Cazacu and Rodriguez Claim Titles at USATT Southeast Championships

Broward Table Tennis Club hosted the 2024 USATT Southeast Championship from May 17-19. The competition attracted almost 175 players who eagerly competed in almost 40 categories, including open, junior, senior and rating events. As part of the USA Table Tennis (USATT) regional championships series, the results of the event contributed both to the new USATT Ranking and individual USATT Ratings.

The Men's Singles event featured four players with ratings over 2500. Top seed and defending champion Daniel Gorak (2700) dominated the early rounds but faced a major challenge in the final against Alexandru Cazacu (2656). Both finalists, stars of Major League Table Tennis (MLTT) had just completed an intense season. Gorak played for the Florida Crocs and Cazacu for the Chicago Wind. Cazacu, a Romanian-born player recently relocated to Atlanta, emerged victorious 11-5, 5-11, 11-8, 11-4 in the high-level match. This win earned him the regional title, a significant boost in his USATT Ranking, and a $1,000 prize.

The Women's Singles event showcased international talent with Kayla Goodwin (USA), Alondra Rodriguez (Puerto Rico), and Dahyana Rojas (Dominican Republic) all delivering strong performances. Ultimately, Rodriguez secured the championship with victories over Goodwin and Rojas. Goodwin claimed bronze, while Rojas took silver.

Kayla Goodwin continued her success by winning both the U19 and U17 Girls events. Rhea Gupta also impressed, placing second in U13 Girls, winning U15 Girls, and finishing runner-up in U17 Girls. Jason Liu, traveling from Atlanta, triumphed in the U13 Boys category and secured third place in U17 Boys.

In the Senior Events, David Fernandez dominated the Over 30 and Over 40 Men's divisions. Steve Frederico mirrored this feat, winning both the Men's 65+ and 70+ categories.

Congratulations to the organizers, Carlos Zeller and David Bonilla, for delivering another exceptional tournament for the Southeast region.