Day One: Saturday, April 3

Results

Whitney Ping and Jasna Reed, right after winning 11-8 in the seventh against Lily Yip/Judy Hugh. Photo by Gerry Chua ©2004. 

As explained on the home page for these Trials, there are openings for two men and two women. So there's the added intrigue that if a team such as Lily Yip/Judy Hugh, neither of whom made the team in singles, comes in first, they take up the two spots, and there are no other teams. If for example, however, the team of  Jasna Reed/Whitney Ping comes in first, Yip/Hugh come in second, and Tawny Banh/Simone Yang, then the Reed/Ping takes only one spot, since Jasna qualified in singles. In this case, since the Yip/Hugh team would take up two spots, they would be passed over, and the Banh/Yang team would go (since Tawny Banh qualified in singles). On the men's side, this leads to a rather unusual situation. There are only two teams with Olympic singles players - Johnny Huang's team (with Faazil Kassam) and Ilija Lupulesku's team (with Mark Hazinski). If either of these teams comes in first, the other makes it no matter how they finish - even if the come in last! 

Men's Matches

David Zhuang/Eric Owens d. Sean O'Neill/Tahl Leibovitz, 8,7,6,7

David and Eric were the 2001 U.S. Men's Doubles Champions, and between David's hitting and ball control, and Eric's all-out looping, they pretty much dominated, at one point scoring 11 in a row (from 6-6 in the third game to 6-0 in the fourth).  "I was a little bit nervous that match," said Tahl of the match. "I was in bed most of the last six days, and couldn't really move much because of that." Tahl had a number of back problems: a herniated disk (on vertebrae L4 and L5); a pinched nerve (on L4); and bone spurs on his spine. (That's why he'll be one of the top seeds at the Athens Paralympics in September, in Standing Disabled.) Tahl did demonstrate a deadly flip off short balls. 

Johnny Huang/Faazil Kassam d. Pradeeban Peter-Paul/Homayoun Kamkar-Parsi, 3,1,8,6

The right/lefty team of Huang/Kassam team didn't take long to show how dominating they can be. "I keep spinning over and over, mostly control loops. He [Johnny] ends the point." The match was almost over before you could pronounce the double-hyphenated team's name - but they would become a force later today. 

USA Men		Photos by Gerry Chua ©2004
Ilija Lupulesku/Mark Hazinski	David Zhuang/Eric Owens		Sean O'Neill/Tahl Leibovitz

Ilija Lupulesku/Mark Hazinski d. Sean O'Neill/Tahl Leibovitz, 3,4,10,7

Another lefty/righty combo, Lupi/Haz, showed their dominance as well. Lupi rarely misses, and scoring through him is almost impossible - if he can touch it (almost always), he can topspin it back. And anything that's not a winner is in danger of being looped away by Hazinski. All four have excellent return of serves, and many rallies started with a series of short pushes, but once they got into the rally, Lupi/Haz took control. 

Pradeeban Peter-Paul/Homayoun Kamkar-Parsi d. Bence Csaba/Xavier Therien, 10,-7,-9,4,-8,7,17!

This was the match of the tournament so far. All four are straightforward counterloopers, and rally after rally turned into counterlooping duels - and all four seemed to play with Lupi-like topspin control. In game one, Csaba/Therien were up 10-9, but couldn't hold it. We'll now skip to game seven.

Peter-Paul/Kamkar-Parsi led 6-4, lost three in a row (6-7), and called a timeout. After the timeout, they had a spectacular counterlooping rally, after which the one who finally missed, Parsi, kicked the table, and was yellow-carded. Then it's 8-all, then 8-10, double match point for Csaba/Therien. A Csaba miss, and an absolute rip by Parsi, and it's 10-all. 11-10 ... 11-12 ... 12-12. 

At 12-12, Parsi lobs - on the edge! A disgusted Bence bangs the barriers with his racket. He had been yellow carded in game two, and so this time was "yellow-red" carded, where the umpire holds up both a yellow and red card, and awards a point to the opponent. This would have ended the game and match, 14-12. Only, the umpire didn't. "I messed up," umpire Larry Kesler admitted. "I shouldn't have given him the card. Under the circumstances, he didn't hit the barrier that hard." But it's still 13-12 match point for Peter-Paul/Kamkar-Parsi - and nobody seems to have noticed the mistake. And the game continues ... and continues ... and continues ... 13-14 ...15-14 (after an incredible counterlooping point) ... 15-16 ... 16-17 ... 18-17 ... 19-17!!! What a match. 

Canadian Men		Photos by Gerry Chua ©2004
Faazil Kassam/Johnny Huang	Xavier Therien/Bence Csaba	Homayoun Kamkar-Parsi/ Pradeeban Peter-Paul

Ilija Lupulesku/Mark Hazinski d. David Zhuang/Eric Owens, -8,7,9,-9,9,4

Neither team seemed able to break the games open until the very end. Lupi/Haz were looping at will, but Eric was matching them loop for loop, and David kept changing the pace with hits and blocks. The receives of Lupi and David were also interesting to watch as both go for great controlled angles. In the fourth, Zhuang/Owens were up 10-7, then 10-9. Mark backhands a net ball, but David reacts to it and smashes the game-winner.  In the end, the two-player looping matching of Lupi/Haz completely dominated the last game. Eric spoke of the general strategy of their team: "He sets me up, I clean it up. Unfortunately, I'm not cleaning it up today." Eric told me about the "bandana" fight. He was told he would have to remove the bandana he often wears when he plays, but when he refused, and USATT officials conferred, he was allowed to wear it. "My best win today," he quipped. 

Johnny Huang/Faazil Kassam d. Bence Csaba/Xavier Therien, -13,5,-8,8,10,8

You could tell these four know each other's games - all are Canadian team members, and the rallies were among the best of the tournament. In game one, Huang/Kassam had three game points before losing. Down 7-9 in the fifth they won 12-10. 

Ilija Lupulesku/Mark Hazinski d. Bence Csaba/Xavier Therien, 7,12,6,-9,-6,5

Another straightforward counterlooping match. In game two, Csaba/Therien had a game point, and from down 0-3, they won the next two, but Lupi/Haz ran away with the last game. In some ways, the teams mirrored each other in playing styles, with Therien similar to Lupi with their steady topspins, and Csaba and Hazinski both two-winged power loopers who can loop winners of nearly anything. 

Johnny Huang/Faazil Kassam d. Sean O'Neill/Tahl Leibovitz, 5,3,8,6

After losing the first two games badly, O'Neill/Leibovitz sort of staged a comeback, playing much better the last two games. They led 6-3 in the third, but from 8-all, the lost the last three. 

Pradeeban Peter-Paul/Homayoun Kamkar-Parsi d. David Zhuang/Eric Owens, 10,-7,-10,3,-9,5,2

Coming into the match, both teams were 1-1 and so still in the running. Neither team had a player who had qualified in singles, so both teams needed to come in first to make the Olympics - and whoever lost would be pretty much out of it. The rallies here were rather strange - three of the players would loop and counterloop over and over, while David mostly did change-up blocks, with hitting mixed in. p. The rallies often sounded like this: "Bang, Bang, Bang, baaaaaaang..." In the first game, Zhuang/Owens (the 2001 USA National Men's Doubles Champions) led 10-9, but lost the next three. They won the next two games - could have been up 3-0. They get killed in the fourth, 11-3. In the fifth, they fall well behind, but stage a comeback, but just losing at 9. From here on, however, it's all Canada, as they go up 8-3, 11-5 in the sixth, and (with a timeout at 4-1), 6-1, 6-2, 11-2. 

The standings at this point:

Lupulesku/Hazinski hasn't played Huang/Kassam yet; the winner of that match will then be 4-0, and the worst that team could do would be 4-1. The only team that could match that is Peter-Paul/Kamkar-Parsi. They have already lost to Huang/Kassam, 0-4. The other three teams are no longer in contention. (This analysis assumes no defaults.)

There are two ways Peter-Paul/Kamkar-Parsi can still win. In both cases, they'd have to win their last two matches (against Lupulesku/Hazinski and O'Neill/Leibovitz), and Lupulesku/Hazinski would have to win against Huang/Kassam. If Huang/Kassam then beats Zhuang/Owens, it'd be a three-way tie at 4-1. Since Peter-Paul/Kamkar-Parsi lost 0-4 to Huang/Kassam, the only way they can in win a three-way tie is if they beat Lupulesku/Hazinski 4-0, Lupulesku/Hazinski defeats Huang/Kassam 4-0, and it goes to points. If, however, Huang/Kassam loses to Zhuang/Owens, then they'd be tied at 4-1 with Lupulesku/Hazinski - and win head-to head. 

If Peter-Paul/Kamkar-Parsi don't come in first, then either Lupulesku/Hazinski or Huang/Kassam will come in first. As explained on the home page, if one of these teams comes in first ... then there is only room for one more player, and so the other team automatically becomes the second doubles team. 

Final analysis: it's a loooong shot that Lupulesku/Hazinski and Huang/Kassam aren't going to the Olympics. 

Women's Matches

USA Women		Photos by Gerry Chua ©2004
Jasna Reed/Whitney Ping	Simone Yang/Tawny Banh	Lily Yip/Judy Hugh

Jasna Reed/Whitney Ping d. Lily Yip/Judy Hugh, -8,-15,5,12,10,-8,8

This was the match of the tournament for the women. Lily and Judy, mother and daughter, are simply much better in doubles than their ratings would indicate. Judy plays very steady, and often controls the start of the rallies with her backhand loop. Lily ends the points with all-out smashing. Both of them have hard-hitting backhands as well. Jasna and Whitney are completely different - both play very similar two-winged looping & hitting games, and spend most of the match a few steps off the table spinning. Often the battle was whether Jasna or Whitney could counterloop Judy's opening backhand loop. 

After winning the first, Yip/Hugh were up 10-7 game point in the second. Then 11-10 ... 12-11 ... 15-14 ... and finally 16-15, 17-15. It took them seven game points (to Reed/Ping's one game point at 13-12) before pulling it out. In the fourth, Reed/Ping led 10-8, then were down 10-11, 11-12 before winning 14-12. At least twice, Lily just barely missed smashes off of Whitney's loops from up game point - that close to going up 3-1 instead of 2-2. In the fifth, Reed/Ping again led 10-8, again it goes to 10-all, but they win 12-10. In the sixth, Reed/Ping are up 8-6 - but again can't hold the lead, lost the last five in a row to Judy's steadiness and Lily's hitting. So it's into the seventh - and the mother/daughter team are up 5-2 against the top seeds. But then it's 6-6, 8-8. Then Reed/Ping slam the door, winning the last three - with Lily just missing a smash against Whitney's loop on the last point. 

Petra Cada/Marie-Christine Roussy d. Wennin Chiu/Sara Yuen, -6,8,5,6,4

The two Canadian juniors, Chiu/Yuen, both play close to the table with medium-long pips on the backhand (just as Tawny Banh and Simone Yang have on their backhands). They play without every changing expressions, but often are too robotic with their straightforward hitting. After they win the first, it's all Cada/Roussy. 

Lily Yip/Judy Hugh d. Tawny Banh/Simone Yang, 9,7,5,12

"We had a good warm-up," said Lily of her and Judy's "upset" of Tawny Banh and Simone Yang - the warm-up being, of course, the 11-8 in the seventh loss to Jasna Reed and Whitney Ping the round before. "Judy played very well. Her forehand was much better this match." And so the mother/daughter team knock off the #2 USA team in a surprisingly easy match. In the last game, Banh/Yang are up 10-8, 11-10 and 12-11 but can't pull it out. 

Jasna Reed/Whitney Ping d. Tawny Banh/Simone Yang, -10,4,8,10,-10,3

While Simone controlled play at the table, the other three were all over the court looping. Tawny also stays pretty close to the table, hitting her medium-pips out backhand, but loops her forehand every chance. In the fifth, it goes to 9-all - I've never seen a tournament with so many 9-alls. Banh/Yang go up 10-9, but Whitney flips in a serve with her backhand to Simone's wide forehand for an ace, 10-all. But Banh/Yang win the next two points. But in the sixth, it's a romp, 11-3 for Reed/Ping as everything goes right for them. 

Canadian Women	Photos by Gerry Chua ©2004
Marie-Christine Roussy/Petra Cada	Sara Yuen/Wennin Chiu

Petra Cada/Marie-Christine Roussy d. Tawny Banh/Simone Yang, 10,-7,11,8,-10,5

This was in incredibly important match. If either of these teams or the Reed/Ping team come in first, then the other team would be whichever of the other two teams came out ahead. So very likely the winner of this match would be going to Athens. 

Cada/Roussy led 10-6 in the first, and barely pull it out, 12-10. Banh/Yang win game two, but are down 3-7 in the third ... but score five in a row, 8-7. The it's 8-all, then 10-8 for Banh/Yang. But they can't hold it, or win at 11-10, and they lose the game 11-13. They'd lose the next to fall behind 1-3 in games, but lead 10-6 in the fifth ... and matching the Canadians in the first game, they'd also barely pull it out 12-10. But the sixth was all Cada/Roussy. 

Jasna Reed/Whitney Ping d. Wennin Chiu/Sara Yuen, 4,8,8,-7,13

Reed/Ping won the first three fairly easily, but after losing the fourth, were down several times in the fifth before finally pulling it out, 15-13. 

The standings at this point:

At this point, only Reed/Ping, Cada/Roussy and Yip/Hugh can advance to the Olympics in doubles. (This analysis assumes no defaults.) If either Reed/Ping or Cada/Roussy come in first, then the other will also go, since there would only be room for one more person in doubles, so only a team with one player already qualified in singles can go. The only other team in this category is Banh/Yang, but at 0-3, they can't finish ahead either Reed/Ping (3-0) or Cada/Roussy). So the only way Reed/Ping and Cada/Roussy won't go is if Yip/Hugh were to come in first. For this to happen, the following would have to happen: 

• Yip/Hugh win their last two matches, against Cada/Roussy and Chiu/Yuen;

• Cada/Roussy d. Reed/Ping.

If the above happens, then Yip/Hugh are 3-1; Reed/Ping are 3-1; and Cada/Roussy are 3-1. In this three-way tie, Yip/Hugh's loss is 3-4 to Reed/Ping, so they are favored in a three-way tie, but now every game is important when Cada/Roussy play their two matches against Yip/Hugh and Reed/Ping. 

Side note - during the afternoon break, there was a nice exhibition put on by Tim "Geezer" Boggan and Marcus "Shrimp" Jackson. Tim, 73, played it to the hilt, even hobbling into the playing area with a cane, and using a hardbat. Alas, 12-year-old Marcus won, but not before facing a few of Tim's patented "no-look" forehands. (See photo gallery.)