Li-led Chinese contingent faces uphill task

China's tennis ace Li Na will be leading the charge at the All-England Club in Wimbledon for the 2012 London Olympic tennis event, which features the strongest field in history.

Led by the two world No 1s, Beijing Olympics bronze medalist Novak Djokovic of Serbia and Russia's Maria Sharapova, 19 of the current world's top 20 will contest both the men's and women's events, with the exceptions being American Mardy Fish and Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli.

But that will not be a problem for Sun Jinfang, head of the Chinese tennis governing body, who has overseen a series of breakthroughs in the last two Olympics.