|
|
|
Player
of the Month: Eric OwensBy Larry Hodges
For over a decade, Men’s Singles at the USA National Table Tennis Championship has been dominated by players born and trained overseas, who often come to American with powers and abilities beyond those of ordinary USA players. Since Jim Butler (USA born and trained) won in 1993, the winners have been from, in order: CHN, CHN, CHN, CHN, CHN, CHN, CHN, USA, YUG, YUG, CHN. That’s four each for Cheng Yinghua and David Zhuang, and two for Ilija Lupulesku. But closer scrutiny reveals … yes, there IS a “USA” mixed in there!
It was in 2001 that Eric Owens of Houston, Texas broke the pattern, defeating Cheng in the final and David in the semifinals with his murderous two-winged looping attack and spectacular footwork. (He also won Men’s Doubles with David.) Before the tournament, he was known as basically an all-out forehand attacker; at that tournament he showed he had a backhand as well.
Eric, who turns 30 in October, was no flash in the pan that year. He’d already had a long and distinguished career. He’d been on the National team for years, was on the 2000 Olympic team, and was on the 1999 USA Pan Am Team, which won the gold medal. He’d been North American Doubles Champion two times, won a number of major regional tournaments, and won over 30 national junior titles.
| |
| USA Table Tennis - Serving the Table Tennis Community |
| |