(FILE)

Xu Shilin defeated her Belarusian competitor and became the women's singles tennis champion on August 24 at the Nanjing Youth Olympic Games.

Xu, born in 1998, began playing tennis at the age of 3 under the direction of her father, a tennis coach who at that time ran a tennis club in Zhongshan, Guangdong Province. She received systematic training in a U.S. tennis school from 2006-12. During these six years, Xu won 60 championships in numerous competitions. After winning the Youth Games match, Xu moved up to the No. 4 best in the world amongst teenage tennis players, making her the highest ranking youth player in China.

Xu's short-term plan is to win the championship of the Grand Slam youth groups, and has said her ultimate goal is to become one of the top 10 professional tennis players in the world.