Balboa Park Activity Center, San Diego, CA

The beautiful weather of San Diego offers few surprises.  The landscape lacks glaciers, volcanoes or quicksand and there has not been a meteor strike in recorded history.  But despite the safe and serene surroundings, the SoCal Open, a celebration of table tennis in Southern California offered plenty of earth-shaking excitement. 

The entry list itself showed at least one pleasant surprise.  Old hands like Larry Hodges had the pleasure of explaining that this "newcomer," the unrated Jack Howard, is, in fact, the same fellow who made the final of Men's Singles at the 1968 and 1972 U.S. Opens.  (In fact, in five straight Opens - 1968-72 - he lost only one singles match to anyone other than to D.J. Lee, whom he lost to in both finals.) He was back to try his hand once more at tournament play - spurred on by Tim Boggan, who had talked him out of retirement so the two could play Over 70 Doubles at the upcoming USA Nationals.

Returning from a briefer layoff was the 26-year-old Yao Xi "Crystal" Huang.  With coach Tawny Banh in her corner, Ms. Huang captured the Women's singles with a ratings upset victory over Biljana "Biba" Golic, a very exciting victory as she came back from a 3-1 deficit to take the title.  The left-handed penholder showed a lot of poise in staging that dramatic comeback, and we look for more and greater results from her in the near future.

Takashi Miyamoto was a surprise to those stalwarts entered in the Over 50 and Over 60 events, surpassing Ralph Guillory and John Harrington to take those titles.  Misha Kazantsev seemed to have shaken off his recent wrist injury, taking both the Under 22 and Under 18 titles, besting Auria Malek and Earl James Alto.  Misha also showed inspired play in the Open.  It seemed to me that he has struck a balance between competitive fire and relaxed concentration, the balance needed for optimal performances. 

There was no more pleasant surprise than Juan Carlos Acosta.  Late of Peru, Acosta was a gentleman off the court and a dervish, a high-energy ball of fire on the court.  You could get a second to that observation from the runner-up in Under 2500 Singles, De Tran.  Acosta broke out so quickly to a three-game lead that all the pressure was on De.  Despite winning games four and five at scores of 6 and 2, De Tran was unable prevent a 4-2 victory for the attacking Acosta.  Juan Carlos then went on to have a major impact on the Open as well.  

Open Singles

Group One

Pradeeban Peter-Paul made a quick case for his status as the top seed by defeating Tuan Le, Khanh Duong and Kfir Silberman, with only Silberman taking more than a single game from the Western Open Champ.  When Tuan Le and Silberman both managed to overcome Khanh Duong, their head-to-head match became critical in determining the second of the two players to advance.  In a seven-game see-saw struggle, Le won the first two games, Silberman took the third and fourth, Le the fifth before Silberman asserted himself and claimed a spot in the Quarterfinals, -6,-7,5,6,-9,5,3.

Group Two

Eric Owens breezed into the #1 position, dropping only a single game to Auria Malek.  Eric was looking very sharp, his service game was good, and Coach Lilleroos anticipated "No Problems" for the Texas Wesleyan star. Auria did not enjoy such a trouble-free path.  While he quickly dispatched Rudy Miranda in four games, he found it more difficult to dislodge the Qualifier, Chan Kahara.  Showing excellent blocking skills with a penhold style, Kahara took Malek to the seventh game before Auria won out, 11-9.  Kahara was a new player to the NATT staff, and based on what I saw, will be a contender in all his future events, finishing third in this group.

Group Three

Juan Carlos Acosta continued to impress as he captured the top spot, although he did drop a pair of games to Biba Golic.  Loc Bao Ngo dropped four straight to Biba, 7,7,10,6, and in the process sustained an injury which led him to default to Steve Nguyen, the Qualifier.  When Steve defeated a flagging Biba in six games, her match with Acosta, the concluding match of the group, was one she'd need to win if she wanted to continue.  Despite her best efforts, it was Acosta's victory, by scores of 5,-6,6,-8,9 and 8.  The admirable Biba left nothing at the table, having earlier played that tough seven-game Women's final and now a grueling series of matches in Open Singles.  Steve Nguyen joined Acosta in the Quarterfinals.

Group Four

Ludovic Gombos needed only four games apiece to dispatch first Tri Dinh and then Misha Kazantsev.  Misha was similarly efficient in his play against De Tran and Tri Dinh, winning both sets by 4-1 margins.  So for De Tran, the match with Gombos was a "must-win."  Tran set the tone early, surging to wins in games one, three and four, was sitting pretty at 3 games to 1.  But Gombos solved the puzzle and took three straight, allowing diminishing returns of 8,5 and 3.  With Gombos and Kazantsev now anointed for the Quarterfinals, De Tran and Tri Dinh decided not to play their now meaningless match and settled for a tie for third.   

Quarterfinals

Misha Kazantsev vs. Pradeeban Peter-Paul

Service game figured to be a big difference between these two, with a definite advantage going to the more experienced Canadian, Peter-Paul.  Credit Misha, however, for coming out with fire in his belly and blood in his eye, taking the first game 11-9 to serve notice.  Peter-Paul had to work hard to score a game two victory, also 11-9 before establishing control of play.  Praddy's reputation is as the "Hardest Working Man in Table Tennis," and it showed here as even Misha's pumped-up play could not prevent him from running out the string, 8,2,6.  Kazantsev got a hundred bucks and Peter-Paul got a ticket to the Semifinals.

Juan Carlos Acosta vs. Auria Malek

Poor Auria!  Having seen the draw the night before prompted his eye-rolling fatalistic reaction, knowing he'd have to play the fiery Acosta on Sunday afternoon.  Acosta, however, wanted no advance knowledge.  "Don't tell me! Don't tell me!" he exclaimed when offered the Quarterfinal draw on Saturday night.  "I don't want to know!"  Auria, dramatics aside, showed up to play on Sunday, trying hard to crack the inner circle of success and move up to the more meaningful money.  To say that Acosta won in four straight games is true but gives Malek inadequate credit.  He could not avoid Acosta's withering attack, but bore up well nonetheless, by scores of 9,5,9,8. 

Ludovic Gombos vs. Kfir Silberman

Silberman is an Israeli, and arrived with the Texas Wesleyan entourage.  Energetic and obviously athletic, I thought I detected a small case of jitters from Kfir before the match began.  Gombos, who has played well in previous NATT events, but never quite well enough, was all business.  Whether it was determination to better his previous showings, I found it impossible to tell.  The combination however, did not favor Silberman who was soon shaking his head in disgust with himself.  Unable to deal with Ludovic's heaviest topspin shots, block after block went long and high.  Kfir settled a bit after that first game, but never did climb back into the match.  I think he still has better play to show us.  Gombos gets to advance; Silberman gets a seat, 2,8,8,7.

Eric Owens vs. Steve Nguyen

The former U.S. Champion (2001) matched against the surprise Quarterfinalist.  Steve's a likeable guy, and he earned his way past Biba Golic to be here, but this match honestly didn't figure to hold much mystery.  So who's got the explanation for seeing the first game go to Eric at 8, but the second go to Steven 11-2?  Beating Owens 11-2 did wonders for Nguyen's confidence, and although he couldn't push the point any further, Eric realized that he couldn't continue to play as flat and stale as he'd started.  Eric restored balance to the universe by adding games three through five to his column, 9,8 and 11!  Hats off to Steve Nguyen and a hundred dollar check for making the most of his chance.   

Semifinals

Eric Owens vs. Ludovic Gombos

One of the nicest aspects of the SDTTA facility is the presence of a wide center aisle with portable bleachers.  It allowed the two Semi-Finals to be played on opposite sides of the aisle simultaneously.  How odd then that the crowd largely ignored Owens/Gombos and umpire Saul Weinstein in order to watch local favorite Juan Carlos Acosta across the way!  Even those fans with seats for this match turned to stand and stare across the way as Owens and Gombos did battle right in front of them.  No doubt this pair was much less raucous, but certainly no less skilled as Owens managed to take the first three games, 12-10, 11-9 and 11-5.  Eric is not a one-trick pony, that much is evident.  While famous for his ripping forehand Loop, Eric solves the lefty topspin of Gombos with increasing skill, but then, again, seems to lose steam.  Ludovic jumps into the gap to take not one, but two games, reducing Eric's lead to 3-2, with wins at 6 and 9!  Always calm, Eric again returns to form and eliminates Ludovic, 11-4 in the sixth.  The $240 is not bad for a Semifinal appearance and marks the deepest advance Gombos has ever made at an NATT event.

Pradeeban Peter-Paul vs. Juan Carlos Acosta

This is the match that turned heads and rocked the rafters!  Acosta, the transplanted Peruvian, is a small man, less than five feet six inches tall, certainly.  But his play was gigantic against the Canadian Men's Singles Champion, Peter-Paul.  His feet in constant motion, never still between points, Juan Carlos appears to be pulling from a different power source than the rest of us.  His resounding "Si!" after rifling winning forehands has the hometown folks joining in the fun and he quickly, oh so quickly, takes the first game 11-6 and the second game 11-8.  It seemed to take about as long to play as it does to read.  The screaming crowd of roughly 200 people are all clearly on Acosta's side.  Coupled with his aggressive play and "hurry-up let's get this done" speed, Peter-Paul is clearly rattled.  As one knowledgeable bystander said to me "Have you ever seen Pradeeban outworked? Well, look now!  Because that is what Acosta is doing!"  Peter-Paul digs in in an attempt to match the furious pace and shotmaking Acosta is displaying, but a third straight loss, 12-10, is all he can manage.  Acosta is stepping around his backhand, fabulous footwork at electric speeds.  Forehand to forehand, Peter-Paul cannot get through and the explosive counter-looping points bring the crowd to a fevered pitch.  Stung, maybe even offended, Peter-Paul switches tactics and begins to slow the pace between points, drawing immediate protest from Acosta.  Trying to gather himself before every point, Pradeeban wins the fourth game 11-8 to stay alive.  Peter-Paul even goes so far as to kick the ball to the barriers, playing footsie, to buy some time, but that tactic, done several times, draws a yellow card from Umpire Larry Hodges.  It also draws boos from the partisan crowd.  When has anyone ever booed Pradeeban?  When has Pradeeban ever had to deal with such a buzz saw?  11-4 in the fifth game and it's all over.  Acosta rejoices and shakes hands before leaping skyward, a match with Owens in his immediate future.  Pradeeban offers this calm assessment to me after the match.  "I was unprepared.  I underestimated him, took him too lightly.  By the time I realized how good he really was, I was under pressure to win every point and trailing badly in games.  I want to remember this match and never make this mistake again."  It's a match that is going to be remembered, in my estimation one of the most exciting and draining I've ever witnessed, certainly the most energetic.   

Championship Match

Acosta vs. Owens

Now the onlookers are really buzzing, as the surprise of the tournament, the man who'd upset the top seed, stepped in against the only player that stood between him and the title.  There's a $700 differential in the prize money, with $1500 going to the winner.  There's Eric, whose play has been winning, but perhaps not spectacular, there's Juan, whose high energy and enthusiasm have lit a firecracker in the hall.  After the first game, Eric has attained one of his goals, which is to quiet the crowd, with an 11-7 sobering of the Acosta contingent.  Things become even more solemn when he takes the second game as well, 11-9.  Certainly Juan has his moments, and he cashes them in for victories in the third and fifth games, but the issue is never placed in doubt as Eric Owens wins four games to two.  How did he do it?  What happened to suddenly make this dynamo stand still?  Because against Eric, Juan cannot grab the initiative, cannot dominate stretches of points.  Acosta is a talented player, in fact makes an amazing push, no flip! For a winner late in the match that draws ohs and ahs and even a congratulatory gesture from Owens.  "His blade actually passed under the ball, and then he pulled it back and flipped the other way when he saw me commit," Eric described it.  "He really got me good with that one!"  So in the face of that kind of skill, that kind of energy, how had Eric disarmed his opponent so handily, 7,9,-7,4,-8,8? 

There is no better place to ask than the players themselves.  "It's the third time I've faced him," Juan Carlos informs me.  "Tactically, he is brilliant, a very talented but also a very smart player."  Owens' remarks dovetail nicely.  "He is limited tactically because he does not trust his backhand loop," Eric shares.  "That's why he steps around the backhand so often.  He can block and push from there, but not counterloop.  So I go wide forehand, and then back to the backhand side so that he cannot get back to step around it.  That either goes through or gives me a weaker return." 

A wonderful tournament, all in all.  And a learning experience for me, that despite the awe that surrounds his forehand rip, Eric Owens' best tool is between his ears.  That, at least, can be counted as no surprise. 

Open Singles - Final: Eric Owens d. Juan Carlos Acosta, 7,9,-7,4,-8,8; SF: Owens d. Ludovic Gombos, 10,9,5,-6,-9,4; Acosta d. Pradeeban Peter-Paul, 6,8,10,-8,4; QF: Owens d. Steve Nguyen, 8,-2,9,8,11; Acosta d. Auria Malek, 9,5,9,8; Gombos d. Kfir Silberman, 2,8,8,7; Peter-Paul d. Misha Kazantsev, -9,9,8,2,6.

Women's Singles: Huang Yu Xi d. Biljana Golic, -3,5,-8,-4,11,7,8.

U2500: Juan Carlos Acosta d. De Tran, 7,8,7,-6,-2,4.

U2375: John Tran d. Tuan Le, 9,-9,-9,9,-9,9,9.

U2250: Thomas Plaisted d. Andreas Range, 9,4,4,-9,4.

U2125: Wade Sun d. David Samuelson, 9,10,10,9.

U2000: David Samuelson d. Bruce Liu, 8,5,9,-9,7.

U1850: Philip Vandewiele d. Robert Rodriguez, 6,7,8,9.

U1700: Willy Castillo, Jr. d. Kien Ngo, 9,7,-4,7,-7,10.

U1550: Scott Roberts d. Winston Ngai, 10,-9,8,11,7.

U1400: Jay Miller d. Peter Wei, 9,10,-11,7,-8,9.

U1250: Alberto Espinoza d. Serena Bahn, -5,-6,11,8,5,8.

U1100: Michael Soriano d. Pol-Esteve Santos, 9,9,9,9.

U950: John James Alto d. Marielle Chua, -9,-8,9,6,6.

U800/Unrated: Sinisa Dragojlovic d. Hauke Hannappel, 6,7,-7,11,7.

Over 40: De Tran d. Sai Kwok, 5,3,6,8.

Over 50: 1^st Takashi Miyamoto; 2^nd Ralph Guillory.

Over 60: Takashi Miyamoto d. John Harrington, 13,6,11,7.

Under 22 Men: Misha Kazentsev d. Auria Malek, -6,-8,4,-10,5,6,7.

Under 18 Boys: Misha Kazantsev d. Earl James Alto, 9,-9,9,13,-6,5.

Under 18 Girls: Wendy Eav d. Brana Vlasic, 6,-7,10,9,9.

Under 16 Boys: Mark Wei d. Don James Alto, -7,-12,12,6,8,3.

Under 16 Girls: 1^st Brana Vlasic; 2^nd Jessica Yick.

Under 13 Boys: Don James Alto d. Sebastian Cumming, 8,6,11-7,8.

Under 13 Girls: Alicia Wei d. Christiana Davita, 6,-11,7,-11,9,5.

Under 10: John James Alto d. Christian Roberts, 7,7,7,8.

U4200 Doubles: Wade Sun/David Samuelson d. Duan Le/Trung Nguyen, -8,-9,8,9,10.

U3200 Doubles: Bernard Savitz/Dennis Shapiro d. Willy & Wilfredo Castillo, 7,2,4.