NBA all-star center Yao Ming led China to a 69-61 victory over Angola yesterday in the opening match of the 2008 Diamond Ball Tournament in Nanjing.

China's Yao Ming fights for a lay-up under the hoop during a match of the 2008 Diamond Ball Tournament against Angola in Nanjing of East China Jiangsu Province July 29, 2008. [Xinhua]

The 2.29m giant dominated the paint, scoring 21 points and grabbing five rebound to lead China to a sweet revenge victory over its Olympic group rival.

Two weeks ago, the African champion edged China 71-72 in the Stankovic Cup.

Liu Wei, a former teammate of Yao on the CBA club Shanghai Sharks, made a strong return from injury. He scored 18 points and also contributed 5 rebounds and 6 assists.

Liu was forced to miss the teams' last encounter due to a wrist injury he suffered in the first match of the Stankovic Cup against Serbia.

NBA power forward Yi Jianlian, last year's No 6 draft pick, added 11 points and 6 rebounds for the Olympic host, who is shooting for at least a top-eight finish in Beijing.