$25,000 Killerspin Open

Chicago, IL · Dec. 27-29, 2002

By Tim Boggan 

Robert Blackwell, Jr.’s 24-event Killerspin Open, held Dec. 27-29 at Chicago’s mammoth McCormick Place, was noteworthy for its international field, and particularly for the near $25,000 in prize money Robert offered – $18,500 in his premier Open Singles and Doubles events.

The venue set-up – with its blue-surfaced Blackwell tables on a modern, mushroom-shaped base – was given the red-carpet treatment by Mark Nordby who for this tournament called himself, grinningly, a “handyman.” Someone told me, however, that many of the hundreds of chairs placed by the table tennis courts had been quickly taken away by those watching the various volleyball teams carrying on in an adjacent competition. When those white balls went up in the distance, as from invisible jugglers, and high school volleyballers walked by in shorts, it may be that more than one table tennis player out of the corner of his eye was distracted. At any event, thanks to the North American Table Tennis team headed by Richard Lee and Fong Hsu, and abetted by Referee Peter Chamberlain, play proceeded with the NATT’s usual efficiency. 

Women’s

Although naturally we’re all thankful for Blackwell’s unique and ever-increasing promotion of the Sport in the U.S., I must say that in this tournament I think he was ill-advised to give so little attention to the women players, few though there were. When you consider that $15,000 was offered in Open Singles, but that only $500 was offered the Women (not even as much as in the Under 3200 Team event), the distribution was seriously askew. Not surprisingly then, the two top seeds, Wang Chen (rated 2507) and Renata Peluchova (2352), reportedly rethought their entry and in protest decided not to attend (and, as my wife says, “I don’t blame them”).

True, they had chances against the men players in the Open and in the 2600 and 2500 Rating events ($75 and $50 respectively for the semi’s), but, considering the transportation and lodging expenses, it certainly wasn’t financially worthwhile for Renata to come and, more importantly, it was as if they both weren’t much wanted. Surely some accommodation could have been worked out wherein the best women players, including Killerspin’s staff member Jasna Reed, unavailable for competitive play here, could have been an asset, an added attraction in Robert’s historic X-treme table tennis extravaganza Saturday night at the UIC Pavilion.

The Women’s event was further hurt when 4^th seed Mimi Bosika, reportedly not feeling well, withdrew from the event, leaving the $250 1^st prize a straight-game lock for Killerspin’s Biljana Golic. In the one international semi’s, Golic – “Biba,” as she’s called, a member of the Yugoslav National Team who competed at both the 2001 Osaka World’s and the 2002 Zagreb European’s – defeated Japanese-style penholder Chie Kotani (awarded $50 for her semi’s advance). In the other, runner-up Anna Ngan ($150), a Chinese immigrant living in Edmonton, Canada who was observing her 15^th birthday at this tournament, eliminated Kristin Kuchenbecker ($50), 8, -10, 3, 12, 8. Ngan is the current Under 14 and Under 17 Canadian Champion, while Kuchenbecker learned her table tennis in East Germany, and now teaches German and Russian at Iowa’s Muscatine High.

Open (Through 8ths)

In the 69-entry Open, although none of the 16 round-robin qualifiers advanced to win $250 against a seeded player in the round of 32, there were some very entertaining matches.

Qualifier Golic, who’d win the Under 2350’s ($200), fell to 25-year-old Sherif Diaa, a former Egyptian National Junior Champion who I’m told is a 3-time Arab Open winner and now #2 on the Egyptian National Team. In Cairo he plays for the #1 club in Egypt, winner the last two years of the African Team Championships.

Longtime Canadian International Peter-Paul Pradeeban 8, -8, 13, -13, 7, -8, 5 struggled mightily to beat N.Y.’s De Tran who, had he won that key 3^rd game in which he was leading 10-8, might have turned the match his way. But $200 to De for winning the 40’s – over 50’s winner Parviz Mojaverian in the semi’s and Danny Seemiller in the final. 

Paul David, reciting to himself his favorite mantra (“I need the money”), prevailed in an every-game-to-a-little-death, -10, -12, 9, 9, 9, 10 rally to down 20-year-old Lebanese Hani Temsah. On losing that last game (he’d been up 8-4), Hani lay prostrate outside court, his face covered with part of his sweatsuit as with a shroud.

Jens Lundquist, Sweden’s World #50 (ITTF’s Nov. ratings), whom Wang Chen was scheduled to meet (I don’t think she would have won – and so no additional $250 there), was almost (-8, 5, 5, -11, -12, 10, 6) knocked out by California-based Khaled Zeinelabedin. “Zane” – that’s his nickname – is Diaa’s brother, runner-up back in ’93 in the African Championships, and a couple of years later #3 on the Egyptian National Team. To the Swede, Zeinelabedin’s game was as foreign as his 12-letter name. Though chunky, the 29-year-old, recently married “Zane” moves well, and, showing an excellent touch with his (no sponge) long pips, produced a spin that was disturbingly innovative to Lundquist, to many the pre-tournament favorite. As you can see, down 3-2 and at 10-all in the 6^th, Jens was perilously close to…losing what could be a $6,000 swing match.

In other contested matches, Canada’s Pierre-Luc Hinse had a nice recovery after being down 2-0 to Shashin Shodhan; Ohio’s Samson Dubina, who’d gone to the Maryland Center prior to the Dec. 18-21 National’s for intensive practicing, though behind 3-0, forced Courtney Roberts into the 6^th; and Avishy Schmidt, 300 points down to begin with, fought – I won’t say doggedly, like a dog, but rather with fangs bared) against U.S. National Coach Danny Seemiller to take two games (and from 10-0 down in another to get to10-8).

There were two exceptional 8^th matches that ended Saturday’s Open play. Mark Hazinski got by Courtney Roberts -10, 7, 7, -9, 6, -9, 5 and understandably could say of the formidable lefthander that he had “bothersome serves, forceful openings, and good serve returns.” Former U.S. “Ping-Pong Diplomacy” Captain/Coach Jack Howard watched the match, and felt that, while Mark at 17 had great potential, someone sure ought to tell him he was standing too upright at the table – except of course when, on losing that 6^th game (here he lost all the close ones), he dropped his racket and kicked it around a while.  Paul David, meanwhile, was back (“I need the money”…“I need the money”) and again held strong – this time 9, 9, 9, -4, -4, 7 over Killerspin’s Sasa Drinic whom Paul said “made a mistake in not continuing to attack my forehand.”

Open Doubles

In the Doubles, David/De Tran gave the #1 seeds, Fan Yi Yong/David Zhuang, a slight scare before losing – had them 2-1 in best of 5 quarter’s play. Fan/David then dropped the 1^st game to Hazinski/Drinic before running out the match. The Egyptian brothers 10, 9, -9, -8, 8 barely survived a best of 5 comeback threat from Golic and Uros Slatinsek (who in the 8ths of the Open took a game from our just crowned National Champion Ilija Lupulesku). A Slovenian, recruited to come here by Jasna Reed, Slatinsek plays for the same league club in Germany as Killerspin’s Aleksandar Karakasevic. Best in the $2,000 1^st prize Doubles, however, was the team of Lupulesku/Lundquist who never lost a game, beating an off-form Fan/Zhuang in the final, 7,6,8,7.

Under 2600’s

There were some grueling early round U-2600 matches. In the top half of the Draw, U-2350 runner-up Samson Dubina, down 2-1 to Jay Chen, came through with a 15-13 4^th game and a 10-8 5^th, then was 1-1 and 10-all in the 3^rd before losing to Hazinski, now no longer in Chicago but back in South Bend under Seemiller and Nordby’s coaching. Avishy Schmidt –10, 9, -7, 9, 9 tolled the last-hour knell for Hani Temsah, then was beaten in 4 by Canadian National Ignace Cabrera (“He mixes his serves well; they kick a lot”). Canada’s Junior Team member Guo Peng, who under Montreal Coach Jean Baptiste Bertrand puts in 8 practice sessions a week, seemed to need all of them to overcome Roberts in 5. Hazinski advanced to the final by continuing to win the close ones – beating with the help of two 12-10 games Guo Peng, and finishing off Cabrera in the best 4/7 semi’s 14-12 in the 5^th.

In the bottom half of the Draw, Sasa Drinic had a 10-8 in the 4^th problem with Zeinelabedin who quit playing for three years, but who now, intense again (he won the 2400’s at the National’s), so laments there’s no suitable competition where he lives in California that he’s considering moving to another state or even another country. Paul David 9, 9, -14, 8 stopped Chi Ho Tan, an 18-year-old from Hong Kong playing in his first U.S. tournament. But then Paul seemed to have lost his mind, or at least his mantra ($300 for 1^st, $150 for 2^nd, $75 for 3^rd-4^th), for he defaulted to his doubles partner De Tran in the quarter’s in order that De might…lose to Drinic in the semi’s 1, 6, 6, 9. (“Sasa’s got a good short game,” said De. “At first I had no idea how to play him.”)

The Hazinski-Drinic final promised at 9-all in the 1^st to be a close one. Mark missed a forehand, turned a winner into a loser, bent over, mildly hammered the edge of his racket into the mat. Then he looped one off that never had a chance. In the 2^nd, however, he began with a beautifully positioned backhand shove wide to Sasa’s forehand; followed by scoring with a deceptive serve – that made it 2-0….A net made it 4-0….When Sasa was faulted for not throwing his serve high enough, it was 7-0. Ridiculous, he thought, and, losing focus, misserved: 8-0….And, o.k., who cares, 11-0. Score: Mark 20-Sasa 11 – match all even.

But not for long. When in the 3^rd Mark goes up 5-2 on an edge, Sasa lifts his racket like he wants to bring it down, cut the center line of the table. He gets 2 points. Beginning the 4^th game, Sasa loses the 1^st point, spanks the racket. This apparently alerts it to what it’s been doing wrong…and 38 points for Mark, 24 for Sasa – match all even again. Down 3-2 in the 5^th, Sasa’s not looking at Coach Jon Bosika who’s been offering him advice and cheering him on; instead he looks to heaven and says, “How many?” – a self-query apparently as to how many shots he can continue to miss. Quite a few – for he’s soon down 8-3…and down 3-2 in games. In the 6^th, kids and their parents come by just as Mark and Sasa are playing perhaps the best counter-exchange of the match. They’re all fascinated – have never seen anything like it. Sasa responds with an 11-8 win. Match again all even. In the deciding 7^th, Mark with good forehand play gets off to a 4-2…6-2 lead. Time! says Sasa. But Time continues, his minute’s up, and when he’s down 10-3, not even Mark’s much too casual swat-and-miss can give him any incentive to try.

Under 2500’s

Some good back-from-the-dead matches right off in the 2500’s: Temsah, almost –5, -3 quaking when faced with Roy Schlabach, Jr.’s eccentric game, and though still shaken, managed a 10-8 in the 5^th win. De Tran, surprised to the point of being 2-0 down by 2178-rated Michael Ulatowski, came back to post, in golf lingo, three snowmen – but in this match a triple 8’s a plus. Hard encounters with Schmidt and Roberts then brought De to the semi’s where against Gbenga Ogundimu he –4, -13, -6, 5, 8, -11 almost came back (“I’m up 10-8 in the 6^th and lost. Would you believe that?”). Paul David was again battling – this time winning in 5 from 2143-rated Mazen Samouber before losing to young Tang who I learn has been training in China for a year. Guo Peng withstood attacks by both Shuja Jafar-Ali and Cabrera, but in a bang-up match couldn’t stop the Hong Kong teenager.

Ogundimu, 36, formerly a member of the Nigerian National Team who got to the semi’s of the 1990 African Championship, was still playing well after 12 years in the States – he’d just come off a win in a Davidson, MI tournament and was primed for his $300-to-the-winner title match with Tang. As it turned out, after a furious exchange of  -8, 11, 10, -9, -9 close games (Tang made a fantastic forehand counter at game point to win the 5^th), Gbenga was match point down in the 6^th when Tang, receiving serve, pushed the ball into the net. Then, as Chance would have it, Benga got a break with an edge; followed by bulleting a backhand in. In the 7^th, from 4-all, he broke away for an easy win.

Under 22’s

Advancing out of the Under 22 round robins to join Hazinski and Hinse were the Hong Kongers – Tang over Cabrera, and Ka Chun Tse over Guo. The 16-year-old Tse – “He’s as good as Han Xiao,” someone said – after playing in our U.S. Open is rated 2435; listed out of N.Y., he’s finishing high school in Hong Kong. Mark, emboldened now to use what he’d been practicing – his Primorac-like backhand serve short to the middle – went through Tang 4 straight. But Hinse, who mixes his studies at Montreal’s Saint-Exupery High with 20 hours a week practice sessions, tournaments, and training camps, had to work hard to thwart Tse’s challenge.

In the final, against U.S. Under 22 Champ Hazinski, at 11-all in the 1^st, the Canadian served off, then missed a forehand. Down 9-6 in the 2^nd, Hinse looked to be a loser, but won 3 points in a row, then was favored with a net, and now, ready to win, he swung…and whiffed. Eventually Mark scored with successive forehands to Hinse’s backhand, and went up 2-0 when Pierre-Luc served and followed with a backhand off. Mark had game-point in the 3^rd, but slow-looped long – and Hinse, given a reprieve, moved to the attack, cut Mark’s lead to 2-1. But after an exchange of uncontested games, Mark went on to take the $250 1^st prize, 11,11,-10,5,-5,3.

Open Singles (Late Rounds)

All the late-round Sunday matches in the Open were interesting. In best 5/9 quarter’s play in the top half of the Draw, Fan, looking to play every ball to Pradeeban’s backhand, with his own two-winged attack often got Pradee away from the table where his forced lob defense didn’t rise to the occasion. Strangely, either Pradeeban was –9, 11, -9 aggressively into the match or -2, -2, -7 out of it. Fan, confident at the end, finished with a constricted forehand swat that sent him lunging backward…but onward to the semi’s, 2,9,-11,9,2,7.

Lundquist, who plays for a club in Germany, started as if he were going to blitz Paul David – opened 7, 6, 8, then momentarily stumbled, exchanging 11-5 games. Unintimidated, Paul ($500 richer so far) pummeled back, and from 10-all in the 6^th kept the match going…at least into the 7^th. Danny Seemiller had a special interest in coaching this tournament, for his son Dan, 12, was playing. “See how low Lundquist gets there at the table,” he told Dan, Jr. “He wants to get down with the ball, wants to be ready to move.”…“See how wide his feet are.”…Quite advantageous if you’re a player to have a 5-time U.S. Champion and a National Coach for a father,…isn’t it? 

In the bottom half of the Draw, Hazinski in the 1^st against Zhuang, drew from down 10-8 to deuce, but then missed an easy ball and lost that game. As he would never win any of the five they played, one might well agree with David’s wife Joannie that Mark’s failure to exploit such a good opportunity for the ad and the momentum for a 4-point finish rather “set the tone” for the match. Still, you have to give Hazinski credit. Uncharacteristically missing forehands into David’s backhand, he didn’t get the turnaround he needed, but hung in there – only to lose the 3^rd 15-13 and the 5^th 20-18.

As for Lupulesku, though winning, he looked tired against Diaa – and the score progressively showed it: 3, 3, 9, 9, -7, -4. Someone said Lupi wasn’t feeling at his best and hadn’t been practicing since his win in Vegas. It suddenly became conceivable, as more and more he talked to himself out there on court, he could lose his large lead. But in the 7^th he got off to an encouraging start…and so would pocket at least another $1,000 for advancing to the semi’s.

Semifinals

Fan had said he thought the tables were very slow, and perhaps they were – but there was nothing else slow about the Fan-Lundquist semi’s match. There were wonderful off-the-bounce backhand exchanges, and both often scored with forehands – Fan coming through with perfect anticipation, sometimes passing Jens or making him desperately counter, while the energetic Swede, moving in the manner of France’s former World Champion Gatien, quickly shifted left and though cramped risked trying to wrest forehand play from Fan.

When Jens wins both 12-10 games to take a 3-1 lead, and then in the 5th acrobatically jumps-in like a fencer to (Point!) slap in a winner, his 8-3 lead looks secure. But perhaps the Swede is too confident and so careless – he loses, what has to be a jolt, 8 in a row, and Fan is back in the match.

Or is he? In the 6^th Fan succumbs 11-3. Such unsettling swings in this fast and furious play. In the 7^th, Fan has game-point, but fails to return serve. Never mind: Fate helps with an edge, and so helps those who help themselves – in this case, Fan, who follows up by rocketing in one of his best forehands. To add insult to injury, when the Swede walking to his corner spins his racket up like a high-toss serve, the umpire yellow cards him. You’d have thought Jens would have learned, but his 9-5 lead in the 8^th does not insure success…and in another dramatic comeback Fan runs out the game – 6 in a row.

What can happen in the 9^th? And with the Swede up 10-5 match-point? Hereeee’s Fan again – 6…7…8….Then, oh, oh, the ball breaks. A new one is spun. Jens serves, commits himself to a follow, though, as he says later, the ball comes at him “funny,” and he smacks it into the bottom of the net. He serves again, commits again, and this time the ball catapults in. Fan just stands there as if blinking, thinking, Can this be for real? It is, and his explanation that just off court across from him some lady took that precise moment Jens smacked the ball to take a flash-camera shot was of course to no avail. Final scores of this so-close match: 8,10,-6,10,-8,3,-10,-9,9.

The other semi between Lupulesku-Zhuang was a replay of the week-before National’s in which Lupi had beaten David 4 straight. In the 1^st, though Zhuang occasionally seems to have trouble reading Lupi’s serves and pops the ball up, his sharp-angled shots allow him to score a 12-10 win. In the 2^nd, spurred on by his intensely serious wife/coach Joannie, he increases his lead to two games. “But,” says one observer, “don’t underestimate Lupulesku. David can get pinned down – he still has to generate scoring opportunities. This 3^rd game is critical.”

Indeed. For David now has trouble with Lupi’s hopping placements to his backhand. He tries to drop more. Sometimes when David does his throw-up serve, Lupi, while the ball is in the air, slightly shifts position – as if he, or David, might not know what to expect. “Spin alone is not enough,” says an onlooker. “You have to be deceptive.” Lupi wins the 3^rd and 4^th – match all even.

Though Zhuang is up 9-6 in the 5^th, he has difficulty reading Lupulesku’s backhand play, for Lupi has little backswing and David, to be forehand effective, must correctly anticipate where the ball is coming. Lupi rallies for 4 straight, goes game-point up, but can’t win it, goes ad up but can’t win it, finally puts his serve return into the net and loses 13-11 – a turning point in the match. In the 6^th game, there’s an early sour note, for Lupi says a ball that David returns he’s swept off his shirt, which David denies. This rankles Lupi, will continue to rankle him. Again Lupi has game-point, again can’t win it. Missing first a forehand, then a backhand Lupi loses this game, again at 13-11. The 7^th is decisive. At 9-all David catches Lupi with a perfect drop, then wins 11-9, and the match, 10,7,-8,-7,11,11,9. He screams like a madman, and still screaming rushes to Joannie as if someone or something is chasing him. Then he returns and, though the players shake hands, insults are exchanged or re-exchanged. Be assured the next time they meet, they will be very competitive.

Final

In the final against Zhuang, Lundquist jumps off to a 3-0 lead, but then is behind 9-5. When, down game-point, he sends back a slow floater to David, he might just as well round the table. In the 2^nd, Jens again starts well, is up 5-1 with quick backhand play. Then from 7-4, fast shifting his weight into a barrage of powerful forehands, he’s soon an 11-5 winner. No one objects that Lundquist is throwing his serve back, and up 9-5 in the 3^rd he’ll win this game too? Who can say? Helped by an edge, David draws to 10-9 but pushes his serve return off. The Swede, agile and confident, then wins the 4^th. But in the 5^th, though David loses the longest exchange of the match and lets out an “AAHHH, my goodness,” he’s up 10-7. Of course he’s not safe. The Swede, backhand flip, flip, flipping impressively off the bounce, deuces it, then takes the ad, but pushes a return into the net. David serves…and Boom! – the Swede socks it in, then wins the game. He’s up 4-1. In the 6^th, David cracks in two of his best, but Jens handles both routinely. He keeps the lead to the end, and when David temporizes a return – a real no-no – it’s all over, -7,5,9,5,11,8.

 Lundquist ($6,000) is 23, Zhuang ($3,000) 39; Lundquist has reached the quarter’s of two international Pro Tour events, more beckon; David’s quarters are domestic, shared, not competitive – with Joannie and Zoe – an ongoing final, comprehensive….

Open Singles – Final: Jens Lundquist d. David Zhuang, -7,5,9,5,11,8; SF: Lundquist d. Fan Yi Yong, 8,10,-6,10,-8,3,-10,-9,9; Zhuang d. Ilija Lupulesku, 10,7,-8,-7,11,11,9; QF: Fan d. Pradeeban Peter-Paul, 2,9,-11,9,2,7; Lundquist d. Paul David, 7,6,8,-5,5,-10,5; Zhuang d. Mark Hazinski, 10,5,13,4,18; Lupulesku d. Sherif Diaa, 3,3,9,9,-7,-4,6.

Open Doubles – Final: Ilija Lupulesku/Jens Lundquist d. Fan Yi Yong/David Zhuang, 7,6,8,7; SF: Lupulesku/Lundquist d. Sherif Diaa/Khaled Zeinelabedin, 9,7,6,5; Fan/Zhuang d. Mark Hazinski/Sasa Drinic, -9,4,8,6,6.

Women Singles – Final: Biljana Golic d. Anna Ngan, 5,12,4,6; SF: Golic d. Chie Kotani, 6,4,9,4; Ngan d. Kristin Kuchenbecker, 8,-10,3,12,8.

Under 22 Men – Final: Mark Hazinski d. Pierre-Luc Hinse, 11,11,-10,5,-5,3; SF: Hazinski d. Chi Ho Tang, 5,5,5,9; Hinse d. Ka Chun Tse, 8,8,-10,-4,9,6.

Under 18: Joseph Podvin d. Anna Ngan, -7,5,7,-8,9,7.

Under 15: Eric Finkelstein d. Shirley Yan, 10,4,2,-5,-8,8.

Over 40: De Tran d. Daniel Seemiller: 6,8,8,6.

Over 50: Parviz Mojaverian d. Bin Hai Chu, 10,7,7,4.

Over 60: Marion Sosnowski d. Jerome Weems, 6,9,-6,-9,9,4.

U2600 – Final: Mark Hazinski d. Sasa Drinic, -9,0,2,-7,8,-6,4; SF: Hazinski d. Ignacio Cabrera, 5,6,-6,7,12; Drinic d. De Tran, 1,6,6,9.

U2500 - Final: Gbenga Ogundimu d. Chi Ho Tang, -8,11,10,-9,-9,11,5; SF: Ogundimu d. De Tran, 4,13,6,-5,-8,11; Tang d. Guo Peng, 8,7,-3,8,-9,8.

U2350: Biljana Golic d. Samson Dubina, 4,9,5,-4,7.

U2200: Spenser Lam d. Marc Sauselle, 4,8,8,2.

U2050: Koji Kido d. Grandy Polk, 6,8,10,-7,-4.

U1900: Joel Alvarado d. Luis Joel Vila, 4,11,6,9.

U1750: Kevin Powell d. Usama Nausrudeen, 3,-9,7,5,8.

U1600: Luz Cordero d. Kevin Lau, Def.

U1450: Dane Suchan d. Brett Barton, 6,-6,11,5,8.

U1300: Olayinka Adeshiyan d. Michael Ward, -9,8,-9,7,7.

U1100: Anders Truelson d. Matt Potter, 9,-9,7,-5,9,9.

U900/Novice: Ming Chieh Chang d. Josh Stevens, 3,6,13,-9,4.

U4400 Teams – Final: Avishy Schmidt/Wade Sun d. Cory Eider/Joseph Podvin, 3-2; SF: Schmidt/Sun d. Steve Banet Sr./Chandramouli Shankaren, 3-0; Eider/Podvin d. De Tran/Usama Nausrudeen, 3-2.

U3200 Teams – Final: Xin Bu/Jin Lu d. Tyrone Petty/John D. Petty, 3-2; SF: Bu/Lu d. Laurence J. Margolis/Lawrence E. Witz, 3-2; Petty/Petty d. Edward Hogshead/Curt Born, 3-0.