2000 USA Table Tennis Nationals
Men's Singles Final

Las Vegas, Nevada
Saturday, December 16, 2000
7:00 PM USA Pacific Time 
By Larry Hodges

Back to 2000 USA Nationals Home Page

This page will automatically reload every two minutes during the duration of the match. During the match, you will get constant updates written and uploaded directly from the stands.

Cheng Yinghua vs. David Zhuang

The two players are walking out into the court now. They are now warming up while the announcer announces the match.

Both are three-times men's singles champions, with Cheng, the defending champion, winning all three times he's been at the Nationals. David has been in the final now 8 of the last 9 years. Both are on the U.S. Olympic Team. David was the Pan Am Men's Singles and Teams gold medalist in 1999. (Cheng wasn't eligible.)

Cheng was inducted into the USA Table Tennis Hall of Fame on Thursday night. He's 42 years old, and still the U.S. #1 player - at least going into the match.

Cheng is a two-winged looper with a very steady block. David is a pips-out penholder known for his block.

Game One: David to serve first. He goes up 3-2.

Cheng's serve: Cheng spins several balls, then makes a spectacular forehand loop winner. 3-3. David hits in the serve, Cheng blocks it off. 3-4 David. David hits Cheng's backhand loop, 3-5. Cheng makes a clean backhand loop winner, 4-5. Then Cheng loops two backhand, gets caught and makes an awkward forehand loop, but David misses the block. 5-5.

Commentary: Cheng has three ways of playing David: he can play a two-wing looping game; he can play an aggressive forehand looping game; or he can play a steady countering game. David can either block steadily, or get aggressive with his forehand.

David's serve: David is the aggressor so far, and he goes up 9-6.

Cheng's serve: Cheng is following up his serve with powerful forehand loops, and makes it to 9-10. Then Cheng serve and backhand loops two - but David steps around and smashes the second. 9-11 David.

David's serve: Cheng backhand loops, David blocks off10-11. Then a great point - David smashes Cheng's loop, but Cheng loops the smash, then loops another - but then misses. 10-12 David. Then 11-13.  David.Cheng pushes the serve off, 11-14.

Cheng's serve: David misses a forehand, then pops up a serve (Cheng backhand loop kills), 13-14. Cheng loops a block into the net, 13-15. David blocks Cheng all over the table, Cheng gets them back, then David blocks off, 14-15. David blocks Cheng completely out of position, does a point-winning drop-shot block, 14-16.

David's serve: A great point, with David smashing, Cheng looping David's smash. Cheng finally loops into the net, 14-17. Then 14-18. Cheng flips into the net, 14-19. Cheng pops up a serve, David backhand kills, 14-20. Cheng backhand loops into the net, and David wins the first, 21-14.

Between games, David speaks with his coach, Joannie Fu - his wife. Cheng's coach for the match is Tang Gao Lin, who was Cheng's coach in the Szechuan province of China. Tang now lives in the U.S.

Game Two: Cheng to serve: At 1-1, Cheng serves off, 1-2. Then David moves him around, and Cheng misses a loop, 1-3. David wins a fast exchange by smashing, although Cheng almost pulls off a counter-kill, 1-4.

David's serve: He serves off! 4-2 David. David then goes up 6-4.

Commentary: David is playing his forehand more aggressively then he has in most of his matches in the past with Cheng. Although he has a great smash (he's a 2750-rated pips-out penholder), he is better known for his blocking.

Cheng's serve: Cheng misses an easy backhand, 4-7 David. Then 4-8, 5-9, 5-10 when Cheng goes for a spectacular step-around forehand loop kill, but misses.

Cheng seems sluggish, while David seems fast.

David's serve: 11-6 David. Cheng gets an edge, 11-7. 11-8. Cheng gets a net, but David makes a good return - but Cheng places a quick flip for a winner. 11-9.

Cheng's serve: Cheng plays a two-winged looping point, misses a forehand. He seems erratic on his forehand so far - the biggest difference in the match. 12-9, 13-9 when Cheng misses a backhand loop. David gets an unreturnable net ball, 14-9. David tries to smash Cheng's serve, but goes into the net, 14-10. A nice rally, with Cheng looping, David blocking him all over, David finally blocking off to Cheng's wide forehand, 14-11.

Commentary: David is still playing very aggressively, but Cheng is often blocking him out of position and counter-attacking. But Cheng is missing too many counter-attacks.

David's serve: 15-13. A vicious rally, Cheng seems to have control by looping, but finally misses, 16-13 David. Cheng gets an edge, but David scoops back an unrturnable ball that rolls on the table. 17-13 David.

Cheng's serve: Cheng misses two easy loops - he really seems erratic this match, while David is jumping on everything. In most of their past matches, Cheng was the aggressor. 19-13 David. Then 19-15. Cheng loops a series of backhand, then rips a backhand loop down the line for a clean winner! The crowd cheers, 19-16 David.

David's serve: 20-16. Cheng misses a backhand loop, 21-16 David. David leads 2-0 in games.

Game Three: David's serve:  1-1. David makes a spectacular backhand kill, but Cheng blocks it back and wins the point, 2-1. Then 3-1. David smashes, 3-2 Cheng.

Cheng's serve: David loops Cheng's serve, Cheng misses counterloop. Then Cheng misses a backhand loop, 3-4. Cheng pushes off - he's suddenly very sloppy. 3-5. Cheng loops a winner, 4-5. David flips a net-winner off Cheng's serve, 4-6.

David's serve: Cheng misses a backhand loop out of a rally, 4-7. David misses a wind-up backhand kill, 5-7 David. Then David smashes off - but argues that the ball hit the edge. He says something in Chinese, and the listening Chinese people laugh. What did he say? But it's Cheng's point, and David doesn't seriously contest it. 6-7. Then 7-8, David still up.

Cheng's serve: Cheng wins the first two, the second on a nice backhand loop, 9-8. David loops the serve, and then they have a nice rally - ending with a spectacular down-the-line backhand loop by Cheng, 10-8 Cheng. David wins a long exchange, 10-9. David jab blocks to Cheng's middle, and Cheng looks cramped as he backhand loops into the net. 10-10.

David's serve: Cheng wins the first, then misses a backhand loop, and slaps his leg in disgust. 11-11. Cheng goes up 12-11, then pushes quick to David's forehand for a winner 13-11. David hits a forehand off, 14-11 Cheng.

Cheng to serve: Cheng serve and backhand loops down the line for a winner. 15-11. Then 15-12. David flips serve weakly, Cheng misses another backhand loop, 15-13. Cheng misses still another backhand loop, and walks around the court talking to himself. He's usually known for his steady backhand loop, but whether he's off or David is making him miss, he's missing. He then misses a forehand loop, and it's 15-all.

David's serve: David goes up 16-15. Then Cheng plays a long point backhand looping all over, finally winning when David tries to smash one. 16-16. David misses a smash of another loop, Cheng goes up 17-16. David smashes, Cheng loops David's smash for a winner! 18-16 Cheng. Cheng flips David's serve weakly, but David misses the smash, 19-16 Cheng.

Cheng's serve: David tries to smash in the serve, goes into the net, 20-16 Cheng. Then David does smash in the serve, 20-17. They have a nice rally, but Cheng loops into the net, 20-18. Cheng drop shots, David misses backhand smash. Third game to Cheng, 21-18.

Commentary: Cheng is very erratic looping this match. At the start, he was missing too many forehands. Now he's playing more backhand loop, and although he won the third game, he missed way too many backhand loops. If David is able to keep Cheng's backhand loop under pressure so Cheng misses too many, he will probably win. If Cheng takes control with his backhand loop - as he did in the last game when he wasn't missing them - then he could come back to win.

Game Four: Cheng to serve: 1-1. Cheng backhand loops into the net, 1-2. Cheng backhand rips a winner. The match really is turning into a battle of Cheng's backhand loop and David's block and pick-hitting smash. David goes up 3-2.

David's serve: Cheng backhand loops, David blocks off, 3-3. Cheng misses a backhand loop, 4-3 David. Cheng backhand loops a winner (after first looping some forehands), 4-4. Cheng loops two, David smashes the second, 5-4 David. Cheng quick-pushes to David's wide forehand, David misses loop, 5-5.

Cheng's serve: David blocks Cheng all over, Cheng loops a series of forehand and backhand loops, David finally blocks into the net, 6-5 Cheng. Then David jab blocks, and Cheng misses a backhand loop, 6-6. David jab blocks again, and again Cheng misses a backhand, 7-6 David. Then Cheng rips a forehand, David pops it back, Cheng plasters it. 7-7. Cheng misses a backhand loop down the line, 7-8 David.

David's serve: David blocks Cheng out of position, Cheng finally misses a backhand loop. 9-7 David. Cheng backhand loops two, David blocks a net-ticker off, 9-8. Cheng forehand rips in the serve, David blocks it back, Cheng rips a winner, 9-9. David serve & smashes, 10-9. Cheng flips a net-ticker off the end, 11-9 David. David screams, "Yes!"

Cheng's serve: Cheng serves fast down the line, David quick hits, Cheng backhand loops a winner. 11-10. Cheng loops a forehand, David blocks into the net, 11-11. Cheng misses an easy forehand loop, 11-12 David. Cheng rips a backhand loop, David blocks, Cheng follows with forehand winner, 12-12. Cheng backhand loops, follows with a forehand rip that misses. 13-12 David.

David's serve. Cheng blocks David out of position, then rips a backhand loop winner, 13-13. Cheng backhand loops the serve, David smashes it, Cheng blocks, David smashes a winner, 14-13. Cheng loops a forehand to David's forehand, David misses a smash, 14-14. David serve and smashes Cheng's push off the end, 14-15 Cheng. Cheng pushes David's serve way off, 15-15.

Cheng's serve: David loops the serve, Cheng blocks, David blocks, Cheng backhand loops a winner. 16-15 Cheng. Cheng pushes off the side, 16-16. Cheng backhand loops another winner - 17-16 - it's a match-up of Cheng's backhand loop vs. David's block and pick hit. Cheng backhand loops another, David smashes a winner, 17-17. David blocks off, 18-17 Cheng.

David's serve: Cheng flips the serve to David's wide forehand, David misses forehand, 17-19. David calls a one-minute timeout.

After the timeout, Cheng blocks David out of position, David misses, 17-20. Cheng then backhand loops a series of shots, but David blocks them back, and Cheng finally misses, 18-20. Then David misses a backhand hit, and Cheng wins the fourth, 21-18.

From down 2-0, Cheng has forced the match into the fifth game!

Between games, a spectator walks into the court and began arguing with the umpire about something! Security was almost called, but the spectator left the court.

Game Five: David to serve: David smashes into the net, 0-1. He then smashes a winner, 1-1. David completely blocks Cheng out of the point - but Cheng hustles, gets back into it, and David misses a block! The crowd cheers. 2-1. Then 2-2. Cheng pushes David's serve, David misses smash,k 3-2 Cheng.

Cheng's serve: Cheng is off the table spinning, David misses smash, 4-2 Cheng. Cheng loops twice, David blocks into the net, 5-2 Cheng. Cheng backhand loops, then steps around and forehand loops, and David blocks off. 6-2 Cheng. Now a great point! Cheng backhand loops from his forehand corner to David's wide forehand (!); David fishes it back, Cheng loops another "winner," but David fishes it back, and Cheng misses! 6-3. Then 6-4.

David's serve: 7-4, 7-6 when Cheng forehand blocks off the side. Then 7-7. Cheng spins several, then steps around and absolutely pulverises a forehand - the crowd cheers loudly! 8-7 Cheng.

Cheng's serve: Cheng serves off, 8-8. Cheng backhand loops three in a row, David blocks off, 9-8. Cheng forehand loops, then backhand loops two - but David smashes the second one, 9-9. David flips Cheng's serve to the wide forehand, Cheng whiffs a forehand loop. 10-9 David at the switch. Cheng then backhand loops three in a row, then rips a forehand winner. 10-10.

David's serve: David serve & smashes, but Cheng blocks it back quick off the bounce, and David misses follow. 11-10 Cheng. Then Cheng backhand loops a winner, 12-10 Cheng. David walks around the court slowly. Cheng backhand loops the serve off the end, 12-11 heng. David serves into the net, 13-11 Cheng. David blocks an unreturnable net, 13-12. David walks over and kisses the net! The crowd laughs.

Cheng's serve: David misses a smash, 14-12 Cheng. Cheng backhand loops, David smashes a clean winner to the forehand, 14-13 Cheng. Cheng serves and rips a backhand loop from the middle of the table, 15-13 Cheng. Cheng loops several balls, David blocks him out of position, Cheng misses backhand loop, 15-14 Cheng. David loops the serve, they rally, David quick-hits to Cheng's forehand, Cheng misses a forehand loop. 15-all in the fifth!

Cheng calls a one-minute timeout.

David's serve: A good rally, David blocks Cheng out of position, Cheng misses backhand loop, 16-15. David yells "Wooo!" Then David smashes off, 16-16. Then David smashes, Cheng loops smash back, David smashes a net-dribbling winner! David kisses the net! 17-16. Then Cheng puts David's serve into the net, and David yells. 18-16. Then a spectacular rally! After a long rally, Cheng steps around and creams a forehand, 18-17 David. the crowd goes crazy and begins to stamp their feet. David yells, "Good shot, Cheng Yinghua!"

Cheng's serve: Cheng backhand loops, David misses block, 18-18. Then Cheng rips a forehand, 19-18 Cheng. Then David smashes Cheng's loop, 19-all in the fifth!

David yells, "Double or nothing!"

Cheng backhand loops two, the second one into the net. 20-19 David. Someone in crowd yells, "Come on David!" David then screams the same thing.

Cheng backhand loops, David blocks, Cheng backhand loops off the end, and David WINS! 14,16,-18,-18,19.

David Zhuang is the 2000 U.S. National Men's Singles Champion!