Junior of the Month: Yao Xu

By Larry Hodges

Clubs: Maryland Table Tennis Center (MDTTC) and Potomac Country Table Tennis Club (PCTTC)

Equipment: Primorac Carbon blade with Bryce on the forehand and Rein on the backhand.

Who is your coach? What is he like?

My coach is Cheng Yinghua. He can be strict at times, but he is an excellent coach, so his advice is always valuable.

How old were you when you started to play, and how did you start?

I had my first table tennis lesson with Cheng on July 12, 1997, when I was 8 years old. I have been training with him now for more than five years. My dad likes table tennis and plays regularly at the Potomac Table Tennis Club, another local club. At first he just wanted me to have a try to see whether I would like the sport. In the beginning, I was curious and very interested. I asked lots of questions when taking lessons from Cheng. However, only after I surprisingly swept Under 10 Boys’ Singles at both the 1998 Junior Olympics and Junior Nationals did I become really serious about the sport. To show their support, my parents increased my individual training time from half an hour a week to two hours, and I began to go to Coach Cheng’s table tennis training camps twice a week. Since then playing table tennis has become the most important after-school activity in my life. 

Do you have a sponsor?

I used to be sponsored by Spintech. Recently I applied for sponsorship by Butterfly since I had been using their equipment for many years.  

Who and where do you practice with, and how often?

I really don’t have a fixed practice partner. I have been going to the MDTTC for years to attend their table tennis training camps twice a week. I practice and play matches with the other people, mostly juniors, there. I also go to the Potomac Community Center every weekend to play with adult players at my level.

What are your best titles, tournament results or rankings?

I won the Joel Farrell Sportsmanship award this year at the Junior Olympics. I feel that it’s much more important than all the other medals, since it has only been awarded to a few players for their excellence.

How would you describe your style of play?

I’m a smasher, from both sides. I also block a lot. My backhand, where I have short pips, is my strength. I also have good serves.

What techniques are you working on to improve?

Although I smash well, my consistency is not good enough. I am working on it. Also, I need to improve my loop, which is the weakest part of my game.

Outside of table tennis, what do you like to do? Hobbies, sports, school, etc.

I like online chatting, but haven’t done much lately. Also, I love to listen to music. I participate in several clubs and after-school activities at school, and am pretty good at math. I’ve won several awards in math competitions. Last year, I was the perfect scorer at the 17th American Mathematics Contest AMC 8.

What are your table tennis goals?

For my short-term goals, I’m hoping my rating will go over 2100 by the end of this year. Hopefully, I will be able to keep up with the rest of the people in my age group and some of the ones in the groups above me. Also, I’d like to make the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team.

How about your non-table tennis goals?

I hope to go to a top university or college with a scholarship. However, I have not thought about my career path yet as I think it is too early to worry about that.