The raucous support of a full house and the presence of President Hu Jintao were not enough to inspire China's women's volleyball team to victory yesterday over the United States, their arch-rivals.
The match had been one of the most eagerly awaited since the US are coached by Lang Ping, one of China's most celebrated sporting heroes.
Mr Hu, casually dressed, applauded gently while his compatriots in a packed house of 18,000 lifted the roof off the Capital Gymnasium. The thrilling, edge-of-the seat match ended in a 3-2 victory for the US.
Each Chinese point scored - especially after the many breathtaking rallies - brought thunderous applause.
Amid the sea of passionate Chinese fans were a handful of Americans - some with the stars and stripes flag draped over railings. Their celebrations were largely drowned out by the intense but good-natured Chinese supporters.
Exciting as it was, the result provided little more than a psychological boost for the US side - both teams will still be able to qualify for the quarter-finals.