China beat Great Britain 86-76 in Olympics qualifier opener

Rachael Vanderwal (L) of Great Britain in action against Yuan Li (R) of China at the Olympics qualifying tournament Group B match in Belgrade, Serbia, February 6, 2020. /VCG Photo

China's women's basketball team defeated Great Britain 86-76 in their first match of the Olympics qualifier in Belgrade on Thursday.

Ranked 19th in the world, Great Britain led the game in the first quarter at 26-21.

China caught up to 43-36 at half-time thanks to Han Xu's stable performance in middle-range shooting.

In the third quarter, China managed a comeback win over Great Britain as the latter made a few mistakes, ending with 65-59.

Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) Chairman Yao Ming at the Olympics qualifying tournament Group B match between China and Great Britain in Belgrade, Serbia, February 6, 2020. /VCG Photo

China secured the win by countering Temi Fagbenle's powerful attack in the fourth quarter.

The qualifier was supposed to be held in southern China's Foshan City, but had to be rescheduled to Belgrade due to coronavirus outbreak in the country.

China will next meet Spain, the highest-ranking team in the group, on February 8. If China wins, it will get a ticket to the Olympics later this year.