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2001 U.S. Team Trials
Las Vegas, Nevada • December 18-23, 2001

Day Four: USA Nationals

By Larry Hodges

Peter Chen Fan Club: Top Row: Hermann Luechinger, Peter Chen, Scott Gordon. Bottom row: Bruce Liu, Lorin Benedict, Al Papp and Peter Tsang. They surprised Peter at the tournaments with their fan club shirts! Peter made the final of Over 50 Men, and will be a favorite in Over 60 tomorrow. Photo by Kaus Photography, copyright 2001.

Men’s Singles

(See Men's Singles Draw)

16ths (Round of 32)

Most of these matches (best of nine to 11) were pretty straightforward. The one nine-gamer was Loc Ngo’s 5-4 win over Frank Remenyi: -10,5,6,7,4,-5,-8,-8,4.

The only upset of the round was Samson Dubina’s surprising 5-0, 3,8,10,9,11 win over Puerto Rico junior star Santiago Coste, rated 2420 to Dubina’s 2280 in the ratings here.

Barney Reed had some problems with Tuan Le – especially when Tuan won the first. But Barney won the match, -5,8,6,5,-9,3,7.

Lee McCool gave U.S. Team Member Ashu Jain a scare, winning the first and leading 9-6 in the second before losing five in a row. Tied at 3-3, Ashu pulled out the seventh 15-13, and won the match 5-3, -8,9,7,4,-4,-9,13,8.

Chi-Sun Chui also had trouble, going eight with Jared Lynch, -8,8,-6,4,6,8,-12,3.

In other matches

Cheng Yinghua d. Tahl Leibovitz, 6,4,6,7,3;
Adam Hugh d. Courtney Roberts, -8,-9,8,10,11,-10,6
Nison Aronov d. Mark Nordby, 7,2,6,9,3
Sean O’Neill d. Messan Lawson, 4,5,5,3,7
Jim Butler d. Avishy Schmidt, 7,4,9,4,6
Eric Owens d. J. Russell Hamilton, 2,4,7,3,10
Sean Lonergan d. John Nguyen, def.;
Mark Hazinski d. Barry Dattel, 4,4,2,5,7;
Brian Pace d. George Brathwaite, 8,6,3,3,3;
David Zhuang d. Ramin Samari, -6,8,2,2,3,-7,6.

Men’s Singles

8ths (round of 16)

Cheng Yinghua d. Adam Hugh, -5,7,7,3,4,8

Adam pressed the attack in this match of the top senior vs. the top under 14 player. But Cheng, often just spinning and blocking easy, letting Adam make mistakes, simply out-steadied him. After the first-game excitement, it was all Cheng.

Nison Aronov d. Randy Cohen, -4,8,6,7,5,12

This match was about as pure an example of straight looping, counterlooping, topspin defense and lobbing as you’ll get, as both players furiously topspinned everything, with some of the more spectacular rallies of the tournament. Nison, who is getting a reputation as possibly the best lobber in the U.S., seemed all over the court, but was often matched spectacular shot for shot by Randy. The two also matched each other shout for shout – with Nison yelling, “Chow!” whenever he won a point, and Randy shouting “Choe!” when he scored. There were more Chows then Choes in the end.

Ashu Jain d. Chi-Sun Chui, 8,10,13,7,-8,7

After pulling out the 12-10 second game, Ashu was behind 10-11 in the second, threw up a weak, short lob – but Chi-Sun missed! “Oh God!” he cried, and a few points later, Ashu won the game, 15-13. Chi-Sun battled with Ashu, often returning shot after shot from a step off the table as Ashu looped, or battling him backhand-to-backhand, but Ashu was too forehand-loop strong this match. Soon after the match, Ashu was seen with ice packed all over his shoulder, upper arm and upper back – Ashu explained what areas were actually hurt, but in layman’s terms, it was most of his upper body.

Jim Butler d. Sean O’Neill, 12,6,6,10,-9,-6,7

“What is this, the early 1990s?” someone asked, watching the match. With eight national men’s singles titles and a pair of retirements between them, the two unretired champions battled it out. In the first game, at 9-9, Jim smacks a crosscourt backhand “winner,” but transporting himself back to those days of early 90s yore, Sean had already stepped around, tried to rip a forehand loop, but missed. “Yaaaah!” he yelled, sounding as if the shot had not missed. Leading 10-9, Jim served off the end, 10-all. Jim then backhand kills a winner, 11-10, but promptly misses his serve again, this time into the net! 11-all! Sean gets another ad when Jim misses a backhand kill, but then flips Jim’s serve into the net. Jim finally wins the first when Sean loops his serve into the net, 14-12. When Jim won the next three – including pulling out the 12-10 fourth – it looked almost over. Sean still wouldn’t let go, winning the next two before Jim finally won the seventh.

Eric Owens d. Loc Ngo, 5,4,7,6,5

Loc is a very steady player – but it takes speed and steadiness to stop Eric’s forehand. Eric wins easily.

Sean Lonergan d. Mark Hazinski, 8,8,9,-5,7,5

With a mixture of deceptive serves, changing speeds on his loop, and a strong backhand hit, Sean kept Mark off balance throughout the match.

Brian Pace d. Samson Dubina, -6,-8,1,5,7,9,8

After the first two games, Samson had won ten straight games – 3-0 in the first round against Alireza Hejazi, 5-0 in his surprisingly easy upset of Santiago, and now the first two against the overpowering shot-making of 2516-rated Brian Pace. Samson was combining a very steady looping and blocking game, and was handling Brian’s loops surprisingly well, just as he had Santiago’s. But Brian served notice that enough was enough in the third, winning 11-1. Although Samson battled and stayed in each game until the end, Brian simply overpowered him the rest of the way.

David Zhuang d. Barney J. Reed, 7,9,-7,9,3,5

It was relatively close the first four games, but David pulled it out when he needed to in three of them, with his copyrighted mixture of change-of-pace blocking and sudden hits. The last two games were all David.

Women’s Singles

(See Women's Singles draw)

8ths (round of 16)

The higher-rated player here won all eight matches by a combined game record of 30-1. Seven of the eight matches were easy 5-0 wins for the higher-rated player. Only 15-year-old Whitney Ping, bucked the trend. The eight matches:

Chang Gao Jun d. Allison Seibel, 7,4,4,5,6;

Jackie Lee d. Judy Hugh, 8,7,6,3,6;

Simone Yang d. Marta Bastrzyk, 8,4,9,5,10;

Tawny Banh d. Pamela Jeffcoat, 5,4,1,1,6;

Virginia Sung d. Whitney Ping, 8,4,8,-6,9,4;

Lily Yip d. Katherine Wu, 2,8,2,4,6;

Michelle Do d. Laura Leach, 11,6,1,2,4;

Jasna Reed d. Kathy Chin, 2,5,3,3,5.

Women’s Singles

Quarterfinals

There were two epic battles, and two not-so-epic battles here. Chang Jun Gao won easily (as she seems to do against everyone) against Jackie Lee, 5,7,5,4,8; and Tawny Banh won just as easily against Simone Yang, 2,2,4,6,11.

Michelle Do d. Jasna Reed, 6,4,11,-8,-8,-7,7,11

Who could have predicted it?!!! Michelle, now an aging “veteran” at age 18 with a 2238 rating, swept the first three games with an overpowering display of loops and smashes from both wings. Jasna, rated 2497, seemed to be playing a mirror image – the two play similar styles – except Michelle seemed totally unafraid on the attack. In the key third game, Jasna took an 11-10 lead, but Michelle deuced it, and got the ad with a spectacular backhand loop. The next point, Michelle put on a display of loops and smashes, with Jasna returning ball after ball from off the table before Michelle finally hit a winner.

Down 3-0, Jasna staged a great comeback, looping and counterlooping to win the next three. In the seventh game, Michelle leads 8-5, then 8-7, then wins the last three, 11-7.

The last game was a classic. Michelle goes up 6-0, and it seems over. But Jasna suddenly really raises the level of play, and with a display of shot-making, ties it up 8-all, then leads 9-8. Michelle takes a one-minute timeout, and then Jasna loops her serve off, 9-all. Jasna goes up 10-9, but Michelle wins a spectacular exchange, 10-all. Michelle attacks hard, but loses the next point when she misses the finishing backhand kill, and Jasna’s up again, 11-10. But that’s as far as she gets: Jasna misses a backhand loop, misses a kill against Michelle’s backhand loop, and then counterloops off. Match to Michelle!

Virginia Sung d. Lily Yip, 8,-8,-4,6,-6,7,-7,3,3

This was your basic match-up of pips-out penholder hitter (Lily) vs. chopper Virginia Sung. Virginia would throw in point-winning loops whenever she got the chance, but most of the points Lily would mix in steady drives and pushes, looking for a chance to smash. The rallies were long, often spectacularly long.

The turning point? “When Michelle beat Jasna during the eighth game, I just totally relaxed. I knew I had a good chance to make the final.” Virginia won the last two games by identical 11-3 scores. “I was having trouble adjusting to the conditions,” she said, referring to the 3000-foot altitude, which means thinner air, and so a faster-moving ball that curves less. “Now I feel confident for the first time.” Virginia will play Michelle tomorrow in the semifinals.

Men's Doubles Final action. Left: David Zhuang smashes winner as partner Eric Owens and opponent Sean O'Neill look on. Right: Brian Pace (looping) and Sean O'Neill use the whole court. Photos by Kaus Photography, copyright 2001.

Men’s Doubles Final

David Zhuang/Eric Owens d. Brian Pace/Sean O’Neill, 8,-9,-10,7,5

Both David and Eric played mostly a steady control game this match, picking their shots, and letting Brian and Sean take the shots. Brian especially was the match shot-maker, and dominated – and almost won – the match with winner after winner. In the third game, David/Eric led 10-7 – but five shots later – four of them winners by Brian, including a spectacular down-the-line backhand loop – and Brian/Sean led 2-1. But in the fourth, at 7-all, David/Eric won four straight, and they made that nine in a row when they led the fifth 5-0.

Women’s Doubles Final

Chang Jun Gao/Jasna Reed d. Tawny Banh/Simone Yang, 7,6,-12,9

Gao and Jasna were the overwhelming favorites. They not only are the top two seeds in singles, but both are Olympic Women’s Doubles Medallists: Gao won a silver for China, and Jasna a bronze for Yugoslavia. Gao was also for World Women’s Doubles Champion. And, for two games, it was all Gao/Jasna. The last two games were dead even, but that’s all they needed as they won in four.

Mixed Doubles

The almost huge surprise was when mother/son, Lily Yip/Adam Hugh, led 6-5 in the fifth against second-seeded Eric Owens/Jasna Reed in the quarterfinals. But now a pair of streaks: Eric/Jasna score five in a row to go up 10-6 match point; then, fueled by Adam’s steady looping and Lily’s smashes and blocks, Lily/Adam score four in a row to tie it up, 10-10 in the fifth in this best of five! They go for it, with Lily just missing a smash to go down match point. In the next point, Adam loops, Eric quick-blocks to the wide forehand, and again Lily/Adam have a chance – but Lily just misses the running smash, and Eric/Jasna sigh with relief in winning 5,-9,8,-7,10.

It wasn’t the only close quarterfinal match: Lee McCool/Priscilla Umel upset Mark Hazinski/Jackie Lee, 10,-3,7,-10,10.

In other quarterfinal matches:

Cheng Yinghua/Chang Jun Gao d. Ashu Jain/Whitney Ping, 2,3,2
Brian Pace/Tawny Banh d. Barney J. Reed/Michelle Do, -9,9,6,5

In the semifinals, Cheng/Chang easily won over McCool/Umel, 4,4,8, while Owens/Reed also won 3-0 over Pace/Banh, 4,9,8.

Over 50 Men’s Singles & Over 40 Doubles

*Clockwise from top left: Dave Sakai, Peter Chen, George Brathwaite, Richard Hicks. Photos by Kaus Photography, copyright 2001.* Dave Sakai wins both, defeating California Legend Peter Chen in the singles final, and teaming with George Brathwaite to win the other over Richard Hicks/Nick Mintsiveris. In one of the most-watched matches, Chen, a lefty penholder with long pips, no sponge, who effortlessly dead angle-blocks seemingly everything, defeated topspinning legend George Brathwaite in the semifinal, 9,7,8. He basically ran George to death, with one soft, angled-off block after another. After the match, six players surprised Chen by putting on their secretly made “Peter Chen fan club” shirts, which feature a picture of Chen. To quote one wit, “Some think Marty Reisman is God, or that Tim Boggan looks like God. But Peter Chen is God!” Or, to use this writer’s words, “Never before has anyone won so much by doing so little.” This, of course, refers to Chen’s ability to just stand their and block everyone down, usually without even budging his feet. We’ll be seeing more of Chen in this tournament, as he’s also in the Over 60 event.

Under 1900 Women

Priscilla Umel, fresh off of making the semifinals of Mixed Doubles, won this event over Chie Umene, 7,-7,4,8.

Under 1800

Doesn’t 12-year-old Sergy Gutkin win a rating event at every major tournament? It seems that way. The 1800’s were his this time, 9,3,5 over Myron Lee. Sergy had a scare in the quarterfinals, defeating Steven So at 9,-9,9,9,8.

Under 1600

Gary T. Alcares won the closest final of the day, 2,-8,5,-10,10 over Calvin Todd. He also had a semifinal battle, coming back to defeat Danny Bruno at 6,-4,-3,9,8.

Under 1300

Derrick Poon won 24 straight games to win the event, winning all eight matches 3-0. In the final, he defeated Roal Aguanta, 11,7,8.

Under 1500 Hardbat

What more appropriate than the elegant hardbat spokesman (and hardbat vice president) Berndt Man, i.e. “The Baron” winning this event, 8,-6,8,6 over David Lipsky? They even held up the Hardbat Committee meeting until this match, scheduled at the same time, was finished. Berndt almost didn’t make the final, winning his semifinal against Tim Wright at -6,11,4,-6,6.

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