The United States table tennis team might not be winning all its matches, but it's definitely winning some big fans.

Former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates was on hand when Ariel Hsing of the US lost to China's Li Xiaoxia on Monday in the third round at the London Olympics.

With all four members of the team being of Chinese descent, the team has also become a topic of conversation among fans and the media in China. Only Hsing made it as far as the third round.

"She's gotten herself up to top level and to do that at 16 (years old) means she's got the potential to be as good as anyone," Gates said.

"I've known her for seven years, and she was looking forward to getting into the Olympics, she was very excited about that. Getting through to the third round and just continuing improving - she's great."

Though they all grew up in the US, the players' heroes are Chinese stars.

Even without a medal, the young team provides some hope the US might become a contender in the not-too-distant future.

Timothy Wang is the only man on the team and, at the age of 20, is its oldest member.

He began playing at age 4 and won the US national championship in 2010.

He lost in the preliminaries, but - this time - just being at the Olympics was good enough.

"I'm really pleased to be here," he said. "It's an amazing experience for me. When I came out into the arena I had goose bumps from the cheering of the crowd. Playing here is like being on center court the whole time."

As a Chinese-American, Wang was invited to China earlier this year as part of the 40th anniversary of the Ping-Pong Diplomacy relations between the US and China.

He played an exhibition with former world and Olympic champion Wang Liqin.

"It was cool to be part of it," he said. "It's also an honor to help improve the exchange between the two countries, both in sports and culture."

His three female teammates have grown to be quite tightly knit, acting like siblings as they navigate London and the Games together.

They will start work in the women's team competition on Friday.

Hsing is the eldest of the three 16-year-olds and has become the leader after a series of strong performances in international competition.

The daughter of Chinese immigrants is expected to do what no American has done: win a table-tennis medal.

She was impressive in her third-round match, forcing second-seeded Li to 2-2 before losing.

"It's such a huge confidence booster when I just let go and play the way I should play," she said. "It really shows me I can compete with the world's best. This is a really big stepping-stone. That is just great."

Her parents both played table tennis in China, and they took her along to a local table tennis club in Palo Alto, California, where a coach noticed she had a talent for the sport.

Hsing, who at 15 became the youngest women's national champion in US history in 2010, maintains close ties to China, where she trained periodically between the ages of 8 and 11.

Being there is enough

Erica Wu and Lily Zhang chalked the trip up as a victory from the moment they set foot in the Athletes' Village.

"Playing the sport is fun. We feel great just being here. We do not think too much about our results. Just come out, relax and enjoy the game," said Zhang, who was eliminated in the first round.

Wu's coach Gao Jun, who now runs a club in El Monte, California, said for table tennis players in the US, qualifying for the Olympics is a victory unto itself.

"Table tennis is a small sport in the US. To compete in the Olympic Games is like winning for these youngsters," said Gao, a former Chinese national player.

Gao won the 1992 Barcelona Olympics women's doubles silver medal for China.

She moved to the US in 1994 and became a citizen. She competed for the US in three consecutive Olympics, beginning in 2000.

Gao is well aware of the huge gap between the US and China in the sport and chose to retire in 2009, focusing on her club to promote the sport and develop new talent.

"I hope to develop more young players to play in the Olympic Games, like Wu," Gao said. "These guys have descendants from China, and they love this sport."

Table tennis' status in China is comparable to the NFL in the US.

Wu said more American kids are becoming interested in the game.

"A lot of us are second-generation Asian Americans who have had a lot of exposure to table tennis, so when they come here, it's one of the sports on their mind that they might want us to try," Wu said.

chenxiangfeng@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 08/02/2012 page10)