$10,000 Spinmania Open

Canadian Sizzles in Hotlanta

Atlanta, GA · Ben Hill Recreation Center · Sept. 6-7, 2003

By Michael Wetzel

Spinmania Open and Elite Singles Champion Pradeeban Peter-Paul of Canada. Photo by Michael Wetzel ©2003. 

Canadian star Pradeeban Peter-Paul made his first-ever trip to Atlanta a successful one. Now he hopes walking away with a pocket full of money as the 2003 Spinmania champion will keep him on his path to the 2004 Olympics.

“That is my short-term goal,” Peter-Paul, 26, said about the 2004 Games in Athens, while waiting to play his semifinal match against hometown favorite Keith Evans.

Peter-Paul, a native of Sri Lanka now living in Ottawa, was the $10,000 tournament’s top seed. After two days of undefeated play, he took $900 north of the border with him.

Open Semifinalist Keith Evans. Photo by Michael Wetzel ©2003. 

Peter-Paul wasn’t pushed in the championship division until he met the Spintech-sponsored Evans, a surprise semifinalist. Evans -- erased No. 3-seed Brian Pace in the preliminaries and then upset 6th-seed Homayoun Kamkar-Parsi in the quarterfinals 3-2 -- fell behind Peter-Paul 0-2 in games before countering the Canadian’s blistering loops.

In the third game, Evans scored three straight points for an 8-5 lead and held on to win at 11-9 when Peter-Paul’s forehand found the net.

Even with an enthusiastic crowd behind him, Evans, a native of Jamaica, couldn’t muster enough firepower to offset Peter-Paul’s offense in a close fourth game, losing 14-12. Peter-Paul’s consistency finally wore down the 12th-seeded upstart. “Keith’s middle game was so strong today,” Peter-Paul said. “He played outstanding all day. I had to stay on top of every shot to get the ball past him. It was good to see him play so well. He certainly has nothing to be ashamed of.”

Elite Singles Finalist Sasa Drinic. Photo by Michael Wetzel ©2003. 

Shortly after knocking off De Tran 3-2 in the quarters, Canadian Xavier Therien pulled off an upset of No. 2-seed Sasa Drinic in the other semis with a remarkable 12-10 win in the 6th game. Therien trailed 5-10 before running off 7 consecutive points to move into the final.

“I was trying to stay focused and play one point at a time. I was hitting my forehand wide and moved him around,” Therien, 25, said. “Regardless of the score, I knew I had to take the initiative and play aggressive against him. He is a great player and I was fortunate to get past him.”

But getting past his Stiga-sponsored, maple-leaf teammate wasn’t going to happen.

With games at 2-2, Therien opened up a 5-2 lead in the fifth when Peter-Paul’s forehand pushed Therien off the table and essentially out of the match. Peter-Paul scored five straight for a 7-5 lead, which quickly became a 11-8 win. In the sixth game, Peter-Paul scored the first three points and never trailed, winning 11-6.

“It is nice that we will take this money back to Canada,” Peter-Paul said after defeating Therien, 4-2. “This was a wonderful tournament to participate in. “Xavier is a tough player. I have been fortunate and have had some success against him in the past couple of years, winning four of the last five, I believe.” Though the U.S. Pro Tour event was canceled, several top players requested an elite division competition. Twenty-six players participated in the spur-of-the-moment-created event. Peter-Paul won $200, defeating Drinic in the final, 4-1.

Therien pocketed $525 for his two-day effort.

“Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to see any of the city,” Peter-Paul said about the Georgia capital. “I got here Saturday morning and we are flying out later today (Sunday). Maybe I can spend more time here next time.”

However, on Saturday night, Peter-Paul, Therien and Kamkar-Parsi did get to see some of the town when Georgian Ross Brown treated the trio to a local Chinese dinner.

Tournament director Michael Lalvani and his staff Renuka Lalvani, Roman Tinyszin and Morgan Tang stayed busy keeping the tables full and events moving. Lalvani was pleased with the approximately 150 players who entered the 4-star event at the Ben Hill Recreation Center. Other committee members were Richard McAfee and Allyson Ellis.

“My main objective was to host a great event in the South that can be replicated at least twice a year and I believe I was successful in my endeavour,” Michael Lalvani said. “Since 1999 when I hosted my first Spin Open 4-Star tournament in New York, I have always tried to create an environment where players can come and play a lot and also develop friendly relations with other players. I was quite satisfied with the final turnout of the players.”

Tournament notes

• For a big savings on their airfare, Peter-Paul and Parsi drove seven hours to Buffalo, N.Y., to catch a direct flight to Atlanta. After the tourney, committee member Morgan Tang scrambled to get the Peter-Paul, Parsi and Therien to the airport just 20 minutes before their flight departed – less than one hour after the tournament’s championship match.

• One of the best matches of the tournament could have easily been when Preston Chin met David Landry in the Under 2200 preliminaries. With moms, dads, coaches and friends lined around the barriers, the two juniors were tied at 2 games each. In the decisive fifth game, Landry 16, jumped out to a 6-0 lead only to see Chin, 11, catch him at 6. Landry then ripped off three forehand winners for a 9-6 lead. But the younger Chin didn’t quit and tied the score at 10. Chin then barely missed two forehands long, giving the match to Landry.

• Atlanta organizer and player Ralph Presley was seen giving directions, moving tables, shuttling players, answering questions and telling stories of his junior league.

• Sponsors were Lane Music Co. of Memphis and Spintech Table Tennis Co.

   

  Open Singles – Final: Pradeeban Peter-Paul d. Xavier Therien, 9,-7,11,-8,8; SF: Peter-Paul d. Keith Evans, 6,8,-9,12; Therien d. Sasa Drinic, -7,6,9,8; QF: Peter-Paul -bye; Evans d. Homayun Kamkar-Parsi, 4,5,-10,-9,9; Therien d. De Tran, 3,13,-3,-10,8; Drinic d. Xin Peng, 6,6,8

  Elite Singles – Final: Pradeeban Peter-Paul d. Sasa Drinic, 9,9,8,-7,9; SF: Peter-Paul d De Tran, 5,8,9,6; Drinic d Xavier Therien, 3,13,-7,-9,7,8; QF: Peter-Paul d. Samson Dubina, 8,7,8; De d. Homayoun Kamkar-Parsi, 8,9,10; Therien d. Xin Peng, 8,4,-10,5; Drinic d. Keith Evans, 9,8,9.

  Over 45 – Final: Xin Peng d. Bin Hai Chu, 4,6,7; SF: Xin d. Thomas Nunes, 4,3,4; Bin d. Michael Lalvani, 7,9,-8,9.

  Under 18 – Final: Marisol F. Delzo Infante d. Preston Chin, 7,-8,6,9; SF: Marisol F. Delzo Infante-bye; Chin d. Joshua Beal, 1,5,2.

  U2550 – Final: Homayoun Kamkar-Parsi d. De Tran, 9,-8,8,-9,8,9; SF: Kamkar-Parsi d. Brian Pace, 12,8,4,-8,2; De d. Xavier Therien, 10,3,-8,-8,6,-8,8

  U2350 – Final: Kwaovi Didi DeSouza d. Jacques Orlando Casas, def.; SF: Desouza d. Keith Evans, 6,8,4; Casas d. Shawn Embleton, 16,-4,9,3.

  U2200 – Final: Bin Hai Chu d. Yogesh Sapre, -9, -8,10,10,10; SF: Sapre d. Marisol F. Delzo Infante, 6,4,10; Bin d. Jeff Xiao, -8, -7, 4,6,7.

  U2100 – Final: Dwight King d. Thomas Nunes, 8,3,5; SF: Thomas Nunes d. Marisol Delzo Infante, 4,5,4; Dwight King d. Messan Lawson, 4,5,-5,8.

  U2000 – Final: Ernesto Kawamoto and David Landry split prize; SF: Kawamoto d. Narasima Ramakrishnan, 9,9,8; Landry d George Cooper, 9,9,9.

  U1900: Yi Zhang d. Ernesto Kawamoto, 10,6,-4,5.

  U1800: Narasima Ramajkrishnan d. Mingfei Shi, 7,6,9.

  U1650: Robert Bowlander d. Anna Stolyarova, 4,5,9.

  U1450: Angela Zou d. Cy Wang, -4,7,7,9.

  U1250: Di Ding d. John Karp, 7,-7,9,4.

  U1000: Russell Radabagh d. Jeffrey Wang, 5,8,4.

  U4100 Doubles: Preston Chin/George Cooper d. David Landry/Ernesto Kawamoto 8,-7,9,8,6.

  U3500 Doubles: Shelby Lane/Kevin Dewksbury d. Warren McNeil/Michael Wetzel 6,-10,8,-8,6,6.