2007 US NATIONALS AGE EVENTS by Tim Boggan

photo by Diego Schaaf

Over 30’s
Olympian Khoa Nguyen, the #1 seed, was beaten in the quarter’s of the Over 30’s by a largely unknown Houston, Texas player, Niraj Oak, 42, who’d been practicing with a revitalized Perry Schwartzberg, one of our best U.S. players a quarter-century ago. Niraj was named after the former Indian #1, Niraj Bajaj, one of the 1974 beginning tsunami wave of foreigners to play in our U.S. Opens. In becoming in 1983-84 the #1 Junior in India, Niraj lived up to his illustrious name.
In a companion quarter’s match, Sean Lonergan defeated Vladislav Boyarskly who plays at Nison Aronov’s Brooklyn Club and often favors forehand block and pips-out backhand play. It didn’t help him that he caught his finger on the table edge and had to take a band-aid time-out.
On the opposite side of the Draw, Rocky Wang recalled that when he was a kid he’d played Danny Seemiller and had enjoyed an unexpected thrill in winning a game from him, the first they played. Here he created even more of a buzz playing Seemiller, a 200-point favorite, taut game after taut game…ah, almost to a glorious finish in the fifth. Michael Henry had upset Tri Dinh to reach the quarter’s, and against Seemiller, sporting a strong backhand loop, he took up where Wang had left off, winning the first, 14-12, and thereafter dancing about the court until Danny had a 5-out-of-6-point run in the second game and went on to advance to the semi’s.
Joining him there was Barry Dattel who’d had wins over Loc Ngo and, rising up out of the mist of the Tuan Le/Shao Yu section of the Draw, the 1947-rated Ryan Gabler. Loc didn’t have a Men’s quarter’s match to prepare for, as did Shao, but he’d been a felt force in the Hardbat events. He failed to defend his Championship against Trevor Runyan, losing 17 in the 5th, but he won the Hardbat 40’s in close matches over Tim Kelly, Marty Reisman, and Che-Him Leung, and took the Hardbat Doubles with Scott Gordon over Kelly and Ray Mack.
Kelly, an arthritic 57, lives in New Hampshire, but plays at the Boston Club—commutes two hours each way twice a week. At 18 he began serving in the Vietnam War, became a counter-intelligence agent, something of a pawn, he said, because the CIA knows, but you don’t, how one mission connects with another. In 1973, after being a part of that terrible kill-or-be-killed war, he became a Buddhist, and views the central question for all religions as “How can I help others?” He makes a living as a musician, impressionist, and composer who’s working now on a powerful religious piece. He returned to Vietnam, to the table tennis scene in Saigon where he says public play is often with decrepit nets, cracked balls, and rats occasionally scampering about the playing floor. Yet, he estimates there are maybe sixteen 2800 players in the country, and says that, since the USATT magazine is available for some to read, players are particularly interested in our Khoa Nguyen, De Tran, and others of Vietnamese heritage. Here in the separate Stan and Olga Kahan pushed-for International Veterans event, Tim went deuce-in-the-third with Liang Geliang.
The Oak-Lonergan semi’s couldn’t have been closer. Turns out that 10 years earlier Niraj wasn’t so unknown—had won the U.S. Open Under 2550’s over Hui Yuan Liu and Victor Subonj. He’d returned to play now because he could better bond with his daughter, Anushka, 7, by getting her into the Game. Though he’d been absent from the tournament scene, he did more than threaten Lonergan, he rallied to beat him. Up 2-1 and at 10-all in the third, Sean made some fabulous gets, then went sprawling chasing after another…only to be forced into a final game. In the fifth, Niraj looped in Sean’s serve to go 8-6 up…then went ahead10-7 triple match point. But Sean got a net, and with a gutsy backhand counter moved to 10-9. Now, though, Niraj’s positional strategy worked perfectly and, getting the forehand opening, scored the winner. Sean, 32, felt he was making shots, was physically fast, but complained that he needed to open with his backhand. “I’m playing good,” he said, “but the wrong way.”
In the other semi’s, Dattel came out strong against Seemiller, and won the first to wife Lily’s exclamation of “Excellent!” Barry continued to play well, but not quite well enough—said at the end, “I played too safe.”
The final between Oak and Seemiller might have gone to Danny in straight games, for he was helped by a net in the second to go 2-0 up. But down match point in the third, Niraj refused to buckle, won a long, gritty counter-point and pulled out the game. That, though, ended his Saturday afternoon challenge in this or any other event.

Over 40’s
After his match with Oak, Seemiller, sore, was glad it was all over, for he’d been at the very forefront of several other events. In the 40’s, he’d had an easy time getting to the final—had surprisingly 3, 6, 6 overwhelmed Khoa Nguyen in the semi’s. “I used very sound serve and serve-return tactics,” Danny said after running out the third game from 6-4 down. Could Khoa, who’d blanked all other opponents including Barry Dattel (12-10 -in-the-fourth victor over Tuan Le) unconsciously be holding back, trying to peak for yet another Olympics?
On the other side of the Draw, Oak was battling. With rhythm-disrupting change-of-pace blocks he stopped Rudy Miranda, 11-9 in the fourth (later in the 2400’s Rudy nearly exacted revenge, was up 2-1 and at 12-all in the fourth before losing). Then in the quarter’s, Niraj pressed Cheng “Chen” Yinghua into a 14-12 fourth. Before falling to De Tran in the adjacent quarter’s, John Thach Tran stayed strong to hold off Hank McCoullum who with a 10-8 lead in the fourth was looking to send their match into the fifth. In the semi’s, Dr. De came out swinging against Chen, won the first, but then in the second was unexpectedly faulted on serve (“I practice them all legally at home”). That got him tight, he became indecisive, while Chen proceeded to play as if he were 30 years younger.
In the final, Seemiller had his chances, was up 10-9 in the first, at 9-all in the second—but lost them both. “I really thought I could win,” he said of his straight-game loss. “I should have gone more to Chen’s middle.”
In the 40 Doubles, Danny paired with Coach Mark Nordby to avenge his Singles loss with a five-game win over Cheng and Xuan Liu. Mark was quite a help to Danny in the end-game fifth, scoring two big points with first a forehand, then a clever placement. Though there were almost 50 entries in the 40 Singles, only nine Doubles pairs showed—and two of these were horribly mismatched. If the organizers cared about encouraging more entries in this event, they should have set an example by pairing these two weak teams together in an even, fun match.

Over 50’s
Seemiller again blitzed his way to the final. In the quarter’s, he defeated Duc Loi (who with his angled backhand pip-thrusts had survived Dan Green’ stubborn five-game challenge from down 2-1 and 13-all in the fourth). Then in the semi’s, he downed Lon Dean (who’d advanced via two defaults—one over a sick Dave Sakai, and the other over a sicker administrator unwilling or last-minute unable to find a way to reschedule, as expected, George Brathwaite, who had to beg off play because he was going to receive his Hall of Fame Lifetime Achievement Award).
The opposite section of the Draw saw the return of Hall of Famer Bobby Fields, a U.S. premier player from 1957 through 1967. Turns out he’s found Lloyd McQueen’s Club near his home and, for the last month or more, four times a week, still using his 30-year-old Stipancic blade, has been practicing his heavy backhand push and flick against Jack Howard and others. His #1 aim in coming to this tournament, where he was very impressed with the proliferation of volunteers that have come into the Game, was to beat someone whom he wasn’t supposed to beat. Possibly John Muhich was that someone, for he got by him, 11-9 in the 5th, before losing to Ray Mack. Ray, counter-looping and fishing, then dropped a 14-12-in-the-fourth match to two-winged spinner Vladimir Altman.
In advancing to meet Seemiller in the final, Dick Hicks had only a little trouble with ex-Iranian #1Alireza Hejazi and none at all from 1960 Canton, China Champ Che-Him Leung, a double-wing, short-pips penholder who’d 15-13 in the fourth outlasted Hank McCoullum. Hank recently had a scare. He’d tried to jog his way out of what turned out to be a pulmonary embolism—a blockage in four quadrants. And since he wasn’t dead yet, as he might have been, his doctor quickly began giving him medicine that hopefully sooner rather than later will dissolve the clots. In the Seemiller-Hicks final, Danny often matched pushes with Dick who made far too many errors to be competitive.
Seemiller added a fourth title when in the 50 Doubles against Lim Ming Chui/Jiri Hlava he teamed with Dave Sakai to come through the mixed-up maze of four deuce games to a bright 11-3 exit. Chui, who by the time you read this will be 60, has belatedly become a Class 10 disabled player. He’s a lefty, and since his left elbow flexibility has but eight degrees of movement he’ll be playing in the Chicago Paralympics after Christmas. Other five-game matches in this event: Braithwaite/Green over Bill Ryan/Ray Fahlstrom; Steve Varela/Ron Von Schimmelman over Scott Preiss/Dave Rubin (from 2-0 down); and Chui/Hlava over Hicks/McCoullum.

Over 60’s
There were five times as many Over 60 entries in the Men’s than in the Women’s which featured a tense (-9, 11, 8, 9) final won by Ann Alvarez over Danuta Andrzejewska. In early-round five-gamers Lu Yuehyun stopped Marv Plevinsky, and Joe Politi -2, -7, 10, 12, 9 probably surprised himself as well as opponent Sammy Liang. In the 8th’s, there were three good matches. Nick Mintsiveris knocked out George Braithwaite, 12-10 in the fourth, claiming to have push-returned serves, and spun, not swatted, the ball. “I played very un-Nick,” he said. “You wouldn’t have known me—I played intelligently.” Howie Grossman, keeping fit, he says, by chasing daughter Jennifer, prevailed over Canton-cum-Hong Kong star of 40 years ago, Che-Him Leung. “Grossman’s a clever player,” someone said, “always using his head.” Here his anti neutralized Leung’s two-sided short pips, so he was able to win an 11-9-in-the-fifth squeaker. “Just as well I didn’t know he was such a good player,” said Howie.
Dave Sakai went down to Dell Sweeris in a match they might have played 20/30/40 years ago—lost for two reasons. One, unfairly, he says, he doesn’t get to play lefties, and, two, Dell’s wife Connie, abetted by an injured, limping Greg Gingold, were maybe better coaches than Dave’s wife Donna who agreed that though he was 2-1 down he should keep bad thoughts from his mind. Still, after Dave had won the opening game, it hurt that Dell, stretching to smack in forehands, had changed the match around in the second game with three edges. “Dave has no tricks, just standard play,” said Dell, a.k.a. “Mr. Perfect,” as Ray Guillen, reminiscing at the Hall of Fame Banquet, wryly remembered him from 30 years ago.
There were also two exciting quarter’s matches. Against Sweeris, Grossman, earlier missing his pick-hits and backhand flicks, rallied from two games down, only to 0-4 stall in, and so lose, the fifth. Ali Hejazi, leading Hlava in the fifth 8-6…and 11-10 match point, couldn’t finish him “Jiri’s a very smart player,” said Ali. “He didn’t use his Neubauer side at the end, knew I knew how to handle it.” Earlier Hlava wasn’t the least bit frightened—well, maybe at 1-1 a little bit—facing Jim McQueen who’d folded up his red-white-and-blue tent cap in favor of a threatening “BOO!” shirt.
Two exciting semi’s matches too. Against Sweeris, Dick Hicks mixed up chops and nothing balls, and surprised Dell with an occasional counter. Up 2-1 and triple match point Dick seemed to have the match well in hand. But Dell not only rallied to win that fourth game he was 9-10 within reach of the fifth when in the midst of their last point Dick seemed to change his mind in mid-stroke and the result, Dell said, was a strange spin that he couldn’t read.
Chong Keng Tay did in Hlava the hard way, -5, -6, 7, 11, 9. He long-pip pushed quick off-the-bounce and hit well too. But Jiri’d get over it. More than winning matches, he dreamed of one day retiring to Czechoslovakia, to his home town of Kladno, where, as a regular attendee at the cultural center he’d enjoy, say, an afternoon Dvorak concert. At the 2006 National’s, Tay, before losing to Braithwaite in the 60’s final, got the better of Hicks in three close games. This year, however, Dick’s opening 16-14 win gave him the confidence to withstand Tay’s 12-10 second-game resurgence, and he went on to win in four.
In the 60 Doubles, after Bill Ryan/Ragnar “Ray” Fahlstrom, 600-point favorites, had rallied from down 2-0 to oust Jerry Marcum/Al Grambo, Bill and Ray themselves suffered a strange -11, -3, 2, 5, 10 inverse loss. Meanwhile, Sweeris/Sakai, winning the third game 15-13 and the fifth 11-9, escaped Grossman/Hicks, then 5-game hurried by Duc Loi/Jim McQueen who’d recently improved his game at the NATT Baltimore Team’s. In this year’s U.S. Open 60 Doubles final, Dell and Dave, down 2-1, had come back to beat Tay/Leung. But here at the Closed, Tay/Leung, down 2-1, came back to beat Dell and Dave.

Over 70’s
In the 36-entry Over 70’s, considering their ratings, could quarterfinalist John Ballard (1308!) be more surprised than the 70 Women’s winner, Jane Magras (1049), who’d advanced over Harriet Brin (1135), Joyce Arpon (1368), and Harriet Quon (1260)? Dick Peregrine was almost unpleasantly surprised on being down 2-1 and 11-all in the fourth to Jerry Marcum who’d advanced out of Billy Neely’s prelim bracket. As for Marty Reisman, U-2000 Hardbat winner over James Rautis, I doff my cap to him and hope he recovers from his knee injury. However, as Howie Grossman, semi’s loser to Hicks, said after eliminating Reisman in their first encounter ever, “Marty is steady but sooner or later he puts up a free ball.” Marty also had something to say about Howie: “I don’t like this guy’s racket.” Ragnar Fahlstrom (first name changed years ago to “Ray” because “RANG-nar” was never pronounced correctly) reached the final with an 11-9-in-the-fourth semi’s win over Don McDermott (victor in the prelims over Tomas Nazarbechian who wants a U.S-Iran “Ping-Pong Diplomacy” Tour). In the final, however, Fahlstrom could do little against Hicks’s steady play.
In the 70 Doubles, Reisman/Dean Johnson won a 5-game match from the Grey twins. Dexter was the perennial Miami Beach Champion until the arrival of Freddie Borges and Laszlo Bellak; Neil a future winner at the World Police/Firemen Games at such diverse places as Barcelona, Stockholm, Calgary. After moving to California in 1954, Dexter became a renowned classical pianist, studying and performing in Europe along the way. He’s played at the White House, the Malacanang Palace for Philippine Presidents Ramos and Marcus.