Meiklejohn National Senior Championships

Leisure World is designed for active seniors, age 55 and over. Among its 18,000 residents and 2100 acres are such people as Bill Meiklejohn, an indefatigable resident whose father founded UPS, and who now spends his time sponsoring medical centers, college scholarships, and other such projects. About 10-11 years ago, Bill was watching senior tennis and golf tournaments, and began thinking: "Why not table tennis?" He met up with Julius Margolis, and soon discovered "real" table tennis. Where he had originally foreseen a tournament for Leisure World residents, the vision soon became bigger. It’s now the $14,000 Meiklejohn National Senior Table Tennis Championships, the largest senior (over 40) tournament in the U.S., with 186 entries this year – including the whole spectrum from residents at Leisure World all the way to Cheng Yinghua, not only the top over 40 player in the U.S., but the top player, period. And they’re all playing at Leisure World. (They also have the Leisure World TTC of Laguna Woods, with Art Wirtschafter as president.)

Margolis ran the tournament the first few years; Olga Feingold-Kahan took over six years ago, with Margolis now the tournament committee chair. USA Table Tennis’ Senior Committee Chairman in the early 1990s – and recently re-appointed to the role – Dave Sakai advised them in the early years as the tournament grew. The tournament staff now includes Walt Wehri, Alice Bloom, Harry Bloom, Herb Gilbert, Stanley Kahan, Ray Kunze, Ray McLean, Bill Meiklejohn, Marilyn Miller, Tom Miller, and Masaru Hashimoto – with apologies to any missed!

Just how strong is the play at this senior tournament? Is it a bunch of old geezers patting the ball back and forth? Uh … not quite. This year’s finals was a barn-buster between the aforementioned U.S. #1 Cheng Yinghua and the 2604-rated Nigerian Atanda Musa, formerly top 20 in the world and probably the best player ever to come out of Africa – but barely even the best Nigerian here, as it would turn out!

But the tournament isn’t just about over 40 players. There are age groups all the way up to Over 80. There are rating events from Under 1100 up to Under 2400. There are two women’s events – Over 40 and Over 50. There is the hugely popular hardbat event. There are six doubles events, from Under 2400 to Under 4800, including the ever-popular draw doubles (where "top-half players" are randomly assigned to "lower-half players"). And when the play is done, there is the annual California Hall of Fame banquet (Friday night), and the players’party (Saturday night).

In an affluent senior society like Leisure World, you never know who you might meet. Memories from 27 years ago returned when I made the acquaintence of Max Palmer, father of Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Jim Palmer, ace of the Baltimore Orioles pitching staff in the 60s and 70s. (Boy could they use him now!) Max was one of the spectators who stopped by each day to watch.

Another daily spectator was 1979 U.S. Men’s Champion and now full-time coach Attila Malek – entered in the tournament, but out because of a neck injury, and so instead watching and promoting his junior program.

There were two over 40 events: Senior Elite (where you had to be over 1900), and Over 40. A total of $1300 (including $500 for first, $300 for second) were given out in the Senior Elite on Friday – pretty good prize money. $3600 was given out for Over 40 Singles on Sunday – even better!

As expected, Cheng Yinghua dominated the competition. In the Senior Elite, he didn’t lose a game on his way to his first check. In the semifinals, he went up against Rey Domingo, while Atanda Musa faced Xin Peng. Domingo had pulled off the day’s most noticeable upset in the best match of the day, an epic quarterfinal battle with Abass Ekun. Abass attacked ferociously, but Domingo blocked, fished and lobbed his way to a tight victory. However, such defensive play wasn’t so successful against Cheng. Neither was Xin Peng’s pips-out hitting & blocking against the routinely spectacular two-winged looping Musa in the other semifinal. In the final, Cheng blocked & looped his way to an 18 & 11 win.

Over 40 women say Zhao "Michelle" Hong defeat Bora Livshin in the final, 10 & 17. Hong is a former Chinese Team Member, now a full-time coach in Los Angeles.

In some ways, the over 50 men’s event has some of the best matches, with lots of spectacular topspin points. The players may not have the point-ending power they used to have, but they can rally and work for a point – leading to sensational rallies. Any match involving 2400-rated Rey Domingo illustrates this. Rey rallied and served & looped his way to the finals against Xin Peng. In the most "classic" match of the tournament, Rey gradually worked his way into and won the final against his pips-out hitting & blocking opponent, -15, 19, 10.

On the women’s side, Bella Livshin, already a finalist in Over 40 Women, coasted into the Over 50 final as well, where she won against long-time rival, but only recently practicing again Donna Sakai, 12 & 8.

Bohdan Dawidowicz, a long-time 2250-2300 player, recently found his rating under 2100, to the horror of his rating-conscious opponents. Had his level really dropped that far? It didn’t take long for Bohdan to show that he was back to his normal self, winning Over 60 over Samuel Liang, 19 & 11.

Leon Ruderman, fresh off winning the silver medal for Over 70 Doubles (with Tim Boggan) at the Veteran World Championships in Vancouver, Canada, pulled off the gold here, defeating Chason Koh in the final, 18,-18,9. Leon, an aggressive player with long pips on the forehand, inverted on the backhand (not a common combination!), found a side-topspin serve Chason had trouble with, and used it to pull away in the third. The two are familiar with each other’s games – both are from the Hawthorne Table Tennis Club in California.

Julius Margolis directed the Meiklejohn tournament its first few years. Back then, he’d do much of the work, and others got the fruits of his work. Now – he’s winning his own tourmament! At least, the Over 80 event, over Phil Deschner, 16, -17, 19.

This writer tried, and even got a game off overwhelming hardbat favorite Xin Peng – but when’s the last time he’s lost to anybody in hardbat? Xin Peng over Larry Hodges, 14,-24,9.

Lim Ming Chui, Cheng Yinghua, Howard Grossman and Roberto Byles were the dominant players in the six doubles events, playing with a variety of partners. But none of them were in the Under 2800 final, won by Buddy Janowsky & Walter Wehrli over Hiroshi Koshimoto & Yuensen Wang (20 & 14), and only one (Lim Ming) was in the Under 4500 final, won by Xin Peng & Pete May.

• The left-handed Lim Ming Chui (a former U.S. Team Member) was in three finals; he and Bohdan Dawidowicz split the Under 4200 final; he and Lee Swandler split the Under 3400 final; he and Dave Sakai lost in the final of Under 4500.

• Cheng Yinghuawas in two finals: he won Draw Doubles with Vern Boyce, he and Howard Grossman split the Under 4800 final.

• Howard Grossman was in two finals: he and Cheng split Under 4200, he and Masaru Hashimoto split the Under 4200 final.

• Roberto Byles was in two finals: he and Lim Ming Chui split the Under 4200 final, and he and Gilbert Chin lost in the Draw Doubles Final.

Over 40 – Final: Cheng Yinghua d. Atanda Musa, 17,20,-19,18; SF: Cheng d. Xin Peng, 6,19,-13,13; Musa d. Abass Ekun, -20,18,-18,18,20.

Senior Elite – Final: Cheng Yinghua d. Atanda Musa, 18,11; SF: Cheng d. Rey Domingo; Musa d. Xin Peng, n.s.

Over 40 Women: Hong Zhao d. Bella Livshin, 10,17.

Over 50: Rey Domingo d. Xin Peng, -15,19,10.

Over 50 Women: Bella Livshin d. Donna Sakai, 12,8.

Over 60: Bohdan Dawidowicz d. Samuel Liang, 19,11.

Over 70: Leon Ruderman d. Chason Koh, 18,-18,9.

Over 80: Julius Margolis d. Phil Deschner, 16, -17,19.

Hardbat: Xin Peng d. Larry Hodges, 14,-22,10;

U2400: Rey Domingo & Voltaire Trillo split.

U2300: Roberto Byles d. Masaru Hashimoto, -19,16,21.

U2050: Ralph Stadelman d. John Schneider, 18,-14,14.

U1900: Kamal Farah d. Rodel Valdorio, 10,15.

U1800: Reinhard Freimuth d. Mike Didio, 19,19.

U1600: George Wong d.Lon Dean, -18,14,19

U1500: Louis Montes d. Leszek Kasowski, 16,19.

U1400: Lee Swander d.Stephen Tang, 10,-17,20.

U1300: Lee Swander d. Joyce Miller, 15,13.

U1200: Wallace Brownson d. Harry Ehrmantraut, 14,5.

U1100: Steve Short d. Harry Ehrmantraut, 20,-19,20.

U4800 Doubles: Cheng Yinghua/Howard Grossman & Barry Dattel/Parviz Mojaverian split.

U4500 Doubles: Pete May/Xin Peng d. Lim Ming Chui/Dave Sakai, 20,14.

U4200 Doubles: Lim Ming Chui/Bohdan Dawidowicz & Howard Grossman/Masaru Hashimoto split.

U3400 Doubles: Lim Ming Chui/Lee Swandler & Ray McLean/Roberto Byles split.

U2800 Doubles: Buddy Janowsky/Walter Wehrli d. Hiroshi Koshimoto/Yuensen Wang, 20,14.

Draw Doubles: Cheng Yinghua/Vern Boyce d. Roberto Byles/Gilbert Chin, -16,16,11.