Dublin, OH · March 23-24, 2002

By Larry Hodges

The underdogs howled – that’s how one can best describe all the upsets in the Open and Elite Singles at the Buckeye Open! Yet, when the dust had cleared on Saturday, Open Singles, as expected, went to … Fan Yi Yong.

But that didn’t mean he was unbeatable in this field of upsets – he wouldn’t get past the quarterfinals of Elite Singles (played on Sunday), where USA junior star Mark Hazinski (just back from a one-month USATT junior team training trip to China, and who won’t turn 17 until April 20) would become the first U.S.-born player to beat Fan (excluding defaults) in a tournament since he arrived here permanently in 1998.

A number of top players complained about the best of five to 11 format. “It shouldn’t be used in Open Singles,” said Jim Butler and others. “It should be best of seven.” But the best of five format was used until the semifinals of Open and Elite.

One reason for using the best of five format was the huge turnout. The 307 paid entries was the second most ever in a 4-star tournament, second only to the 1998 Easterns in Baltimore. (Biggest event was the 86-player Under 1875 field, won by D.J. Settle.) Even on 50 Butterfly tables, it was a massive scheduling nightmare. The tournament often did run 15-30 minutes behind, but they managed to keep it in control, not easy with so many players.  “The conditions and tournament were great,” said Fan, and most seemed to agree with him.

U.S. Team Member Ashu Jain had an interesting time just getting to the tournament. He was pulled over for speeding, apparently doing 74 in a 65 mph zone (he says he was doing only 71). Because he had tinted windows, the police officer asked him and his girlfriend to step out of the car. While a background check was done, they were asked to sit in the back of the police car. Ashu declined. The police officer considered this “suspicious behavior,” and called in a canine unit to sniff the car for drugs! So Ashu had to wait until the arrival of the unit, and the dog went over the car, but found nothing.

Final 32

There were three interesting matches in the 16ths (final 32) of the Open. First, Razvan Cretu, rated an even 2600, found himself down 10-6 match point in the fifth to 2372-rated Noshi Mahmond (who would later make the final of Under 2425) before pulling it out, -7,7,-6,6,11. Next, Canadian #2 junior Faazil Kassam barely pulled out a spectacular match over a constantly-coming-back Sasa Drinic, 9,8,-8,-6,9. Finally, Jasna Reed was up 10-5 in the fourth match point on Shao Yu … but lost the game and match, 8,-10,-10,11,3. “I kept thinking about my rating going up or down, and so couldn’t really play free,” she said afterwards. “When my head is somewhere else, my level goes down 300 points.” She also had an interesting point about ranking: “I lost to a man, and because of that, my seeding is messed up against women. I don’t think that’s right.”

Final 16

The stars began to fall in the 8ths of the Open, when Eric Owens, Jim Butler and Bence Csaba all fell to the disbelief of spectators. First out was Butler (3-time U.S. Men’s Champion, rated 2593), 7,9,10 to 2403-rated Arturo Shiu (who would later win Under 2425). “You can barely get warmed up in a best of five!” exclaimed an unhappy Butler, who would later win Under 2600 over Hazinski. Next out was U.S. Men’s Singles Champion Eric Owens, 2,-4,6,-11,5, to the giant giant-killer, Hazinski again. Too often Owens found himself at the table backhand blocking & hitting while Hazinski teed off with two-winged looping. It’s not that Owens’ backhands were weak – he was snapping them off like Johnny Huang – but Hazinski simply took a step back, and kept looping them back. “I returned his serve well, and usually got the first attack,” said Hazinski.

Finally, in the upset of the tournament, 48-year-old Li Zhiming, rated 2233, took down Canadian Team Member and #1 junior, Bence Csaba (USATT rating: 2624), 6,7,-8,-7,9. Csaba probably had never seen anything like Zhiming’s style. He’s a penholder with long pips, no sponge, who relentlessly quick-blocks everything back short and dead on the table. (West coast fans will recognize the style if they’ve seen Peter Chen play.) Zhiming will occasionally serve and smash with the inverted side of his paddle, but only rarely. Zhiming would also make the final of Under 2250 … where he would lose to the under-rated Sean Embleton, rated 2229.

Meanwhile, the rest of the top seeds advanced, although David Zhuang had a 6,-10,-7,5,5 scare from Sean O’Neill, whose steady two-winged looping strategy gave Zhuang trouble.

Quarterfinals

The quarterfinals were relatively uneventful, with the higher-rated player winning all four. In two of the matches, due to previous-round upsets, the matches looked like mismatches, and the scores showed that as well as Zhuang defeated Arturo Shiu, 2,5,5, and Hazinski showed he knew how to play long-pipped blockers with a 6,7,8 win over Zhiming. Fan defeated Canadian Xavier Therian, 6,11,4; and Pradeeban Peter-Paul defeated Faazil Kassam, 9,-9,9,9, in an all-Canadian match.

Semifinals

Hazinski had his chances with Peter-Paul, but missed key forehand loops near the end of the last two games in losing –9,5,9,-6,9,9. Down 6-3 in the fifth, Peter-Paul tied it at 7-7, and won that game when Hazinski missed a loop kill at 9-10. The match was worth watching just to see the counterlooping point that Hazinski won at 5-3 in the fifth game. But it was right after that that Peter-Paul began his comeback to win the game and match.

Zhuang also had his chances with Fan. Fan led 3-1 in games in a match marked by Fan’s uncanny ability to backhand loop Zhuang’s all-out smashes. Fan led 8-7 in the fifth, but Zhuang won four in a row to win. Zhuang goes up 10-8 game point in the sixth, and we’re all set for the decisive seventh – but Fan wins three in a row. Zhuang calls a one-minute time-out. When he returns, he serves to Fan’s forehand … and Fan loops a winner to win the match, -11,4,7,9,-11,10.

Final

The final was rather anticlimactic. Peter-Paul can counterspin forever, and get balls back forever … but not against the off-the-bounce rips of Fan, although he steadily improved one point each game. Match and $1500 to Fan, 5,6,7,8.

Elite Singles

This was open to players rated over 2150. While the prize money was not as great as the Open ($1150 total prize money, with $500 for first, compared to the Open’s $3000 total prize money, with $1500 for first), it gave the top players a second day of competition as well as a shot at more cash prizes.

The Big upset, of course, was Hazinski’s win over Fan in the quarterfinals, -8,4,9,12. How did he do it? “I returned his serve short, got the first attack, and my forehand was hot,” said Hazinski. However, it wasn’t without cost. While flipping a short ball with his forehand, Hazinski felt something snap. He’d pulled something in the base of his middle finger. He was able to continue and win the match, but afterwards the knuckle swelled up to, well, nearly the size of a ping pong ball. He was forced to default in the semifinals to Sasa Drinic, who had upset Peter-Paul the round before. (News Flash - it was an inflamed tendon, and he was able to play again four days after the tournament.)

Meanwhile, in the other semifinal, David Zhuang defeated Eric Owens, 11,6,-5,9,9. In the final, Zhuang won rather easily over Drinic, 5,4,3,-5,3.

Women’s Singles

Jasna Reed, rated about 500 points over her nearest competitor, easily won over Charlene Liu, 5,6,6, while Charlene equally dominated the rest of the competitors.

Open Doubles

Fan and Drinic lapped the field, not losing a game, defeating Eric Owens/Razvan Cretu in the final, 7,2,5.

Hardbat

With sponge stars Eric Owens, Jim Butler, Dan Seemiller, Ashu Jain and Tahl Leibovitz all in the draw, top-seeded full-time hardbatter (and former U.S. Team Member) John Tannehill had his hands full, and (after defeating former hardbat champion Larry Hodges in the quarterfinals at -14,14,10), the 50-year-old finally went down to Owens in the semifinals, 20,17. (Hardbat matches were best of three to 21.). Seemiller (who was running back and forth between playing matches and working the control desk) clubbed his way relatively easily past Jain and Leibovitz to make the final on the other side. However, like Butler in the quarterfinals (versus Leibovitz), Owens wanted to focus on his matches in Elite Singles, and he and Dan split the final.

Senior Events

Hardbat Co-Champion Dan Seemiller won Over 40 over Keith Evans (4,-8,6,4), who had upset Abass Ekun in the semifinals (and who would win Under 4300 Doubles with Ross Brown). Seemiller showed what experience can do with his 2,4,3 semifinal win over long-pips giant-killer Li Zhiming. He added a win over Razvan Cretu to reach the semifinals of Under 2600 to add to his two titles – so it was a nice tournament for the U.S. Men’s Coach, who was so busy helping run the tournament that he ended up defaulting out of the Open, Elite and Under 2600. Meanwhile, the top seed in hardbat, John Tannehill, didn’t win the hardbat, but he won Over 50 with his hardbat racket over Changping Duan, -11,8,5,7. Tannehill’s son, Soren, added to the family’s glory by winning Under 1400.

Junior Events

Under 16 and Under 13 were swept by the Cochran brothers, Gordon and Joseph, over another pair of siblings. Gordon defeated Jennifer Mast to win Under 16, while Joseph defeated Michael Mast to win Under 13.

And Finally…

…a special thanks to Tournament Director/Sponsor Steve Slaback and his staff: Chris Burch, Jason Lacey, Charles Hill, Dave Hunt, Tom Kiser, Doug Mizer, Bill Lisboa, Chris Williams, Dan Seemiller, John Baker, Al and Anne Fish, Mary Slaback and Len Nasman; and to sponsors Macy Block, Butterfly and Berndt Mann. Without them, we’d still be wandering about in the gym wondering what to do.

Open Singles – Final: Fan Yi Yong d. Pradeeban Peter-Paul, 5,6,7,8; SF: Fan d. David Zhuang, -11,4,7,9,-11,10; Peter-Paul d. Mark Hazinski, -9,5,9,-6,9,9; QF: Fan d. Xavier Therian, 6,11,4; Zhuang d. Arturo Shiu, 2,5,5; Peter-Paul d. Faazil Kassam, 9,-9,9,9; Hazinski d. Li Zhiming, 6,7,8; 8ths: Fan d. Gbenga Ogundimu, 6,5,2; Therian d. Shao Yu, n.s.; Shiu d. Jim Butler, 7,9,10; Zhuang d. Sean O’Neill, 6,-10,-7,5,5; Peter-Paul d. Razvan Cretu, 3-1; Kassam d. Jiachen Wang, 8,7,9; Zhiming d. Bence Casaba, 6,7,-8,-7,9; Hazinski d. Eric Owens, 2,-4,6,-11,5.

Elite Singles – Final: David Zhuang d. Sasa Drinic, 5,4,3,-5,3; SF: Zhuang d. Eric Owens, 11,6,-5,9,9; Drinic d. Mark Hazinski, def.; QF: Hazinski d. Fan Yi Yong, -8,4,9,12; Drinic d. Pradeeban Peter-Paul, n.s.; Zhuang d. Bence Csaba, 4,7,14; Owens d. Idan Levi, def.

Open Doubles – Final: Fan Yi Yong/Sasa Drinic d. Eric Owens/Razvan Cretu, 7,2,5; SF: Fan/Drinic d. David Zhuang/Shao Yu, 3,12,8; Owens/Cretu d. Bence Csaba/Faazil Kassam, -9,9,9,9,4; QF: Fan/Drinic d. Jasna Reed/Idan Levi, 7,7,7; Zhuang/Shao d. Sean O’Neill/Jiachen Wang, 5,7,5; Csaba/Kassam d. Dan Seemiller/Mark Hazinski, 9,10,9; Owens/Cretu d. Ashu Jain/Arturo Shiu, n.s.

Women’s Singles: 1^st Jasna Reed, 4-0; 2^nd Charlene Liu, 3-1; 3^rd Allyson Ellis, 2-2; 4^th Anne Fish, 1-3; 5^th Nicole Lynch, 0-4.

Hardbat (21-point games) – Final: Dan Seemiller & Eric Owens split prize; SF: Seemiller d. Tahl Leibovitz, 9,14; Owens d. John Tannehill, 20,17; QF: Tannehill d. Larry Hodges, -14,14,10; Owens d. Roy Schlabach, 8,18; Seemiller d. Ashu Jain, 2-0; Leibovitz d. Jim Butler, def.

U2600 – Final: Jim Butler d. Mark Hazinski, 8,6,4; SF: Butler d. Abass Ekun, n.s.; Hazinski d. Dan Seemiller, def.; QF: Butler d. Faazil Kassam, 8,7,3; Ekun d. Sasa Drinic, 7,6,-11,7; Seemiller d. Razvan Cretu, 3,5,9; Hazinski d. Xavier Therian, 8,-11,7,-11,8.

U2425 – Final: Arturo Shiu d. Noshi Mahmond, 9,4,9; SF: Shiu d. Han Xiao, -8,-4,4,8,5; Mahmond d. Idan Levi, 5,-10,7,-7,9; QF: Levi d. Tahl Leibovitz, 7,-9,6,-5,7; Mahmond d. Qasim Aziz, 3-0; Shiu d. Keith Evans, -9,9,9,9; Xiao d. David Ramdeen, -7,14,12,9.

U2250 – Final: Sean Embleton d. Li Zhiming, 6,11,10; SF: Zhiming d. Larry Hodges, 6,-15,9,11; Embleton d. Mark Artman, 5,-7,6,9; QF: Zhiming d. Bob Cordell, 6,7,-6,13; Hodges d. Roy Schlaback, 3,6,4; Embleton d. Scott Endicott, 9,9,8; Artman d. El-Hallel Sleiman, n.s.

U2125 – Final: Changping Duan d. Mike Walk, 4,8,5; SF: Duan d. Denzil Flemming, n.s.; Walk d. Chen Wong, n.s.

U2000 – Final: Kevin Duesbury d. Nick Snider, 10,4,3; SF: Duesbury d. Yao Xu, n.s.; Snider d. Larry Hawkins, n.s.

U1875 – Final: D.J. Settle d. Willis Miller, 9,11,3; SF: Settle d. Rajesh Rajan, n.s.; Miller d. Jeff Smith, 9,7,-7,-10,5.

U1775 – Final: Phillip Moy d. Richard Moss, -5,5,-7,7,9; SF: Moy d. Robert Cox, 3-1; Moss d. Chris Burch, 7,4,-11,7.

U1650 – Final: Curt Newton d. Marion Mast, 9,8,-9,9; SF: Newton d. Michael Lacey, 3-2; Mast d. Tan Tran, n.s.

U1525 – Final: Mark Grubbs d. Bob Kirby, 5,-11,9,-6,5; SF: Kirby d. Ronald Kolb, n.s.; Grubbs d. Xinhu Huang. n.s.

U1400 – Final: Soren Tannehill d. J.R. Taylor, 8,5,8; SF: Tannehill d. Brian Tsui, n.s.; Taylor d. Doug Ott, n.s.

U1300 – Final: Brian Tsui d. J.R. Taylor, 4,12,3; SF: Taylor d. Gary Shelton, n.s.; Tsui d. Ronald Howard, 3-1.

U1200 – Final: David Lannan d. Zach Nass, 11,12,12; SF: Nass d. Jeffrey Napier, 6,-9,6,4; Lannan d. Merle Garrison, 3-0.

U1000 – Final: Robert Mitchell d. Arthur Kheyfets, -10,10,9,9; SF: Mitchell d. Jack Beggin, -10,14,7,9; Kheyfets d. Eric Whisnant, n.s.

U1900 Hardbat (games to 21) – Final: Thomas Yost d. Alan Millet, 17,17; SF: Yost d. Greg Morgan, -23,18,15; Millet d. Gordon Cochran, 15,11.

Over 40 – Final: Dan Seemiller d. Keith Evans, 4,-8,6,4; SF: Seemiller d. Li Zhiming, 2,4,3; Evans d. Abass Ekun, -9,8,7,-9,10; QF: Seemiller d. Phil Panno, n.s.; Zhiming d. John Allen, 3-2; Evans d. Stephen Grant, n.s.; Ekun d. Larry Hodges, 3-0.

Over 50 – Final: John Tannehill d. Changping Duan, -11,8,5,7; SF: Tannehill d. Ed Watts, n.s.; Duan d. Alan Millet, n.s.; QF: Tannehill d. Neil Myers, n.s.; Watts d. Charlene Liu, n.s.; Duan d. Larry Hawkins, 3-0; Millet d. Stanley Sokol, 3-0.

Under 16 – Final: Gordon Cochran d. Jennifer Mast, n.s.; SF: Cochran d. M. Bayersaikhran, n.s.; Mast d. Levy, n.s.

Under 13 – Final: Joseph Cochran d. Michael Mast, 7,11,-5,9; SF: Cochran d. Jennifer Mast, -10,7,6,10; Mast d. Shelby Lane, n.s.

Heavyweights (over 220 lbs) – Final: Rick Seiler d. Stephen Grant, n.s.

U4300 Doubles – Final: Keith Evans/Ross Brown d. Noshi Mahmond/Oluwole Ayangade, 8,7,-9,9; SF: Evans/Brown d. Miller/Angeles, def.; Mahmond/Ayangade d. Mark Nordby/Cochran, 6,-7,7,-8,6.

U3600 Doubles – Final: Alan Millet/Roy Dietz d. Julian Waters/Wei Xiao, -7,8,8,4; SF: Millet/Dietz d. Kahn/Lane, n.s.; Waters/Xiao d. Charles Hill/Thomas Yost, n.s.