USA Table Tennis Team Ready for Second Day of Singles Action
at 2007 Pan American Games

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 25, 2007
Contact: Lindsay DeWall
lindsay.dewall@usoc.org

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – The USA Table Tennis Team cruised through the opening day of singles action at the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro , Brazil .  The event is being held in Pavililion 4B of the Riocentro Convention Center .

Jun Gao ( Gaithersburg , Md. ) defeated Cuba Anisleyvis Bereau four games to one (11-1; 11-3; 11-7; 9-11; 11-5) and Brazil ’s Karin Sako four games to none (11-2; 11-3; 11-3; 11-3).

Chen Wang ( New York , N.Y. ) defeated De-Ying Wang of El Salvador four games to none (11-2; 11-6; 11-6; 11-3) and Cuba ’s Glendys Gonzalez four games to none (11-8; 11-5; 11-5; 11-9).

Tawny Banh ( San Gabriel , Calif. ) defeated Jerrica Merrero of Puerto Rico four games to none (11-6; 14-12; 11-5; 11-7) and Luisa Perez of Venezuela four games to none (11-6; 11-5; 11-5; 11-3).  In her third match of the day, Banh defeated Paraguay ’s Lucero Ovelar four games to none (11-3; 11-6; 11-4; 11-3).

On the men’s side Han Xiao ( Germantown , Md. ) fell to home country favorite Hugo Hoyama of Brazil one game to four (5-11; 11-8; 8-1; 6-11; 9-11).  Xiao bounced back to defeat Cuba ’s Elvin Rivera four games to none (11-5; 11-7; 11-8; 11-3).

Eric Owens ( Oakbrook Terrace , Ill. ) defeated Marcelo Aguirre of Paraguay four games to one (11-1; 11-6; 11-9; 6-11; 11-4).  Owens also won his second match of the day against Chile ’s Juan Papic two games to four (11-6; 11-7; 6-11; 11-7; 9-11; 11-7).

Mark Hazinski ( Mishawaka , Ind. ) defeated Geovanny Coello of Ecuador four games to none (11-6; 11-7; 11-7; 11-7), but dropped his second match to Argentina’s Pablo Tabachnik three games to four (4-11; 10-12; 10-12; 11-3; 11-3; 11-4; 8-11).

Singles action will continue tomorrow, Thursday, July 26.

For more information, please contact Cecil Bleiker , United States Olympic Committee NGB Services Manager at 011-55-21-8890-3153.  This press release is also available on the USOC’s media specific website at www.usocpressbox.org.