46^th World Table Tennis Championships

Osaka, Japan · April 23 - May 6, 2001

USA Men vs. Nigeria
12:00 Noon, April 23

Since Indonesia’s best player (chopper Anton Suseno, world #138) wasn’t here, USA and Nigeria seemed like the best players in this preliminary second division group, even though Indonesia was seeded first. The winner of the group would advance to a knock-out team match with a team from the first division. So the winner of this match would be the odds-on favorite to advance. If USA lost, their only chance of advancing would be if Nigeria were to lose to Indonesia – and likewise for Nigeria if USA won.

Eric Owens receives a short serve as USA's David Zhuang, Dan Seemiller and Mark Hazinski look on. Copyright 2001 by Tong Lee.

Match #1 was between USA’s Eric Owens (world #254) and Nigeria’s Segun Toriola (#136). Both players played very similar two-winged looping games with powerful forehands. After many exchanges of loops and counterloops, it was 10-all, Toriola serving – and Eric won the next three! But the 13-10 lead didn’t hold up as Toriola scored the next six (16-13). But in this game of streaks and counter-streaks, Eric was next serving from up 19-18. At 19-all, Toriola loops Eric’s serve on the edge – and now he’s in the middle of a streak, winning the last three points and the game, 21-19.

Down 7-3 in the second, USA Coach Dan Seemiller calls a time-out. Eric responds by backhand hitting in a serve, 7-3. But Toriola scores 10 of the next 11 points (17-4), and coasts to a 19 & 5 win to put Nigeria in the lead.

On the lighter side, during another match that took place on a nearby table, a player tries to do a high-toss serve, but stumbles backward as he throws the ball up – and the toss goes back over his head, nearly to the side barrier! The player doesn’t bother trying to serve the ball, but makes a running catch of his own toss, right against the side barrier – but is awarded nothing for his effort except a service fault.

David Zhuang in action against Nigeria. Copyright 2001 by Tong Lee.

Match #2 was between USA’s David Zhuang (#109) and Nigeria’s #3 player, Monday Merotohum (no world ranking). Monday also plays similar to Eric and Toriola with his two-winged looping game. (According to USA’s Ashu Jain, the main difference between the Nigerian looping game and Eric’s is that the Nigerians hook their loops, and like to counterloop more, while Eric’s loop is more straight or even inside out, and more of a driving or finishing shot rather than a controlling counterloop. Also, the Nigerians all had great ball control with their backhands, especially when backhand looping.) After falling behind 3-7 in the first, it’s all David – 21-13. As he usually does except against the very best players, he completely controls the table, always putting the ball where the opponent is least comfortable, often seeming to do little while scoring point after point. First game to David, 21-13.

A strange thing happens in the second game: David suddenly is playing careless, while Monday is flawlessly looping himself to a 15-6 lead. On to the third – except wait, David’s not through. He scores 8 of the next 9 to pull to 14-16. Down 16-18, he goes up 19-18 – and the Nigerians call a one-minute timeout. David goes up 20-19, but blocks into the net, deuce. Monday then has four game points, but David deuces it with his serve each time, 24-all. David finally pulls off a great angled off block winner to Monday’s forehand to get the ad, and when Monday pushes David’s serve into the next, the match is David’s, 13 & 24, and the team match is all tied up.

If USA were to win this match – especially if it were to go five – this would go down as "The Comeback"!

Mark Hazinski in action against Nigeria. Copyright 2001 by Tong Lee.

Match #3 was between USA’s 16-year-old Mark Hazinski (no world ranking) and Nigeria’s #2 player, Sao Ayomjuba (world #179). Nigeria may have played Sao in the third position in hopes Toriola would win two, and he would then get to play the USA #3 player.

In his first point at his first Worlds, Mark serves slightly long, Sao loops a seeming winner to Mark’s wide forehand, but Mark somehow blocks it back, fishes two more loops back from off the table, and Sao misses! (Should the game ball be kept for Mark?) Mark seems to dominate most this game with his powerful loops from both sides, but can’t quite pull away. He goes up 17-15, but then it’s 17-all. But some excellent play puts him up 20-18. But Mark passively pushes the next two serves back, and Sao loops winners off both. At deuce, Sao slow-loops Mark’s serve, but Mark misses a relatively easy counterloop that should have been a winner. Sao serve and loop kills another push return, and Nigeria has won the first, 22-20.

In game two, Sao takes complete control, completely dominating on his serve. Down 14-6, Coach Seemiller calls a time-out, but to no avail. Match to Sao, 20 & 13.

Match #4 was between the #1 players from both teams: USA’s David Zhuang and Nigeria’s Segun Toriola. Since David is more familiar with loopers than the Nigerians should be with pips-out penholders, and since is ranked higher than the Nigerian (#109 to #136), he’s the favorite, right? At 11-13 in the first, Toriola puts up a weak lob, but David misses it. This seems the turning point – from Toriola’s now up 14-11 (instead of 13-12), and then pulls away, 17-13, 21-15. Toriola’s first loop is always so deep and powerful that even though David blocks most back, all his blocks go out to Toriola, who is waiting and ready. David doesn’t seem to be able to change the pace as well as he does in most matches.

In game two, Toriola quickly pulls away, 4-0 and 7-3. But David pulls another comeback, and goes up 10-8. When he then falls behind 13-15 in this seesaw game, Coach Seemiller calls a timeout. David ties it at 15-all, then 16-all. But after several fluky points – Toriola loops on the edge, Toriola blocks a smash back and David misses the easy, but rushed, following forehand, and David misses chop block that he normally makes routinely and it’s all over – Toriola wins the last six points and match, 15 & 16, and Nigeria has won the team match, 3-1.

USATT President Sheri Pittman and USA Women's Coach Doru Gheorghe check to make sure no one's noticed that USA has lost to Nigeria. Copyright 2001 by Tong Lee.

What does this mean for USA? Before, the news that the Indonesian #1 player was missing was good news. Now, since USA cannot advance unless Indonesia beats Nigeria, it’s bad news. If Anton Suseno is out there reading this, USA may be willing to pay for your ticket here – but you’ll have to hurry. Nigeria plays Indonesia at 8PM tonight.

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