 Stan and I had entered in the same six (6) events in the Nationals ---
U1900, U2000, U2100, U2200, and U2300 singles and the U3700 doubles (where
we partners and the overall #2 seed). On paper our best chance would be in
the U3700 doubles, but waiting in the wings could be Bruce and Peter since
they were the #3 seed in that event. We hoped to meet them in the finals
--- and thus bring home the first and second place trophies to MSCTT. But
only time will tell...Three of our events in the four day Nationals (December 14th - 17th) were scheduled for the first day, Wednesday --- the U3700 doubles at 9:45, the U2300 singles at 3, and the U2000 singles at 6. The U2200 singles was at 6 on Thursday while the U2100 singles was at 1:30 Friday and the U1900 singles -- our best chance in singles ---was at 5:15 that same day. Due to the number of players entered in each event and thus the number of rounds, it would take two days to complete each event. Our hope was to advance in the Friday events so that we would also be playing meaningful matches on Saturday --- the final day of the competition. Stan and I arrived early in Las Vegas so were able to put in some practice at the facility Tuesday night. I was struck by its size. The Las Vegas Convention Center hall was filled with some 100 Butterfly Centerfold Rollaway tables (at least we would be familiar with the tables since these are the same Butterfly tables that we play at MSC) --- including two in a stadium setting with seats for approximately 1000. Stan and I noticed that the U3700 finals would be held here so we hoped to play there a bit later in the tournament although we knew these seats would not be filled like they would be for the Open finals. DAY 1 --- Wednesday ------------------------------- We arrived on Wednesday morning and checked in for the U3700 doubles event and discovered for the first time our first round opponents. As we practiced prior to the match, the unique flavor of a US Nationals doubles event came into full view. We knew absolutely NOTHING about our opponents or their relative strength (We would find out later that one was 2070 since Stan played him in his U2200 RR on Thursday and therefore the other was definitely the "weak link" at just 1500+. Another interesting fact about that team is that the 1500+ player was one of the two co-master of ceremonies at the Open singles on Saturday evening.). Typically in a local doubles tournament we not only know the rating of each player but also their relative strengths and weaknesses. We would need to do this by the seat of our pants. Our first opponents were both lefty --- so we faced an oddity right away. Still their total rating was in the 3500+ range, so Stan and I were both confident that we could take them. And we did, but they did take a game --- which was the first indication that this was not going to be as easy as we had hoped. Soon after this we were dismayed to learn that Bruce and Peter --- playing just two tables from us --- had gotten zapped 3-0 in their first round match. Another foreboding sign that this Nationals thing was going to be a tough nut to crack. Next came our second round U3700 doubles match --- some 2 hours later but still well before the U2300 RR which was scheduled for 3 that afternoon. Again our relative high seeding in this event insured that we would have a higher combined rating than our opponents. We were glad to see that they were not two up-and-coming juniors (and thus more explosive and likely underrated) but two relatively senior citizens --- one righty and the other lefty. Again we tried to gather as much information as we could about their relative strengths in the warm-up, and it appeared quite obvious that the right hander would be the one to look out for. But unfortunately, this did not help us too much since we still lost 3-1. The right hander's serves and his backhand service returns and his backhand play in general was just too much. Unfortunately, my play in particular was stunningly bad --- especially in what turned out to be the deciding fourth game. After already having made numerous errors in that game, I compounded things by serving out at 5-9 and we found ourselves up against quintuple match point at 5-10! We won the next point and the next two after that, but when Stan's short heavy downspin serve was pushed back toward the middle on the following point, I had become so rattled with my earlier play that I merely attempted to push it back with my forehand and netted it --- on a ball that I would normally attempt to loop. Yikes! Second seeds in the event and we are out in just the second round. What's worse for me is that it was my lackluster play which caused it. If I had been consistently out or consistently in the net perhaps I could have adjusted, but unfortunately I was all over the place. In retrospect, I know that I could have taken a more conservative approach and just pushed back many shots with heavy downspin --- at least to the weaker left hander --- and we surely would have been more successful. But each time I thought topspin was not only my best shot but my best chance of making the shot --- and in other circumstances other than my first appearance at the USATT Nationals it probably would have been. So chalk it up as my first lesson learned at these Nationals. Although that being said, my biggest regret was not forehand looping that last shot since that shot is better for me than my forehand push. In other words I'd rather go out with my best shot (a bang!) than the way I actually did (a whimper). So what to do now? We still had some free time before the U2300 RR started at 3. So Stan and I settled on watching Jackie Lee play in what I later found out was the Women's Collegiate singles event. When we picked it up she was already behind 0-1 and after a couple of more points was behind 0-2. I didn't recognize her opponent --- i.e. it wasn't Judy Hugh or Witney Ping --- so I was surprised that she was having such difficulty. But Stan and I were both relieved to see Jackie come back to win the final three games and pull it out 3-2. After that it was time for me to check in for the U2300 RR. I took a look at my draw sheet and noticed I was the D player in my group --- i.e. the lowest seeded player in this 4-way RR group (witha a rating of 1832). Trevor Runyon was the A player at 2249, Alden Fan was the B player at 2070, and Noel Roberts was the C player at 1986. The A player was to play the C player first, but Trevor had a conflict with another event (I believe it was the U21 men's singles event) and so wasn't available. So I ended up playing the first match against Alden. I thought I played somewhat better than I had in the doubles, but still I lost to him rather handily 3-0. He looped well from both wings and typically his heavy topspin angled forehand loops ended the point. I think in only one of those games was it fairly close --- you know, something like 12-10, 11-9, or even 11-8. I was disappointed at the time for not taking at least one game, but I found out later that his actual rating at the time of the tournament was 2187 and that he even qualified and participated in the Junior trials --- although he did not finish in the top four. I had some time since Alden would be playing Noel Roberts next --- since Trevor was still unavailable --- so I decided to dash over and see how Stan was doing in his U2300 RR. I was surprised to see that he was facing the same girl that Jackie had such difficulty in beating. I later found it to be Barbara Wei from Maryland whose tournament rating was 2087, but whose rating at the start of the tournament was even higher --- at 2147. Stan was the D player at 1860 while Barbara was the B player. Steven Chan at 2205 was the A player. Olena Sowers at 1947 was the C player. So Stan had his hands full in this group --- up against nothing but top Junior and Cadet players. Shockingly, Stan pulled out a major upset by beating Barbara Wei 3-2. Stan was using his long pips reverse penholder backhand block with particularly excellent effect. Although Barbara had the advantage in topspin exchanges where Stan used his inverted forehand due to her superior training, she would almost always invariably make the first error when Stan continuously blocked with his long pips --- either long when he quickly off-the-bounce blocked her push (and thus the ball returned had more topspin than she accounted for) or into the net when he quickly off-the-bounce blocked her topspin (and thus the ball returned had heavy downspin). Of course this is an over-simplification of the match. Barbara sometimes overcompensated on Stan's heavy downspin returns by overlooping them long and Stan also made very effective use of his service (particularly his fast no-spin serves to her middle). Also when Barbara served long to Stan's forehand (fearful of a quick off-the-bounce long pips return), Stan often made her pay with an outright kill with his forehand. Well done, Stan! You make MSC proud! I dashed back to my own U2300 RR group to play Noel Roberts. Even though I played somewhat better than I had played against Alden, I still lost 3-0. But I recollect that at least one of the games went to duece and another was nip and tuck. Still, I was clearly not as motivated in this RR now since I knew that I was not going to advance anyway (as if I had expected to advance from my U2300 RR group when I had entered it). But I found later that Noel was yet another "young gun" trying to make either the Junior or Cadet squads (I don't know which). In fact his rating had also improved --- to 2054 ---from his official Nationals rating of 1986. My next match would be with Trevor --- who was still unavailable --- and who would have to play Noel first anyway before playing me. So I could take my time and go back and see what was happenning in Stan's RR group and I did just that. Next up for Stan was the A player --- Steven Chan (one of the prized Junior/Cadet pupils of the famed table tennis instructor Grace Lin in Southern California). Although Barbara Wei excells in quick off-the-bounce topspin exchanges from both wings (particularly her backhand), Steven brings a much more powerful game to the table --- particularly his forehand loop and especially following his serve on a third-ball attack. By this time, word had spread on Stan's earlier upset and in particular I remember Bruce was already there when I arrived. The only problem was I had arrived late and so had no idea of the score. Bruce told me it was game five, so again Stan was right there fighting one of the top Junior players tooth and nail. Unfortunately, Bruce wasn't exactly sure of the score of this final game although he knew it was very close. But just a few points later we saw Stan offer Steven his congratulations after Stan had won the final point, so we both knew then that Stan had pulled off another stunning upset. Could Stan actually advance out of his U2300 group? Although he had only the C player to beat now, still that player had a higher USATT rating than his. But Trevor had finally returned so I had to leave to complete my own U2300 group play as humdrum as that now seemed. Of course, Trevor and I at least know each other (although I am sure I know of him better than he knows of me). As we were warming up, Trevor asked me what equipment I was using --- blade, rubber, glue. He was quite impressed with the "click" effect that I was getting from my strokes (this is the first of many times I would hear this). Of course I told him and added that even if I could not play like a top player I could at least sound like one. Trevor went on to beat me in the first game --- although I recollect it was definitely not a "cakewalk" (at least in the score). I actually pulled out one of the next two games and was leading him 8-4 in the fourth game when he storms back to win it and the match 3-1. Still this is the best that I had played in my group as none of the game scores were embarrassing --- you know, 11-0, 11-1, 11-2, 11-3 or anything like that. Just goes to show you the different goals Stan and I had in this event. Obviously, Stan was out to win it from the gitgo. Nothing else would explain his high caliber play so far. Speaking of Stan, it is time for me to run back to see if Stan can complete the sweep. As it turns out, his next opponent --- Olena Sowers --- has already lost to both Barbara and Steven --- thus guaranteeing that Stan will indeed advance. Even if he were to lose to Olena, he would still be 2-1 and would own the tie-breaker over the only other player that could finish 2-1 (whether that be Steven or Barbara based on the result of their later A vs. B match) due to a head-to-head victory. Still, Stan is on a real roll now and why not pick up a bunch more USATT rating points? As I recall, Stan quickly takes the first two games quite handily but Olena begins to adjust to the long pips play of Stan and takes the third game and is nip and tuck with him in the fourth game. But Stan closes her out with a tight 2-point win in the final game to win the match 3-1. Quite incredibly, Stan has gone 3-0 against very tough competition in his U2300 RR! But it is now time for both of us to check in for our U2000 RR at 6. But Stan will now also have a U2300 single elimination match to look forward to this evening.. I check in and find that I will be the B player in my U2000 RR group. So I will play the D player first. The A player is former National USATT coach Richard McAfee, rated at 1921. The C player is a hardbat chopper. The D plays shakehands with inverted on both sides --- i.e. "normal" --- like me. The A and C players play first and Coach McAfee handles the hardbat chopper quite comfortably 3-0. He is another "normal" player with inverted rubber on both sides and is able to push with the hardbat chopper until he finds a ball that he can either loop kill or pick hit kill to finish the point. Next I play the D player and beat him even more decisively since he rarely wins a point off my serve --- either pushing a heavy underspin serve into the net or overlooping a heavy topspin serve. Next it is my turn to play the hardbat chopper and I fall behind 2-0 after two tough games. Unlike my previous match, I win no points at all outright on my serve due to the control of the hardbat and its relative impervious response to spin variations as compared to that of inverted rubber. For the same reason, I need to pick my spots for a third ball attack since there are fewer "easy-to-kill" popups on his service returns. Still I tough it out and take the next three games and the match 3-2 --- primarily due to the consistency in my forehand loop. Now where was it when I needed it earlier in the doubles match? Anyway, I am sure I will still need to beat Coach McAfee to advance out of this RR group since I am certain that he will defeat the D player. He does just that and so we are on to the deciding A vs. B match. I find it nearly as difficult to get any advantage off my serve against Coach McAfee as I did the hardbat chopper. Although he doesn't have a hardbat, he reads the spin well and looped anything a tad long. Since my third ball block was a bit off all tournament long, this was a problem for me. Still I recollect leading most of the way that first game only to have Coach McAfee pull it out after a deuce or two (or three). But I was able to pull out a close second game to pull even. But Coach McAfee came right back to win the third game and so we were on to the pivotal fourth game. This was yet another close game --- again going multiple deuces. I recollect that although I was having some difficulty returning his serves adequately (a theme that would be repeated by me throughout the tournament) throughout and particularly in the end game, I was at least able to convert and win the points on my own serves. But in the end I served long on match point to lose that game and the match 3-1 and thus did not advance. Remember I had served long also at a pivotal juncture in the deciding U3700 doubles game, so I think it must be something with the altitude in Las Vegas or the A/C in the convention center (at least that is my story and I am sticking to it!). So my day was done and I had nothing to do but go check out how Stan was doing. Stan was also the B player in his group, but after his fabulous play earlier in the day expectations were high. In fact, I was so confident of his ultimate success there that I concentrated on scouting my future opponents in my RR group during our group play even when I was not playing rather than go watch his matches. Stan did not disappoint. He again goes 3-0 in his RR group and advances. In this case though, the highest rated player in his group was just 1872. Still he has advanced from his RR group in both the U2300 and U2000 singles. But still his day is not done. He is scheduled to play a single elimination round for both events that very night. First up is the U2300. Stan made such quick work of his U2000 RR group that he actually finished it and his U2300 single elimination match before I had completed my U2000 RR group play. So you probably think Stan was eliminated quickly in his U2300 match, right? Especially when I tell you he was matched up against powerhouse Rey Domingo --- one of the top seeds in the U2300 event at 2289. Although Rey hadn't played a USATT event in a couple of years, just a year prior to that (2002), his rating had been 2436. In fact it had been continuously 2300+ from 1994 on. Well, the match did end 3-0 --- only in Stan's favor! Not only that but the score of the final game was 11-1! Shocking, right? I can tell you the official was shocked when Stan returned the scorecard for that match. The next match for Stan was another U2300 single elimination round at 9:00 --- against Trevor Runyon no less (Dang! This would have been me if I just had the same focus and desire as Stan and defeated Trevor and the others in my U2300 RR group ---yeah right, like my skill level wouldn't have gotten in the way just a wee bit). Although the first couple of games were competitive, Trevor took them both so Stan fell behind 0-2. Trevor's backhand was on fire so it looked like Stan's fantastic day in singles was about to meet head-on with a reality check. The fast no-spin serves to the backhand and middle that had worked so well for Stan earlier in the day were now often being returned by Trevor with wicked backhand loop kills or steparound forehand loop kills. But not so fast, my friend! A change in Stan's tactics saw him off-the-bounce block with his long pips quickly and effectively to Trevor's wide forehand many times resulting in numerous winners since Trevor was always looking to hit a step-around forehand loop kill. Stan also served short more often to reduce the number of outright service return winners from Trevor and thus allow Stan to bring his third ball long pips off-the-bounce block into more effective use. So although the games remained close, these changes were enough to allow Stan to take the next two games to level the match at 2-2 and actually lead 7-5 --- with service --- in the all-important deciding fifth game. By this time Bruce had shown up and we both were watching with glee the amazing turnaround. Stan had already pulled out two tight fifth games earlier in the day ---against a 2140+ player and a 2200+ player. Could he do it one more time? Stan then sends a fast down-the-line serve to Trevor's forehand. What with his almost exclusive use of short serves to Trevor's middle and backhand lately, Trevor is not expecting it and there is no way he is going to get to it. Is it now 8-5? Alas, no. The serve is just wide so the score is instead 7-6. The two continue to battle it out and this deciding fifth game eventually goes to deuce. Stan serves first and incredibly has another service error and it is match point for Trevor (it looks like Stan is finally being bothered by the LV altitude/AC that had earlier affected my play). Trevor does not waste the opportunity which Stan has handed to him and closes out the match. It is a shame that service errors had such an impact on the eventual outcome of this critical game, but still another colossal effort by Stan on this day --- even in defeat. It was getting pretty darn late by now. It was 9:30 and the last shuttle to the hotel leaves at 10:00. The officials offered to forego the scheduled starting time for this U2000 single elimination round and instead do it in the morning (after all, the scheduler hardly expected a person eligible for the U2000 event would have to play in the U2300 second round single elimination match that was scheduled at the exact same time --- 9:00). But Stan knew he was hot and he wanted to play. Besides he had driven here so the shuttle schedule was not an issue. Still he was glad when his opponent agreed to play after he had been assured the shuttle would indeed wait. His opponent was rated at just 1498 but we knew that was a bogus rating since he had already defeated Michael Liu in advancing --- not to mention the single elimination round which he also must have won to get here. Still we were not surprised when Stan took the first game quite comfortably. Like I said, our expectations had grown considerably for Stan over the course of this day. But we were a bit concerned when his opponent stormed back to win the next game and tie the match at 1-1. Come on! We thought. Don't let up now! And Stan didn't let up, taking the final two games and the match 3-1 to complete his rather incredible day. Hmmm...I wonder what is rating would be adjusted to based purely on his results for this day. 2100? 2200? Ah, never mind. There is still much to do and awards (checks?) to be won. Certainly Stan's play was the highlight of the first day of the tournament and I followed his play more closely than any of the other MSC players, but there were other results that day for other MSC players that I was to find out later: o Bruce advanced from his U2000 RR group very easily (not dropping a single game) only to lose to Julian Waters from Maryland --- rated 1924 --- in the first round of single elimination play. He did not enter the U2300 event. o Peter Tsang did not advance from his U2000 RR group but did defeat the player in that group with a rating lower than his and also one of the two players with a rating higher than his. However, he ran into the son of the former many time national champion Danny Seemiller --- Danny Seemiller, Jr. --- who had a pre-tournament rating of 2004 and was dispatched in three games. Not bad at all considering the rating difference and who was coaching in the other corner. Peter did not enter the U2300 event (in fact, he was not eligible since he entered the U1800 event). o Michael Liu did not advance from his U2000 RR group although he did have a nice 5-game win over Billy Fu (who plays with anti on his backhand) -- who I would get a chance to meet myself a bit later in this tournament. As mentioned previously, Michael was victimized by "the underrated one" --- Jeff Johnson (no relation) --- who Stan took out in four games before losing to Trevor. Michael did not enter the U2300 event. o Patrick Wu did not advance in U2400 or his U2300 RR group. He lost to fast rising junior star Marcus Jackson --- rated at 2255 --- in the U2400 (which is a single elimination event) and to Rey Domingo in his U2300 RR group --- rated at 2289 (as previously mentioned). He did defeat the other two members of his U2300 RR group, however. One was Jeff Johnson (yeah, him again) in three straight games and the other was John Oschner (rated 2033) in four games --- who I would get a chance to face later in the tournament. |