January 2008

David Zhuang Photo By: Evan Rosen/The Triangle

David Zhuang lived up to his reputation as a showboater during the 3:00 PM round of matches.

Zhuang (6-1) made light work of Philadelphian Razvan Cretu (3-4), earning a sweep (11-8)(11-9)(11-7)(11-9).

Tied for first in the standings with Zhuang is Eric Owens (6-1), who is becoming a crowd favorite. In perhaps the most thrilling match of the round, Owens defeated Sean Lonergan in six games (11-7)(11-8)(8-11)(7-11)(11-9)(11-4).

In other action, Yinghua Cheng improved to 5-2 with his victory over John Leach (8-11)(11-5)(11-3)(11-8)(11-5), who is near the bottom of the standings with a 1-6 overall record.

Mark Hazinski defeated Tahl Leibovitz (0-7) in five games (14-12)(8-11)(11-7)(11-9)(11-9) to boost his overall record to 5-2.

Khoa Nguyen (4-3) lost his fourth match in a row to Yu Shao (4-3) in four games (11-7)(11-8)(11-3)(11-7).

Han Xiao (5-2) frustrated Adam Hugh (1-6) on his way to a victory in five games (12-10)(11-5)(11-3)(11-13)(11-7).

Cheng, Hazinski, and Xiao are tied for third with 5-2 records, as the competition for the last two spots heats up.

Attendance for the 3:00 PM round was 1,550.

No Comments »

The Sold Out Crowd Photo By: Evan Rosen/The Triangle

At 8 AM, there were about 100 people in Drexel’s Daskalakis Athletic Center. For the 1:00 PM women’s matches, that number has probably reached over 1,000. At 1:41 PM, an announcement was made that tickets were sold out.

With all but one women’s match finished early, all eyes turned toward the Ariel Hsing and Jasna Reed match table. This one was exciting, going to a seventh and final set. Reed trailed 4-2, before scoring seven straight points to take a 9-4 lead.

Ariel Hsing Photo By: Evan Rosen/The Triangle

Reed (4-0) won the set over the Hsing (1-4) by a score of 11-5 to take the overall match (11-6) (8-11) (11-9) (11-2) (8-11) (9-11) (11-5).

Meanwhile, Yao Huang (5-0) picked up her fourth sweep (11-2) (11-6) (11-3) (11-8) by beating the previously undefeated Nan Li (4-1).

The sets up the most anticipated match of the tournament between Reed and Yao Huang (5-0), the only two remaining undefeated players.

Barbara Wei (0-4) remained winless against Judy Hugh (1-4), losing in five sets (11-8) (8-11) (3-11) (4-11) (10-12).

In the other match in the fifth round, Whitney Ping evened her record to 2-2 by defeating Olena Sowers (0-4). Ping is currently in fifth place, just one game behind Jacqueline Lee, for the fourth and final qualifying spot for the North American Trials.

No Comments »

David Zhuang Photo By: Evan Rosen/The Triangle

David Zhuang and Eric Owens have battled their way to the top of the standings with only five matches left to play.

Both players improved to 5-1 after their victories at 11 A.M.

Zhuang defeated Khoa Nguyen (4-2) in six games (11-13) (11-7) (15-13) (11-9) (8-11) (11-5) and Owens bested Mark Hanzinski (4-2) in five games (11-7) (11-6) (5-11) (11-7) (13-11).

Yingua Cheng (4-2) beat Adam Hugh (1-5) in five games (11-8) (11-5) (11-8) (8-11) (11-8) to stay just a match behind in the standings.

Han Xiao also improved to 4-2 after dispatching of Razvan Cretu in five games (11-8) (11-9) (13-11) (10-12) (11-5).

Yu Shao is 3-3 after his straight game win over Tahl Leibovitz (11-8) (11-9) (11-4) (11-6). Leibovitz is still seeking his first win (0-6).

Finally, Sean Lonergan (2-4) beat Mike Leach (1-5) in six games (7-11) (12-10) (8-11) (11-5) (11-4) (11-8).

No Comments »

Yao Huang Photo By: Evan Rosen/The Triangle
So far through the tournament, no player has been more dominant than California’s Yao Huang. Out of the 17 sets she has played thus far, she has lost only one of those.Huang continued her impressive play in defeating Olena Sowers in straight sets (11-8) (11-7) (11-3) (11-6) to improve to 4-0. Sowers dropped to 0-3.

Nan Li (4-0), also out of California, continued her undefeated streak in her fourth-round match, winning against Ariel Hsing (11-3) (11-4) (9-11) (11-6) (11-4), who dropped to a 1-3 record.
Jasna Reed (4-0), the third undefeated women in the round-robin tournament, won in a competitive six sets (10-11) (11-9) (6-11) (11-6) (11-9) (13-11) against Judy Hugh (0-4).
In the last set, Reed screamed in enthusiasm when she won a big point, but apologized to the fans.

“It just comes out when you win, sometimes,” Reed said. “I don’t want people to get the wrong idea that I’m doing it for publicity. I don’t make a sound after every point.”

Jacqueline Lee (3-1) won a crucial match in five sets (11-9) (11-4) (7-11) (11-4) (14-12) over Whitney Ping (1-2). With the win, Lee remains in fourth place, just at the cutoff spot for the North American Trials in Vancouver, Canada April 4 - April 6.

The biggest match of the tournament is coming up at 1 PM against Huang and Li, both of whom are undefeated.

No Comments »

Mark Hazinski Photo By: Evan Rosen/The Triangle

There are no longer any unbeaten players on the men’s side.

Mark Hazinski (4-1), who entered his match against Han Xiao (3-2) as the only undefeated player left in the field, lost in five games (11-3) (11-5) (11-7) (7-11) (11-5).

In a matchup of practice partners, David Zhuang (4-1) beat Yu Shao (2-3) in six games (11-7) (9-11) (11-7) (7-11) (16-14) (16-14).

The fifth and six sets both went to 16-14, and after the match ended instead of the customary handshake Zhuang hugged his friend.

“The last thing I would want if I lost was a hug,” one player said, after observing what had occurred.

Eric Owens improved to 4-1, besting Adam Hugh (1-4) in six games (11-9) (8-11) (11-6) (11-9) (12-10). The matchup was a repeat of last year’s College National Table Tennis Championship battle, which Owens also won.

Khoa Nyugen (4-1) took John Leach (1-4) in six games (11-7) (11-5) (8-11) (6-11) (11-7) (15-13).

In other matches, Yingua Cheng (3-2) beat Sean Lonergan (1-4) in five games after dropping the first (8-11) (11-5) (11-9) (11-8) (12-10).

In a battle of qualifiers, Philadelphia’s Razvan Cretu (3-2) defeated Tahl Leibovitz (0-5) in six games (3-11) (5-11) (11-8) (11-5) (11-8) (11-3).

Four players are tied atop the standings with 4-1 records. They are Mark Hazinski, David Zhuang, Yinghua Cheng, and Eric Owens.

Tahl Leibovitz remains the only player who has yet to win a match (0-5).

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

No Comments »

By Stephanie Takach

The Olympic Table Tennis Trials have taken over Drexel University for the weekend. As I was eating lunch today, I saw two players and their coach enjoying their lunch and wanted to get a closer look.

Razvan Cretu has been a table tennis athlete since he was our years old. He grew up in Romania and began playing after his parents notice that he had a lot of excess energy. When Cretu was 14 years old he went to Greece and Sweden to continue his table tennis career before moving to the US in 1992.

Cretu explained that table tennis is much bigger in Asia and Europe than in the US.

“That’s where the money is,” he said.

A typical week for Cretu involves six days, eight hours a day preparing for competitions. He spends three hours in the gym and four hours practicing with a partner or a robot. He made the U.S. National Team in 1997 and 1998.

Aside from table tennis, Cretu likes to play tennis, basketball and football.

Tahl Leibovitz has been playing table tennis for 15 years and has already qualified for the Para-Olympic Team, a disabled table tennis team.

He began playing table tennis after he learned that it would help his reflects for martial arts. He plays matches 2-3 times a week for practice.

In the trials, the top four contenders will face the top four contenders from Canada for a spot in the Olympics. The top five will make the U.S. National team.

No Comments »

Adam Hugh Photo By: Evan Rosen/The Triangle

Men’s standings through Friday (1/11)

Mark Hazinski ……….. (4-0)

David Zhuang ………… (3-1)

Khoa Nguyen ………… (3-1)

Eric Owens ……………. (3-1)

Han Xiao ……………….. (2-2)

Yu Shao …………………. (2-2)

Razvan Cretu …………. (2-2)

Yinghua Cheng ………. (2-2)

John Leach …………….. (1-3)

Sean Lonergan ……….. (1-3)

Adam Hugh ……………. (1-3)

Tahl Leibovitz …………. (0-4)

The three qualifiers from Thursday’s action (Cretu, Leach, and Leibovitz) have not fared too well, combining to go 3-9. The men’s draw was littered with seven set matches which led to some intense action, but the intrigue may have piqued before one serve was made. Top seed Ilija Lupulesku dropped out of the tournament before the start of play. He was replaced by John Leach who was a finalist in the qualifier draw. The men will play four matches each tomorrow at 9 A.M., 11 A.M., 2 P.M. and 4 P.M.

Match to watch: Mark Hazinski (4-0) against Eric Owens (3-1) – 11 A.M. at Table 5.

The two represent a clash of styles battle for supremacy at the top of the standings.

Women’s standings through Friday (1/11)

Yao Huang …………. (3-0)

Nan Li ………………… (3-0)

Jasna Reed ………… (2-0)

Jacqueline Lee …… (2-1)

Whitney Ping …….. (1-1)

Ariel Hsing …………. (1-2)

Olena Sowers …….. (0-2)

Judy Hugh ………….. (0-3)

Barbara Wei ………. (0-3)

There seems to be some serious separation in competition between the best and worst players in the field as there are three unbeatens and three that have yet to win a match. Tomorrow’s matches should be intense as all the unbeatens will face another unbeaten opponent by the end of the day. Women’s action will commence at 1 P.M. and 3 P.M.

Match to watch: Jasna Reed (2-0) against Yao Huang (3-0) – 1 P.M. at Table 1.

The top two seeds square off in a battle that may very well decide the tournament.

No Comments »

David Zhuang Photo By: Evan Rosen/The Triangle

David Zhuang (3-1) and Eric Owens (3-1) certainly had the match of the session as each rally was its own mini-battle, and the fans knew it. The match was the last one to finish today, and it held all the fans in suspense until Owens squeaked by in seven sets (11-8) (11-7) (8-11) (5-11) (13-11) (8-11) (11-6).

Mark Hazinski (4-0) continued to steamroll the field as he dominated John Leach (1-3) in straight sets (11-8) (11-4) (12-10) (11-9).

Khoa Nguyen (3-1) outlasted the top remaining seed Yinghua Cheng (2-2) in seven games (11-9) (11-9) (6-11) (6-11) (11-9) (5-11) (11-6). Cheng’s day finished on a tough note as he lost his last two matches in seven sets.

Philadelphia resident Razvan Cretu (2-2) has lost eight of his last nine sets as he was swept by Adam Hugh (11-8) (11-9) (13-11) (11-7). That was Hugh’s first victory in the tournament.

Han Xiao (2-2) easily handled Tahl Leibovitz (0-4) after Xiao was able to finally win the first game (17-15) (11-7) (11-8) (11-9).

No Comments »

Jasna Reed Photo By: Evan Rosen/The Triangle

Competitive rallys entertained the fans throughout the third round of the women’s matches. Every winner had to really earn their stripes against their respective opponents.

Top-seed Jasna Reed (2-0) held off Olena Sowers in four straight sets by an 11-8 score in every game.

12 year-old Ariel Hsing (1-2) finally broke through to win her first match over Barbara Wei (0-3) in five sets (13-15) (11-8) (11-8) (11-3) (11-5).

Yao Huang (3-0) kept Judy Hugh (0-3) at bay despite a late run by Hugh (11-9) (11-5) (3-11) (11-9) (14-12).

In the battle of unbeatens, Nan Li (3-0) won easily in her battle with Jacqueline Lee (2-1) in five sets (11-7) (7-11) (11-2) (13-11) (11-6).

No Comments »

Photo By: Molly McGoey/The Triangle

For the spectators at the Daskalakis Athletic Center, they are getting quite the show as three of the six third-round matches went to a seventh set.

In possibly the most thrilling match of the day, Sean Lonergan (1-2) pulled off a seven-set win over Tahl Leibovitz (0-3), after trailing three sets to one.

In the final set, the score was tied 9-9 before Leibovitz was called for a questionable fault, which caused some fans to question the referee’s officiating.

In another excited match, David Zhuang (3-0) avoided the upset and came from behind to erase a 3-1 set deficit to beat Adam Hugh (0-3) in seven sets (12-14) (11-8) (10-12) (10-12) (11-9) (11-7) (11-5).

“He didn’t beat me, I beat myself,” Hugh, one of the fan favorites said.

Han Xiao (1-2) upset Yinghua Chen (2-1) in seven sets (11-8) (8-11) (8-11) (13-11) (11-7) (6-11) (11-4) to pick up his first win of the round-robin tournament.

After the first four sets were all within three points, the average point differential by the winner in the last three sets was over five.

Eric Owens (2-1) had little trouble in defeating John Leach (1-2) in straight sets (11-6) (11-2) (11-6) (12-10).

In the most anticipated match of the round and a battle of undefeateds, Mark Hazinski (3-0) beat Khoa Nguyen (2-1) in six sets (11-6) (10-12) (9-11) (14-12) (11-4) (11-9).

Yu Shao (1-2) beat the Philly fan favorite, Razvan Cretu (2-1), in just five sets (11-4) (11-7) (11-6) (3-11) (11-6), ending Cretu’s winning streak at six, dating back to yesterday’s qualifying tournament.

No Comments »