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2003
U.S. Open
By Larry Hodges
Japan's
Yousuke Kurashima upset #2 seed Thomas Keinath. Photo by Gerry Chua ©2003.
It was a nice round for the Japanese players, who won five of seven matches, but a horrible one for the two German players, seeded #2 and #5, who both lost to Japanese players. #2 seed Thomas Keinath (world #78) lost to Yousuke Kurashima (world #372!) in a straight topspin seven-game match. In the seventh, Keinath fell behind 0-3, and took a timeout. Afterwards, he came back to lead 5-4 - but only scored two more points the rest of the way, including a big rip at 6-10 that led the Japanese player to take a timeout himself before winning the last point when Keinath backhand killed a loop into the net. So the #2 seed was out, -2,9,-8,7,10,-10,7.
Japan's
Minoru Muramori upset #5 seed Stefan Feth. Photo by Gerry Chua ©2003.
#5 seed Stefan Feth (world #136) went down to lefty penhold looper Minoru Muramori (world #199!), in four straight close games: 10,10,10,8!
Top-seeded
Aleksandar Karakasevic of Yugoslavia. Photo by Gerry Chua ©2003.
The big "almost" for the Japanese was Seiya Kishikawa's near win against the #1 seed, Aleksandar Karakasevic (world #61). Kishikawa, ranked #232 in the world, matched the left-handed Karakasevic loop for loop (both are shakehand loopers) into the seventh game. Karakasevic had lobbed Kishikawa down the first point in the seventh, and led 3-0 before the Japanese tied it at 4-all. From there on, it was all Karakasevic (and especially his ripping backhand loop) as he scored six in a row to lead 10-4 match point. Kishikawa scored one, then took a time-out. When returned, he served into the net, and Karakasevic advanced, 5,8,-9,7,-6,-9,5.
#5
seed Stefan Feth - out in the 8ths. Photo by Gerry Chua ©2003.
The most watched match, and possibly the best-played one, was between #3 seed Olivier Marmurek (world #117) and the unseeded Ju Lin of the Dominican Republic. Ju, a chopper/looper originally from China, had no world ranking, but had not only beaten world #119 Thiago Monteiro at the Worlds, but had had a close 4-2 loss to world #1 Timo Boll. Since you have to win two matches against world-ranked players to get a world ranking, he was still unranked. But his level about the same as Marmurek - leading to fantastic rallies. In the first game, Ju led 10-9, but Marmurek won at 11. In the fourth, Ju led 10-8, but Marmurek scored four in a row, including two of the most spectacular shots to win the last two points. At 10-all, Ju had chopped heavy and deep to Marmurek's wide forehand. Marmurek looped the ball around the net, so that the ball rolled on the table - unreturnable! Ju followed that by getting an edge ball - but Marmurek scooped the ball right off the floor, and so caught Ju off guard that Ju missed an easy-looking shot - but who knows what secret spin Marmurek put on the ball when he scooped it back? In the sixth, Marmurek is down 5-7, but wins 11-9, winning the final point on a medium-speed loop that goes so wide to Ju's forehand that he can't run it down. Match to Marmurek, 11,-8,8,10,9.
The two USA players left in the Men's draw both went down in straight games. Brian Pace battled the last two games, but lost to lefty shakehand looper Yuji Taniguchi of Japan (world #291), 5,2,9,9. (But some of these rankings for Japanese players were beginning to be somewhat suspect - have they been practicing?) Pan Lin, who reached this stage with a little help from the withdrawal of Jens Lundqvist (and a redraw that took Jim Butler out of his part of the draw) and a default from Michael Hyatt, had some nice counterlooping rallies with Japan's Koji Sanada (world #144), but also couldn't break through, 6,9,2,8.
Three of the quarterfinal matches were all-lefty battles, as six of the eight players were left-handed! The two righty's, Sanada and Kurashima, played each other in a long, almost exhibition match, but there was no doubt it wasn't an exhibition - just both were steady counter-spinners, and both (especially Kurashima) were great lobbers. In the end, it was Sanada into the semifinals, 9,10,-6,-9,9,-4,8.
#5
seed Olivier Marmurek of France. Photo by Gerry Chua ©2003.
Marmurek (world #117) plays with more "gears" than most players - he can spin at any speed. Since opponents never know what speed he'll be looping at, they are constantly caught off guard. When the do attack strongly, he just backs up and spins - sometimes hard, sometimes soft. After losing the first to Taniguchi (world #291), he dominated most of the rest of the way. In the last game, the two battled to deuce, but Marmurek ripped a winner to end it, -4,9,5,7,-6,10.
Karakasevic and Sakamoto dominated their matches, with Karakasevic winning over Spain's Alfredo Cameros, 4,9,2,8 in a pure looping match, and the shakehand looping Sakamoto defeating his penhold looping teammate Muramori, 6,4,4,10.
In tomorrow's match-ups, Aleksandar Karakasevic (YUG) will play Ryusuke Sakamoto (JPN), and Olivier Marmurek (FRA) will play Koji Sanada (JPN). The matches will take place back to back at 5:00 and 6:00 PM. The Final will be at 8:00 PM.
USA's
Wang Chen. Photo by Gerry Chua ©2003.
Six USA players went into the Final 16; two came out. Unfortunately, four of the USA players found themselves playing each other, so two had to go out. Wang Chen (recently ranked #1 among USA women, and world #33, but previously world #4) won easily over Marisol Delzo Infante, 3,2,4,4, in a battle of close-to-the-table shakehanders with pips on the backhand. Jasna Reed had a tougher time with Michelle Do (who had knocked her out of the 2001 Nationals), -10,6,-8,5,12,7. Michelle often backhand kills Jasna's opening loops, giving Jasna a tough time. The two split the first four games. In the fifth, Michelle led early, but Jasna tied it at 8-all, and led 10-9 game point. Then Michelle had leads of 11-10 and 12-11, but Jasna held on to win this key game, 14-12, and the sixth, to advance, -10,6,-8,5,12,7
USA's
Jasna Reed. Photo by Gerry Chua ©2003.
The other USA player, pips-out penhold hitter/blocker Lily Yip, had her chances with inverted penhold looper Motoko Sato of Japan (world #231, to Lily's #143). The scores tell most of the story - -8,11,7,11,10. The missing part of the story was that Lily led 9-7 and 9-6/10-9 in the last two games, but couldn't hold it. "She's steadier than me," said Lily. "She practices more, and so makes fewer mistakes. And she's a fighter."
#1 seeded Aya Umemura had no trouble with USA's Hye-Sook Brenda Mun, winning 3,6,2,3 and posing for pictures with her afterwards.
Japan's
Kou Itsuku. Photo by Gerry Chua ©2003.
Germany's
Tonja Hain-Hofmann. Photo by Gerry Chua ©2003.
Unseeded Kou Itsuki of Japan pulled off the round's main upset, defeating Tonja Hain-Hofmann of Germany (world #80), -6,5,6,4,-6,-11,5. Both are shakehand loopers, but Hain-Hofman had a tendency to back up too often, and ended up lobbing and fishing too often. The points were often spectacular, but spectacular looping and hitting usually beats spectacular lobbing and fishing. Match to Itsuki, -6,5,6,4,-6,-11,5.
Naoko Taniguchi of Japan (world #176) and Carmen Bejara of the Dominican Republic are both choppers, and both wanted the other to attack - so there were some long pushing rallies. But Taniguchi was simply too steady, winning 5,1,14,4.
The loooongest and best match was easily the battle between world #412 Wu Xue (another player from the Dominican Republic, but originally from China) and Japan's Asami Suemasu (world #309). The rankings may have been deceptive - both seemed far better. Suemasu plays an interesting style - she has what appears to be medium or long pips on the backhand, and can attack and counterdrive with them - or switch to dead blocking - or switch to regular chopping. She seemed to do each about 1/3 of the time. Combined with her all-out forehand attack, and her ability to get just about anything back, and she's a tough opponent. However, Wu Xue's steady lefty penhold looping seemed equally steady - even when faced with attacking 10 balls or more per rally to score a point. Suemasu led 7-4 in the seventh, but after losing the next four in a row, called a timeout. During the timeout, she just sat down to rest, didn't talk to her coach, while Wu Xue talked animatedly with her coach. The score went to 9-all. From there on, they each had three match points - but it was Wu Xue who, leading 15-14, blocked Suemasu out of position and finally ended the match with a smash, 8,8,-9,-3,-10,8,14.
In the last quarterfinal, Japan's Satoko Kishida (world #57) had little trouble with Mary Rodriguez (another player from the Dominican Republic), 1,2,4,4.
Three of the eight quarterfinalist were lefty's. Combined with the six of eight in the men's, and 9 of the 16 quarterfinalists were stroking from the "wrong" side! Is being left-handed (which players aren't as used to) that big an advantage? Or perhaps Japan was sending lefty's and righty's in equal number so they could play better doubles? (Left/righty combinations are an advantage in doubles, since both players can favor their forehands without getting in each other's way.) The lefty's were Kishida, Sato and Wu Xue.
Wang Chen continued on her roll, winning against her chopping doubles partner, Naoko Taniguchi of Japan, 7,2,4,4. Up 10-0 in the second, only Wang knows if she gave away the next two points! But perhaps you don't want to upset your doubles partner too much - the two will be playing the women's doubles final tomorrow. Wang, who was interviewed by reporters afterwards, said that she has been practicing twice a week for the past two months with chopper Steve Berger, and so felt pretty comfortable playing a chopper. Wang, who hadn't trained much after coming to the U.S. three years ago, is back to full-time training at the Manhattan Club in New York City. She also let us know that she will be a citizen in 2005, after which she will not only be eligible for the USA Nationals, but also for the USA Team - meaning that with her and Gao Jun together, USA will suddenly be a powerhouse! Some of us are already licking our chops....Gao was #3 in the world when she came to the U.S. around 1995, and Wang was #4 in the world just a few years ago.
USA's Jasna Reed had difficulty with the high-toss serves of lefty penholder Satoko Kishida of Japan. Kishida throws the ball way up, and during the toss, literally twirls her racket like a baton, making it hard to follow. Jasna had her chances: she was at 9-all in the second (after winning the first), but lost the next two. She led 10-8 in the fourth, but lost 13-11. In the last game, she fell behind 2-7. From 3-7 an interesting pattern emerged: 3-7, 5-7, 5-9, 7-9, 7-11. The pattern not only each player alternating winning two points, but the receiver won every point from 3-7 on. Match to Kishida, -9,9,8,11,-8,7. One consolation to Jasna - she had been interviewed earlier in the day by the Palm Beach Post, who had then assigned two Associated Press photographers to take pictures of her during the match. They took literally hundreds of photos. The best will not only be in the Saturday's Post, but will be sent on the Associated Press wire where the photo, along with a caption, can be run by any newspaper in the country. (But we'll never know about most of them.)
Wu
Xue of the Dominican Republic. Photo by Gerry Chua ©2003.
The Dominican Republic's Wu Xue continued her unexpected run to the delight of her growing crowd of fans (helped by the 18 players from her country in the Open), defeating another Japanese player, Kou Itsuki, 9,-6,-9,11,8,3. The key was in the fifth game, when Itsuki led 6-0. Wu closed the lead to 8-6, then won the last five in a row.
Japan's
Aya Umemura, #1 seed in Women's Singles. Photo by Gerry Chua ©2003.
Japan's Aya Umemura overcame a comeback from lefty-looping penholder and teammate Motoko Sato to win 5,3,8,-13,-7,4.
In tomorrow's match-ups, Aya Umemura (JPN) will play Wu Xue (DOM), and Satoko Kishida (JPN) will play Wang Chen (USA). Both matches will take place at 2:15 PM. The Final will be at 7PM.
The top-seeded team of Aleksandar Karakasevic/Johnny Huang had a struggle in the 8ths with Japan's Yuji Taniguchi/Yuji Kawahara, winning -2,10,-8,8,5. They also had some trouble in the semifinals with another Japanese team, defeating Ryusuke Sakamoto/Seiva Kishikawa, 7,-9,6,11. On the other side, the second-seeded team of Thomas Keinath/Stefan Feth wasn't so lucky, losing in the semifinals to still another Japanese team, Koji Sanada/Yousuke Kurashima, -9,5,9,11. Karakasevic/Huang will face Sanada/Kurashima in the final tomorrow at 2:15 PM.
Top
seeds in Men's Doubles: Aleksandar Karakasevic/Johnny Huang. Photo by Gerry Chua
©2003
The top two seeded teams only lost one game in reaching the final. The top-seeded team from Japan of Aya Umemura/Satoko/Kishida lost a game in the semifinals to teammates Asami Suemasu/Yuka Nishii, 7,-6,7,8. The second-seeded team of Wang Chen (USA) and Naoko Taniguchi (who hadn't even met before they teamed up together) didn't give up more than 8 points in a game in reaching the final. The two finalists will play the Final tomorrow at 1:30 PM.
Lily Yip and Simone Yang split the Over 30 and Over 40 Women's Singles titles, with Lily winning Over 30 (8,7,4), and Simone winning Over 40 (9,8,-6,7). Simone had been the defending champion in both, defeating Lily last year in the Over 30 final. (Lily was newly eligible for Over 40.)
But Lily wasn't through - she also took Hardbat Singles over Alexis Perez, 11,12,11. (Hardbat games are to 21.) Lily had defeated Xin Peng (thought by most to be the favorite in this event), in the semifinals, 18,14,-16,18. On the other side, Perez defeated Lim Ming Chui, 9,16,13. Chui, who had reached the quarterfinals with a default from the top-seeded and defending champion Jim Butler, had won this event once before - in 1981! He's also won hardbat at the Nationals - in 1978!
Sean O'Neill won his third event here - and quite a mixed bag of events he has won. He had already won the USA Mixed Doubles and Under 2500. Today he took Over 30 Men's Singles over Dan Seemiller in a battle of 5-time USA Men's Singles National Champions. But Sean, 35, had 12 years on the 47-year-old Seemiller, who will also be battling it out tomorrow in Over 40 Men's Singles.
Xin Peng and Lim Ming Chui didn't quite win Hardbat, both losing in the semifinals, but they met in the Over 50 Men's Singles final in a battle of pips-out penholders, with Peng winning, 9,2,6. Peng only lost one game in the event (in the semifinals to George Brathwaite), winning his matches by the scores of 3,4,5,1,7,7,7,1,-7,6,9,2,6.
Frank Dwelly won Over 70 over Grady Gordon (-5,6,5,-10,2) in a turnaround from last year, where Gordon had beaten him in the semifinals - but lost to Tim Boggan in the final. This time it was Gordon over Boggan in the semifinals, -8,7,12,-8,8. Dwelly has already won Over 70 Doubles for the second year in a row (with Boggan), and will also be defending his Over 75 title tomorrow.
Richard Hicks/Marvin Leff won Over 60 Doubles over Alan Grambo/Jerry Marcum, 7,6,8, in the second year in a row in the final for Grambo/Marcum. Last year it had been Hicks with George Brathwaite over them in the final.
Under
21 Men's Champion Ryusuke Sakamoto of Japan, Runner-up Mark Hazinski of USA.
Photos by Gerry Chua ©2003.
USA's Mark Hazinski (world # 408) defeated Japan's Seiya Kishikawa (world #231) in the semifinals of Under 21 Men, -9,8,-8,7,11. However, in the final, it was Japan's Ryusuke Sakamoto (world #149) over Hazinski, -7,5,3,6.
Jackie Lee and Sophia Dan Dan Yi took turns coming back in the fifth and final game of the Under 21 Women's Final. Sophia led 8-5 in the fifth, but Jackie scored five in a row to go up 10-8 match point. Sophia deuced it, but Jackie won the next two points and the match, 5,-9,3,-8,10. Another battle in this event was Jackie's -10,8,8,-9,8 win over USA's Whitney Ping in the semifinals.
Top-seeded Judy Hugh added Under 14 Girls' Singles to her Under 16 Girls' title already won, winning this time over second-seeded Diana Li, 9,7,3. Judy did not lose a game in the event, winning by scores of 4,4,5,5,7,4,3,7,12,9,7,3.
Under
1800/Over 40 Finalist Paul Singh and Champion Alex Voronin. Photo by Larry
Hodges ©2003.
Under 1800/Over 40 was won by Alex Voronin over Paul Singh in a close 9,-7,10,9 battle.
Under 1650 was won by Tony Chen over Evan Ng, 8,4,10. Tony, who had already won Under 1500, lost only one game in the event, in the 8ths.
Jean Carlos Escudero Berrios easily won the Unrated event without losing a game, winning the final over Pulak Goswami, 5,5,1.
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