sunday and Russia on Monday in the round-robin tournament, which takes place just three weeks before the Olympics.

China open their Olympic campaign against the United States at the Wukesong basketball arena on August 10.