History of U.S.

Table Tennis
Vol. VI: 1970-1973

The Resurgent Years: going to the Worlds for the first time is...like a first
romance, seeing Space Odyssey, [or having]...a religious revelation.

BY TIM BOGGAN
USATT HISTORIAN

Intent at the Sarajevo Worlds:

L-R: Mens Coach Bong-Mo Lee, Mens Player Peter Pradit,
U.S. Team Captain Bob Kaminsky, U.S. Womens Coach Jack Howard,
USTTA President Tim Boggan and his wife Sally.
Copyright 2006

TIM BOGGAN
Tim Boggan is a former International Table
Tennis Federation Vice-President, and a former threeterm President of the United States Table Tennis
Association (now USA Table Tennis).
For 14 years he served as Editor of the National
Publication, and is the author of Winning Table Tennis
(1976) and Volumes I (2000), II (2003), III (2004), IV
(2005) and V (2005) of this multi-volume History of
U.S. Table Tennis. For over 30 years he taught English
at Long Island University in Brooklyn, and since 1965
has been a prodigious writer for the Sport. Having
retired from teaching, he is currently the USA Table
Tennis Historian, as well as the Associations Secretary.
He has received the ITTF Order of Merit
Award, the USTTA Barna Award, and was inducted into
the USTTA Hall of Fame in 1985. He has been on the
Halls Board of Directors since 1979.
He was a member of the 1971 U.S. Ping-Pong
Diplomacy Team to China, and since then has attended,
as official and/or journalist, almost 20 World
Championships. In 1975 he Captained the U.S. Team to
the Calcutta Worlds.
As a player through five decades, he has on
occasion, in addition to some modest early tournament
success, and, later, some success in World Veterans
Championships, been the U.S. Over 40, 50, 60, and 70
Singles and Doubles Champion.
Both of his sons, Scott and Eric, were U.S.
Junior and then U.S. Mens Singles Champions.
Both are in the USTTA Hall of Fame.
Price: $35.00

History of U.S. Table Tennis

VOL. VI: 19701973:

The Resurgent Years: going to the Worlds for the first time is...like a first
romance, seeing Space Odyssey, [or having]...a religious revelation.

by Tim Boggan, USATT Historian

Copyright 2006

This book is for the late Zdenko Uzorinac,

my long-time Croatian friend and counterpart.

I want to acknowledge again how much I appreciate Larry Hodgess indispensible contribution
toward the making of my books (scanning photos, help in laying out pages in volume after
volume). Without his experience and efficiency, its possible I would not have completed these
volumes, or at least not have completed them as quickly as I have.
Mal Anderson, too, gets more than a special nod for sharing with me his enormous collection of
photos of players and officials.
Id also like to give special thanks again to Dave Sakai for his continual effort and encouragement.
I take this opportunity, too, to applaud Professor Scott Gordon, the USATT Film Archivist,
for his determined efforts to locate and preserve the all too few films from our historic past.

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ISBN NUMBER: 0-9707657-5-4
COPYRIGHT 2006
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into
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owner.

Acknowledgements
From Oct., 1933 through Nov.-Dec., 1993, the name United States Table Tennis
Association (USTTA) prevailed; thereafter the Association is referred to as USA Table Tennis
(USATT). During these years this Volume deals with, 1970-73, Im of course greatly indebted
to the official publication of the USTTA, Table Tennis Topics.
Those to whom I particularly want to show my gratitude: Mal Anderson, Mike Baber,
Tom Baudry, Peter Becker, Laszlo Laci Bellak, H Blair, Houshang Bozorgzadeh, George
Brathwaite, Bard Brenner, Bernie Bukiet, Bob Burke, Jack Carr, Doug Cartland, Lim Ming
Chui, Glenn Cowan, Dave Cox, Fred and Carl Danner, Frank Davison, Mike Dempsey, Charlie
Disney, Frank Dwelly, Dick Evans, Shazzi Felstein, Bobby Fields, Sam Fletcher, Danny Ganz,
Bob Green, Hal and Alice Green, Fred Grobee, Howie Grossman, Ray Guillen, Don Gunn,
Bobby Gusikoff, Harvey Gutman, John Hanna, Rufford Harrison, Tibor and Magda Hazi, Fred
Herbst, Pat Quintyne Hildebrand, Harry and Priscilla (Resek) Hirschkowitz, Larry Hodges,
Mike Hoffland, John Horning, Jack Howard, Azmy Ibrahim, Steve Isaacson, Bert Jacobs,
Dean Johnson, Bob and Barbara Kaminsky, Bill Marlens, Kimiyo Matsuzaki, Kurimoto, Lem
Kuusk, Vic Landau, Mary Larsen, Bong-Mo Lee, D-J Lee, Marv and Caron Leff, Paul Lewis,
Ray Mack, Patty Martinez, John Masters, Dr. Bill Meszaros, Dick Miles, Leah Thall
Neuberger, Joe Newgarden, Denis OConnell, Tyra Parkins, Peter Pradit, Marty Prager, Paul
Raphel, John Read, Philip Reid, Marty Reisman, Errol and Jairie Resek, Danny Robbins,
Fuarnado Roberts, Dave and Donna Sakai, Sue Sargent, William Scheltema, Sol Schiff, Chris
Schlotterhausen, Al Schwartz, Dr. Michael Scott II, Dan Seemiller, Adham Sharara, Bill
Sharpe, Mitch Silbert, Thelma Tybie Thall Sommer, Elsie Spinning, Graham Steenhoven,
Dell and Connie Sweeris, John Tannehill, Jose Tomkins, Zdenko Uzorinac, Jim Verta, Herb
Vichnin, Bob Walker, Derek Wall, Si Wasserman, and Mort, Evelyn, Jeff and Chuck Zakarin.
.
Former USTTA Historian Leah Thall Neubergers Records Ive had access to show,
from their beginnings into the beginning 1990s, the results of World Championships; annual
Canadian National Exhibition Championships; U.S. Closed Championships; U.S. Open Team
Championships; Eastern Open Team Championships; and numerous City and State
tournaments around the country. Many of the tournament results I incorporate in all these
History volumes are from these records (records which Ive tried to confirm from other
sources).
I again want to thank Leah Neubergers sister, Thelma Tybie Thall Sommer, for
agreeing, after Leahs death, that I might, in my Historians role, have access to these unique
labor-of love Binders. I also want to thank again Leah and Tybies late, longtime friend Bob
Green for taking the considerable time and trouble of boxing up all these Binders (as well as
the many miscellaneous Folders Leah had acquired) and sending them to me.
References where possible, including photo acknowledgements, will appear in the text.

Introduction
Having necessarily devoted a full
volumeVol. Vto the history-making PingPong Diplomacy visit of our U.S. Team to China
in 1971 and the reciprocal visit of the Chinese
Team to the U.S. in 1972, I return here to where
Id left off in Vol. IVthe late spring/summer
start of the 1970-71 seasonand thus continue
my unbroken chronological account of Table
Tennis in this country.
Beginning with the first (July-Aug., 1970)
issue under my Editorship, the official USTTA
publication, Table Tennis Topics, undergoes a
radical change that in ensuing months, indeed
years, will seea proliferation of reported
tournament results and write-ups not only from all
around the U.S. but from abroad too; highly
detailed Executive Committee Minutes/
Discussions; personal point-of-view articles; and
Letters to the Editor that make for an openness
heretofore not given the Membership.
Of course its inevitable that with such
freedom comes controversy. Not everyone likes
what some people say openly, and so protest.
They prefer that things be left unsaid, that lies and
half-truths not be given a voice. However, Ive
believed all my life that in a democracy, as
opposed to a dictatorship, dirty laundry (with
some exceptions) is aired, and that, if everyone is
allowed his/her say, the truth will eventually out.
To my mind, disagreement has its virtues, and I feel
the freedom of speech I advocated in Topics allowed
for a system of checks and balances on me or anyone
else who, all too humanly, might get out of line.
In any case, I think it fair to say that,
although my newspaper/magazine inexperience
shows woefully in layout, graphics, and use (or nonuse) of photos, I undeniably bring a vitality to Topics
that the readership appreciates. When, for example,
Id carry 200 copies of an issue hot off the press to a
tournament, I couldnt hand them out fast enough.
Part of the players enthusiasm for the magazine is
because, compared to what theyve had in the past,
its so readable. No longer are articles mere rehashes
of tournament scores; now you can see literate
4

Drawing by Herblock
From 1971 Minnesota TTA Newsletter

Cheng Huai-ying vs. Flipper

Photo by Bob Noble
From China. USA Table Tennis 72

writers really enjoying their opportunity for free expression. Heres a

fellow (TTT, March-April, 1972, 12) having serious-minded fun:

USTTA President/Editor
Tim Boggan

To the Editor:
[I have] watched with interest your handling of Topics. Your
journalism textbook must have
been The Magic Christian.
Thats not a negative
comment. I like Topics now,
whether or not its really all
new.
Theres a thread of
continuity that binds the new
Topics to the olda thread that
may account for the thoroughly
bemoaned ignominy of table
tennis in this country. One finds
that thread woven into most of
the articles and nearly all of the

letters.
Its an unbroken strand of pettiness.
Crybabies are found in every sport. In table Well, maybe not everyones a crybaby
Drawing by Greg Sawin
tennis, to read Topics, its hard to find any sports
among the crybabies.
I believe thats why people drop out of or never get strongly involved in bigtime table tennis. Petty rules, petty cliques, petty crybaby players
The game has no fing class.
DICK LANHAM
3814 Gundry Ave.
Long Beach, CA 90807
Another innovation in the making was Jack Howards
ambitious project of raising a nation-wide ladder to the stars
via a computer rating system. Using a formula based on the
player-rating system of the International Chess Federation,
and mindful of a (similar?) system, on a smaller and simpler
scale, [that] was actually used in the Pacific Northwest,
Jack hoped to echo, nation-wide, Dr. Jim Goodwins
regional success. His aim was to crank out a monthly rating
list of every player who competes in sanctioned
tournamentsand in as many classifications as initially
possible. Also, for perhaps a $2 fee, a player would be able
to receive a complete record of all his matches.
Tournament organizers would also be helped because the
permanent records would automatically determine the event
eligibility of all players.
5

Photo by
Mal Anderson

Jack Howard, with his 1970

USTTA Barna Award

Trial and
error adjustments
From Seawanhaka
might have to be
made, Jack said,
regarding the
equitable number of
points awarded for
wins and losses
among players,
particularly with
regard to upsets, but
so long as sponsors
got out their
tournament results
quickly, the ratings
would be up to date.
Many players would be pleased to see their name in print and, in hopes of raising their rating,
would want to practice more and attend more tournaments. Players, club owners, tournament
sponsors would all benefit (Topics, Sept.-Oct., 1970, 11).
As well see, Jack himself in time will leave this taxing project, will retire from the
Sport, but as a result of his initial efforts, his successor, Neal Fox, will persevere until ratings
(showing the current strength of the player) will supplant rankings (dependent on a
performance average over a season, as well as required tournament-participation points).
The 1971 Team to the U.S. Worlds was determined by a Selection Committee mindful
not so much of any players past ranking, but by recent accumulated play, and particularly by a
contenders performance over a grueling Nov., 1970 weekend, both in round-robin
International Team Squad (ITS) Matches and U.S. Open Team Championship play. The
USTTA, as might be seen in Fall, 1970 articles by Steve Isaacson and Vic Landau, was moving
away from a U.S. Team being formed by a Selection Committees subjective appraisal,
sometimes in the past greatly influenced by just one or two men.
ITS Director and U.S. Team Captain Howard had criticized the traditional USOTC
practice of the many team-tie busy matches strong players had mindlessly to endure against
relatively weak players. Satellite play should be fostered, he said; Qualifying play instituted.
And, indeed, in years to come, this would be the respectful way the USTTA would treat its top
players vying for U.S. Championships and World Team positions, while all the while
preserving, democratically, the opportunity for others to contend against them.
Thus, by 1972, with Dick Miles as its Selection Chair, the Association would opt for a
single round-robin competition among a had-to-qualify field that, based objectively on the
players wins and losses, would determine the Team members. Had there not been such a
competition, likely super-star-to-be Danny Seemiller, who turned out surprisingly to be the #1
Mens finisher, would not have been named by a Selection Committee to the 1973 World
Teamwith perhaps life-changing consequences for him and others.
U.S. players, including our Juniors, became as a group more independent-minded,
more willing to speak up for player-power in this decade of the 70s. In the spring of 1971,
some of our best Juniors, boys and girls, under Captain Dell Sweeris, took the initiative to
eagerly raise money to play in the English Junior Open. After our Team had lost a number of
Interesting ... but what does it do?

matches there, Dell came home and suggested in Topics (JulyAugust, 1971, 7; 26) some ways that we could turn our losers
into winners:
Arrive 4-7 days in advance of the big tournament
and have a daily schedule of training and practice matches with
other countries or even local clubs. However, make sure
players get enough rest. A squad of men, women, and junior
teams should travel to Asia or Europe for 2-4 weeks at least
once each season. These players could play in weekend
tournaments and travel around the rest of the time playing
matches wherever hospitality could be arranged. Also, foreign
players ought to be invited to the U.S.perhaps via an
exchange program. That Dell felt he had to suggest what now
seems to us obvious shows how inexperienced and
unconcerned our officials in the 60s had been vis--vis the
world table tennis scene, and how difficult it might be to bring
these suggested improvements about.
Gradually, both USTTA officials and the Membership
Dell Sweeris
in general began to take seriously the thought that, yes, the
Photo by Don Gunn
U.S. could have a recognizable place in world table tennis.
This shift in attitude came about because of the attention given to International play in Topics,
the coming of more and more visiting world-class players to different parts of the U.S., and, in
the beginning, because our reciprocal exchange with the Chinese raised our stature in our own
eyes.
Of course, the question is always asked: Given all the U.S.-China exchange publicity,
why didnt Table Tennis catch on? Why wouldnt the public come out to watch the matches?
Im not talking about exhibitions that people would enjoy seeing, though not repetitively, for
entertainment. But real, competitive matches. Whats needed? Answer: Personal involvement
in whos playing, a passionate interest in the outcome of the play. But how develop that?
Prior to the coming of the Chinese, the USTTA held its 1972 election for USTTA
officersan election that was unprecedented in its combative nature among Presidential
candidates Jack Carr and a sharply attacking Tim Boggan. To give you a feel for this most
privately and publicly discussed election in the then 40-year history of the Association I
reproduce here a preview of the as-it-happened messiness to cometwo complementary yet
divergent points of view (TTT, March-April, 1972, 9):
To the Editor:
I just received the Jan.-Feb. issue of Table Tennis Topics, which was excellent. I
was extremely unhappy, however, when I read your statement for President of the
USTTA. From past experience in many educationally-related political arenas, Ive
discovered that those who adamantly oppose the status quo usually dont understand
(not just disagree with) the philosophical reasons behind that view. From the last few
issues of Topics, it seems that Jack Carrs philosophy is compatible with that of
Douglass MacGregor and his Theory of X. In the X Theory it is assumed that
human beings are naturally lazy and need prodding to work well and efficiently. Threats
are made, constant observation is necessary, and rules must be stringently obeyed so
7

that order will prevail. You, however, apparently are against this, feeling parliamentary
procedure and antiquated traditions are holding back the future of Table Tennis.
Whether or not my interpretation of your respective positions was right, it was not
your philosophy that I wrote to oppose, but rather your methods.
If to keep trying with a passion, to continue to care in this frustrating world (and in
this little inner circle of itthis t.t. world) is the most important lesson you or any parent
can hope to teach his children, you are doing a great disservice to yours just by intimating
(whether it be true, or simply a psychological ploy to win votes) that you might not remain
editor of T.T.T. should you lose the election. This magazine has come a long way through
your efforts. It seems you have had more influence on those who read it this year than the
current president of the USTTA. Trying to get more votes by using your sons as bait (their
future in the game might well be so greatly affected by this election) is also reprehensible.
Emotionalism must be disregarded in deciding for whom to cast a vote.
[You] may wonder as to my own position in the election. It is fairly simple:
please dont interpret what I have to say as being apathetic. Like the limited choice
between Nixon and Humphrey in 1968by the time the election is over it will be
shown that I have cast my vote for Abstention.
BRUCE A. KESSELMAN
Rutgers Post Office 928
New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901
To the Editor:
I both like and respect Jack Carr and Tim Boggan. As a result I hesitated to
write for fear of offending either or both of them. I have been nudged out of my
lethargy, though, by two things, both occurring in the recent issue of Topics.
The first was Jack Howards campaign statement which struck a responsive
chord in my education-oriented philosophy with his urge to positive action and
involvement. Syrupy? Perhaps, but weve got to start somewhere.
The second item occurred near the end of Tim Boggans statement in which he inferred
the choice of elect me or lose me. My first impression of this attitude was that it was
immature, but I couldnt let it rest there.
I do not feel that I know Tim Boggan personally (I am torn here between
writing Tim and Mr.), but I have had the opportunity to observe this man from one
to five times a year at tournaments since 1965 when I have closely followed his
tournament descriptions and other contributions in Topics for six years. One thing has
shown through continually, and that is EMOTION. Perhaps emotion will not solve all
problems, but after six years experience I cannot remember who the [USTTA] officers
have been or when elections were held.
Now compare those years with today. This election features involvement
from so-called slander to extra propaganda being mailed out by Mr. Carr and his
friends who seem afraid or worried about the addition of emotion to the election.
In light of this it appears to me now that Mr. Boggans plea of election or
exclusion is a voice crying out in darkness for people to understand his passionate
nature and affection for the sport of table tennis. This is not a babyish fit of temper so
much as an attitude of Isnt it about time we did things? and How much does a person
have to give up in terms of time, energy, and work to show people that he cares?
8

Jack Carr is an excellent worker and a nice guy. Tim Boggan is an excellent
worker and appears to me to be a nice guy. When I have to make the choice between
them I will vote for Tim because I feel that a leader needs some amount of dynamism
and expressiveness, and that this is Tim Boggans strong point.
I am tired of silent executives who have preserved the status quo (check
membership figures over the past 20 years) with some crumbling around the edges. I
trust Tim and Jack, but I feel that Tim would trust my participation in the USTTA more
than our traditional leaders have. I want to participate in a going organization with
dynamic Bogganesque leadership.
RALPH STADELMAN
Grand Rapids, Mich.
As you will see, I won this election, having received 75% of the vote. In 1973, Carr
was back running for office againthis time for Treasurer; and Mal Anderson, among others,
was running for Vice-President. I thought I had good reason to urge voters not to vote for
either of these candidates whom I didnt want to work with, and so I wrote a Presidential
column explaining why and voicing my preference for others I did want to work with.
Out of line, was I? I didnt think sobut, as the messiness continued, one reader
called me to task:
To the Editor:
You have made the statement many times, most recently in your Presidents
View article (see the March-April issue of Topics, p. 17), that you are sick of the
pettiness of the old guard in table tennis. Yet, it seems, that you yourself are
reverting to pettiness in your own statements.
In the above mentioned article, you tell us not to vote for Mal Anderson. You
say that he is a do-nothing follower, that he gives you bad vibrations round the
table, and that he is not one of us. Having been isolated in Minnesota and unable to
have any personal contact with E.C. types or people in the know, excluding,
questionably, Charlie Disney, I would like to know just what in hell those statements
mean.
You do explain, to a degree, the do-nothing follower; however, the rest
remains unsupported, except by the statement that a year ago Mal didnt like you and
now he does but since you cant forget a grudge get rid of him.
In defense of Anderson, was it not Emerson in Self Reliance who said
something to the effect that we must say what we think today in words like
cannonballs and do the same thing tomorrow, even if what we believe then is totally
different from what we believe today? Is it impossible to change ones mind about you
after a year of observing and working with you?
Putting the subject of pettiness aside for the moment, there is the larger issue of
Tim Boggan having the last word in all letters and articles that are published in
Topics. I do not view this as a grave problem amid the normal crap that seems to be
the subject of 90% (including this letter) of the letters to Topics. However, when you
have the last comment on peoples campaign statements it is another matter.
The personal attacks that you waged against Carr and Anderson, pulling their
statements apart, piece by piece, and refuting them point by point, was unfair use of
9

your power. It seems that either no one else

had a single incorrect statement or one that
you disagreed with, or that you disliked
Carr and Anderson personally to the point
of misusing your combined editor-president
power to get rid of them.
This letter is somewhat incomplete, as
one should also propose solutions to the
problems one presents. In this case, however,
the problem resides in one person, Tim
Boggan, and the best I can do is to appeal to
him. Examine yourself (which, from what I
have read of you and by you, you seem to do,
since it seems you are a reflective person) and
see if you think you are being petty and if
perhaps you have used your editors powers
to unfair advantageand, please, no ends
justify the means crapand act according to
whatever hopefully honest and responsible
conclusions you come to.
Thank you for your time and ear.
VINCE KOLOSKI
Minneapolis, Minn.

Drawing by Enid Chase

As readers have surely grasped by now, Ive come to a point in my History volumes
where, in necessarily covering my dual role as Editor/President of the Association, I am a very
subjectively involved Historian. Further, as Historian, Ive always taken the position that not
only should I be expressing the point of view of everyone Im writing about, but that I should
be expressing my own point of view as Historian as thoughtfully as, subjectively, I objectively
can (which is not to say without emotion).
Like any writer, Im in charge of Selection and Arrangement. Its my eye, I, the reader
has to trust. So I see my chief responsibility as being as comprehensive and as truthful in what
I say as I can consciously be. Im obviously not writing these in-group books for material but
for psychic profit. That is, Im writing them to see if I can construct such a History to my own
satisfaction, and as an enduring Record of the Sport. To keep writing I have to proudly satisfy
myself that Im being very conscientiousmaking as many right judgments as I can. My
pleasure in doing the work is dependent on me believing in my credibility; if Im pleased, I
hope and think most of my readers will be.
As Editor, I was successful in bringing together in Topics the countrys disparate
elements and points of view. As President, I strongly wanted to carry on the traditional
importance of tournaments, which I saw as the lifeblood of the Association. I hadnt the vision
to try to organize state, interstate, and national leagues because I was so turned off by the nontournament player, the recreational/social player.
It occurs to me now, though, that perhaps one reason why Leagues have never caught
on in the U.S. as they have in Europe is because table tennis-players in the U.S. have
10

traditionally been such an individual mix, have come from all different countries, or sections of
the U.S. that are like different countries, that they havent a shared culturethe sense of
place, the common language, the pride of communitythat league-minded Europeans so
loyally rooting for their home team have. Despite local league pockets here and there, a larger
connections missing. Foreigners in the U.S. renewing an interest in table tennis that they had
in their homeland now tend to be at least somewhat rootless. Its hard for such players/
spectators to root enthusiastically, to rally round the team flag when there isnt a flag. And
without teams having their enthusiastic support group, their cheering fans, their established
rivalries, its going to be hard for League or Team play to be successful. Theres no audience
for it. Meanwhile, the tournaments go on fostering fierce individual competition, while USTTA
officials continue to lament the lack of Team Spirit among our players.
Everyone agrees the USTTA needs to increase its woeful Membership basebut for
three-quarters of a century the Associations looked across the gulf, and the recreation players
have looked back. So: stalemate. Tims for the professional-minded rather than the amateurminded player. Hes something of a paradox in that hes for the common man, urges every kind
of individual voice in Topics, but is focused on, you might say, elitist play. He wants to give
attention to the best playerslocally, regionally, nationally, internationally.
Table Tennis moves in these years, I think, not so much because of Ping-Pong
Diplomacy where those on the outside couldnt help but notice there was a USTTA, and,
all in all, responded So What. But, first and foremost, because the greatly enlarged Topics gave
those on the inside nation-wide recognition and therefore energyso that Promoters,
Tournament and Club organizers, Coaches, and Players all profited.
Now there were suddenly more opportunities to compete, for A,B,C and a vast range of
Age events were coming into prominence and with the onset of USTTA Ratings would take on
more meaning; there was an expansion of Junior play; a widespread acceptance of the need for
prize money; and the desire for the Association to be less isolated, so that our players felt the urge
to go abroad and
wanted those worldclass players overseas
to come to the U.S. As
all who played became
more aware of the
technological advances
available, they were
forced to become more
athletic, and, caught up
so, become mentally
faster too, less lazy,
more vigorous in both
organizing more
tournaments and
barnstorming about to
play in them. In short,
there was a feeling that
U.S. Table Tennis
Dragutin Surbek: Is this a stretch?
Photo by Bora Vojnovic
could become a Sport.
11

Chapter One
1970: N.Y. Summer Tournaments. 1970: Jamaican International Championships.
After jumping ahead, via Volume V, to connect the shared U.S.-China Ping-Pong
Diplomacy Tours of 1971/1972, I return now to where Id left off in Vol. IV, and, in starting
to cover the 1970-71 season, will begin in the New York area with their post-Nationals
tournaments.
At the Trenton Team Matches (played Davis Cup style), 1970 U.S. Open eighthfinalists Tim Boggan, George The Chief Brathwaite, and Fuarnado Roberts, semifinalist
Errol Resek, and U.S. Junior Champion Mitch Sealtiel were among those battling it out.
Errols wife Jairie in her Topics coverage tells us that, in the one semi, Vic Landau/Alex
Shiroky won a close tie over Sealtiel/Steve Rigo largely on the strength of their deuce in the
3rd doubles win and Alexs near 19, 20, 15 singles debacle in which in that 2nd game he went
from 19-13 up to match-point down before winning.
In the other semi, Errol beat both Roberts and Brathwaite (whom hed also defeated,
19 in the 4th, in the final of the Long Island Closed). In the doubles, as U.S. Open semifinalists
(beaten by the winners D-J Lee/Glenn Cowan), Errol and Tim figured to be slight favorites
over George and Robbie, but they finally lost (after being down 20-17 match point) 26-24 in
the 3rd. Boggan dropped two deuce games to The Chief, but in the deciding match he upset
Robbie two straight.
In the final, it was Errol over Alex, and Tim over Vic. The doubles match was oneapiece when Landaus knee started bothering him, and he was forced to say Enough! It was
3:00 a.m.
At the June White Plains tournament, held on 5 tables in the air-conditioned Lila
Wallace YWCA, neither Long Island Closed winner
Alice Green nor runner-up Marguerite Burnett of
the U.N. entered. The Womens was won by
Westchesters Sylvia Feiner over Pat Hildebrand,
former Barbados star whod emigrated to Canada
but, having married, was now, after an 8-month
layoff, playing out of Philadelphia.
Biggest surprise of the tournament occurred in
Class A winner Alan Bells final with Senior Champ
Marcy Monasterial. Alans up 2-0 and 20-13 matchpoint. Wants to go out with his signature shotexcept
he doesnt have a signature shot. So hell improvise
will smack one in like a beau showing off for his
girl20-14, 20-15. Missed twiceo.k.,
understandable, it could happen. But now he has the
serveand serve-and-one opportunities20-16, 2017. Better be careful, eh? Wouldnt want to blow this
easy three-gamer20-18, 20-19 (Damn
ridiculous!)20-20! And, sure enough, Marcy, who
once upset a teasing Reisman, again proves himself a
one-armed bandit, steals the game, is still alive.
Alan Bell and his girl
12

In the 4th, Bell cant do a thing but try to recover from what hes
done in the 3rd. On into the 5th, and, well, now hes got his head
together, but the wins not as satisfying as it might have been.
Class B winner is Long Islands top Junior, Gary Adelman, over
Arthur Nieves. Gary will soon forsake table tennis for tennis as hes
already one of the best 14-year-olds in the East. I feel theres no
real merit in being good in table tennis, Gary will later tell Long
Island reporter Doug Smith. If youre good in tennis you can win
over $100,000; if youre good in table tennis, you win $1,000.
Since Bukiet isnt entered in, and Roberts doesnt show for, the
37-entry Mens, and Berchin and Landau arent at their best
(Freddie hasnt been playing, and Vic hasnt fully recuperated from
his knee operation), the one semis has Brathwaite (whos taken out
Sol Schiff) vs. Shiroky (who, after hes bearded Boggan, all
friendly-like tries to calm him down with some Nut Club raw
sunflower seeds). Both George and Alex are drinking honey before
Class B Winner
their match. Possibilities there for being sponsored by an
Gary Adelman
Photo by Moe Privin
enterprising advertiser?
Alex, up 2-1, consuming at the break half a quart of orange
juice, has been looking good. If George chops, Alex moves in fast, loops, then hits out hard,
once, twice, then drops. Although Shiroky has never beaten Brathwaite and maybe wont this
time as they go into the 5th, Alexs pattern of driving George back, then catching him with, as
my 9-year-old says, little bunts, rushes him to a 10-4 lead. Hes gotta be feeling his
vitaminsin fact, feels so good that he begins doing some unnecessary acrobaticswhich
brings the score to 10-9. But he again builds up a lead and admonishing self (Dont go wild)
advances to the final.
On the other side of the Draw, a trim, tanned, and
mustachioed Berchin loses in the 1st round to David Philip,
formerly of Trinidad now of Brooklyn. Introduced to serious play
by Brathwaite some 18 months ago, Dave, who lost in the As 19
in the 3rd to Bell, by practicing regularly at the N.Y. Club has
developed a good loop and has learned how to pick his shots.
Another upset is registered in the 2nd round by Al Schwartz who
comes from behind to beat Landau.
However, its Rory Brassington who emerges as the
finalist against a strangely passive Shiroky. What possesses Alex
to begin pushing with Rory I dont know. Wheres his juice? Rory
stiffly, definitively, chops every ball, wins the 1st. In the 2nd,
Brassington, up 19-16 without making one offensive stroke,
suddenly sees a ball put two feet high to his backhand. He rears
Dave Philip
up andits as if hes going to let fly a Frisbee with all his
mightwhips across a backhand that sails tracer-like long.
Follows that by roaring, BELL! Get away from the sandwich table. Dont think I dont know
youre doing it just to annoy me. Two minutes more and Rorys let Alex back into the match.
The 3rd game, won at deuce by Alex, is embarrassingly full of errors by both players. At 16-all
in the 4th, theres a crashing sound: Bell has sat down on a chair thats collapsed. From his
13

position on the floor, he hastens to apologize, then

cant resist, says, I did it just to annoy you. Down
18-19 Alex serves into the net, and they go into the
5th. What can I tell you? says Shiroky as he rounds
the table. Im not serious.
Alex opens the 5th with a whiff. Rory, up 5-1,
senses victoryor does he? He makes 4 pushing
errors, is up 6-5. Then Alex whiffs another. And
another. The dreadful play continues until one final
error by Alex allows Rory to win 19 in the 5th.
Though Brassington may celebrate with a six-pack or
two, it is not a memorable tournament.
Bad play is one thing. Horrendous, chaotic
conditions another. Allow me to bring you the NYC
Summer Holiday Openwhich is a memorable
White Plains Open Mens Champion,
Rory Brassington
tournament, held in the subterranean depths of
Photo
by Mal Anderson
Gusikoffs Club, or what was once his Club there in
rd
the basement of the Riverside Plaza Hotel on 73 St.
off Broadway.
No, the Club is not affiliated with the USTTA (costs somebody $10), but two weeks
before the tournament we do want to do the right thing, get the tournament sanctioned. We
make up and begin handing out entry blanks while we try to get hold of the Regional
Directoror, failing that, at least get to someone who knows him, warning that someone
while were at it that theres another someone here in New York who wants to punch that
Regional Director in the nose the minute he sets foot in our Clubwhich, needless to say, he
doesnt.
We make the connection and our check takes care of the sanctionafter all, short
notice or not, the USTTA can use the $35. However, its true we didnt actually play with
approved balls, and certainly we had little use for a Tournament Referee, even had such a
person been there for the first day of the tournament.
Were not picky in New York City. We live and let livemost of the time. You know,
change clothes by Table 1 (careful about the dust though). The girlswomentheyre not
jocks, more often than not they knock before they go into the one available john. This Club is
our camp-out homewe expect to rough it a little.
Fortunately, were not going to be holding the tournament just in the 4-table Club
properbut have the use of the spacious 5-table gym in the sub-basement. Id best add right
away that Im at the very whirlpool center of it all. In exchange for running the tournament I
was getting free entries and so were my two boysand, believe it or not, it would have cost
us $37.50 to enter the events we wanted to. Of course I was being practical, but I really like
making up draws, finding out who the players are, getting all the matches played somehowI
really like organizing.
And here was something that needed organizing. For, as it turned out, we could not
have the gym downstairs. It was just one of those things we hadnt checked on. The owner
was gosh-darned mad at us. And no wonder. Whoever ran the last tournament left things in a
terrible mess. Players, spectatorstheyd wanted to eat, drink, talk, smoke, litterwanted, in
short, to be at a sporting event.
14

So what am I to do? Something or nothing? Clearly well try to play the As and Bs,
the A/B Consolations, and the A Doubles as had been scheduled. I start the matches where I
can, at 5:30, half an hour before theyre expected to go off.
Night comes on. As the sun goes down, more players arrive, it gets hotter. People peek
in from the gym, the health club next dooris this the steam room? There are over 40 players
in the As, over 40 in the Bs. Soon it is too hot for some. They would like to play and leave.
When might they play their next match?
I answer the phone. It rings a lotas if each time some urgent message was trying to
get through to someone. New York Table Tennis.New York Table Tennis.
Is it too late to enter? asks a voice.
Of course not, I say. Come on down.
I keep getting up from the desk, make sure that, say, Mr. Factor knows Mr. Chen,
make sure they realize theyre next on Table 2 (which is marked Table 6). Mr. Silverstein
thinks it would be nice if Id put him against Mr. Monet whom he thinks he might beat. I agree
that, yes, things could be nicer. I strip to the bare waist, conscious that Ive low slung pants on
and that the USTTA Vice-Presidents jockey shorts are showing to men and women Ive never
seen before whove come to watch.
Its time for Mr. Madonados match. But Mr.
Maldonado is not to be seen. He may not come, says his
friend. Bill Marlins walks in, and, having found out theres
a tournament, becomes Mr. Maldonado. Whats the
default procedure? someone asks. I maneuver round him.
No, no draw sheets are posted. We have no draw
sheets. Only my scribbled on slips of paper. Occasionally,
quick guzzling a coke, I take Roman liberties. An 8ths
player (Ill play anybody but him) gets into another 8ths;
two players from a 16ths, theyre from the same Long
Island clubright, out one of you goes, is placed
elsewhere.
Seven hours later, the As and the Bs are played
out to the quarters; those in the Consolation have been
Ray Maldonado: thinks hes made the
properly consoled; and I have played a successful doubles right move by staying away from the
tournament?
match with my older son who earlier I had sent,
chaperoned, out to the Great White Way, to the movie
Downhill Racer, about a ski champion.
Juniors and the rest begin play at 9:30 in the morning.
Senior Henry Deutsch says hes going to call me in the morning. If I dont get the
downstairs gym hes not coming back. Right, Henry, I say, and wish him goodnight.
Next morning its as if Fates against us. I take the hours quick ride from suburbia
with my boys in a driving rainstorm. Having arrived in Manhattan, so intent am I in dashing
from my car through the rain, I hurry to lock the doors (this is New York, I dont forget that)
and leave my keys in the car.
The sponsor has given me the keys to the Club thoughthats the important thing
and I have only to open the door. Soon the Sterns, the Zakarins, the Grahams, the Houses, the
Gvildys, the Blejers, the Wolfs have joined my sons and me for the Junior play. Its very much
a family outing. Sort of an indoor rainy picniccoffee, orange juice, danish.
15

I pair the little ones with the little ones; the better players with those who have chances
to win trophies. There are, so to speak, modified round robinswith only the logic of a
desperate man trying to keep it all in two-hour balance.
Little 8-year-old Paul Gvildys plays very well. From time to time he is sternly coached
(in Latvian?) by his father. Arent you playing any more, Pranas? I ask him, remembering his
anguished face of 15-20 years ago. No, he has given it upno reason exactly.
My 9-year-old Scott is not beating Timmy House. His father, a professor, sits watching
(he and I are something of alter-egos; both Ohioans, we knew one another years agobut
Bob no longer plays in tournaments). Scott is cursing after very point. It does not look good.
It does not look good to me. And though I too well understand it, I dont like it. After the
match Scott and I seek the privacy of the john. Its urinals dont always work but there are
disinfectants. People dont like it! I tell him. Especially from a kid! He already knows, at
9, everything Im telling him.
The Zakarins, were it just for themselves, would not have come. Its for their boys
thats why theyre here. There are values to be had in the basements and sub-basements of the
world.
Eric, my other son, just turned 7, is playing an older boy. Erics winningand is
therefore asked to begin serving properly. I, watching, have always been leery of rules. I look
on them as a necessary evil, a means to an end, to try to keep society intact. Im hardly an
innovative or adventurous person, but just as I dont think you can teach writing, make the

Paul Gvildys

Pranas Gvildys

Scott Boggan

Timmy House

Photo by Mal Anderson

Eric Boggan

Mike Stern

Jeff Zakarin

Photo by Mal Anderson

Photo by Mal Anderson

Photo by Mal Anderson

16

words come alive, by focusing on grammar, so Im skeptical of so-called prescriptions for the
right way to lead ones life, or teach ones kid.
At home, Id just gotten Eric (like Scott before him) to our makeshift basement table,
always hoped hed have funwell, serious fun. Id never wanted to kill it for him. Now the
ball is wobbling round his small, outstretched hand. And suddenly its as if, there in that
basement, he feels all the storied weight of the world above. He comes off the table a loser,
shaking, crying. But he has rallied from 15-20 match-point down to 18-20. He has not
despaired.
Another father, Mr. Sternhe didnt play in the tournament eithertries to let his boy
go his own way. And Mike, his 10-year-old, does do that beautifullygives a game to my son
so hell get his head together and make the match more 19-19 in the 3rd interesting.
But when his boy plays the much more difficult to beat Jeff Zakarin, the Long Island
Under 13 Champion, Mr. Stern applauds point after point in encouragementmuch as I with
my clenched fist do with Scott or Eric. Jeffs younger brother, Chuck, age 8, on hearing that
Jeff has lost, is himself upset, crying. And its this disappointment, this pain, that somehow is a
value?
Mr. Van Gor, another father, is pointing out to his boy who has entered a Doubles
event on his own, Dont you ever do that to me again!
And Im saying, Well, its really more my fault than his. I sort of pushed him into it.
To which Mr. Van Gor says something like, Hes old enough to take the responsibility.
Dont you teach your children that?
I dont reply, and Mr. Van Gors rhetorical question slips away. Though Im thinking in
tandem with him, Im not in perfect agreement with him. For Ive never in my life said to my
kids, Dont ever do that to me again! For, if by chance they did, I wouldnt know how or
why to carry out my darkest threat. And yet Mr. Van Gor is surely rightone has to learn to
be responsible.
Time goes by. The young
Henry Deutsch
people will gradually be replaced
Photo by Mal Anderson
by grown-ups. Surprise! The
sponsor arrivessays, yes, we
can have the gym downstairs!
Henry Deutsch, who of course
has decided to appear anyway
come right down to it, hed rather
play than notis, well, still not
quite delighted. He suspicions
correctly that it will be a long day.
There is no loudspeaker
between floors but me, my voice,
trying to get players together for
back-up matchesme yelling not
10 feet away from Table 1. The
barriers? There arent any between tables. And theres no way to get to, say, Table 5 but to
play, as it were, Red light, Green light past Tables 1-2-3-4. Perhaps you can imagine how
people are talkingthough its probably the best-run tournament theyve had in New York
City for years, at least from the point of view of quickly getting matches on and off the tables.
17

SILENCE! roars Rory

Brassington who, leading the
Canadian Champ Larry Lee two
games to one, is on his way to
losing in the 5th. The very
foundations of the place ought to
shakebut not the people, theyre
unmoved.
Mr. Briceno, the former
Ecuadorian Champ, is puzzled by
it all. Its as if hes never seen
anything like it in the Americas. He
doesnt even understand what the
events are. Suppose he loses, what
are the rules here? He is playing in the final of the As against Curtis McNear. No, no, Mr.
Briceno! I rush up past three tables (Let! Let!Let!) Mr. Briceno, you got beat in
the semis! Mr. RaoHERE, MR. RAO!Mr. Rao plays Mr. McNear.
Mr. McNear doesnt care who he plays. So long as theres an umpire he likes or at
least doesnt dislike. Not though that he needs an umpire, or referee, hes always managed
pretty well by himself. Cyril Ledermans list of qualified umpiresyou can use that, read that
in the john; Curtis wants to see the man face to face, then well see what happens.
McNear, however, is not without honor. He values, for example, grace under
pressurea strength which, whether Curtis knows it or not, he got in some measure from his
opponent Al Schwartz during their disputed match.
As the nervous hours pass, the contests there in the depths continue. Civilization
ultimately prevails. Players may yell at spectators (LEO!) and spectators may yell back (UP
YOURS!). But, inexorably, guided by the Master Directors hand, the tournament wobbles to
a conclusion.
What, I wonder, did Pauline Somael and her little Rice Chex girl who dropped by think
of it all? The names of the women playersthey were unfamiliar, said Pauline, whos been out
of the Game for a while.
And always there were those who came to me wanting to know when they could play
so they could leave. And those, too, who (liking what they saw?) wanted to join the USTTA
and did I have change for a twenty?
As night again is coming on, or seems to be, Im talking to Mr. Van Gor. He wants to
know where his children are supposed to play. The Junior Doubles are still going on. Theyve
been held back for a while, but now they really must be played. Send the kids upstairs!
shouts somebody next to me. To that hot house, I think, no wayand just then I hear
someone out there on the floor yelling at me.
Shut the duck up! At least thats what one might have thought he said to me. Shut
the duck up! And, well, as Im looking into Mr. Van Gors eyes, I wasnt about to take that
quack connotation. I wasnt serenely floating on stream, and I wasnt a quack. And so rising
up and addressing whoever it was out there screaming for silence, I shouted at the top of my
voice, Oh, goshdarnit! Oh, goshdarnit! This player wants quiet! This player wants quiet!
And having gotten that poison out of my system I resumed talking quite reasonably to Mr. Van
Gor.
Curtis McNear

18

All good things come to an end, and I heard later that the tournament was over with
around 10:00 p.m.which here in the City must have set some sort of record. No, it wasnt a
give-up on my part, it was simply that the tournament had progressed to where it didnt need
me and I, easing the pressure, certainly didnt need it.
I left early, around 7:30. Yes, my sweet wife had taken the train in from Long Island,
and opened that hot car I had trapped myself with. Tim was mean to me, she confided to
Bernie, and Bukiet, smiling, as if hed seen me testy before, said to her, You come home with
me. So I went with my family back to suburbia. Four forty-five in the morning, thats when I
was getting up. My holiday weekend was over. Now, like most other people, I had work to
do.
Results:
Mens: Bernie Bukiet over Vic Landau. Womens: Hilary Cohen
over Pat Hildebrand. Mixed Doubles: Larry Lee/Cohen over Dave Gaskill/
Hildebrand. A Singles: Mohan Rao over Curtis McNear. B Singles: Marty
Theil over Arthur Nieves. A-B Doubles: Nieves/Rao over McNear/Philip.
Seniors: Henry Deutsch over Gerardo Briceno. Mens Consolation:
Deutsch over Pete Cohen. A-B Consolation: Irwin Wolf over Alan Moran.
Junior 17: Jeff Zakarin over Timmy House. Junior 15: Mike Stern over
House. Junior 13: House over Zakarin. Junior Doubles: Mike and Muriel
Stern over House/Scott Boggan.
Jamaican International Championships
Moving on, I might as well go for another unusual, but really fun
Irwin Wolf
summer tournamentespecially since Brathwaite, Resek, and Roberts
have been invited to it. This ones the Jamaican International Championships being played in
Kingston thats written up for Topics (Sept.-Oct., 1970,
16) by Errols wife Jairie and Robbie.
The other top American player invited was John
Tannehill, but since his luggage couldnt keep up with
him, from Cleveland to New York to Kingstonhe was
into Errols clothes for the beginning of our trip. No
problem identifying himself at the Jamaica airport,
though, for there wasnt any customs inspection. After
being offered a rum drink or two, the party was
driven, as if by Gods escort, down the middle of a
two lane highway, with cars frantically coming and
going, to the downtown Kingston Hotel, well known
for its night life entertainment. That and the pool made
it a good place to stay.
The several days of play took place in the
Arena next to the Soccer Stadium, under perfect
John Tannehill and friend
tournament conditions (except for an occasional
Photo by Bert Jacobs
brown-out, some sort of Con-Edison-like power
failure). Beginning exhibitions and warm-up matches
seemed to increase spectator appreciation, and led to, first, a New York vs. West Indies
Match, and then the climactic International Championships.
19

New York (Brathwaite, Resek, Tannehill) won 5-2 against

the West Indies (Trinidads Derek DeSilva, and Jamaicas Orville
Les Haslam, and Robbie).Resek and Tannehill beat Roberts, and
all three U.S. stars beat the somewhat moody on-off DeSilva.
Roberts stopped Brathwaite, a popular win, but it was the
handsome, exceptionally fit, London-based Haslam that the crowd
of 3,000 wanted to see in action. People everywhere, in the streets
and in the hotelswho wanted to betand bet heavilykept
asking Robbie if Tannehill could take a game off Haslam or
possibly even win the match. To which Robbie would reply that,
Yes, he could take a game at least.
However, in this West Indies Match, Haslams springing
loop from a squat position, his treacherous side-spin serve proved
Derek DeSilva
far too much for John to handle and the match was turned into an
From the 1972 Caribbean exhibition. A smart move, for perhaps many in the audience were
Championships Program
convinced that Tannehill wouldnt be showing his real stuff until
the International the following night, when of course theyd be back to watch.
To me, the most interesting part of this Kingston coverage, and one that we in the U.S.
could take a lesson from, can be seen in the following two paragraphs:
Promoter Baz (Buzz) Freckleton, Secretary of the Jamaican Association,
shrewdly ran the week long matches to please the thousands of wildly screaming, up
on their feet spectators. If they wanted a little TV exhibition stuff he gave it to them. If
they wanted serious play he gave it to them. Fans like this you never saw in the States.
Paid attendance like this you never saw in the States.
Peanuts! Popcorn! Candies! Sweets! You could hardly hear the vendors for
the excitement. It was all so much like a night game in some not so lily-white sport.
Always dramatic, always interesting, the more so becauseoh, you could tell from
their beautiful facesthe spectators refused to be bored, insisted on involving
themselves in the game. Moreover, because there was only one table in use each night
one sensed always a ring of excitement round the combatants.
Mens Singles play would of course highlight the tournament. But there was a Mens
Doubles finalwon 3-1 by Haslam/Brathwaite over Roberts/DeSilva. And there was a
Womens final too. Monica DeSouza, whom wed seen play in the U.S., defeated fellow
Guyanian Doreen Chowhah who, only two weeks before in Barbados, won the West Indies
Championship. Ms. Chowhah said she didnt like to be a Champion. Oh? Why not?
Because then, she said, everybodys against you.
In the Mens, it certainly looked like the participants wanted to be Champions, and
were treated accordingly. Roberts, playing with a hard bat, on beating DeSilva and returning to
his bench, had to stand up and bow to the crowd. Of course there were upsets and near
upsets that pleased the crowd. Errol, whom the local papers hailed as coming not from the
Dominican Republic but from Hungary, and who in practice had twice held Mike Baptiste
under 10, unaccountably lost to him, 18, 19, in the all too real match.
As for Brathwaite, hed been in trouble with lanky collegian Garth Isaacs who down
15-5 in his match with Tannehill had rallied to 19-all before losing. But down 18-16 in the 3rd,
20

The Chief stays focused and doesnt allow Garth another point. Then more trouble for
George against the ever-smiling Mike Baptiste, always a cool, thinking player. But
Georges defense proved too solid, and in beating Baptiste in 3, George takes 3rd place in the
tournament.
The final of course is between Haslam and Tannehill, and its said that 5,000 spectators
have come to watch. Were the 6,3, 210-pound Haslam who runs a table tennis clinic in
London interested in making movies (which as it happens he is), he could do a lot worse than
to star himself on two continents in this production.
In their 1st game, Tannehill shows tremendous control, makes really magnificent
placementsbut, down 19-16, Haslam rears that upright forehand and smacks the ball silly,
runs the game out! No, John is not demoralized by Less rally, nor by the thunderous claps, is
not even intimidated, for he wins the next two games 11 and 18. Haslam almost beaten three
straight! What are the odds on that?
John continues his gutsy play. But Haslams power shots (He hits the ball harder
from both sides than anybody Ive ever seen, says Tannehill) again and again have thousands
up off their feet screaming. At 18-all, John mis-serves (or, as the local Daily Gleaner put it,
he buffed the vital service), and loses the 4th. Match all even.
The normal expression in Jamaica for a good loop that is returned high and is
followed by a good kill is Loop! Cock-up! Wham! Well, an ardent fan of Haslams was
overheard yelling, Loop! Cock-up! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! In fact, both players are
whamming like crazy. However, here in the 5th, Les breaks open the game early and by sheer
power limits John to only 10 points.
So its a happy ending for Jamaicans: Haslam, pressured, overcomes the would-be
Giant Killer Tannehill, almost a certain pick for the U.S. World Team, and remains a National
Hero. Soon, we hope, hell compete in the States. His presence there, along with others like
him, can only help our players improve.
Haslam wins 1970 Jamaican International.
Les raises his paddle, Tannehill applauds
Photo from Kingston Daily Gleaner
Inset photo by Mal Anderson

21

Chapter Two
1970: Books by Carr, Leach, and Carrington. 1970:
Remaining Summer Tournaments.
Its also hoped that U.S. players can improve by
taking to heart advice found in three books reviewed in
Topics about this time. However, I must say, in starting with
Jack Carrs book, Advanced Table Tennis, that the insideflap rhetoric of the publishers dust jacket doesnt serve
Coach Carr well. It cheapens the hoped-for high seriousness
of the book in hedging that it ought to be owned by those
who are truly interested in the pastime of table tennis
as if, truly, Jacks stated intention to assist in developing a
mediocre player into a top-ranking tournament player
would frighten a would-be buyer away.
Carr acknowledges that todays deceptive serves
are a problem. If you cant analyze the spin, and the
server wont tell you what hes doing, ask his teammates,
says Jack. Though why theyd tell
him I dont know. In fact, they
might even practice a little
gamesmanshiptell him the wrong
thing. Jacks all for a little
gamesmanship himself when he
urges keeping your opponent off
balance by varying the time taken
between servessomething the
top players of the old hard rubber
era didnt do, for back then stalling
wasnt sporting and players werent
using the serve as a weapon,
werent looking to serve and
follow. Jack offers a good tip when
he warns players about falling into
predictable pattern play
something I myself have been guilty
of, mindlessly blocking ball after ball
to my opponents backhand rather
than at least occasionally angling it to
his middle or far forehand.
Chapter Two stresses various
attacking strokesDanny Pecoras,
for example, is shown to be much
flatter than Marty Reismans straightup snap and Statue-of-Liberty finish.
22

D-J Lee gives us the backhand counter-drive, and Dell Sweeris his inverted forehand loop with
a high-up lengthy follow-through. Carr notes that the free arm among some players, whether
on attack or defenseReisman, for one; Violetta Nesukaitis, for anotheris not always in
wing-like balance. Still, whoever called Reisman unbalanced?
Chapters Three and Four deal with defense. Carr advises the reader to strive to get
the feeling of holding the ball on the racket during the chop, since this will add to his control.
A long follow-through will further this feeling, while a short punching stroke will eliminate
control and touch completely. Jack also devotes several pages to the lob, though many clubs
have small ceilings.
In his concluding Chapter Five, Preparation for Tournament Play, Jack says theres
no point getting upset over questionable Draws or an umpires unfavorable decision:
nothings going to change, and if you do complain, you will merely cause animosity. No
doubt. Still, whether its too taxing for the nervous system or not, too self-defeating in the
end or not, my own position is always to register what I as an individual think is a legitimate
protest. I feel more alive, more responsible that way.
The last third of the book, the Appendix section, features articles by top experts.
In writing on Nutrition and Performance, Dr. Evelyn Jones, of the University of California at
Santa Barbara (whose liaison help was solicited by Santa Barbaras own Brooke Williams),
concludes that the attainment of an adequate diet thus involves the proper selection of foods
to provide the needed nutrients. Former Decathlon Champion Bill Toomey states that the
average citizen who works at a desk doesnt have the same problem as the athlete who is
constantly working towards physical development. So, unlike Ms. Jones who says the
addition of vitamin and mineral supplements is an unnecessary expenditure, Toomey wants
his breakfast in a blendereggs, three heaping tablespoons of protein powder, fruit juice, a
tablespoon of calcium lactate, and a small amount of vegetable oil or wheat germ.
Following this comes a section on Circuit Training, and an article by Frank D. Rohter,
Ph.D. on Cardiovascular Training, involving aerobic and anaerobic energy sources. There is
no better way to train for the championship table tennis tournament circuit than by a longdistance running regimen. Championship circuit? Anyway, its all italicized, important. In this
section, too, Carr offers various figured illustrations of helpful exercises recommended by the
Swedish TTA.
Dick Yamaokas article on Racket Surfaces explains just what a sponge racket is.
And Carr provides tips for conducting a coaching clinic where presumably most of those
attending will be using the modern sponge racket, either inverted or sandwich.
Finally, Jack says, much can be gained by not only watching but talking to champions. Of
course this may not be easy to do. One just doesnt properly come up to a champion whose
life has literally been this Sport and, with a business-like eye or a presumptuous sort of
familiarity, expect him/her to give so freely, so sportingly of what hes worked so hard to
acquire. Such a champion knows what the well-intentioned amateur has yet to learnthat all
good things cost dearly.
From Feb. 1, 1969 to Jan. 1, 1970, Jacks royalties from his $5.95 Advanced book
were $388.93, which he generously assigned to the USTTA.
Don Gunn says former World Champion Johnny Leachs Better Table Tennis,
intended to reach the teenager, has each stroke with a sandwich bat briefly but sufficiently
described, including the loop. Gunn says the whole tone of the book is light, permissive,
succinct, and clearmuch like Dons own writing.
23

Don himself has an adjacent article to his Leach review (TTT, Nov., 1970, 6) in which
he skewers table tennis players, particularly teenagers, for filling their stomachs (and minds)
with garbagethough he has to admit that at tournament sites the player usually has no
choice but bad food. Don also rails against the notion that table tennis has psychotherapeutic
powers; that hitting the ball releases tension, provides a healthy outlet for aggressions, etc.
Rubbish! The game is frustrating to many, including top players, and builds more tensions than
it relieves. What with net dribblers, edge balls, and ones own bad shots, the whole procedure
is infuriating. Devotion to table tennis is a form of masochism.
In reviewing English Coach Jack Carringtons Progressive Table Tennis, Steve Arnold
says the book is divided into three sections: (1. an historical survey of types of bats, styles,
and rubber surfaces. (2. a training program designed to produce all-around playerswith a
beginning emphasis on touch play and push shots, as well as how to make judgment
decisions and neutral shots. In this section, Carrington details four types of game
techniques which can be used to score points against a defendera steady Building Power
Drive with which the player uses 80% of his power; a Wearing Down the Defence
technique where the 80% power drive is suddenly interspersed with a sudden shot directed at
a sharper angle to break the rhythm of play; a Lightning Flash Attack using a 100% of the
players power; and a Topspin Variation that combines loops, drives, pushes, and directional
placing to force an error. Whats needed against any defender are variety and patience.
Section (3. emphasizes Carringtons explanation of attack play. Want to learn the loop
drive? Just aim to whip the thinnest film of dust off the ball upwards. Gradually accelerate the
contact only by loosening your arm, and by using your body-spring to help. For more power,
accelerate, whip more spin by closing the elbow more sharply and using more wrist snap.
Remaining Summer Tournaments
At the Columbus
Sweepstakes tournament, one
begins to get the idea through
Bert Jacobs write-up (TTT,
Sept.-Oct., 1970, 7) that Dell
Sweeris is not really intent on
making the U.S. Team to the
Nagoya Worlds. How is he
preparing for his matches here?
He begins with a round of golf,
John Temple
after which, arriving at the
tournament, he initially goes 5 with John Temple,
then might be seen playing blackjack with
Michigan cronies Karklas and McEvoy. Just in
passing, whos the card player Tom McEvoy?*
Richard Farrell: had Tannehill match point
Well, right now, Bert tells us, Toms known as a
Photo by Mal Anderson
table tennis eccentric: plays with a piece of board,
painted black, sticks a handle on it, and then, hand
out, hand-in, he stands at the table Max Marinko styleand beats people.
In the one semis, Ohio Closed Champ Richard Farrell eliminates Sweeris in 5. Dells
playing with pips out on both sidessays it will help him to hit quicker against [D-J] Lee.
24

Problem is, with the pips hes not winning as many

matches as before when with the inverted he relied more
on spin than speed, and, as one player put it, he never
gets to Lee. Bert says that maybe if he loses enough
matches he wont be seeded any more and then can draw
Lee, say, in the 2nd round? Seriously, though, Dell
knows he too often tries to play his old inverted style
and that [with the pips] it just wont work. So, says
Bert, look for him to change.
In the other semis, Tannehill does chain-smoker
Tim OGrosky in. Bert then opts for a riff on Tim:
Tim OGrosky

Practice, practice, practice! Its as if OGrosky

and Farrell never leave the club, as if they practice in their
sleep, their dreams.
OGrosky! OGrosky! At any one moment, especially when hes fresh and
ready to play, hes Kohno or Ito or Fukushima. Always an imitator. Always switching
his penholder rubberfrom pimpled to inverted and back. Going (Rippp!) from one to
another even during a match.
Photo by Mal Anderson

Farrell, too, is playing with pimpled rubber, and(but Ill let Bert describe the final for you)
is often out-exchanging Tannehill on the backhand, giving John something
of a dead ball which hes hitting into the net.
Slow down, John! says Bong Mo Lee, thought by many to be the best coach
in the U.S. and better even than Ogimura. This Lee (D-J was in Oklahoma giving an
exhibition) had been away from the Columbus club at least a yearhe left shortly after
he was not chosen to coach the U.S. Team at the Munich Worldsand now, on his
return, is given a standing ovation. Volley it out! Volley it out! Bong Mo says to John.
Lots of exchanges later, its deuce in the fifthand twice John has the ad. And both
times, Farrell, to the crowds delight, powders it in. He has the hardest forehand of
anybody in the country, says John who enjoys making this kind of statement. Then Farrell
gets the ad and BOOM! bangs another of Johns loops. Will it go in? Is this the match? In
that split second John literally jumps in frightas if its a bullet Farrell is aiming to finish
him off with. But, no, it misses. And John, winning the next two points, is alive and well,
and, with a young gunfighters already old reputation, is fair game again for the next man.
Sweeris begins his account of the Grand Rapids Summer Open (TTT, Nov., 1970, 13)
by telling the readership that I asked him for a write-up. And though I didnt get all the results
of said tournament, I am gonna reproduce here what Dell wrote about it:
[Along] comes one, Jerry Karbulkawho I dont know from Adam. Enters
the handicap. We give him 45 on his way to 50 (Never played in a USTTA tournament
before). Turns out hes some sort of modified penholder. Oh, oh. A mistake. I can see
it already. Look at that loop! And, oh!SMACK!Have you ever seen anyone hit a
harder forehand!
25

We quick cut him down to 15. Now he tells

us he used to be #7 in Czechoslovakia! The handicap
is a joke. Wed like to forget about it. He beats
Connie. Goes on to other events. Beats Kimiyo
Kurimoto, nee Matsuzaki, the former Womens
World Champion. His forcing serves and follow-up
loops are more than she can handleshes not
expected that sort of contest, shes not ready for it.
Suddenly its apparent that this unknown Karbulka
must be one of the top 20 players in the country. A 45
handicap, huh? Embarrassing.
Pretty soon Richard Farrell arrives. Hes just
beaten me in the Columbus Sweepstakes. Well, at least I
dont have to worry about him. Hes a spectator. Makes
the third-straight time hes come to our tournament and
hasnt played. Figure that out, I cant.
All right, folks. Ive delayed long enough. The
Jerry Karbulka
Mens
Singles
has come down to the last four players
Photo by Bill Scheltema
and now were going to play a round robinme,
Peter Pradit, Jim Lazarus, and, sure enough, that Jerry Karbulka fellow.
I get by Jim, but, boy, its a five-game struggle. Ever since he bought my robot hes
just been excellent against spin, doesnt miss loops at all now.
Jim beats Karbulka. He hits steadily when he gets the chance and hes got that
heavy chop to fall back on. Karbulka ends up getting his own spin back.
As for Pradit, Jim darn near beats him too, loses in five.
Pradit beats me, avenging his
loss in the Elkhart Summer Open, and then
has to go five to edge Karbulka, so
you can see this Czech can play.
Indeed, sad to report, as the
hours wane and little children
have long been fast asleep I lost
another one, 21-18 in the fifth,
toKarbulka.
At the North
Carolina Open, Duke
doctoral student Kuo-San
Chung, a penholder who
uses the wood on his
backhand exclusively for
chopping, won the Mens,
and with it the #1 State
ranking. In the final he beat
former U.S. Top Ten player
Steve Isaacson who after
the first game, defaulted,

1970 North Carolina #2, Hou-ming Chang...just a spectator

Photo by Steve Murray (Raleigh Times)

Inset photo: Steve Isaacson, Mens runner-up

26

apparently just weighted down with exhaustion. In the semis, Steve defeated Mike Auerbach
who won the Class As from Alex Gellen. In an article in the Sept.-Oct., 1970 Topics, Steve
advocated disbandment of the Selection Committee and suggested that in the future the U.S.
World Team be selected via three qualifying tournaments, each tournament gradually reducing
the contenders to those who finally best survive and make the Team.
H Blair tells us (TTT, Sept.-Oct., 1970, 6) that when youre as big and strong as
Richard McAfee ishes 64 and weighs 240when you can hit from either side, when you
have a pretty fair loop and a good defense, [and] when you can return the loop most of the
time, it figures you can win the Orlando Summer Open.
Big Macs victims? In the 18, 18, 21 quarters, its Marv Leff, who clings to pimpled
rubberhas classic strokes and a fine defense, but doesnt play too often between
tournaments. In the 20, 17, 15, 10 semis, its Jim Altenbach. And in the 13, 19, -19, 13
final, its Macs regular doubles partner, Ray Mergliano. Ray, ranked #2 in the South, had
earlier dropped a game to Olga Soltesz who was playing in the Mens for the much needed
stiffer competition. I presume Olga won the Womens from the visiting Sue Hildebrandt?
Though 14-year-old John Quick was able to beat Olgas father, pimpled-rubber
chopper Paul Soltesz, he was afterwards eliminated by Raleighs Jim McQueen. John was
also upset in the Under 15s by Tom Seay, the Novice winner and Class B runner-up.
The Merritt Island, FL Club hosted a Summer Team Tournament in which, as Marlene
Tyler reports (TTT, Sept.-Oct., 1970, 6), a 5th match if necessary would determine the tie
only this time a doubles, not singles, would be played. In an early match, ex-New Jerseyan
Steve Rigo pairs with Olga Soltesz against Barry Rost and Sam Hoffner. Barry wins both his
singles, but Sam, having switched to sponge after forty years with a hard bat, suffers, as he
says, withdrawal symptoms, and shows his frustration in losing both his singles and the
doubles decider. Neither of these teams can advance, however, for they cant beat the Joe
Sokoloff/Steve Federico/Ernie Renzetti team. Given Sokoloffs strength, maybe Barry, as his
friend Bert Jacobs suggests, should chuck the t.t. and play the Florida dog circuit?
The team of Yee-Tak Fung, a Formosan who speaks Japanese/Andy Beckenback/Don
Story also goes down to the Sokoloff teamthough Fung does do in Renzetti who angers Ms.
Tyler because on being beaten he throws his racket down. Ms. Tyler says Fung is a very
friendly guy, as witness
His Japanese is so good that he explained some of those little pictures (they
say theyre words) written on a match boxand, darn, it ruined all my fun. Id thought
it would be something eligible for Playboy. (In case youre interested, it described a tea
partyand with a musical background. Didnt fit in too well with the aroma of
perspiration and the Gatorade crowd around me.)
Oh, oh, heres the McAfee/Quick teamand Fung and Co. cant beat them. Ms. Tyler,
whos just said she hoped to have the fun of seeing Playboy pictures (oh? really? what kind of
fun?), and who I gather preferred to be apart from the jock crowd, their aroma of
perspiration, and any show of passion such as Renzettis, now doesnt like Fungs complaint
about the antiseptic gym, the lighting (too bad, she says, white floors, walls, and a bright sun
is what he and everyone else has to contend with). Whoopee! she writes when McAfee beats
Fung. Hes local, and never complains. We like him here and you will too when you see him
as a famous champ some day.
27

The Sokoloff/Renzetti vs. McAfee/Quick final goes into the

5thand after, as Ms. Tyler says, a few temper tantrums by Quick,
Sokoloff-Renzetti win. Who gets the Outstanding Player trophy?
Quick. Needless to say, Ms. Tyler disagrees with the choice. You
gentlemen seem to think that, because hes young and fast and good,
hes outstanding. But why dont you look around at some of the
players who have tried very hard.
From my point of view, an aficionados point of view, Ms.
Tyler, with her desire for niceties and her very set, sometimes
presumptuous opinions, is as far from understanding serious table
tennis, from feeling what it means to be a professional player in any
Sport, as one can
be.
Memorial Day
weekend at Moore,
OK, the citys
Shopping Center
there, saw
John Quick, MVP
Oklahoma Citys
Photo by Mal Anderson
Dennis Crawford,
18-year-old Dennis
1970 Oklahoma
Crawford take his
Mens Champion
first State title. He became the Mens
Champion by defeating two former winners,
Vernon Eisenhour and Hungarian-born Steve
Engel. In the Double Elimination format,
Vern beat Steve initially, but then, after
losing to Crawford, was ousted by Steve in
their replay. With Crawfords loop having
done heavy damage to Engel, Ron Shirley
points out that for five straight years now
theres been a different Champion. Since
1966 its been Engel, Ed Ellis, Fred King,
Eisenhour, and now Crawford. Other
winners: Womens: Ozella Henderson (for
the third straight time). Mens Doubles: Engel and Eisenhour over Crawford and Ron Shirley
whose interest in the Sport grew after an Oklahoma State classmate took him to a local t.t.
club. Seniors: Lou Coates. Juniors: (in the absence of perennial winner Norm Behymer) Jim
Hammond.
Crawford, Eisenhour, Engel and Behymer went on to win the Southwest Cities Team
Tournament in Amarillo.
New Yorks Stuart Lassar flew out to Denver to visit friends and play in the July
Rocky Mountain Open (TTT, Nov., 1970, 12). He soon found he couldnt return Jerry
Plybons serves, couldnt bring the ball down to the table because Denver is one mile up,
and the ball kept flying four feet past the table. After 10 minutes play, he couldnt catch his
breath unless he stopped to restthis because of the high altitude and, just possibly, because
hed recently put on 10-15 pounds.
28

Jerry showed Stuart the robot that lived in his garage, and, as this was Stus initial
experience in meeting and playing against such a creature, he said he found it a truly
degrading experience to try to return super-topspin. On the plus side, Stu said he felt the
more welcome because a list of all out-of-state players [was posted] outside the playing
room. His favorite moment? Not when he lost either to Plyborn or Mac Horn, but when
around midnight he demanded that his bare-footed opponent in the A Finals [slippery floor,
you know] change his shirt, a lovely bright orange number, to a dark one. (Play was with
Hanno orange balls?)
Some results: Mens Double Elimination: Plybon, after splitting matches with Horn,
won the decider. Womens: Xuan Ferguson over J. Hughes. Mens Doubles: Jay Evans/J. Mell
over Lassar/Carl Lewis. Mixed Doubles: Plybon/Hughes over Edgar Stein/E. Larson. As:
Lassar over Steve Dodgen. Bs: W. Sprague over F. Ward, 28-26 in the 3rd. Seniors: Stein
over Horn in 5. 17s: Steve Dodgen over B. Heller. 15s: Dodgen over Murray Kutler. 13s:
Kutler over Heller.
Up in Seattle at the Seafair Tournament,
Tom Ruttinger dominated the Mens event,
didnt lose a game to runner-up Joe Lee or
anyone else. Earl Adams, covering the play
for Topics (Sept.-Oct., 1970, 12), said that
Tom handled semifinalist Jeff Kurtz with
ease, after Jeff had stopped aggressive
topspinner William Yee in 5. In the other
semis, Joe eliminated Harry McFadden who
in the quarters had taken advantage of Rob
Roberts, Rob having spent a year in Vietnam
away from competitive play. Roberts,
partnered by Lee, did win the Doubles
thoughover the pick-up pair of Ruttinger/
Tom Ruttinger, Seattle Seafair Champ
Peter Yip whod just gotten by the Lo
brothers
th
after being down 2-1 and at deuce in the 4 . In the one
semis in Seniors play, McFadden stopped Dick Tucker,
slimmed down on health food; and in the other, Art
Schuff beat Canadian TTA President-to-be Art Barron in 3.
In the 5-game final, McFaddens topspin game was just a
bit better than Schuffs smooth defense behind an English
Rubber bat.
Some other winners: Womens R.R.: 1st: Judy
Bochenski. 2nd: Kathy Harrigan. AAs: Roberts defaulted to
Adams whod downed Yip in 5 in the semis. As: Bob Ho
over Roland Bourassa in 5. A Doubles: Bob Tossey/Carl
Lehrhoff over Tucker/Sam Babener. Bs: Dave Yates over
Bob Ho, a winner at
George Mason in 5. Juniors: Judy Bochenski (after being
the Seattle Seafair
down 2-0) over Danny Mattson.
From Dec. 6-7, 1980
San Franciscos late Aug. Cable Car Classic drew
Pacific Northwest
Open Program
mostly local players. David Chan won the Mens over Jeff
29

Mason, apparently recovered now from his June car accident and a couple of broken ribs.
Irene Ogus was the Womens winner over L. Fleming. Senior Champ Allan Herskovich paired
with Chan to take the Doubles. Other winners: As: Kwan Wong. A Doubles: Ramon
Fernandez/Leroy Kondo. Bs: Howard Chuck. B Doubles: Kondo/Harry Sandner. Cs: Robert
Eckert. Ds: G. Mendenhall. Sat. Consolation: Mohammed Aghili. 17s and 15s: Dan
Blumberg.
Two Southern California tournaments were reportedthe June Hollywood Summer
Open, followed by the Aug. Cinema Open. Makes you think that movies might have been
shown in an anteroom? Well never know because neither tournament came with a write-up. In
Mens play at these two Opens, Jack Howard and Glenn Cowan split. Notably, in June Glenn
avoided a hurtful loss by edging Denis OConnell deuce in the 5th; and in Aug. Jack got the
better of Erwin Klein in 4. Wendy Hicks won the Womens at both tournaments. First runnerup was Priscilla (nee Resek), back playing at Milla Boczars Hollywood Club, but now
(remarried) as Priscilla Parker. Second runner-up was Irene Ogus. Hicks also took both the
Mixed Doubles with her coach Howardthough cinematically they were 25-23 in the
deciding 3rd hard-pressed to beat Cowan and his girlfriend Hannlori Hass. Glenn won both the
Mens Doubles, earlier with Russ Thompson, later with Bobby Gusikoff.
Some other results: In June, Russ Thompson won the Seniors over Danny Banach; in
Aug., Banach the Seniors over Julius Paal. Both Class As went to George McGhee, last
seasons #1-ranked B player in California. Ray Guillen, who told a reporter he used to
practice eight hours a day with a sandpaper racket, was fast becoming a Hollywood Teen
Idol? He won the Bs, the B Doubles, the C Doubles (with Paul Raphel whod ousted him in
the Cs), and the 17s over Barry Nelson (whod eliminated Raphel). Ray and Paul then
continued their dramatics in Aug.: the two of them winning the B Doubles, Ray the 17s over
Paul and the 17 Doubles with Cindy Cooper, Paul the B Singles and the Sunday Consolations
over another promising Junior, Eric Thom.
Ray Mack, reminiscing, in a long Nov. 30, 2005 e-mail to me wrote about his
Hollywood, CA Club days as a ping-pong
junkie (I played table tennis about 5-6 times
a week, playing up to 8 hours a day on
weekends). Heres his opening:
I found the Hollywood club
easy enough, stepping up the many
stairs, and hearing that sound I wanted/
needed to hear. It was the sound of
multiple table tennis balls in a room,
with the squeak and stomping of feet
moving to the balls.There, on table
one, was Bobby Gusikoff and Glenn
Cowan going at it. And, gasp, they
were playing with no shirts on! Down
the line, a veritable whos who of West
Coast superstars. Erwin Klein was
playing Denis OConnell (probably for
$10, they didnt play for much less than
30

Ray Mack: Ping-Pong Junkie

that). And there was Jack

Howard, playing with Nick
Mintsiveris, their steady
cracking cadence mesmerizing
to me. These six tables were
right next to each other,
separated only by pillars. It
was here that I learned there
was no such thing as a let.
Raphel could have
been playing Roy Skluth, a
millionaire who came to the
club for a workout. Riding up
in his Rolls Royce, with its
gold-plated grill, he would
pay/bet the juniors or
OConnell for a set or three.
Although he was probably a
1700-level and still getting
points to make it interesting,
he was never quick/smart/
severe enough to win much
more than an occasional game.
But he got the workout and
mental gymnastics that he
wanted, at a low cost. It was a
win/win situation for all.
SELECTED NOTES.
*Many years later, that casual table tennis card player would turn out to be Grand
Rapids Tomone of the countrys champion poker professionals.

31

Chapter Three
1970: D-J Lee/Kimiyo Kurimoto Win
Toronto CNE.
The Northwest is one of two places
where U.S. and Canadian players are for
sure going to interact. The other is at the
Toronto Canadian National Exhibition held
annually over the Labor Day weekend. This
popular 4-day vacation-tournament had a
listed 262 entries. Opening Thursday play
was confined to Canadian Closed events,
giving those from the Provinces a warm-up
edge over the visiting Americans. In the 8team Mens Inter-Provincial Matches,
Ontario #1 (Derek Wall, Modris Zulps, Bill
Cheng) edged British Columbia (Larry Lee,
Phil Cheng, William Yee) in a 5-4 thriller.
While Ontario lost all 3 to Lee, Wall and
Zulps didnt lose another, and Bill Cheng
City Hall, Toronto
won the one match he had to against Yee.
From the 1970 CNE Program
The Womens Inter-Provincial Matches were
also won by Ontario (Violetta and Flora Nesukaitis, Barbara Jekir, Jenny Marinko) over
Quebec, 5-3.
Defending and 3-time Canadian
Closed Champ Larry Lee, surviving a 5-game
struggle in the 8ths with former Quebec Open
Champion Graham Gear, was afterwards
beaten in the semis by Errol Caetano 3-0. In
advancing to the final, Errol had taken out
Zulps, deuce in the 4th, and Bill Cheng in the
quarters. A natural athletehis parents
were both hockey internationals for
GuyanaErrol would win the John
Adminis Best Junior of the Year award, and
would have a great 1970s career ahead of
him as Canadas best player. The gifted
lefthander whod like to be a Phys. Ed.
instructor (see CTTA News, May, 1972, 10) is
something of a sports phenomhe cleared
511 at the York Track Meet in 1971 and
plays on the school basketball team, which
trains every night after school.
The gifted Errol Caetano
On the opposite side of the Draw in
Photo by Mal Anderson
the semis, the transplanted South African
32

Derek Wall looked to be in great danger of being beaten by the long-haired, intently serious
Milda Milacek. Down 2-0 and 10-8 in the 3rd, Wall is obviously disgusted with himself and no
doubt irritated by the many Canadians in the stands cheering Milacek on.
Milda was the 1963 Junior Badminton Champ of Czechoslovakia, but has had to
curtail his playing because the private clubs are just too expensive for him. Now he would like
to play more table tennis, train hard, but of course he has to make a living. Employers here, he
notes sadly, will not allow him to take even so much as an occasional long weekend.
I cant get a shot on the table, man, Wall is saying to a friend from the States whos
come over to root for him. Then, immediately he loops a ball, hard, in.
Who won over there? he asks, referring to the LeeCaetano semi. Caetano, comes the answer. The right answer.
Last year, Lee, in taking the Championship, exhausted defender
Wall in the final. But now Lee is out. And suddenly Derek is in.
He wins the 3rd, 4th, and 5th games, advances to the final. Then,
four games later as Caetano spins his racket high into the air, Wall
becomes the first grandfather ever to win the Canadian Closed.
Derek also took the Closed Doubles with Gear, coming from 2-1
down to beat Caetano/Bill Cheng.
The Womens of course went to Violetta Nesukaitis over
68 Champ Helen Simerl in the semis and 55 Champ Jenny
Marinko in the final, after Jenny had scored a surprise 5-game
Derek Wall, 1970 CNE
win over Joyce Hecht. I dont know if Violetta played doubles
Mens Champion
with sister Flora, but if she did, they didnt make the final. Simerl/
Marie Kerr were the winners, downing the long established
partnership of Marinko/Velta Adminis. Nor did Nesukaitis, paired with Larry Lee (it just
wasnt his tournament), come first in the Mixed. Caetano and Barbara Jekir, former Central
American Champion, stopped them in the final.
CNE Junior Play
Along with regular Junior play on Friday, the Exs Judging
Ring arena was the first-time venue for the (16-team) Junior Team
Matches (3 players to a teamone (A) under 17, one (B) under 15,
and one (C) under 13). George Jovanov
established the following format: A plays
the opposing A and B; C plays C and B;
and B plays A, B, and C. Winner has to
take 4 matches out of 7. The final four
teams were Ontario, Quebec, New York,
and Michigan. Three of these teams
George Jovanov, Junior
would end up tied; Quebec was not in
Team Matches Director
contention (but the spectators enjoyed
Montreals Jacques Bobets slam bang kill and counter-kill win
over Eddie Lo).
New York was beaten by Ontario when Gary Adelman
lost to Caetano; Rick Rumble fell to Paul Klevinas; and 9-yearJacques Bobet, Jr. old Scott Boggan dropped his two matches.
a slam-bang killer?
33

Against Michigan, however, New York rebounded. If

this tournament had a Most Valuable Player Award, Rumble
might well have won it. He began his first match of the day by
beating Danny Seemiller of the U.S. Junior Team, and now, as
Coach Jack Howard looks on, Rick, defending with bird dog
determination, edges the ever-attacking Lesner. I dont
believe it! says Bill on losing this thriller deuce in the 3rd. The
East team increases its lead after Adelman scores a 3-game win
over Mike Veillette. Then when Boggan loses two and Rumble
stops Jeff Jarvela, its N.Y. 3, Michigan 2.
So now its Lesner vs. Adelman. The first game goes to
Gary at deuceand Bill had better believe it. But in spite of
Adelmans surprise flick counter-attack to Lesners harddriving loop, Bill rallies to take the next two games. Perhaps
somebody goofed and Lesner should have been a regular,
rather than an alternate, on the U.S. Junior Team?
With the matches tied at 3-3, the question is: Can
Veillette repeat his Easterns U-13 win over Rumble? The
Ricky Rumble:
answer, though Mikes hard-driving loops and kills win the 1st,
play worthy of an MVP
rd
is No. Rumble wins 5 in a row from 13-12 in the 3 , and N.Y.
tops Michigan 4-3.
Against Ontario, Michigans off to a very shaky start when Caetano beats Veillette, and
Imdad Khan (whos not listed in the Program) downs Jarvela. But in a re-match of their U.S. Open
Boys Under 13 final, Veillette again gets the better of Klevinas, rallying from 20-17 down in the 2nd.
And since Lesner and Veillette are too strong for Khan, and Klevinas must beat Jarvela, the whole
tie centers round the Lesner-Caetano match.
They trade games and then, with the N.Y. team lustily cheering Caetano (if Ontario wins,
N.Y. comes in 2nd; if they dont, N.Y. drops to 3rd in the matches-won-and-lost tie-breaker), and
with the Michigan team wildly rooting for Lesner, the score is 15-10 Caetano. But then Bill makes
his move. Five serves help to set up five smashing forehands, and Lesner ekes it out at 19. Its Bills
good play that decides Capt. Howard, whos been given the discretion to do it, or feels he has, to
substitute Alternate
Lesner for Team
member Danny
Seemiller in the
evenings Junior
International
Matches.
In the
afternoon and
evening, after the
Team event, the
youngsters amuse
themselves with
Around the World
L-R: Bill Lesner, Scott Boggan, Jeff Smart, Gary Adelman, Dell Sweeris,
fun (each taking his
Maurice Hunter, Timmy House, Mike Veillette
34

turn at contacting the ball as he moves circularly round the table) and play their various
Divisions outthe one exception being the Junior final, which was grouped with other finals
on Sunday. A record 56 entries saw 17-year-old Caetano defeat 15-year-old Adelman, 3-0, to
take the title. In a 2-1 semis, Adelman eliminated Montreals Rod Young whod knocked out
Seemiller in the quarters. Danny had beaten Gary in the Teams, and, having given up other
sports this summer to sharpen his play for the Junior International Matches, was going to be
quite put out, and his parents too, when Team Captain Jack Howard didnt use him.
Adelman, despite his loss to Seemillerit was the 1st match of a great many he was to
play in the tournamentdid well enough. Caetano, he said, was able to move him around, and
so kept control to take the shots he wanted to. Errol had recently changed his gripit was too
loose beforeand now with his improved footwork he wasnt stretching for the ball. Hours
and hours hed practiced, day after day, mostly with Bill Cheng, and this of course had helped
him to down Lesner, 18, 19 in the semis.
Bill, like Vancouvers Danny Mattson (who worked in
a car lot over the summer to get money to come here), is 16
and playing his last year as a
Junior. (Poor MattsonIf I
was born one day later, he
said, I could play in this
tournament next year.) Bill
also had spent hours
practicingin Dell Sweeriss
basement where Dell had
showed him how to improve
his backhand. Of help, too, Bill
said, were two clinics by
Kimiyo Kurimoto and Sam
Veillette, and just practicing
with good Michigan juniors.
One of those Bill had
been practicing with was
Janice Martin. But then shed Danny Mattson - born a day too early
Photo by Mal Anderson
torn a cartilage in her leg, and,
since shed just gotten out of
the hospital, had to sit out this tournament. She was here
watching though, having gotten the travel bug as an Exchange
Student to Sweden this summer. I had a fine time, she said.
but, boy, their moral standards sure are different.
Judy Bochenski, who still has three more years of Junior
Miss eligibility, won the title this year over a much-improved
Sue Hildebrandt, 14, -21, 15. The semis Draw had Judy
playing her friend, the Pacific Northwests Elsie Spinning, and
Sue playing Olga Soltesz. Like Olga, Judy was sponsored.
First time my dad and I tried it, we went downtown to the
larger stores, the chain stores, and out to the shopping centers.
Janice Martin
We talked to managers, offered them exhibitions, and many
Photo by Mal Anderson
35

were really interested. Bon Marche, a

Mike Veillette clothes store, gave me the standby
not a machine
Photo by Mal Anderson
plane fare. Perhaps now Judy will do
as Olga does? Invite a reporter for
dinner, give him the story, and make
sure the sponsor is thanked publicly in
print?
The Boys winner was
Veillette over Klevinas, 14, 23.
Mikes dad, Sam, who was
responsible for bringing 15 Juniors
from the Detroit area, was irritated
that after 15 hours of consecutive
play, until 1:00 a.m. Friday, Mike had
to return to play this Boys final at
9:30 that morning. Mike was in good
shapehad been running a mile or two every day, doing his calisthenics, his exercisesstill,
said Sam, his arm was just naturally sore from all that playing. Hes not a machine. Hes a
boy. The Tournament Committee wouldnt give Mike any respiteno, he couldnt go home,
rest his arm, and play his semis and final Friday morning because theyd be short on open
tables. Sam didnt believe it. And next morning he was saying, Here it is 11 oclock, and on
these six tables in the last hour and a half theyve played exactly two matches. Theyre going
to have 15 hours of dead table time.
The problem is, Sam went on, you cant walk up to the control desknot here or
in the U.S.and make a reasonable request to the people there. They all have such a
dictatorial attitude. They just dont give a damn.
Girls Singles went to U.S. Open Under 15 runner-up Judy Bochenskiover 12-yearold Chateauguay, Quebecs Mariann Domonkos who easily won the Midget Girls from Sandra
Leja of Hamilton, Ontario. Midget Boys went just as easily to Torontos Klevinas over Vic
Skujins of Toronto. (Paul was the one distributing bathtub beer at the Players Partya kid
W.C. Fields would be proud of.)
CNE International Matches
In the Mens International Matches Friday evening, the U.S. (D-J Lee, John Tannehill,
Errol Resek) whitewashed Canada (Derek Wall, Larry Lee, Guy Germain), 5-0. One observer
points out how the ball just shoots out from D-Js very light and loosely held racket. Give him
a regular paddle and he couldnt play half as well. Oh, sure.
Tannehill, whos not clear about, well, a number of things, has been forced to change
shirts. Now, out there playing Larry Lee, he inevitably continues to draw our attention. He
catches a serve, and looks inquiringly at umpire Rufford Harrison. Whats the matter? asks
Rufford. Tannehill, who feels its obvious he wasnt ready for the serve, says merely, Let.
Point to Lee, says Harrison. Later, Rufford tells me, Had John said that he wasnt ready, I
probably wouldnt have called it against him. But, really, its time these top players know the
rules. As play continues, both John and his teammate D-J agree at one point that Larry Lees
ball has hit the edge. Rufford overrules the both of them, says he saw clearly that the ball did
not hit. As John and Larry go into the deciding 3rd, Coach Howard warns Tannehill that he
36

must ameliorate his 3rd-ball attack. John nods in understandingwhich is one more reason
why he should get a Table Tennis scholarship to the University of Anyplace.
With regard to the D-J Lee vs.Derek Wall match, one point tells the whole story. After
a marvelous exchange, Wall far back, comes running in tocatch the ball, throw it back up in
the air, and swat it in. The crowd cheers.
In the Womens International, Canada (Violetta Nesukaitis, Joyce Hecht) beats the
U.S. (Connie Sweeris, Alice Green) 3-1. Though Green gets by Hecht 21, 21, Nesukaitis in
singles or doubles is just too good.
In the Junior International, the U.S., in the
absence of top picks Kevin Bell, John Quick and
Angelita Rosal, fielded Bill Lesner, Gary Adelman, and
Olga Solteszand won 4-2 over Canada (Errol
Caetano, Paul Klevinas, Mariann Domonkos). Is that a
boy or a girl? someone says of 12-year-old Domonkos.
Shes little known to manyhasnt been competitive
even a year, is at her 1st CNE, her hairs cut short, and,
wow, shes hitting the ball hard. She loses to Soltesz,
and Klevinas to Lesner. Though Caetano wins his two
singles, he and Mariann lose a key 18-in-the-3rd doubles
to Lesner/Soltesz. But the most obvious swing match is
Mariann Domonkos
Photo by Mal Anderson
the Adelman-Klevinas one. Garys down 19-16 in the
3rd, then: Serve and one, 19-17. Serve and one, 19-18.
Serve and one, 19-all. Serve and one, 20-19, Gary. Then he misses, but wins in deuce.
CNE Mens Open Singles
Into the house of the winner of this 1970 CNE Open Mens Singles comes, every two
weeks, 50 pounds of Japanese rice. Once, twice, three times washed of insecticides, it helps to
make him strong. No, no, Im not talking about Hasegawa, or Ito, but about our own U.S.
Champion, D-J Lee, who has just taken over (I believe leased) Danny Veghs billiard and table
tennis emporium in Cleveland.
Here, not only in the nearby animal-stalls, but in the Judging Ring tournament venue at
this Toronto Fairgrounds, the multitudinous flies were again at their noisy wing, their silent
crawl. Only this year the Tournament Committee was said to be ready for them. A Universal
Sprayer it had, full of death-dealing Raid. The fellow next to me coughed, grinned, and said,
With one large dose, you can kill 10 flies, or 1 man.
Maybe D-J, coming to this tournament for the first time, was not immune to
itscharms? As the tournament progressed, it was almost as if hed been food for the flies,
finishedfor the fact was hed been extended as never before, had to endure two 5-game
matches. A quick overview shows troubles abuzzing for D-J after hes dropped a game to Lim
Ming Chui in the 8ths. Then, in the 5-game quarters, it comes swarming at him in the person
of fast-moving Peter Pradit (real name: Pivitsiripakde, pronounced PIV-it-sir-ih-PAHK-dayI
think). Pradit, from Thailand, has been in this country only a few months (long enough,
though, to beat Sweeris in that Grand Rapids tournament) and apparently intends to remain
here for some time. He defeats Lee, 3-0. Three-time Canadian Champ Larry Lee.
As for that other Lee, in the final against arch-rival John Tannehill hes off to a
comfortable 2-zip start, but then, as it were, is suddenly so Raid-sprayed weakened as to get
37

only 10 points from John in both the 3rd and 4th games. After that, however, Lee has found
some breathing room, and with his 21-13 win in the 5th, all returns to the Champions world as
it was.
In the beginning there were a record 140-some entries. Of course all but one would be
beaten sooner or later. Tim Boggan knew one entry who would be beaten sooner than sooner,
were that possible. Making his debut at the CNE, playing now in the Mens, was Eric Boggan,
who, six weeks before, had turned 7. During his opening match against nice-guy Benny Hull
Eric spends some of the time fuming under the table. Benny, I say, after the completion of,
quote, the match, Im so sorry. I dont know what possessed me. Hey, he replies, hes
your problem, not mine. Off Eric and I go then to sit on the fairgrounds floor by the goats.
Eric, I say, that fellow you played was a man, did you really think you should have beaten
him? Well, he says, I should have played a lot better.
Alex Shiroky thought he would be beaten later, hopefully much later, but that was
before he picked up some watery-eyed allergy. Then, too, he probably hadnt counted on Jim
Dixon being as good as he was. In fact, considering the lack of competition Jim has in Buffalo,
he plays amazingly well. Of all the players at the tournament, my 9-year-old asked only Jim for
his autograph. Why? Because hes a ballplayerwas signed by Detroit, but caught tonsillitis
just before spring training, was released, and is now playing Class AA ball with the Walls
Memorial team in Buffalo.
And speaking of
baseball, Shiroky sometime
looks like he might be a
shortstop hurrying to make a
double play. How he can run
and jump! But, alas, his
timings not always so good.
Having survived a shaky 5thgame start (down 7-3, he wins
the next 5 on Dixons serve),
Alex is ahead 16-15 when
Dixons backhand counter
catches first the table and then
Alex
Shiroky
Shirokys hand, for Alex
thought, hoped, it was going
off. At 17-all, Shiroky almost half-heartedly tries to hit in the serve, misses. Up 19-18, he goes
for the fence. Whiff! Up 20-19, surprise, he retreats, puts a ball up that any of Dixons
teammates could whack in. Whats going through his mind? Miss, Dixon! Miss! But Dixon
doesnt misshed have to be paralyzed to do that. Deuce!
And now Jim whiffs one. What Alex has got is catching? Oh, says somebody, these
guys are sooo tight! Then Jim gets a forehand in. And Alex whiffs. And Alex whiffs again. In
this game, in this situation, two strikes and youre out.
Mitchell Sealtiel, the hottest new candidate for the U.S. Team, was also almost out
early. Chateauguay, Quebecs Adham Sharara, with a consistent roll and solid defense, had him
down 2-0, then down 2-1 and at deuce in the 4th before he was able to escape.Escape, did I
say? For how long? Because in the next round Mitch was again behind 2-0. This time to Errol
Resek who, smiling a little at his friends clenched-fist exhortations not to go slack, did go
38

slack, and again Sealtiel, winning the last 3 games,

Danny Robbins
survived. As for Jack Howard, whom Mitch is to
play in the quarters, he, too, was in trouble
against Chicagos Jim Lazarus. He slows me up
and I cant do anything, says Jack. But that s
not trueHowards able to win 26-24 in the 4th.
Tannehill, by beating Landau 3-0, after
Vic had gotten by Max Marinko in an
expedited 5-gamer, will meet Brathwaite in the
quarters. George, on proving too steady for
Guy Germain, advances to play the winner of
the Bernie Bukiet-Danny Robbins match. I
have to work so hard, complains Bernie on
losing the 1st 28-26. But though Danny
continues to move well, and cracks many a ball
through, Bukiet, with his hair cut in timeless
Prince Valiant fashion, stays storybook strong.
Brathwaite knows how durable the
aging Bernie still is, and comes at him like a man possessed. Ive never seen The Chief hit the
ball so hard, with such fury. On winning the 1st at 10, he sends Bernie round the table smiling,
shaking his head, He play like this, what I do? But George doesnt play like this every game, and
Bukiet extends him into the end-game 5th before finishing poorly by pushing two balls into the net.
On the other side of the Draw, Fuarnado Roberts is about to be tested by Graham Gear
whos just married Sandra Pentland, a Pittsburgh girl. Some think the former Welsh star can
loop the wily Jamaican away; I make a small wager to the contrary. Robbie wins the 1st at 19,
loses the 2nd. But by the 3rd game, Robbie finds Grahams play, including his loops and drops,
quite predictable, and so wins in 4. He then goes on, after being down 2-1, to oust the
Canadian Closed Champ Derek Wall who, as it happens, though he didnt play in the Jamaican
International, has just spent some time in the West Indies, coaching.*
The quarters matches unfortunately are all being played at the same time. In the lower
half of the Draw, Brathwaite challenges Tannehill in the 1st but falls 21-19 short, and thereafter
cant contest. Meanwhile, against Sealtiel, Howard wins the 1st at 19, then the 2nd, but in the 3rd
is down 20-18. Mitch has been giving him a tough time with his forcing
backhand blocks. He has underspin on them, Jacks to say later.
Theyre very difficult to get used to. And, thinking so, Jack goes back on
defenseits a strategy change that works. I do whats required to win,
he says.
In the upper half, Sweeris has advanced to Roberts by beating Frank
Watson, formerly #1 in Trinidad. Frank, now going to radio school in Toronto,
had split his last two matches with Brathwaite in the Caribbean
Championships, and twice had taken the London-based Jamaican Les Haslam
into the deciding 3rd. Wall called Watson a floater which meant one was to
watch out for him. And, indeed, with his very short, very fast circular loop
Former Trinidad #1
stroke and his smooth chop defense he beat Caetano and Boggan (whose
Frank Watson
From the 1968
forehand, inverted now on the advice of Miles, is hopeless). Against a steady
Caribbean Champird
Sweeris, however, the best Watson can do is 19 in the 3 .
onships Program
39

Last year at this time Dell was getting used to pimples on both sides. This year hes
getting used to inverted on the forehand. The idea, as Ive mentioned before, is for him to beat
Lee. When D-J loops from out deep, Dells to block that ball back, then move quickly (Im
quicker at the table now) to the forehand attack. Heretofore, if he hit the shot with pimples,
Lee would get too many of them back, would be able to get set again; but if Dell can loop with
the inverted hell most likely end up winning the point every time.
So, having come to this conclusion, all Sweeris has to do now is get past Roberts. But,
oh my, Dell loses the 1st before rallying strongly in the 2nd and 3rd (down 14-11 in both, he runs
it straight to 20 in both) and goes up 2-1. But Roberts gets used to the inverted loops. Dells
own spin really loads up the ball on its return and Dell cant kill with the inverted as well as he
did with the pimples. Problems, problems, whichever way he turns.
One can sense Dells frustration. Quit your talking! he yells at somebody, anybody, at 19all in the 4th, then loses that game. In the 5th, Roberts is up 16-14. Ready to serve, he draws his right
foot slightly upwait! Sweeris has a tear in his eye. Robbies a study in still life, remains motionless
as if in a trance; theres not the slightest movement in his face or anywhere. Play! Robbie drifts
through the point, wins it. The guys got a voodoo doll in his pocket, says a voice behind me.
Sweeris tries to rise to the occasion, but cantloses four in a row and the match.
Ive only been practicing for 10 days, says Dell afterwards. I need to vary my loops.
Id do better against an attacker. Still thinking of Lee, is he?
Pivitsiripakde sure is. (Would you believe that he rooms with three other fellows and
that he has the shortest name in the house?) As I talk with Pradithes sipping hot Chinese tea
brought to him by a friendI think about what one Chicagoan has said of him: that hes the
nicest, most humble person. Rumor has it that years ago he beat D-J in a tournament in Asia.
He wont confirm this; indeed, seems to doubt it.
However, he will point out how the playing conditions here dont meet ITTF
specifications. The floor (which I myself believe around Table 3 has all the makings of a New
York City pot hole) ought to be wooden. The neon lights above; the glassy roof that produces
a glare of sunlight; the curtained barriers that reflect lightthese are bothersome.
Pivitsiripakdethe name means inventionhas just come over from a stay in Japan. After
enjoying the playing conditions there, hell need to be inventive to do well here.
I asked him why he had so much (16, 9, -19, 20) trouble with Sam Veillette. Turns out
he hadnt played a chopper in a long time. And since, with his highly individualized style, he
favors, a la Gusikoff, hitting chop that comes low (six inches is high enough), hes apt, until
he gets used to it, to make lots of mistakesthough, actually, he says, theres more room for
error when the ball comes back high.
Out at the table in his quarters match with D-J, Peter looks the more self-possessed of
the two. In fact, as the incantatory command, PRADIT! FIGHT! CONCENTRATE! comes
from deep inside a well-wisher, the fellow beside me says, Lee looks scared.
So they startand back and forth they go. Somebody says Pradit is the fastest player
hes ever seen. Faster even than the Japanese. Using pimpled sponge, Peter, a shakehands lefty,
stays at the table and wont let penholder Lee run around his forehand. When D-J goes too far
to his left to try to begin his attack, Pradit catches the ball off the bounce and angles it so
quickly to Lees far forehand that it passes him. Except that in this first game Peter misses lots
of those smothered, turn-of-the-wrist angle shots.
In the 2nd, Pradit is running and slipping and falling all over the place. Its no contest.
Peter is up 14-9 and 19-11. Lee gives up along the way. After D-J wins the 3rd, hes ahead 10-5
40

in the 4th and lookin good. Then loses

8 in a row! As theyre into the 4th
game, their umpire could be firmer.
Though Pradits not objecting, shes
asked Lee once before to please watch
his serve. Now she asks him again:
please, palm outstretched, o.k.? Down
16-15 Lee starts trying to hit
backhands in. If they go in, fine. If
they dont, well, at least hes
practicing for the next game. D-J just
cant move around his forehand,
Pradits angle play is devastating. He
can tiptoe-block Lees super-ball loop
directly back or away from himas if
D-Js ball were tied to one of those
five-and-dime childrens bats with a
string that snaps back like a rubber
band. Lee misses three backhands and
Peters response to PRADIT! FIGHT!
Pradit ends the game with an edge. He
Photo by Mal Anderson
has won 16 of the last 21 points from
our unbeaten National Champion, and the crowdwhat crowd there isis noisier than the
flies. But in the 5th, though Pradit is often in over the table, lithely netward (as if balancing
himself like a very lean bullfighter ready to risk the horns), he cant win from 17-all, for D-J
finds the will and the way to loop attack.
Too bad, many think; it would have been fun to see Pradit play Roberts. As it is, they
know only too well that Robbies hard rubber bat just isnt going to make that much difference
to D-J. Lee had made up his mind not to loop or hit unnecessarily hard, and one sensed he
could roll patiently until Robbie erred. Though he didnt win a game, the slender, goateed
Jamaican in his long grey bells cut quite a figure out there (everybody else, but the spindly
Pradit in sweat pants, was wearing shorts).
Against Howard, Tannehill, up 20-19 in the 1st, catches Jack with a fast serve down the
forehand line. Just spur-of-the-moment thought that up, did he? Howard stretches, gets it back, to
the only place he can, where John is waiting to sock it. Then Jack, trying to make another return,
sees hes hopelessly off balance and tries a desperate backhand. It doesnt go in.
Sweeris, watching the match with me, says, Tannehills really got the game figured
out. Every shot hes right where hes supposed to be. Howard, meanwhile, in the 2nd, is
winning 21 pointsnot the game, mind you, but 21 points. Again John surprises Jack with
another servea short one this time. Against John, says Dell, as Jack goes on to lose this
match, its dangerous even to push a serve. You have to be ready to go for every ball.
Comes the final, the crowd begins clapping. We want John! We want John! they
seem to say. U.S. Team Captain/Coach Howard gives last minute instructions to the mind
behind the granny glasses: Dont be passive. Remember: three to nine ball attack! You hit
60% to the forehand, 40% to the backhand!
In the 1st, Tannehill, up 13-11, serves into the net. After which, D-J runs out the game!
John loses the 2nd too. But in the 3rd, up 18-8, hes doing two things distinctly different. Hes
41

moving, moving, moving. And, heeding Howards shouted advice (YOU MUST HIT YOUR
FOREHAND FROM THE BACKHAND SIDE!), hes attacking much more with his
forehand. Before the start of the 4th, the umpire comes over to the group clustered around
Howard and says, Its been requested that there be no coaching in the middle of the game,
please. Capitalizing on his 19-16 lead, Tannehill sends the match into the 5th. Maybe this is the
night? Linda Lee cant watch. She leaves the arena.
But John is off to a very poor startloses a pack of points, is down 11-3. Cries of
Too much backhand! and Dont give up, John! are to no avail. Hes too far gone. Linda
comes back, smiles, says, Twice in one day is too much!
CNE Womens Open Singles
Japans Kimiyo Matsuzaki Kurimoto, World Womens
Singles Champion in 1959, World Mixed Doubles Champion
with Ogimura in 1961, and World Singles and Womens
Doubles Champion with Seki in 1963, wins the CNE Womens
Open Singles by defeating Violetta Nesukaitis, current U.S. and
Canadian Champion, in the final in straight games.
Off the table or on, the pleasant, smooth-stroking Mrs.
Kurimoto is easy to tune into. Watching her penhold play, you
see that she moves swiftly, efficiently, like some (How does she
do it?) TV housewife going seriously, cheerfully about her
daily-weekly-monthly-yearly round of chores. There (9, 8, 6),
thats done. Easier (6, 4, 1) than Id expected. Nothing (6, 4, 5)
to it. And so right on into the (6, 15, 7) semis where former
Kimiyo Matsuzaki Kurimoto Closed Champ, newly married Helen (nee Sabaliauskas) Simerl,
Photo by Mal Anderson
may have picked up a domestic hint or two.
Helen, I might add, earlier had to
go 8, -7, 15, 19, 18 to beat former U.S.
and English Open Champion Millie
Shahian. (Millie, you were playing like
Kimiyo the first two games and then got
tired?) Helen then won another 17, -18,
16, 19, 18 gutsy match from
Scarboroughs Barbara Jekir.
Sue Hildebrandt put up a good 5game fight with Joyce Hecht of Montreal
who was then eliminated by Alice Green.
No chance of expedite in Greens match
with Connie Sweeris. Connies 3rd-ball
attack shows that shes not going to get
into any push-push-push-hit kind of
rhythm with Alice. Up 2-1, Connie is
hitting Alices serves, returning her pick
shots, and so moves to the semis against
Japans former multi-time World Champion
5-time Canadian Closed Champ Nesukaitis
Kimiyo Matsuzaki Kurimoto
whose defense she just cant penetrate.
Photo by Mal Anderson
42

Violetta, who is unaccountably to baffle Judy Bochenski in the quarters, is almost 20,
-19, 22, -12, 16 upset in a marvelous 8ths match with Floridas Olga Soltesz. Olga, who has a
nice smile and a winning sidespin serve, and who, after opening well, hits her forehand in,
hard, loses both deuce games, the second of them particularly key because she was leading 1812. In the 4th she blasted through Violetta, but in the 5th Oh, shes off now, groans a fan.
Well, says one observer, Gatorade stock almost went up four points.
Is it true, I ask Olga, that Gatorade sponsored you?
Not this time, she says. A week before the tournament started, I went downtown
and in two days I raised $200. I took along my scrapbook and a Topics with my picture in it.
Just walked into places. (Department storesthey wont help, I learned that.) Told them I was
on the U.S. Team. So I got a couple of car dealers and an amateur athletic association and
even the downtown First Federal Bank to help. Its really surprising how you can get money.
43

All you have to do is try. Like at First Federal, I

just walked inand they sent me to see the
President. He practically didnt even look at
me. Give her fifty, he said. He was real busy.
So now in the straight-game final it was
Mrs. Kurimoto andI almost said Mrs.
Nesukaitis. For Violetta, with her new upswept
hairstyle, her becoming loss of a little weight,
her recent graduation from high school and
start of a new job, is not exactly the Violetta of
old. Like the more experienced longtime great
player Leah Neuberger, who was not here to
receive her Outstanding Attendance Award
(shed won her first Canadian Championships
in 1941), she must sooner or later begin to see
things differently.
Another longtime CNE attendee,
Marion Jennings, wasnt here either and never
again would be, for shed finally succumbed to CNE Ontario Womens Team from out of the past:
cancer just a few weeks earlier. Marion had
L-R, back: Marion Jennings, Betty Hibner;
front: Jenny Marinko, Joan Jessop
been the Captain of a number of Womens
Teams at this Ex, as well as the popular Ontario
TTA Treasurer from 1955-67 and in 1968 the elected President, but then because of ill health
had been forced to resign. Joan Jessop and Marge Walden paid tributes to her in the Oct.,
1971 CTTA News.
CNE Open Doubles Play
In Mens Doubles, theres an exciting semis match
between 1968 U.S. Open Doubles Champions Bernie
Bukiet/Dell Sweeris and Larry Lee/Lim Ming Chui thats
made the more entertaining by New York Citys totally
unschooled but ever eager umpire Leo Plastrik. Leo is so
unquestionably good-natured and apologetic about a
mistake or two that he makes (14-6?16-4?1614?14-16, I mean), and is, in general, so surprisingly
competent, that hes advanced this far without anyone
having to replace him. Presumably, though, Rufford
Harrison will have his chance to call the final. He sits
among the audience now answering ITTF questions, as it
were, about his tie clasp. It features a tiny table tennis
racket and what figuratively might be described as a little
white stickpin of a ball. The tie has a design by English
Coach Jack Carrington of a fellow about to serve but
Leo Plastrik - umpire extraordinaire
never quite doing it.
Photo by Mal Anderson
Dell and Bernie are having their troubles, are down
2-0 and 13-8 in the 3rd. Bernie is having to accept that this is the worst doubles he and his
44

regular partner Dell have ever played. Listen, says Dell, we can win even if were playing
our worst. And, miraculously, they (-23, -8, 19, 17, 12) stumble out of the 3rd and go on to
reach the final. But though D-J Lee and Peter Pradit are playing together for the first time,
they move very well together. With the match tied at 1-all, play is suddenly stopped and all
eyes turn upward. The ball has been hit high up, toward the neon lights, and, contrary to ITTF
regulations, has playfully hidden itself in the furls of an overhanging banner.
What to do? Sweeris looks round, isnt helped by anyone or anything he sees, so he
takes off a sneaker, throws it up once, twice, andhooray!two balls come tumbling down.
Does Bernie choose the one theyve been playing with? It doesnt seem to matter. After losing
the 3rd decisively, Dell and Bernie, rallying in the 4th, are stopped at 19. Says Bernie, So fast,
so fast that Pradit. Right off my belly he hit.
No climactic action in Womens Doubles: Kimiyo Kurimoto and her protg Sue
Hildebrandt beat Connie Sweeris/Alice Green, 19, 8, -10, 13.
In the Mixed, Kimiyo, playing with D-J, has worked out a number of finger signals for
their servesbut Lee at times appears not to understand or even see them. In the 1st, theres a
sort of circus point. Lee lob-returns a ball 20 feet high, arcs it over the neon lights above and
back down onto the table where its still in play, and Dell whacks it outta sight. Eventually
they go into the 5th, where Connie continues to have trouble with balls coming at her from the
wooden side of D-Js racket. Still, so long as Dell can be aggressive against Kimiyos roll, they
have a chance. Until 10-all, that is. After which they can score only 2 of the last 13 points.
CNE Open Seniors Play
Harry Deschamps. 47, of Kokomo, Indiana,
playing with pimpled rubber, won his first major
title, the Canadian Open Seniors, by beating in the
semis former Canadian Closed Champ Modris
Zulps, a 1st-time entry in this event, and in the final
Max Marinko in straight games. Some bad karma in
this Senior Draw though. Frank Dwelly and Benny
Hull, who any Majors Drawmaker ought to know
come from the same area and have been playing
together for 30 years, were scheduled to meet in
what would be Franks 1st-round match. And at
midnight yet. Sid Jacobs (whose last appearance
here 6 years ago saw him play a fellow Long
Islander in the 1st round) was again the victim of the
Drawer-up-of-it-all. He was to play his friend Sol
Schiff, whom he drove up here with, in a 2nd-round
match.
No, the Tournament Committee wouldnt
consider changing the Draw. That would violate
ITTF rules. So Dwelly was upset, and Schiff said to Harry Deschamps, 1970 CNE Seniors Champ
Photo by Mal Anderson
hell with it and defaulted. Hopefully, next time the
Tournament Committee, in the interest of goodwill, will keep in mind the hundreds of miles
covered and the tens of dollars spent by the participating U.S. players and have the common
sense to hire a schoolboy if necessary to check the proposed Draw before its posted.
45

SELECTED NOTES.
*We learn from Jose Tomkins Canadian TTA News (Mar., 1971, 18) that this summer
Derek had gone to Barbados to train their National Team for the Caribbean Championships.
These were held I believe two weeks before the Jamaican tournaments covered in the last
chapter, and Wall in his write-up mentions Brathwaite, Resek, and Roberts as playing (but not
Tannehill). Derek said that first night sitting with the Barbados team he was petrified by
the response of the crowd, maybe 1500 in all. Why? Because they scream, cheer, boo and
fight with the umpire verbally. And through all this the players themselves were completely
unconcerned, they were obviously used to it[and] without it, they could probably not play
their best.
The West Indians really like their table tennis: in
all the street corners, Wall wrote, you will see small
boys playing with wooden table tennis bats and a small
ball. Derek signaled out for praise Guyanas Doreen
Chowhah and Monica DeSouza; Barbadoss 15-year-old
Singles semifinalist Robert Earle who would eventually
come to the States; and especially the superbly fit Orville
Les Haslam who, as Derek said, by hitting the ball
harder than anyone he ever played, dominated the
Championships.
Jamaicas Monica DeSouza
From the 1975 Caribbean Championships
Program

46

Chapter Four
1970: Pre-USOTC Fall TournamentsPart I: Brathwaite,
Connie Sweeris Improve Their Chances for Selection to the71
U.S. World Team.
As Alice Green tells us (TTT, Nov., 1970, 16), D-J Lee
was back in Canada to win the Oct. 10-11 Central Canadian
Open over Derek Wall, while, pleased not to have World
Champion Kimiyo Kurimoto to face, Violetta Nesukaitis calmly
outsteadied an over-anxious Alice. Play was at the German Club
in St. Catherines, on 7 tables, which at 6 p.m. Saturday night
were whisked away so that players could enjoy dinner and
dancing in the two venue rooms. There was a festive air Sunday
as well, noted Alicedifferent colored party decorations
continued to hang from the ceiling lights, creating a rather good
hiding place for a few wayward balls. Also coming out of hiding,
as it were, was another Nesukaitis sister, Gloria, whose game
Gloria Nesukaitis
is fast becoming very strong and aggressive. Mens Doubles
Photo by Thomas Slater
went to D-J Lee/Eugene Kunyo over Derek Wall/Martin
Ivakitsch. Womens Doubles to veterans Jenny Marinko/Velta Adminis over Helen Simerl/Marie
Kerr. Mixed Doubles to D-J Lee/Jose Tomkins over Errol Caetano/Violetta Nesukaitis, 28-26 in
the 4th.
Ah, but where was D-J the weekend of Oct. 17-18 when the Long Island Open was held?
And Pradit? And Tannehill? Really, John, even if the Sport catches on, you cant just jet round to
the Ohio Valley, the Southeastern, and the Long Island Opens all on the same weekend. And so,
really, you shouldnt have entered them all. With Danny Ganz running a spicy kitchen for the
players (seasoned steak marinade headed his dinner menu of favored flavored other things), it
was clear that, even without D-J and Peter, this was going to be some melting pot of a tournament.
How appropriate then that the United Nations George
The Chief Brathwaite should eventually win the Mens
Singles.
But lets begin at the beginning with a 1st-round
match in the top half of the Draw. Against Canadas Bill
Cheng, Alex Shiroky, stroking his mustache from time to
time, though not as often as the ball, won the opening
game but lost the next two at deuce, and that would prove
fatal. Alex, sometimes playing in a dyed-purple undershirt,
seems always to be springing about like hes auditioning
for the Bolshoi; but if he had such a dancers control, hed
have won this match. Lim Ming Chui, from Hong Kong,
knocked out Mohan Rao, from India, while Fuarnado
Roberts, in a striking canary-yellow jumpsuit
(JAMAICA), stopped German-born Henry Deutsch.
Earlier, Henryd had a tense (20, 19, -15, 19) Pre-lim match
Alex Shiroky: serve and spring?
with Pennsylvanias #1 Dave Gaskill.
Photo by Raul Rodriguez
47

Gaskill and his partner, Bill Sharpe, dropped the A Doubles final
to Dave Philip, from Trinidad/Tobago, and Peter Gordon Stephens, from
Guyana. Though Bill was beaten in the Singles by Hong Kong immigrant
Larry Lee, he had
some consolation,
for he was surely
the envy of one
and all in his spiffylookin
street
clothesyup, he
looked real sharp.
In addition
to scoring an early
upset in the Mens
Dave Gaskill,
over Vic Landau,
Pennsylvania #1
Latvian immigrant
Photo by Mal Anderson
Modris
Zulps
advanced in the
Seniors
by
Canadas Modris Zulps
eliminating the
Photo by Mal Anderson
tricky, disarming
Marcy Monasterial, originally from the Philippines, as well as Gerardo
Briceno from Ecuador. (These two took the Senior Doublesover Sol
Schiff/Tony Vasquez, then Frank Dwelly/BennyHull.) The Seniors final,
won by Zulps (-16, 26, -17, 13, 18) was a big disappointment for Dwelly
who, having game point in that marathon 2nd, might have won three
straight.
That was also some 1st-round Mens match Zulps played with
Landau. Up 20-18 in the 1st, Vic lets his advantage slip away and in
disgust tries to hit in a bad ball. He loses the 2nd too. Then a turnaround
Landau, pushing and looping, takes the 3rd, and, giving up only 1-2-3
points, the 4th. In the 5th, Vics up 6-1, has won 28 of the last 32 points!
How can he lose?By playing too cautiously. He stops loopingand
its 7-all. Landaus momentum is goneminutes later, hes down 2016. But then his life-force stubbornly asserts itself20-1720-18. Now
comes a tension-filled, long exchange. Landau is worked first to one
side (where he returns from the barriers what would have been a matchLookin real sharp
ending ball), then is forced to the other side, then back again, then is
Photo by Mal Anderson
droppedbut miraculously he manages to win the point: 20-19. Such a
sickness Vic had, can he recover?No. He quickly pushes one last ball into the net and follows
through by flinging his racket to the floor.
Against Chui in the 8ths, Polands one-time displaced person, Bernie Bukiet, seemed
helpless. I cant see nothing, he said, alluding to the brightly polished wood floor of the
Hempstead gym. Also, Bernie was having one mixed-up time with Chuis interspersed wood
shots. Frustrated in the 8ths, too, was Larry Lee who lost to Roberts steady chop and quick
flicks. The quarters in this half of the Draw were uneventful: Zulps went down to the unchallenged
48

Errol Resek, much improved since he came to the U.S. from the
Dominican Republic, and Chui fell to Roberts.
Meanwhile, Brathwaite was running into some 4-game
difficulty before pulling it out against Canadas Peter Gonda whod
learned to play as a youth in Czechoslovakia.
Surasak is also having his troubleswith N.Y.s Jonathan
Katz. Jonathan carries round
with him a little black Jack-theRippers bag, and if he can wield
any kind of scalpel or scissors
with the dexterity that he cuts the
air with those chops, Id hate to
meet him crazed on a dark street,
or even sane in a barber shop. The
young Thai, loose, thinking he
has an easy victim, wins the 1st
game 21-5. (If Surasak had a
backhand, says a voice behind
me, hed be fantastic.) Only
then, Jonathan starts slowing him
downsnips away here, there,
opens a vein in the 2 nd, cuts
deeper in the 3rd, and Surasak,
unable to tell one kind of spin
Jonathan: can cut em up
from another, is slowly bleeding
Photo by Mal Anderson
to death.But after the rest
period, it may be that Waltham
Club Doctors Dwelly and Hull have worked wonders with him, for he gains strength in the 4th,
and from 16-15 in the 5th is back hitting forehands in to take the match. He scare me, says
Surasak of the bearded Jonathan.
Katz also played very well in the As. He edged N.Y.s Dave Philip, 19 in the 5th, then got
better as he went along. Although Gonda beat him quite convincingly in the final, Jonathan
scored an impressive (20, -19, -8, 18, 15) win over Irv Wasserman in the semis. At 15-all in the
5th, Katz, who has an almost obsessive devotion to just chopping the ball, unexpectedly turned
into a hitter. He so startled Wasserman by socking in three point-getters that Irv couldnt score at
all in the end-game.
A big match in the 8ths is Caetano over Sweeris in 4. Errol is staying up at the table with
Dell, and, after they split the first two games, there are plenty of quick hits, quick exchanges in
the 3rd. (Nobodys trying to keep the ball in play, complains one player-analyst.) Sweeris, up
12-7, loses 9 in a row, and, though he gets to 19, is forced back, then brought in on a drop which,
bending low, he scoop retrieves, only to have Errol blast the ball by him. In the 4th Dell never gets
started. Maybe, unconsciously, he doesnt really want to make the U.S. World Team? If Connies
selected, whos gonna watch Shelly?
Dell shouldnt use pips on both sides, Connie said. (But hed tried using inverted on his
forehand at the CNE, right?) He cant stay at the table and block. He needs more spin. I dont
mean hes got to go all out looping, but hes supposed to keep spinning and hitting.
49

In the remaining 8ths match its Miles over South African-native Wall. Derek said that in
this his 1st meeting with the legendary 10-time U.S. Champion he just became nervous, especially
in the closing stages of the match when he tried to loop. But of course, he said, Dick was
exceptionally good at concealing spin.
It was something of a surprise Dick was on court at all. His grandmother was very ill, he
himself had something of a bad back, and it really was inconvenient to spend all that time out
there in Hempstead. Dick had just talked on the phone to way-back-when
U. S. Open Champ Johnny Somael whod laughed on hearing Dicks negative feelings about
playing, and said, Well, what are you doing it for?
To keep his hand in, to win again. But Miles had a problem not just with stamina (though
hed been playing regularly at the N.Y. Club and working out against his robot at home), he
hadnt been going to tournaments. So his will to win, his all-important concentration hadnt been
honed in sharp competitive play.
In the quarters, Miles meets Caetano, and Wall, mentoring Errol, tells him, You must
start down the forehand. Dicks chop is heavier there than on the backhand, true, but theres no
variation to it. Whereas hes got great variation on the backhand and you can easily be fooled.
So Errol was told to build and build to a hard loop. But somehow it didnt work out for Caetano
he lost, came close to losing 3-zip. In the 2nd, with the score 17-all, Miles serves, Caetano returns
the ball, Miles chops it back, Caetano returning it raises his hand. Miles catches the ball, says,
Whats the matter? Caetano says, Nothing. The umpire awards the point to Errol, and Dick
loses that game at deuce.
After the match, Wall and I ask Caetano why he raised his hand. He said he thought he
saw a ball bounce into the back court, but then realized it was on the outside of the barrier, so
kept playing. Naturally we thought Errol shouldnt have taken the point.
In the one semis, then, its Resek and
Robertswith Robbie leading Errol 18-12 in the
5th. But Robbie doesnt win. He doesnt dog it,
but loses 21-19 when Errol, all tip-toe taut, bangs
in one ball after another. Later he tells me that
when he was down 18-12 he began thinking about
how hard hed been training, about all those
exercises hed been doing, all that runningand
he began to feel that, since he had to be in better
shape than Roberts, he should be winning, not
Robbie. And, sure enough, it started to happen,
continued to happen.
In the other semis, its Brathwaite and
Miles. George loops, Dick chops, mostly to
Georges backhand. Every once in a while, Miles
will put a disguised nothing ball to Georges
forehand and when George pushes it back too
Errol Resek
Photo by Neal Fox
high Miles is there to rifle one in. The 1st game is
deuce. But though Dick fails to return serve and,
later, George gets a net, George cant win it after Dick saves the game with a terrific topspin
return of a ball hit hard to his forehand. In the 2nd, its 8-all before Dick suddenly runs away
with the game.
50

Dick Miles, chopping, and George Brathwaite

Photo by Mal Anderson

It wasnt easy
Photo by George Rubel

At the beginning of the 3rd, Roberts is telling Brathwaite that hes got to loop high. And
up, three feet above the table, he does. Miles takes two steps backward, chops down on the ball,
hardgoes up 10-4. Then Dick unaccountably misses two hangersa 4-point swingand (hes
disgusted, has lost concentration?) instead of the game being a runaway, its suddenly all tied up
at 10-all. And now when Dick fails to return serve and goes down 12-11, the crowd senses that
the Wheel of Fortune has turned.
In the 4th, Miles will not hit one ball. He feels his strength waning, doesnt think he can
power through Georges strong, steady defense. Down 13-11 when the Expedite Rule is invoked,
Dick cant catch up. In the 5th, George, up 6-5, gets an edge. Up 8-6, he gets a net. Up 9-6, he
gets another edge. Its all over.
Sunday evening of course is Finals time. The first to be played is the Mens Doubles.
Sweeris/Bukiet have advanced, though they had to go 4 with both Hull/Frank Studley and Caetano/
Bill Cheng. Surasak/Dwelly will join them because theyve had a good win over Brathwaite/
Roberts, rallying after being behind 2-0. In the final, Dell and Bernie are perilously at deuce in the
4th before they can take the title. Frank, whos been active in tournaments for decades, is probably
playing better now, at 48, than he ever did in his life. By steadily topspinning, he sets up Surasak.
The Thai hits hard, does he? At one point, umpire Mal Anderson has to reverse his The ball hit
your hand! call when Dell shows him the red welt on his forearm.
In the Mens final, the points come in bunches. In the 1st, Resek leads Brathwaite 6-0.
Then its 7-all.Errol, down 11-12, wins 4 in a row.Then is 15-17 down. Then 19-17
up.Then loses 21-19. George is playing very well, is steady, and once on top after winning this
1st game appears more determined than Resek. Title to The Chiefand, as a bonus, he now
appears quite likely to be selected for the U.S. Team to the 71 Nagoya Worlds.
In the Womens, its Connie against Alicecouldnt have been anyone elsethough Pat
Hildebrand, who beat Evelyn Zakarin in the Class A final, took a game from Connie. Evelyn says it
was my interest in the game that brought my husband into table tennis, and that in turn brought our
two boys into the game. So USTTA, take the clue, care much more about your women players.
51

Alices coach, her father Hal of course, has

worked out a number of signals for her, and from
time to time, much to the consternation of Rules
Chairman Cyril Lederman, is (66, Honey!) shouting
them out to her. Alice loses the 1st, but then begins to
play at her best, maybe even better than her best,
winning the 2nd and
going up 14-8 in the
3rd. Then loses 6 in a
row. At 18-all, Hal
shouts,
31,
Honey! At 19-all,
Alice tries a
forehandOh,
please hit the table,
please!but it
doesnt go in, and
Oh, please hit the table, please!
she loses that game,
Photo by Mal Anderson
and the next.
Though the Womens Doubles final isnt
played Sunday evening (earlier, Alice/Shazzi Felstein
Alice and Hal (smoking): signs, signals...
had an easy win over Pat Hildebrand/Terry Green),
up in the air, or taken to heart?
the Mixed final is. For a pick-up pair, Robbie and
Photo by Mal Anderson
Alice, whod been pushed into the 5th to beat Bill
Sharpe/Pat Hildebrand, do remarkably well against the seasoned partnership of Dell and Connie.
Down 20-18 in the 1st, Roberts misses a backhand kill. In the 2nd, with the Sweerises down 20-18,
Robbie tries unsuccessfully to backhand in a serve, then shoves the next one into the net. Now an
extraordinary pointwith Connie smacking the ball, covering it beautifully (She learned that
from Matsuzaki, Dell would say later), and Alice countering, and Dell forcing Robbie to make
a scoop return. Again the Sweerises win the close one, and eventually the match.
Other results: Class B went to Sid Jacobs over Mort Greenberg. (In the Nassau-Suffolk
Closed, I might add, Sid won the As, while George Stone
took the Bs.)
Esquires
to
Danny Ganz
over Anthony
Vasquez, -19,
21, 17. Mens
Consolation to
Doon
Wong
over Dan Green.
Father/Son
Doubles
to
Irwin/Steve Wolf
over Ray/Scott
Doon Wong
McDowell.
Photo by Mal Anderson
Sid Jacobs, Long Island Open Class B Champ
52

At the Philadelphia
Liberty Bell Open, Landau
downed Pennsylvania #2
Bell
y
t
r
e
Sharpe in the semis and Sol
Lib
Schiff in the final, after 53year-old Sols hits and
counters were too much for
our U.S. Open Junior Champion Mitch Sealtiels
too-slow loops. The round-robin Womens went
to Xuan Ferguson over (sorry, no Pennsylvania
ranking for Women) Hildebrand. Schiff/Bob
Kaminsky took the Mens Doubles from Rory
Brassington/Jack Wiener; Sharpe/Hildebrand the
Mixed from Sealtiel/Murielle Stern.
Other results: Class A: Peter Cohen over
Herb Vichnin whod just gotten by George Holz,
23-21 in the 3rd. Class A Doubles: Sharpe/Stan
Smolanowicz over Cohen/Marty Theil, 26-24 in Sol Schiff: too much for our U.S. Junior Champion
the 3rd. Class B: Ray Maldonado. Seniors: Mike
Photo by Mal Anderson
Lieberman over Jim Verta. Juniors: Jeff Zakarin
over Scott Cooper, 20, -15, 21. Junior Doubles: Ellis Alley-Joe Scheno over Scott McDowell/
Mike Stern. Under 15s: Cooper over Zakarin, Under 13s: Zakarin over Stern.
Atlantas Southeastern Open saw Mens Singles runner-up Joe Sokoloff (19, -20, 21, 18, -19) almost upset John Tannehill. Huntsville, Alabamas Don Gaither, #1 in the South, d.
Homer Brown, #3, deuce in the 4th, to take 3rd. (Though Gaither himself is active, the annual
Gadsden Open was a no-GO this year because
Wes Finlayson and some of those on his
Tournament Committee in the past were just tired
and losing interest.) Gaither/Brown won the
Championship Doubles over North Carolinas #1ranked Kuo-San Chung and #2-ranked Hou-Min
Chang whod rallied from down 2-0 to oust
Tannehill and Bob Walker, the Senior winner over
Dick Tucker. In the Womens, Beverlyn Hess
proved no competition for Olga Soltesz who of
course paired with Tannehill to take the Mixed from
Randy Hess/Gayle Rogers, advancers over Richard
McAfee and Randys daughter Bev, 19 in the 5th.
Other results: Class A: McAfee d. Brown,
23-21 in the 5th. A Doubles: McAfee/John Quick
d. Chang/Tommy Tarrant. Class B. Quick d. Pete
May. Class C: Jim Altenbach d. Wally Putnam.
Under 17s: Soltesz d. Quick.
Marv Leff, past and future Florida Champ,
won the Orlando Open over Don Story whod
earlier eliminated Steve Rigo, the Mens Champ
Marv Leff
53

not in the next days Florida Closed, as Topics incorrectly headlined it, but rather in the Orlando
Closed. I also wonder if there wasnt a mistake in Olga Solteszs reported scores. In the Open,
Olga was said to have won the Womens from Bev Hess, 12, -24, 22 when the following day in
the Closed she beat her 12, 7 (and, crazy, supposedly won the 17s from her 24-22 in the 3rd!).
Open Doubles went to Leff/Ray Mergliano over Class A winner Story and runner-up Ernie Renzetti.
Class B was won by Jerry Perlmutter over Steve Federico in 5. (Equally crazy: one of Jerrys
earlier games was supposedly won 52-50!)
On to Kingsport, where Hans Dietl defeated Kuo-San Chung to take the Mens. The
Womens? No winners, but some losers, for surely there were members of both sexes who would
have welcomed Womens events. A Seniors event they hadwith John White the winner over
Bob Flowers. But Juniors? No 17s, 15s, 13s. How will this Kingsport Club survive? Class A
went to Tommy Tarrant over Wally Putnam. Class B to Lance Rosemore over Hugh Lax.
Bert Jacobs (TTT, Nov., 1970, 13) gives us a colorful report on the Northern Ohio Open.
Begins by telling us that in the Tannehill final (Johns wearing a dark blue T-shirt with a Batman
insignia) his opponent, John Spencer, down 6-3 in the 1st, discovered he was playing with
someone elses bat and ran away from the table looking for his. Find it or not, says Bert, he
might just as well have come back with The Sensuous Womana hard cover on the best seller
listplayed with that. Then he hastens to say that Spencer did have a good win earlier over
Frank Mercz from down 2-1 and deuce in the 4th.
Tannehill, paired with Jacobs, also won the Doublesover Jim Supensky/Tim OGrosky.
Bert tells us that at one point in this match he was afraid to hit and so deliberately killed five
of Supenskys serves off the table. This, he thought, would help him get rid of his fear.
Bert emphasizes that Danny Seemiller, who shares the #2 U.S. Boys U-15 ranking with
Gary Adelman and John Quick, had a good tournament, beating Mercz and ranking Ohio players
John Temple, Bill Hodge, and Bert himself. Fine player that he is, says Jacobs, Danny would
be even better were he to see a coach about changing his unorthodox grip in order to develop an
effective backhand [my italics].
Bert ends his write-up by giving us a Profile of 14year-old Mike Dempsey:
He may well be the next wheelchair
champion of the U.S. Mike is a freshman at Bishop
Warner High School in Columbus, is also a student
at the Patricia Gaines Drama School there, and is a
certified teacher of the Concept Therapy Institute
in San Antonio, Texas.
Although he has been paralyzed from the
waist down since infancy, there is nothing
whatsoever powerless about his hands and heart,
Mike Dempsey - his life a
his spirit. He has won any number of awards, not
Shakespearian play
only in table tennis (2 nd place in the Mens
Wheelchair Singles at the March Nationals in Detroit, 1st place in the Class 3 Tournament
at the National Wheelchair Games in N.Y.C. in June) but also in such diverse events as
swimming (breast stroke, back stroke, free style), riflery, and the javelin throw.
What with slot car racing, pool, baseball, basketball, bowlingthe list goes on and
onMikes life away from that Drama School is itself a Shakespearian playrich and full.
54

At the U.S. Professional Championships, held, you might say, for proximity professionals
at Frank Tichys Club in Chicago, Bernie Bukiet, Dell Sweeris, Jerry Karbulka, and Peter Pradit
(who lost a game to the Class A and Class B winner Bill Lesner) advanced to the final round
robin. Dell, in analyzing the play (TTT, Nov., 1970, 13), begins with his match against Chicagos
Karbulka:
Jerry uses a modified penholder grip and has a backhand block with the wooden
side of his racket that goes straight in and so is different from Chuis or Lees. He also has
fantastic servessome fast sidespin, some choppy.
In the Grand Rapids Summer Open, when I lost to him, whoever was serving
would win four out of five points. I would back up when faced with that wooden block
and Karbulka would take over the table. This time I stayed up close and blocked, didnt
back up for anything, and much more effectively kept it to Jerrys backhand. At that, I
barely won, 22, 20, 17.
Pradit beat Bukietbut Dell says that Peter had to go easy against Berniehad to
wait, then hit hard. Which is the same way Dell played Bernie, but
Up 2-0, I was leading 10-3 in the third when I got careless. For two points I sort
of monkeyed around. And then Bernie, starting unexpectedly to hit in, comes back from
10-5 and wins the game!
And in the fourth Im up 10-6and, again, it happens: Im down 16-14 before
pulling it out. As much as Ive played with Bernie, as much as Ive seen him come from
behind, as much as I know hes as much a professional as any player we have, I still want
to relax like that. Its just dumb.
Bukiet does down Karbulka though. As does Praditfor when at 19-all in the 1st, Peter
gets a net, Jerry shows more than a touch of temper. He lets fly the next point and the remaining
two games.
Dell had backed away from the table playing Pradit at Grand Rapids, so of course this
time he tried, as he did against Karbulka, to stay up close. And not only were his serve returns
better, but, as he says, When Pradit swung, I swung. Also, when Dell got the chance to loop
with his pips, he won points...just enough to take the 1st game at 19. But in the 2nd, Pradit forced
the ball to Sweeriss backhand. And then, says Dell, because Peter was angling the ball so
beautifullythat first angled ball always threw me a little off balanceI was just too soft.
In the 3rd, Pradits blocks stopped Sweeris from looping, and they got into something of
a pushing match. However, says Dell, every time it would be me who would try to break it up
and Id lose most of those pointsjust enough to drop that 3rd game at 19. The 4th Dell lost at
18, for when Pradit angles the ball outsideand you have to go to your extreme forehand to hit
the shothow do you get back to continue the point? Pradit can. D-J can. They have speed. But
almost any American you can think of cannot. And this is one reason why we get beat.

55

Chapter Five
1970: Pre-USOTC Fall TournamentsPart II.
1970: Sending of U.S. World Team Prompts Controversy.
For its mid-Sept. 10,000
Lakes Open, the Minneapolis
Magoos Club was pleased to
bring in Dell and Connie Sweeris
to help us with our coaching,
give exhibitions, and of course
to play in the tournament. Dell and Connie had no
competition, but Minnesotas top-ranked players among
themselves had some tense matches.
Doug
Doug Maday (-13, 23, 16) rallied to beat Ray Mosio,
Maday
then won a 3-game squeaker from defensive specialist Alan
Goldstein, in which Doug was down 7-0, then up 20-16,
then forced into deuce, where he finally won it, 22-20.
Charlie Disney, whod been runner-up to Jim Davey at the-end-of-last-seasons Minnesota
Open, stopped local Senior star Chris Faye in 3, but fell to Goldstein, 17 in the 3rd.
In Singles, Dell didnt lose a game, and partnered Connie to wins in both the Mens
Doubles (over Disney/Goldstein) and the Mixed (over Charlie/Connie Disney). Connie Sweeris
didnt play Singlesso that gave the other Connie the opportunity to take the title from Ruth
Pinnell. Class A went to Bob Henze over the Minnesota Open A winner Chuck Turchik. The
Pinnell brothers dominated the Juniorswith Octavio winning the 17s and 15s, and Philip
taking the 13s.
Promoter Disney also turned up the very next weekend at the Oklahoma City Southwest
Open where he made the Mens round robin semis with wins over tough Texans, Don Weems
(who in the Spring Houston Open [had] won the Mens Doubles with D-J Lee) and D. G. Van
Vooren (whom Charlie had lost to at the U.S. Open). Tannehill (over Oklahoma Champ Dennis
Crawford) and Surasak (over Chuck Michell) had advanced rather easily. But Fort Worths 19year-old David Bell, as Ron Shirley reports (TTT, Nov., 1970, 12), had to go 5 with J.C. Tenay,
runner-up in the Bs to 14-year-old Steve Dodgen. Bell then prevailed, again in the 5th, over an old
nemesis, Minneapolis fine chopper Dr. Alan Goldstein. Alan had reportedly once beaten David 213 one game; here David retaliated with a 21-5 win
over Alan.
In round robin play, Surasak was a
straight-game
winner over Disney. But the
David Bell
former Thailand Champion had all he could
Photo by
Johnny Melton
handle with Bell, who, having earlier lived in
Oklahoma City, was a crowd favorite. Up 2-1,
David had a 6-point lead in the 4th, but couldnt
hold it and lost that game at 19, and the 5th as
well. No such Thai comeback was possible
against Tannehill. Said Surasak, I didnt play
very much all summerand his game showed it.
56

In the absence of U.S. Under 15 Champion Kevin

Bell, Cecil Kost, another super junior from Texas, made
his move. And this after, as he says, I broke two toes a
couple of weeks ago. Shirley punned that betting against
Cecil might be costly, and how right he was, for although
Norman Behymer had a 2-1 lead on him in the Under 17
final, Kost showed the cool of a veteran and went on to
win. Amarillos hard-hitting Steve Dodgen, who likes to
play barefoot, took the Under 15s from Kelly Estes. Local
boy Steve Hammond defeated Omahas Murray Kutler to
come 1st in the 13s. Diana Myers was dynamiteonly 10,
she won the Girls 17s and 15s (over Jean Varker), and
the13s (over Peg Shaha). Carmen Ortiz took both the
Womens (over Christa Moore, deuce in the 5th) and the
Womens As (over Mary Ritchie). Class A went to Joe
Cummings over Cecil Kost in 5. Class C to Gus Kennedy
Cecil Kost
over Jim Hammond, 19 in the 5th. Esquire winner: Buster
Photo by Mal Anderson
Chase over Jay Evans. Senior winner: R.C. Watkins over
Edgar Stein.
Ron Shirley writes (TTT, Dec., 1970, 14) that Fort
Worths General Dynamics Recreation Association, with the
usual indispensable help of Lon Clark, put on a fall Invitational
that provided the players with modest entry fees and free food.
Invited guest D-J Lee did his best to please the sponsors,
winning his quarters match 2, 6, 4, then adding a 21-6 game in
the semis, and a 21-7 one in the final. Lee, paired with Fort
Worths (semi-retired?) super looper Richard James, also won
the Mens Doublesover 5-game challengers, Singles
semifinalist David Bell (brother Kevin didnt enter) and finalist
Hanumanth Rao.
Marianne Szalay easily
took the Womens from
Carmen Ortiz, Puerto
Buster Chase R.C. Watkins Ricos no. 1 for several years
before coming here [in the
U.S.] to attend Texas Womens University in Denton. But
Ortiz, partnered by Ritchie, defeated Szalay/Moore in
Womens Doubles. Womens As went to Ozella Henderson
over Helen Emmert. Joe Cummings gets a nod for winning
the As with the most unusual winning style in the
Southwest. (Itsindescribable?) Class A runner-up Ron
Tucker teamed with Bob O/Neil to down Chase/J.C. Tenay
in the A Doubles. Grady Gordon wrested the Seniors from
Al Engel, but with Kirkland lost the Senior Doubles to Rich
Puls/Watkins. Kost won the U-17s from Dodgen, the U-15
Joe Cummings: unusual winning style
winner over Kelly Estes.
Photo by Mal Anderson
57

The Northwest kicked off its1970-71 season with the Seattle Washington Open. Joe
Lee won the Mens from Harry McFadden in 5, after Harry had eliminated Tom Ruttinger, also
in 5. Lee paired with Rob Roberts to take the Doubles from Ruttinger/Philip Woo Cheng, 19
in the 5th. As went to Suzuki over Chandra Madosingh; Bs to Eddie Lo over Lee Olsen. Carl
Lehroff/Bob Tossey were the A Doubles winners.
Later, some of these players would be winners at the Nov. 7th Hungarian Open: Mens:
Pak Lam* d. Philip Woo Cheng. Championship Doubles: Lam/Robert Leong d. Kish/Luptak.
Womens: Kathy Harrigan d. Elsie Spinning. As: Victor Lo d. Kish. A Doubles: Kish/Nagy d.
Roland Bourassa/Madosingh. Seniors: Harry McFadden d. Earl Adams.
This was McFaddens last tournament; in little more than a week hed be dead, for, as
Id mentioned in Vol. IV, hed be fatally shot outside his cab by a passenger he may have
struggled with. Dr. Michael Scott told me that Harry was a tough guy and, though he
sometimes worked bad neighborhoods, had vowed never to give in to anyone whod threaten
him. Michael said that all the cab drivers in Seattle showed up to pay their respects at his
funeral, and that a table tennis flower setting was arranged: a large bed of carnations, red with
a white center (to represent the red rubber racket and the white ball). Michael himself offered a
$5,000 reward for information leading to the capture of the killer, and he was eventually
found, arrested, and convicted.
Director Lou Bochenski pointed out (TTT, Dec., 1970, 12) that his Oregon Open,
played on a Saturday in Eugene, offered only one event. However, the unique format called for
each entrant to play 7 rounds of singles, in which in each round he/she would play someone
with the same or roughly the same accumulated match score (though never the same person
twice). Trophies went to the top fourcall them the Championship winnerswho had the
highest total match score. To break ties, the ratings of all the opponents of a player are
listed; the highest and lowest are deleted; the remainder are totaled; the player with the higher
total [whos played the tougher opposition] wins the tie. Ratings ranged from Class A (18001999) through the B, C, and Novice Class (Under 1400), and trophies were awarded to the
two highest finishers in each of these classes. Other trophies went to Women, Seniors, and
Juniors.
Results: Championship: 1. Pak Lam. 2. Rob Roberts. 3. Joe Lee. 4. Jeff Kurtz.
Women: 1. Judy Bochenski (though she never played a woman). 2. Kathy Harrigan. Class A:
1. Bob Farwell. 2. Roland Bourassa. Class B: 1. Ron Carver. 2. Eddie Chin. Seniors: 1. Art
Barron. 2. Earl Adams. Boys 17: 1. Victor Lo. 2. Danny Mattson. Boys 15: 1. Victor Lo.
Boys 13: 1. Eddie Lo. 2. Brian Uauge.
Saturday evening Single Elimination Doubles: Mens: Lee/Roberts over Frank Karika/
Ruttinger. Mixed: Mattson/Judy Bochenski over Vo Qui Han/Karen Berliner. Class B: Steve/
Karen Berliner over Larry Bartel/Gary Keller. Sunday morning Round Robin Singles: Final:
Ruttinger ($45) d. Kurtz ($28). Semis: Ruttinger d. Lee ($11); Kurtz d. Roberts ($11).
For almost all San Francisco Bay players, its just too expensive and too timeconsuming to take the 600-mile journey up to Eugene for the Bochenski tournaments.
However, aficionados from Washington/Oregon traveled down to Livermore for the Oct. $400
California Golden State Open. Was it good or bad for Cowan that he didnt come up from
L.A.? He wouldnt risk a bad loss, but hed also miss a chance to look good, and his position
on the U.S. World Team was certainly not secure.
In the 55-entry Mens (1st Prize, $70), Denis OConnell didnt win, but he played
count em1-2-3-4-5-6 momentous matches: in the 1st round he won, in 5, over Richard
58

Liang who took the As from Paul Raphel; in the

2nd round, he won, again in 5, over Robert Torres;
in the 3rd round, in 4 (-12, 22, 22, 15) over Joe
Lee; in the quarters, 28-26-in-the-5th, over Erwin
Klein; in the semis, in 5, over David Chan to get
to the final. MeanwhileTony Sutivej, down 2-1
and at deuce in the 4th with Mark Adelman,
survived. And Tom Ruttinger, before losing to
Tony in the semis, thrilled onlookers with a 19in-the-5th win over Nick Mintsiveris. Harry
Nelson, in his write-up of the tournament (TTT,
Nov., 1970, 11), says that, before 250
enthusiastic spectators, Sutivej, showing a good
combination of quick hits, deep hits and pushes,
eventually pulled out the final against OConnell,
19 in the 5th.
Some other winners: Mens Doubles:
Adelman/Howie Grossman over George Makk/
Jeff Mason in 5. Womens: Irene Ogus over Erika
Iqbal. Mixed Doubles: Ogus/Grossman over Jim
Tony Sutivej: 1970 Golden State Open Champ
Photo by Mal Anderson
Naik/Iqbal. Esquires: Sam Lima over Bob Stone.
Seniors: Russ Thompson over Robert Eckert.
Bs: Howard Chuck over John Harrington. Cs: Richard Terry over Chuck. C Doubles: Tom
Mullins/Terry over Dan Blumberg/Ron Brooks. Consolation: Mike Greene over Jim Bristol.
17s: Chuck over 11-year-old San Francisco prodigy Calvin Chow who beat Raphel and
Blumberg. 15s: Raphel over Blumberg. Junior Doubles: Chow/Tam Kam over Chuck/Allen
Gee. These latter four boys, says Nelson, after getting off the bus from S.F., and while
hurrying toward the arena (a good two mile walk)were cited by local police for crossing
against a red light. These kids then are to appear in court? Forfeit several months worth of
allowances?
Glenn Cowan didnt show for the Santa Monica Open either. Here, though Jack
Howard won the tournament with ease, limiting OConnell to 43 points along the way, it was
really runner-up Ron Von Schimmelman who got the chance to shine, for he rallied from down
2-0 to oust Adelman in the quarters, then got by Grossman in 5 in the semis. Womens
winner was Wendy Hicks; runner-up, Angelita Rosal. Mens Doubles: Adelman/Russ
Thompson. Mixed Doubles: Bob Ashley/Priscilla (nee Resek) Parker. As: Raphel over George
McGhee, 19 in the 5th. Bs: Raphel over Owen Cunningham. Cs: Leroy Kondo over Len
Martin. 17s: Ray Guillen over Raphel. 15s: Raphel over Eric Thom. Seniors: Fred Herbst
over Martin.
Fred, as a USTTA Vice President, and a West Coast correspondent for Topics, really
enjoyed contributing to the magazine, and was capable of high seriousness or adolescent
frivolity. In the Jan.-Feb., 1971 issue, he offered A Picture and a Blueprint (9) in which he
described the organizational structure of the USTTA, specified how its volunteers went about
its many duties to keep the Association functioning, and concluded that, to make a change for
the better, the Association needed an Executive Director/Secretary, one whod be available
for about $15,000 a year, with bonuses or increases dependent on added income. True, as
59

Fred says, This initial outlay is somewhat of a risk for us. And, true, the E.C., not knowing
where this money was to come from, and not willing to try to raise it, did not follow up on
Freds Blueprint. In a related article, Rufford Harrison pointed out that, what with office and
travel expenses, that $15,000 expense might be doubled, and that concrete results would
probably not be realized for two or three years, long before which we should be bankrupt.
Herbst also tried his hand at writing a column called Sides and Edges (see Sept.Oct., 1970, 12), in which some readers thought he went over the edge with a blue, PlayboyType Joke and a few other inconsequential, tasteless comments, including a reference to
Steve Isaacsons weight. Next issue, Don Gunns response was, Say, that Fred Herst is a
card, isnt he? He should be dealt with. And he waswith Isaacsons tongue-in-cheek
response (Can Tell A Man By His Picture). Steve pretended in
a Letter to the Editor he was Laura Collier, of Durham, N.C.,
wanting to cancel her subscription to Topics because an
otherwise wonderfully wholesome family periodical has been
tainted by Mr. Herbsts wholly vulgar attempts at humor.
Laura takes Fred to task for insulting that nice Mr. Isaacson,
and suggests that Mr. Herbst should pursue his literary career
in the Mens Room.People of his ilk seriously weaken the
moral fiber of our society and threaten to undermine the Godfearing Christian youth of our wonderful country. Laura names
Herbst the Honorary President of F.R.E.D. (Filthy Rhetoric Endangers Democracy). She
(sic) also includes an unflattering cartoon-photo (signed Steve Isaacson that had appeared in
an earlier issue) of Fred in dark glasses that makes him look like a hood.
The tongue-in-cheek strokes couldnt have been broader, but Fred was taken in. In the
Jan.-Feb., 1971 issue he apologized to those hed offended. But he also replied defensively:
I wish criticizers could also be selfcritical. Its so easy to let the typewriter run
away with you once you take it in hand. Before
one can realize whats happening [talk about
irony], character assassinations and vicious
personal abuse are spewing forth. A bawdy jest
is made responsible for the destruction of
religion and the downfall of our youth.
Truly, thats the dirtiest joke I ever
heard in my life (11).
In all fairness to Fred, though, he did have a
sense of humor about the exchangesent in a photo
in which hes wearing the lapel pin, Even Dirty Old
Men Need Love.
Cowan did play in both the Pacific
Southwest Open (where he lost to both the winner
Klein and the runner-up Howard) and in the California
Closed (where he lost to the winner Howard, but beat
Klein, 18 in the 5th). Pacifically, in the one tournament, Fred Herbst: Even dirty old men need love
60

Howard/Cowan won the Doubles; in the

other it was Grossman/Guillen. In the
Southwest Open, Patty Martinez had 18,
Photo by Mal Anderson
20, 12, 19 trouble with Heather
Angelinetta but then dusted Wendy Hicks
in the final. Patty also took the As from
Mintsiveris. Wendy was the Womens
winner, in Pattys absence, at the Closed
(over Heather) and the A winner (over
Tim Leatherman).
Patty, we learn from a (Dec.,
1970, 9) Topics Letter to the Editor, was
no longer Patty Martinez but Patty Cash,
for on Oct. 17 she married 20-year-old
Leryl Duane Cash, whom she
affectionately calls Beeb. Patty says that
Beeb is a pilot, and for 7 months had
swooned me in his own Cessna. He
plans to be an air controller and an airline
pilot. Actually, a double ceremony took
place, for Pattys brother Jess married
19-year-old San Diego City College
student Myrna Stanford.
Teenagers Raphel and Guillen
dominated much of the play at the
Southwest Open, but Eric Thom and the Cooper sisters, Christy and Cindy, were competitive with
them. Richard Malsack beat Thom, then Kathy Chin to win the Cs. Danny Banach was best in the
Seniors, though he had to go 18 in the 5th with Carmen Ricevuto.
Some other winners at the Closed, which was held to raise funds to send a Mens and a
Womens Team to Detroit for the USOTCs: Seniors: Julius Paal over Russ Thompson. College
Singles: Frank Wu over Doug Stewart. Bs: Sam
Matossian over Herbst. Cs: Frank Huzarsky over
Matossian. Frank, a
veteran tool and die
maker, originally from
Hungary, and Ray
Fields, a character
actor anda
concessionaire at the
large sporting events in
the Los Angeles
Coliseum, are
planning to open a
four-table club in
downtown L.A. come
the new year.
Ray Fields
Julius Paal
Beeb swooned her
in his Cesna

61

Since the Long Beach Open was

held the same weekend as the
USOTCs, some of Californias best
men and women players were in
Detroit. Winners were: Mens:
Darryl Flann d. Grossman (this
match umpired by famed blind
umpire Chuck Medick). Womens:
Pauline Walker d. Mary Ann
Guerin. Mens Doubles: Guillen/
Grossman d. Raphel/Bard Brenner
in 5. Mixed Doubles: Dieter Huber/
Walker d. Bill/Mary Ann Guerin.
As: Ichiro Hashimoto d. Raphel.
USTTA World Team Selection
Prompts Controversy
Before the Nov. 6-8 play began at
Detroits Cobo Hall to determine
not only the Mens, Womens, and
Junior Champions at this years
U.S. Open Team Championships
but also the selection of the U.S.
Mens and Womens Teams to the
1971 Nagoya Worlds, Jack Carrs
commentsquestioning why we
The famed blind umpire Chuck Medick (seen here courtesy of were sending a U.S. Team and one,
to boot, that had non-U.S. citizens
the Long Beach Press Telegram) umpiring a match between
Darryl Flann (L) and Howie Grossman. (Photo by John Hanna) on itaroused several voices in
rebuttal. And justly so.
Jack, who has never been to a World Championship, and
who knows relatively little about how table tennis is played in
countries the world over, argues (TTT, Nov., 1970, 1; 7)
thatbecause we arent a contending team, because, indeed,
we get clobbered by the best teams[and] dont even meet
the best ones since we are not good enough to beat the lesser
teamswe shouldnt send our players. To this, our
International Chair Rufford Harrison points out (TTT, Nov.,
1970, 1; 7) that, according to any Swaythling Cup format,
there is always one good team we have to play. And Don
Gunn responds (TTT, Jan.-Feb., 1971, 10) that, If we extend
Jack Carr:
Jacks argument by what thinking types call reductio ad
losers dont go to the Worlds
absurdum, we must then ask why anyone should enter a
Photo by Mal Anderson
tournament or event he cannot reasonably expect to win.
What would happen to our U.S. Open, our USTTA, what would happen to the World
Championships, the ITTF, if everyone thought this way?
62

Former U.S. World

Team members John and
Pauline Somael were moved to
reply (TTT, Dec., 1970, 8).
They felt the USTTA just
wasnt doing enough to try to
fund the 1971 Team:
Inferior
players wind up as our
countrys
representatives if we
only send players who
can pay their own way,
which is ridiculous. If
John and Pauline Somael - their USA jackets carefully preserved
we cant send teams to
Photos by Mal Anderson
the Worlds properly
then the USTTA is a failure.
The BEST players should be sent, regardless of age, and they should be sent
totally subsidized to every World Championship. This should be the prime function of
the USTTA.
So what if we are now only ranked 20th in the world. Does that mean we dont
play?
We still have our USA jackets carefully preserved, hanging in our closets.
Because we were, and still are, proud of having been deservingly capable of
representing our country.
Jack says he cant quarrel with (who could?) players wanting the reward of going to
the Worlds or of taking pride in playing for their country. But he doesnt like what hes heard
about the past behavior of a few playersnot practicing, lack of team spirit, improper
dress, tardiness, outside activities, gambling (charges which in past volumes Ive discussed in
their required context). Jack does admit, though, that the 1969 funded group did rather well
under the leadership of Capt. John Read; certainly they observed the niceties, didnt
embarrass the officials. Is it then Jacks point that the players under current consideration be
suspected of, or, worse, be punished for, all the transgressions (if thats what they were) of
past players?
If, says Jack, one argues that to improve we must send a team to the Worlds, he can
point out that the Chinese did O.K. without that previous experience. Actually, after the
Chinese finished appearing at the World Championships in 1955 they had a more or less token
Honorable Mention for 1 man and 1 woman in the World Rankings; in 1956 they had 1 man
ranked World #11; in 1957 2 men ranked World #7 and #11 and two other men under
consideration for rankings plus a woman ranked #7 and two others under consideration; in
1959, 4 men ranked #1, #8, #11, and #17 plus 2 women ranked #4 and #11; in 1961, 8 men
ranked #1, #2, #3, #7, #8, and 3 others in the Top 15 plus 4 women in the Top 10 ranked #1,
#6, #7, and #8. It would seem that playing in World competition did help the Chinese. But of
course to imply that the U.S. would have the wherewithal to make the progress that the
63

Chinese did in a country where the Sport is so popular (reportedly in 1960, in a Shanghai city
tournament, there were 300,000 entrants) is ridiculous.
If we want to improve, says Jack, why dont we send an all-Junior team? Not that
theyre likely to improve because of the experience. In fact, he knows of only one U.S. player
who he thinks improved by going to the Worlds (this statement would be less suspect if he
means a recent Worlds)thats Dell Sweeris. Two Juniors on the U.S. World Team Jack
talked to didnt seem to have learned anything. To that, Don Gunn replies:

Don Gunn

To do so [to have learned] requires a degree of perception and

self-analysis which few juniors or adults attain. Many of us were stumped by
the parental question of What did you learn in school today? But we did
realize that in some way that day had added something to our lives, definable
or not.
What a player learns at the Worlds is not something that can be
recited, like statistics; it involves feelings, and various rather esoteric
reactions that do not yield easily to analysis. For a player who is emotionally
as well as physically involved in table tennis, going to the Worlds for the first
time is, or should be, like a first romance, seeing Space Odyssey, or suffering
a religious revelation. In other words, it is a psychic experience by which one
is moved, changed, perhaps inspired. Certainly it is an experience which
should be more, not less, attainable.

Jack says you cant enter a U.S. Team just to support the I.T.T.F. and participate in
international competitionnot when some of the greatest international competition was
curtailed when the E.C. declined to honor a contract approved by the previous USTTA
president or pursue a new one with the Vanderbilt Athletic Club. Greatest international
competition? Is that what Jack thought those attempts by Geza Gazdag to please an audience,
often with exhibition play, was? Terrific pressuremuch at stake? I dont think so. And what
have the possible vagaries of any USTTA President and his E.C. on any occasion got to do
with the larger question of U.S. players participating in World Championships?
Then Jack makes the statement that we already have competition among international
players since many of our top players are not U.S. citizens. Yes, and its good to have them,
the stronger the better. But how strong are they? And likely theyll be here for a while, and so
very soon they wont have anything new to give us. Jack fears that well put foreigners on our
Team wholl be here today, gone tomorrow. Or even if they stay through the years it takes
them to get citizenship, is it any wonder we receive nothing in the way of government
subsidy? Jack says that to send D-J Lee and George Brathwaite to Central America last year
was spitting in the U.S. governments facefor then the Association had to reject the free
transportation the government was offeringonly to a citizen. (But, mgodspitting in the
U.S. governments face?cmon, the E.C. didnt know about that governmental requirement
when they approved the selection.) And even if all our Team members were citizens, would we
then expect the government to subsidize us? Does that follow? Anyway, says Jack, we give
enough foreign aid nowadays, and its just not proper to have foreigners representing the
U.S. in other countries. Next thing, you know, well want to expand on thatwill want to
buy good foreign players or get them here on a two-year scholarship to play for us. Then
imagine how an American Team could look!
64

Fuarnado
Roberts (TTT,
Nov., 1970, 7)
defends D-J Lee,
Errol Resek, and
George
Brathwaites
candidacy for the
U.S. World Team.
The U.S. is not
their native country,
but theyre hardly
fly-by-nighters.
George Brathwaite,
for instance, is
often charitably
active. Here hes
autographing a ball
for two young fans
George doing his bit at a Youth Drop-In Clinic
at a Youth Drop-In
Clinic. And Robbie has this to say on D-Js behalf:
He is a permanent resident, works long hours at a business hes establishing,
and is certainly intent on becoming a citizen. He is married to an American girl and has
an American son.
In the past, most people were 100% in favor of his selection to the team. He
was and still is the best player in the country [our National Champion the last 3 years],
has proven himself over and over again. We have accepted his coaching talents, his
tours, his exhibitionsindeed, the Executive Committee of the USTTA has proclaimed
them all a great success. They would like him to continue them forever, I suppose. Oh
yes, they certainly find D-J valuable. They want to use him.
Jack says that some feel that we need the training against world competition. But, he
says, at the time of the Worlds its a bit late for training, isnt it? Look how we came in the
1930s and 40s untested to World Championship events and won or threatened to win them.
Doesnt this tend to disprove the theory that world competition is needed to develop a
champion? The answer is obviously No. For, unlike the players in the 30s and 40s, we
have nothing to bring to the world scene like the unique forehands of those players. As Ive
shown in past volumes, Europe wasnt prepared for them; now were woefully unprepared for
Europe, let alone Asia, and all the techniques that have passed us by for decades.
Harrison makes the point that training doesnt consist of all drives and push-ups.
Exposure to the WC [World Championships] itself is a form of training. The atmosphere is
indescribably different from anything that we know in this country. Jack, you should go
sometime, says Rufford.
Jack adds that only if we can fully pay for the team, then and then only should we
send one. Even at that, theres better use for the moneymore coaching tours and summer
65

training and coaching camps. These would foster our potential for better World Teams. Our
better players need to practice much morethe best players in the world practice between 30
and 40 hours a week. Our better players play games, which cannot be considered true
practice. Also, many are out of shape. In other countries, says Jack, conditioning exercises
are a regular part of coaching and training, and are considered as important as the play itself.
Jack ends by saying that what we need so desperately are paid coaches who will train
young players in this country until, after a period of isolation, they will be able to hold their
own in international competition. Jack being one of those coaches? Or not? Where will these
knowledgeable coaches come from? From abroad? Who will pay them?
And, granted theres anybody competent enough to show them the road in the distance
to far away stardom, what is the motivation for young players to work hard in their spare time
from school, and for their parents to encourage them? What is their reward, if not to be a
proud member of their countrys team at the most prestigious tournament in the world? The
reward is surely not monetary. Of course, kids do learn from tournament table tennis that, to
reach a desired end, they have to work, have to learn self-discipline, and with all the foreigners
about theyve the advantage of perhaps becoming more interested in different cultures, varied
ethnic backgrounds and stations in life.
But when will they and their peers be ready to experience what real table
tennis is? When will they be able to hold their own? And what does that
meanhold their own? Be in contention to win? Be in the Top 10? After 3
years training in isolation in the U.S. our players will be able to hold their
own? Against teams who are playing one another competitively week after
week? Or perhaps theyll be ready after 5 years? About the time their parents
have decided, Stop dreaming. Its time to go to college. Its not only the
World Championships our players should be going to, its other tournaments
abroad too. Hold our own without being where the action is: its absurd.
Maybe, with extreme dedication, even in his/her isolation, a player can be very good by
U.S. standards, maybe even a U.S. Champion. But such an accomplishment is relative. Were
Jack to have his way, such a player, if in our isolation were never ready to hold our own,
would likely never see a World Championship, except possibly on film. Would never have
gotten the feel of what it means to be a world-class player playing in a pressurized worldclass environment. Of course he could have no Secret Sharer image of himself as being great.
He couldnt know what greatness is; in his isolation he could never really have seen it, not in
the sense of experiencing it first hand.
SELECTED NOTES.
*When Derek Wall was in Vancouver on a coaching tour he talked with Pak, formerly
the Hong Kong #5 and a useful player, as Derek arrogantly describes him. Pak made the
point, said Derek (TTT, Nov., 1970, 9), that table tennis is not as popular in Hong Kong as it
used to be in the days of the rubber bat. He aroused Walls curiosity by mentioning a Chinese
player whod escaped from China by a grueling swim along the Canton Straits. This fellow,
Wall wrote, changed his name to Tan Cho Linand was now a member of the Hong Kong
Team. Ever hear of him?As it happens, readers of my Vol. III are familiar with him (see
Chapter Thirty-Seven, 403), and later well all learn more about him. By 1973 this Tan will be
in the States, winning the 1973 U.S. Open Doubles with Sweeris and coming runner-up in the
Singles to D-J only then hell have another name, Alex Tam.
66

Winning Womens Team at 1970 USOTCs

L-R: Cindy Cooper, Wendy Hicks,
Heather Angelinetta and Irene Ogus

Winning Mens Team at 1970 USOTCs.

L-R: Tim OGrosky, John Tannehill,
D-J Lee and John Spencer

Photo by Mal Anderson

Photo by Mal Anderson

Chapter Six
1970: California Women, Ohio Men, Michigan Juniors Win USOTCs. 1970: Weekend
at Montmagny.
Since the USTTA E.C. had mandated that all contenders for the 1971 U.S. Team to
Nagoya had to participate at the USOTCs, they dutifully came. California (9-0)led by Most
Valuable Player Wendy Hicks (18-0), and supported by Irene Ogus (16-2), Cindy Cooper (93), and Capt. Heather Angelinetta (13-4) won the 10-team Womens Group 1A. Runner-up?
Canada (8-1)Violetta Nesukaitis (23-1), Joyce Hecht (14-6), and Jenny Marinko (11-8).
There was also an 8-team Group 1B with the following top finishers: 1. Toronto #2,
led by Yolande Kunz (16-4). 2. Ohio, led by Joanne (nee Gardner) Pickett, the 1950 U.S.
Junior Miss Champion whod been taught to play by Tybie Sommer (16-5). 3-4. Florida, led
by Beverlyn Hess (17-4), and Detroit #2, led by Phyllis Veillette (9-9).
Although victorious, the California women were not too happy about the way they
were treated this tournament. First, on Saturday, they sat around, waited, waited, didnt play
from 4:30 in the afternoon till almost 10:00 at night, then had to begin a tie at 1:00 in the
morning! Thats just unconscionable on the part of Detroit officials. Then, on Sunday, the
women had to play their final while the mens final was going on. And, worse, they had no
Arena set up for themjust rolled-over tables forming a barrier of sorts from the graduallyemptying-out-Cobo-Hall-crowd on the other, D-J Lee side of things.
They really introduced us with a fanfare, didnt they? said Heather sarcastically.
And poor Irene [the U.S. #1] had to beg for an umpire. Later, Ogus pleaded, Please dont
stick us in a dark corner any more.
67

I myself was either busy covering matches and/or not alert or assertive enough to
organize, or find someone to organize, the women to protest, but, as I write now, Im
outraged. The short shrift given these playersthe countrys best players, at thatis just
indefensible. However, the fault lies partly with the women for allowing themselves to be
treated so. Had the women protested en masse the scheduling on Saturday, refused to play
unless reasonably accommodated, they would likely have been accorded some measure of
dignity on Sunday. At least Id like to think so. And if theyd been told to play or go home,
they all should have gone home, and the E.C., despite Cobo Halls advantages, should not
have awarded another USOTCs to Detroit.
So the women suffered, and I feel now, even at such a distance, a sense of shame that
as an E.C. member at the time I wasnt insistently speaking up for them.
In the California-Canada tie, Ogus, as expected, beat Marinko and Hecht, though
Joyce, who cobra-snaps a forehand, lost twice at deuce, and Hicks, who didnt drop a match,
gave Violetta her only loss. Dont let her quick serve you! I heard Capt. Jack Howard yell to
Wendy. The idea of coaches not being allowed to coach during play is a rule Jack and I think
warrants civil disobedience. In this match between the womens only undefeated players (had
the MVP Award been decided on beforehand?), Wendys topspins and put aways proved
steadier than 3-time U.S. Open Champion Violettas oft-impregnable defense.
The fact that anyone with even a remote chance to be considered for the U.S. World
Team had to play in these Championships, plus the prospect of seeing many good matches,
brought individual players from geographical areas where contending Group 1A teams could
not be formed. Hence, the conglomerate 3rd Place New York team of Long Islands Alice
Green (15-3), Philadelphias Pat Hildebrand (13-3), and Chicagos Millie Shahian (11-5). And
also the 4th Place Oregon team of Floridas Olga Soltesz (15-5), Oregons Judy Bochenski
(15-8), and Texass Marianne Szalay (6-15) that ended 5-4 tied with Maryland, led by Barbara
Kaminsky (18-5), and Ontario #1, led by Marie Kerr (13-7).
Green lost a tough 19-in-the-3rd match to Ogus, but her past play and record here,
along with Irenes, Wendys, and Connie Sweeriss (15-4), assured them places on the 1971
U.S. World Team, with Olga and Judy as 1st and 2nd Alternates. These choices had also been
borne out in the de rigueur ITS round robin play where the top finishers were Hicks (8-0),
Ogus (7-1), Green (5-3), Sweeris (5-3), Soltesz (4-4), and Bochenski (3-5).
Ohio #1 Wins Mens Championship
In the Mens Championship, Ohio #1D-J Lee (20-0); John Tannehill (20-1: loss to
Cecil Kost); Tim OGrosky (10-2); and John Spencer (10-2)defeated N.Y. #4, back with the
same team that won last yearGeorge The Chief Brathwaite (18-4); Rory Brassington (133); Fuarnado Roberts (19-8: more matches than any other top player); and Most Valuable
Player, the nearly 52-year-old Bernie Bukiet (6-3). Bernie was something alrighthis 6-2
record in the ITS Matches was only slightly behind Glenn Cowans 7-1 (loss only to Bukiet)
and Tannehill and Reseks 7-2 (with John losing to Glenn and Fuarnado, and Errol losing to
Glenn and John).
The Ohio #1-N.Y. #4 tie was won 5-2 by Ohio #1D-J won 3, John 2, and Tim, well,
he was leading a very tired-looking Roberts 15-13 in the 3rd, with by chance a home town
Dayton Daily News reporter as cheering spectator, but from there he just didnt hit the ball
hard enough to take Robbie down. U.S. #7 Bukiet fought a marvelous, though losing match
against U.S. #2 Tannehill. Bernie, up 16-12 in the 3rd, plays three long pointsand John takes
68

Bukiet (L) vs. Tannehill - two gladiators

Photo by Bill Scheltema

them all and deserves to. Up 18-16, Bernie throws up a serve, andwhat happens? He misses
it coming down! Ohhhh, the crowd groans. The end-game points have a special appeal, with
John attacking and Bernie defending with that broken-winged block of his, until John,
continuing to play superbly, gets a last ball up onto the net and over. But though Bernie is
finished, the crowd wont let him just up and leave. He is their Valuable Player. Indeed, Dick
Evans promptly pens a poem honoring him with an Homeric allusion:
Not quite #1
still more,
ancient gladiator.
Glory in a plywood coliseum.
Set these sixty tables for him
And his dusky brothers
Journeyed here from alien shores.
Why are they applauding him
Who lost to that young lion?
Now the young lion applauding too.
While deep within
We hear the twang
Of a silent string,
And a bow which bends
Only to one mans touch.

USOTC Tournament Director George

Buben congratulates Bernie Bukiet,
MVP Award Winner

69

Its so unfair, said a player/spectator next to me, that

Bernie wasnt picked for the U.S. Team Unfair? U.S. #9 Klein beat
him in 5 at the Nationals, U.S. #5 Sweeris beat him at Grand Rapids,
U.S. #8 Brathwaite, winner of the Long Island Open over #3 Resek,
beat him in 5 at the CNE. I was one of those who made the U.S. Team
Selection, along with Dick Evans, Rufford Harrison, Dick Hicks, Jack
Howard, and Selection Chairman John Read, and I dont think it was
unfair of us to pick Lee, Tannehill, Resek, Brathwaite, and Cowan for
the Team (though Bukiet might well have been named 1st rather than
2nd Alternate in place of Sweeris). What was unfair, Jack Howard
notedand from now on, he said, unless hes guaranteed time and
tables, the ITS Matches have got to be held Friday separate from
USOTC playwas to have Martin Ivakitschs Ontario team wait
Martin Ivakitsch
around for our scheduled California match while Glenn Cowan
completed his extremely important matches. (Extremely important
because unless Glenn rose to the occasion he would not have been selected to the U.S. World
Team.)
Ohio got to the final by winning Group 1A over runner-up Canada led by Larry Lee
(15-2: with losses only to D-J and Sweeris, and a win over Resek). Larrys helpful teammates
were: Derek Wall (15-4), Errol Caetano (9-4), and Modris Zulps (6-1).
Although it was assumed that Lee and Tannehill could get Ohio #1 to the finals, it was not
so perfectly predictable that over in Group 1B N.Y. #4 would beat either CaliforniaCowan (183), Howard (14-4), Denis OConnell (6-4), and Wayne Obertone (4-5)or Logan SquarePeter
Pradit (15-3), Jerry Karbulka (16-8), Leonard McNeece (10-3), and Jim Davey (9-7).
Playing N.Y., California Capt. Jack Howard wants to
know the exact wording of the Expedite Rule. This presents a
problem until who should come along but the visiting ITTF
Rules Chairman, Englands Colin Clemett. Jack gives only
one instruction to his blinking, winking, thinking teammate
Wayne Obertone as he goes out to play Robertsand that is:
Dont hit a ball, not one. Robbie begins by taking his time, by
pushing and chopping againstis it Obertones strange-arc
strokes or his strange sponge thats confusing him? Down 71, Robbie makes the discovery that hes playing against
rubber. Which prompts him to change his strategy. He
suddenly starts swinging, as if to make up for lost time. And,
sure enough, he catches Wayne and goes on to win the 1st.
But then loses the 2nd.
In the 3rd, the New Yorker slowly moves ahead. With the
minutes ticking away, Robbie pushes up a couple of high
Wayne Obertone: will he or wont he?
ones and the crowd holds its breath. Will Wayne violate not
Photo by Mal Anderson
only his Captains law but the laws of his own being? Will he
hit one ball? He wants to! He wants to! But, no, it must be some mass hysteria in the tense
spectators. The clock ticks steadily on.
Up 20-16 match point, with maybe less than a minute to goor so it seems to him
Roberts thinks the smartest thing to do is hit a power shot in. After all, hes got four chances.
70

He takes them all. Misses

them all. Deuce. And now
Robbies in trouble. He has the
insane suspicion that the
blinking winking, ticking
Obertone is going to go
unthinkingly out of control
and without the slightest
warning explode a forehand in.
So quickly, desperately,
Robbie lashes out, gets a
backhand through! And
another! The ticking stops.
After his loss to Bukiet in
Jack Howard opening up
the ITS Matches, Cowan, who
Photo by
I keep thinking of as a
Tom Van Kurer
mustachioed, hirsute young
aristocrat out of an old pirate movie, has, with his mates to support him, boarded Capn
Bernies venerable old ship, seeking revenge, and this time with thrust after thrust has
disarmed, subdued, andas Bernie, down 17-4, spreads out his hands in a gesture of
hopelessnesshas trussed him away in chains.
Against Howard, The Chief, though looking marvelously fit, seems just too slow of
foot, at least compared to Swedens Alser, whose game his own rather resembles. Since
George lets Jack open point after point to do pretty much what he wants, its no contest. As
for Cowan vs. Roberts, Glenns spins and kills are just too much for Robbie. California 3
N.Y. 1.
Brathwaites too steady for Obertoneall that practice with Roberts. Against Bukiet,
Howard comes on stronghed lost to Bernie in their ITS match. But Bernie forces him into
so many errors that it appears Jack cant play his game, has in fact lost his game. Down 20-15
in the 3rd he gamely makes a run. Gets to 18, has a ball up and Bernies whole backhand side
openbut his hard loop just misses. California 3-N.Y. 3.
The Chief had lost to Cowan in ITS play, but this time George is positioning both the
ball and himself to best advantage, forcing Glenn into errors. So with Brathwaite finishing off
Cowan, N.Y. has come back to win 3 straight matches; will Robbie make it 4 and out? Nope.
Howard stops him in straight games.
Its the 9th and deciding match. Who do you like, Bukiet or Obertone? Silly question.
From the beginning, Bernie looks in control. Push-push-top-push-push-top-push-push-top-hit.
Such is much the pattern of play. As the 2nd game moves to its inevitable end, Bernie, after a
particularly long point (he wins all the long points), takes to chatting with the spectators. Last
time I play a match like this was in 1937. Another long point. I swear to God, Bernie says,
grinning, to Team Capt. Howard, whos slinking further and further down in his seat, it was in
1937. I remember only little bit of it.
California also loses to the Logan Square #1 team. It was hoped that Obertone would
be able to chop down Karbulka, but, though in both games hes winning all the way, Jerry at
the end gets that claw-like grip into him and Wayne cant escape. Nor can Obertone get the
better of Pradit in a rather close match.
71

Howard downs Karbulkaserves short,

and also deep, to the forehand to minimize the
effect of the penholders wood shots. You
cant baby the ball against him, warns Jack.
Youve got to keep applying your own spin.
Once Howard finds the pattern of looping
Karbulkas serves, hes a winner. And, like
Cowan, a winner, too, over Jim Davey. Glenn,
however, playing Jerry for the first time, just
cant handle the junkthe serves and spins.
(Another penhold player apt to use wood, N.Y.
#2s Lim Ming Chui, losing only to Cowan and
Pradit, compiled a formidable 23-2 record.)
When neither Jack nor Glenn can
Lim Ming Chui, 23-2
manage Pradit, Californias a loser. Against
Photo by Mal Anderson
Howard, Peter successfully attacks the serve
and kills Jacks too slow loop. Against Cowan, he does more of the same. And though down
20-19 match point Glenn knows exactly where the swift-moving Thai is going to serve, he,
perhaps worrying about the follow, fails to return it. So with Pradit winning 3 and Karbulka 2
thats the tie.
Logan Square, however, will lose to
both Indiana and N.Y. Lose to the Hoosiers
when both Pradit and Karbulka have their
troubles with heavy choppers Dick Hicks and
Floridas Joe Sokoloff. (Jerry also dropped a
match to Ohio #2s Dick Evans and his
nothing ball.) Lose to the New Yorkers after
Bukiet is rested, has had a short wake-up
walk, a leisurely breakfast of ham and eggs
and three bottles of Welchs grape juice, and
has topped that off with a bar of bittersweet
chocolate and two vitamin pills. From then on,
until plays over, Bernie will have nothing but
water.
Dick Hicks
Bukiets match with Pradit, as the
Photo
by Mal Anderson
Selection Committee is making its final
decision on the Mens Team, couldnt be
closer; he wins it, 25-23, 22-20. Then, against Karbulka, he loses the 1st, 23-21, when Jerry
gives him a fast sidespin serve and smacks in the return. But in the 2nd, after Karbulka
accidentally drops all those coins out of his pocket and Bukiet helps to retrieve them, the
applause he receives works its effect. He goes on to defeat Jerry quite easily. Stooping for the
money and being appreciated for that appears to give Bernie a psychological lift.
Pontiac Takes Junior Teams
The Junior Teams was won, as expected, by Pontiac #1Bill Lesner (17-0), Mike
Veillette (16-1), Jeff Smart (6-5), and David Klemm (1-1)over PittsburghDan Seemiller
72

(16-1: lost only to Lesner), Dannys brother Rick (2-0), Joe Rokop (7-5), Bill Zatek (7-7), and
Hank Chip Coulter (4-0) who, the better to practice his serves, ingeniously constructed an
inclined end-table board, and a ramp off it that would return the balls into a cut-off shoe box
by the server.
On their way to the finals, both teams fought off serious challenges. Down 3-2 to
OntarioPaul Klevinas (13-5), Yu Jin Pak (13-5), Mike Jovanov (9-8)Pontiac desperately
needs Veillettes match with Klevinas. At 19-all in the 3rd, Paul gets an edge, but Mike, never
giving up, dives down to scoop the ball upalong the linewhere it hits the side of the
table?or the top edge?
Mike, who is serving, announces the score 20-19, his favor. Immediately the fun
begins! The Canadians adamantly insist that the ball has hit the side. But Lesner, Pontiacs
Captain, who is sitting in line with where the ball has struck, claims that the ball bounced up
and out. N.Y.s John McGraw, playing on the adjacent table, agrees with Lesner (he sees this
not while looking at his own ball in play but during a break in points?). But Team Captain
George Jovanov, whos Mike Jovanovs father, and the other Canadians are refusing even to
replay the point.
Finally, since no umpires been present (though for such an important tie as this its
really inexcusable not to have had one), a much disheartened Klevinas is forced to play the
point over (what else can you do?), and Veillette wins it and then the match. That ties the tie at
3-3. And when Lesner downs Klevinas, and Jovanov counters with a win over Smart, the ties
still tiedat 4-4. That brings up Bill against Yu (whos given Veillette his only loss). However,
Bill is really fired up, the 9th match isnt close, and Pontiac remains undefeated.
In the deciding match of the tie between Pittsburgh and New York #1 represented by
John McGraw (15-5), Rick Rumble (13-5), and Jeff Zakarin (4-14), a much improved Rokop
beat perhaps the Easts best 12-year-old, Zakarin.* Note, though, that if N.Y.s #1 Junior,
Gary Adelman, had come to this tournament (at the last minute he called in sick), Pontiac
would have undoubtedly met N.Y. #1 in the final. A healthy Adelman would go on to dominate
the Dec. Long Island Nassau-Suffolk Closedwinning the Mens over Huntingtons Dan
Green, the Juniors over John McGraw, and the Mens Doubles with former L.I. Champ
Walter Shur, runner-up in the Seniors to Stan Wishniowski. Note, too, that if Errol Caetano
had opted to play for Ontario #1, Pontiac might not have won this Championship. Errol was eligible
for the Juniors, but chose to represent Canada in the Mens where he posted a 9-4 record.
Next day, Pittsburgh played Ontario #1, but the Canadians (discouraged now?) offered
no competition. However, when Pittsburgh took on Pontiac in the final, just the reverse was
truePittsburgh couldnt compete. The only intense moment in the whole 5-1 tie comes when
Smart, ahead of Seemiller 13-7 and 19-14 in the 1st, loses itand subsequently the match. At
tourneys end, Pontiacs Lesner, losing only 3 of the 37 games he played, justly received the
Most Valuable Player Award.
Should anyone want a momento of this tournament, George Buben offers the match
records of all the players in all the groups for just $1.
Weekend at Montmagny
Les Fugitifsthat was the group, the band, that played hard at Montmagny the long
night of the party. D-J Lee, Brathwaite, Roberts, Bukiet, Schiff, Dwelly, the few others from
the U.S., they were there, drinking, talking, dancing or not dancing in the dark, moving around
from place to placeit was their beat, amplified over and over again, far from home.
73

We had fled the predictable good nights sleep, had hurried away from the States, my
wife and I, and our two boys. Had crossed the border in the early hours of the morning and,
on a gas tank that had read E for the last 15 threat-of-being-stranded miles, had drifted round
and down, through the blackest of space, into that miraculous 5 a.m. landing strip of light, the
Boulevard Tache.
Past MontrealPast Quebec Cityalmost 600 miles we had come. And this after Id
driven the 12-hour trip from Long Island to Detroit for the USOTCs the week before.
Why was I doing it? asked Miles. Id spent Thursday evening with him and Cartland,
mostly listening to the two of them reminisce. Doug had just returned from England, was
thinking of going to the Bahamasa certain kind of action there he fancied. Dick had talked
of Manila long ago and a girl named Denise. And Reismanyes, of course, his name had come
up, and that timeone more entertaining, embellished, maybe even apocryphal story ?hed
left the U.S. with nothing but a toothbrush and come back with 20 or so Hong Kong suits.
Impulsively, Dick had gone to the phone and called him. But, no, Marty, when you wanted
him, was not always availableit was part of his charm.
Why was I doing it? It was a question not to be avoided. Because I knew so well what
I knew so well in Merrick? Because the President of the Montmagny Association, Raymond
Cote, had written to me that he hoped many competitors would come and have a pleasant
weekendand that I believed in this kind of dream? Because the people in Montmagny who
so wanted their tournament to be specialMme. Colette Dumas and othershad raised a
$1,000 in prize money? The sponsor was Molson beer. I wanted to helpId drink as much as
I could.
Did I imagine that, having switched to the inverted bat and experiencing the worst
season Id ever had since I could play a little, I was ready to follow the sun, or maybe the
moon, hit the circuitlast week Detroit, this week Montmagny, next week Hamilton,
Ontario?
True, I professed to myself, there was, dollar for dollar, nothing remotely comparable
being offered in the U.S. Indeed, hospitality aside (and in the States it usually is put aside
like chairs in an airless room, vacant against walls), if one even wanted to play in a significant
tournament on the East Coast hed have to wait for another year. Of course I knew only too
well what I personally would receive in compensation for my expenses. About this I had no
illusions.
Why then was I doing it? Why had I come high up the face of the map like this? What
did I expect to see, feel?
It had, I discovered, something to do with the Fugitifs, withpoor dancer that I am
the on-off lights in the electronic night, the Scott Fitzgerald dining room, the bar, Scott there,
and Eric and Sally (Je ne parle pas Francais tres bien mais je comprends un peu, said my
wife to a fellow from Montreal who remarked gallantly that, like me, he so liked the sound of
it), the people coming together, the expatriate twenties come alive again for people in their
30s, 40s, 50sme sharing the light of the nights reverberations with Peter Gonda, the very
image of myself twenty years ago. I could not have seen myself so in the mirror of my living
room at home.
And, ah, my children saw things too. There at St. Thomass Church Saturday afternoon
I lost a 19-in-the-5th match to Milda Milacek. Id won the first two gamesand was leading
15-6 in the 5th when suddenly I dropped eight in a rowwhich I did not take kindly to.
Immediately after that last game I broke my inverted bat, one of the two Id been playing with,
74

broke it right there at the table. Lucky for all concerned that my wife and boys were at that
other, good fellowship table with Milda and me at the partywe talked warmly, laughed.
Yes, the Sat. venue was a goodwill of a place, a churchwith its bazaar of a basement, 10
partitioned-off tables, slippery floor, dim lighting, stage and desk for the Tournament Director,
booth of a restaurant where my 7-year-old was initially reluctant to ask for a candy bar in the
language he knows the man behind the counter doesnt know. But someone was always coming
around and being helpfullike the fellow Id never seen before who delighted both my boys, my
wife, and me by taking us down the back stairs of the Centre Civique Motel to the basement where,
surprise, as if with croquet balls, we were all invited to bowl
a couple of
games.
At first
there at
slippery St.
Thomass,
N.Y.C.s Peter
Stephens,
Guyana
Champ in the
early 60s,
now graduated
from Howard
University and
back playing
Jack Wiener
Peter Stephens
again, wasnt
Photo by Mal Anderson
Photo by Mal Anderson
going to be
permitted to play in the Cs. But Peter set up a West Indian wail (It isnt fair. It isnt fair. I
havent any ranking), and so Jack Wiener (Jack, you look to be a better player than Peter?)
was kept out of the Cs and Peter (sometimes called Gordon) was allowed to win $55.
Still, Stephens final match with the Vietnamese Tran Van Re was respectably straightgame close enough that one didnt necessarily get the idea that Gordon, alias Peter, was just
another 73rd St. hustler (the sad truth being that those little pockets of drama there have been
emptied out with the loss of Doss, Sakai, Hirschkowitz, Gusikoff, Cartland, and how many
others from an earlier day).
The ubiquitous Bukiet of course took his early turn on courtdrawing laughter from
his fellow New Yorkers, for he was struggling through a 5-game match with clubmate Dave
Philip who likewise was hugely enjoying himself. I cant see nothing here, lamented Bernie.
With Stephens, Wiener, Philip, and their station wagon full with others, came
Brathwaite. Veni, vidi, vici. Or with some such incantation they got George, dizzy, up out of a
sick bed and brought himnot this time feverish to playto this little town of 13,000 French
Canadians. The Chief, bundled up, smiling gamely, skated out to the table and promptly lost
the first two games to Montreals Rod Young. No wonder he wasnt at all ready for Caetano in
the 8ths. (Some 8ths match, eh?)
In another round-of-16, Bukiet (called quite seriously Mr. Bucket by the announcer)
squinted, adapted enough to eliminate Gonda. (Someone at the Sat. night party invited Bernie to
stay on a couple of days in Quebec. Could his busy schedule permit him to do this? It could.)
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Sunday is a different kind of day at St. Thomass. So the players trek through the
beginning of an all-day slushy snow to the Le Bucheron Sport Centre where play is to resume.
Sport Centre? Its like an Elks den. The party could as easily have been held here last night.
Theres the long bar, the slippery dance floor, the small cocktail tables from ringside on back.
BIENVENUE TOURNOI MOLSON reads the welcoming banner.
Three tables are set up rather closely together. There are poker lights above, a fireplace
(unlit) at the back of Table 2. Its very, very hospitable looking. As for playing out there
Bukiet comes in, brushes the snow off, looks at the venue, says its good for one table.
After a while Bernie and I are called to play
Caetano and Gonda in the semis of the Doubles. We
get safely off to a lead, but Errol and Peter take off
their shoes and socks and catch up. Despite having the
ad, we lose the 1st, and I am not happy. In the 2nd, Ive
jabbed four or five of Caetanos serves off the table
and were match-point down 20-16. Then Bernie
serves three in a row to Caetano and (ERROL!
shouts Gonda) he cant return a one. The fourth he
returns all right but I hit in the winning shot I have to.
Are my boys watching?
Deuce! Now Caetano is getting ready to serve
to me Im sure that same serve Ive jabbed was it half a
dozen times off? I tell Bernie Im going to hit it. Bernie
raises an objection, his hands, maybe stamps his foot
this is not the way he plays doubles. Caetano serves, I
swing, having regretted opening my mouth, conscious
that Im scarcely contributing to partnership harmony.
I miss the table by two and a half feet. Turns out
Caetanos heard me tell Bernie I was going to hit, so
has faked a chop and given me a nothing ball. Now, ad
down, I serve to Gonda a real beauty, something
Bernie: a sleight-of-hand serve?
special, lots of inverted spin. It goes sailing off the
table. Game and match. I walk to the door of the Mens Room, where I can be heard but not
seen. I bang down the racket on the door handle. It breaksthe racket, not the door handle.
Sally is furious. A fine example you set for the boys, she says. $12 worth of rackets.
The least you could have done was given them to Scott.
I had to get them out of my life, I say.
Youre a child, she says.
Later I see young Caetano in the Mens Room. He looks into the waste bin. Is that
your racket? he asks.
And looking down at the broken handle and the head there, I regret what Ive done.
Caetano must now play Bukietand he begins fiercely. The 1st game Bernies not used
to him. But he adapts. Midway through the 2nd game Errols got his shoes and socks off.
Bernies blocking soft, crooking his arm around every which way. Brathwaite smiles, says,
Something must have happened to his arm as a youth. But now Caetano cant get through
him. (You make such simple mistakes against this soft thing he has, says Errol.) Bernies too
much. In trouble right from the start, hes nevertheless made it to the finals.
76

Caetano went on to take the Juniors over Jacques Bobet and Rod Young, and scored
two runner-ups in the Doubleslosing the Mens (with Gonda) to D-J and Larry Lee, and the
Mixed (with Violetta Nesukaitis) to D-J and Joyce Hecht.
On the other side of the Draw, D-J has no trouble with Milacek. Mildas backhand
defense is fine, but he just cant handle Lees ball to the forehand. D-J has three different kinds
of topspin, says Milda. (1. a fast nothing; (2. a fast overspin; and (3. a slow something close to
the net. Mixed together as they are, he hasnt time to learn how to adjust to them.
The announced semis match between John (Dal-John?) and Larry Lee will be
coming up soonbut first a few words about Larry playing Fuarnado Roberts on Table 2. At
either side of the table, all 3 tables, there are wet rags. The players constantly return to these
for their footing. Roberts, on the chase, hurries back to the fireplace (unlit) as if hes a goalie
out of position on a hockey team andshwoof!slips on the ice. Still, through the first two
games Larrys so tight, Robbie cant lose them.
If Larry loops, he misses; if he doesnt loop, Roberts picks him apart. But its not only
the footing that more and more begins to bother Robbie. The light-colored net blends into the
table. The barriers are lined with white paper. And when Larry smartens up and begins
topping, topping, topping, not missing, never looping wildly but varying the height and
distance of his loops, keeping Robbie on the move, never allowing him a chance to pick-hit,
well, Robbie just cant stand up to that, and loses three in a row.
In the semis, Larry comes on all afire, is playing
very, very well, has our National Champion down 16-9.
D-J, smiling, shaking his head, repeatedly tries to tighten
the net. Larry wins the 1st game 21-14. The net comes
down and is replaced by another one that looks
absolutely identical to me.
This, D-J tells me, is his last tournament of the
yearand its clear that he has no intention of losing it. He
begins stationing himself at the far left point of the table,
ready to take everything with his forehand. Faced again and
again with the question of what to do about this hunkereddown firing position, the other Lee has no answer.
And now the final. Another new net is put in
one John Hunnius brought to Montmagny 12-15-20
years ago. Mr. Lee is the Champion for the moment
comes the voice over the loudspeaker.
Bernie soon misses one off the edge of his racket,
and D-J catches it, soccer-like with his head. The crowd,
having grown through the afternoon to maybe 250-strong,
laughs. Eating, drinking, smoking, talking, theyre having as
much fun as Lee who, at the moment has just served into
the net. But, no, the match is not to be an exhibitionnot
even when the ball goes through a hole in the net. At first,
D-J Lee, Montmagny Champ
Bernie thought hed won the point. But then D-J
Photo by Mark J. Ratner
demonstrates, pushes the ball with his hand back through
the hole in the net the way it had come, and, yes, point to Lee. And of course the match, 3-0
though Bernie never stops trying, from 19-15 down in the 3rd brings it to 19-all before losing.
77

So, no more
matches. The most
important part of any
tournament, Frank Dwelly
has said to me, is the trip
home. He meant that,
though he wanted to have
a good time over the
weekendwhich I think
he did, for he took out
Violetta Nesukaitis
(Womens winner over
Denise Hunnius and Joyce
Hecht) in the final of the
Bshe also wanted to get
home at a reasonable hour.
Or so I thought.
But there at
Montmagny, I saw Frank
in that Elks den, at the
Frank Dwelly: trip home important
beer and cheese party after
the tournament. And as the
snow was ever falling, and I and my wife and children were about to start the 600 miles back,
he, Frank, a fugitive from the USOTCs where he once won the MVP Award, a veteran of
WWII and 30 or more tournament seasons in the States, was steadily refilling his glassas if
maybe he too, if his scheduled permitted, had been invited to stay in Quebec for a few more
days.
SELECTED NOTES.
*Jeff Zakarins younger brother, Chuck, I might add, was on the winning N.Y. #3
Group D team, and when he didnt receive a small trophy, medal, or anything for the win, his
father, Mort was a bit put out, as he was in fact when told that some of the Junior matches
werent starting until 11:00 oclock Saturday night.
Actually, as Editor Jose Tomkins tells us in her Canadian News (Mar., 1971, 8),
Canadas Little Girls team of Sandra Leja, Biruta Plucas, and Sheryn Posen (maybe none of
whom are yet in their teens) were still playing at 1:30 a.m. Sunday morning! Then, adding
insult to injury, when they arrived a little late for their first match on Sunday morning with the
Big Girls, they were defaulted, though the Big Girls were not. Said Jose, Knowing that
the majority of the 60 tables would become empty during the day and that they were in no
danger of holding up the tournament, was even harder to swallow.
Though the Detroit organization seemed to lack manpower (and certainly umpires) to
run this tournament smoothly, and though it appeared that perhaps 3 not 2 days were needed
for the efficient and comfortable dispatch of so many matches, the Zakarins, at least, found
these Championships the most exciting theyd ever been to (TTT, Dec, 1970, 6).

78

Chapter Seven
1970-71: Late Fall/Early Winter Tournaments. 1971: D-J Lee/Pat Hildebrand Win
Easterns.
Apparently New Yorks Dave Philip and Peter Stephens so enjoyed their Montmagny
experience that they came back to Quebec two weeks later for the Montreal Maisonneuve
Open and won the Mens Doubles from Rod Young/Jacques Bobet. In the Singles, Dave got
to the semis before losing to Adham Sharara who then took the final from Claude Landry,
advancer over Young in the other semi. Rod, however, was best in the B Singles, and won the
17s from the U-15 Champ, Bobet. Joyce Hecht was the Womens winner over Betty Tweedy.
Mariann Domonkos #1 in the U-13s.
Meanwhile, the Ontario players were active. In the Nov. Hamilton Open, Larry Lee,
after getting by Modris Zulps, 19 in the 5th, downed Derek Wall in straight games. In the
Ontario Closed at Don Mills, Errol Caetano, after stopping Milda Milacek in 5, went on to
trophy-triumph over Martin Ivakitsch, deuce in the 4th. In Mens Doubles, Wall/Ivakitsch took
the earlier Hamilton final from Zulps/Milacek, but in Dec. were trounced by Caetano/Bill
Cheng. At both tournaments Violetta Nesukaitis was unchallenged in Singles and paired with
Caetano to win the Mixed. However, when Violetta partnered Flora in Womens Doubles
(their father John, naturally, kept hoping theyd bond together as a super team), the sisters had
to go 5 at Hamilton to beat Helen Simerl/Marie Kerr, then lost in 5 at Don Mills to Kerr/Jose
Tomkins.
All the way up and down the U.S.East Coast there wasnt a preparatory tournament
for the Jan. 22-24 Philadelphia Easterns. At the Jan. 2 Orlando Winter Open, U.S. #16 Joe
Sokoloff easily defeated Steve Rigo to win the Mens. In his 19-in-the-4th semis, Joe
eliminated Richard McAfee whod come from behind to beat Ray Mergliano in 5. Steve in his
semis ousted Sol Schiff, 19 in the 5th, after Sol had stopped Marv Leff in 4. Womens went to
Olga Soltesz over Gayle Rogers whod rallied from 2-1 down to beat Bev Hess. Soltesz/Rigo
took the Mixed from McAfee/Hess. Mens Doubles winners were Mergliano/McAfee over
Schiff/Howie Ornstein.
Other results: Class A: Rigo over John Quick in 5 in the semis and Bob Walker in 4 in
the final. Class B: Mort Greenberg deuce-inthe-4th over Bev Hess whod been behind 2-0
to Jeff Thomas. Novice: Jerry Thrasher over
Greg Gingold in 5. Seniors: Walker in 5 over
Laszlo Bellak who down 2-1 had escaped
Consolation winner Ornstein. Under 17s/15s:
John Quick over Thomas. Under 17s: Hess
over Rogers.
Ohio held Nov. and Dec.
tournamentsfirst the Buckeye Open at
Columbus, then, after Lou Radzeli had taken
the Cleveland Closed, the Gem City Open at
Dayton. At both, John Tannehill won the
Singles, 3-1, from U.S. #22 Tim OGrosky.
Runner-up OGrosky beat Barry Rost deuce in
Mort Greenberg
79

Photo by
Bill Scheltema

Lou Radzeli

Kathy DeMent

Lyle Thiem

Art Holloway

the 4th, then Don Lyons deuce in the 3rd. Sandy Schuer scored a 1st in both of the Girls U-17s
(over Kathy DeMent, then Mary Ann Burdick), but in the Womens she twice came 2ndfirst
to Xuan Ferguson, then to Joanne Pickett. In the As, Lyle Theim finished runner-up to Rost in
Columbus, to John Hart in Dayton. At the Buckeye, Art Holloway took the Seniors from Cal
Fahrney, eliminating, first, Cincinnatis Ed Morgan (who finds the Topics Editors prose style
deficient but praises the magazine for being ALIVE).
The Indianapolis Indiana Open gave spectators a New Years weekend treat, for, as
Alan Goldstein writes (TTT, Jan.-Feb., 1971, 1;4), its the first time John Tannehill and Peter
Pradit had played each other in a match. Their final, won 17, 21, 18 by Pradit, featured Peter
crushing forehands and John having trouble with Pradits serves and making lots of little
errors. Alan speaks of how fast Peter is, how he can counter-crack his forehand, and
angle the ball so well.
Other results: Womens: Jean Varker over
Alice Tse. Mens Doubles: Pradit/Jim Davey over
Tannehill/Homer Brown. Mixed Doubles: Pradit/
Norma Hicks over Tannehill/Varker. As: Goldstein in
the semis over Bill Hodge and in the final over
Brown. (Bill went 5 games with Richard Hicks in the
Mens, while Homer was downing Davey in 5 and
John Temple was upsetting Jim Lazarus.) Bs: Jeff
French over Art Fieberg. Seniors: Harry
Deschamps, who in the Mens had to go 5 to knock
out John Temple, over Frank Tharaldson.
For the second year in a row, Jeff Smart
Jean Varker, Indiana Open Womens Winner
tells us (TTT, Jan.-Feb., 1971, 1;4), the Central
Photo by Mal Anderson
Open was held by Dell Sweeris at Calvin College
near Grand Rapids. The conditions there, says Jeff, are as good as anywherefluorescent
lighting, wooden floors, and lots of space. The 8 Mens Singles survivors were divided into
two round robin groups. One had Peter Pradit, Jim Davey, Imants Karklis, and Tim OGrosky
whod downed Bill Lesner, 19 in the 5th in the 8ths, after Bill had 13, 19, -15, 21, 19 proved
close-game strong against Jerry Karbulka. The other had Dell Sweeris, Jim Lazarus, Alan
Goldstein, and Bernie Bukiet whod eliminated Smart, after Jeff had outlasted Larry Chisolm in 5.
80

In the one bracket, Pradit moved to the final an easy 3-0 winner. In the other, there
was an incident involving Bukiet. At 17-all in his 1st game with U.S. #14 Lazarus, Jim returned
a ball that the umpire couldnt tell hit the edge or the side. Then an outside player, who had
no place in the discussion, caused enough trouble to thoroughly disrupt Bernie. After the
umpire had the players replay the point, Bukiet lost the game at deuce, and now, as hed
sometimes done in the past, in a fit of pique, he quitor, in this particular case, allowed
himself to be beaten 21-5, 21-3. Later, however, against Dell who hadnt dropped a game to
Jim or Alan, Bernie was back trying, and rallied from
2-1 down to 10, 13 take the match with ease. Says
Jeff, After seeing how Bernie can play when he wants
to, one wonders how anyone could leave him off the
world team! Dell, though, could be left off? He loses
to Peter, 3-zip.
In the Womens semifinal round robin, Millie
Shahian played and lost to Connie Sweeris, but (and
her reason was?) defaulted to Janice Martin and
Sue Hildebrandt. Sam Veillettes student Sue, Jeff
says, has improved considerably after having
Kimiyo Matsuzaki Kurimoto stay with her during
August and parts of September and October.
(Perhaps there was some reminiscing on Kimiyos
part regarding her 1961 World Mixed Doubles
matches with Ogimura? Heres a jump into the past:
Sue Hildebrandt
thats some game-point-down counter Ogis making
Photo by Mal Anderson
against Chuang Tse-tung/Chiu Chung-hui). Sue won
the Girls 17 from Kathy Scheltema, but went down in a 16-in-the-5th Womens match to Janice
who was just back after months of recovery from knee surgery. Connie wasnt pressured by
Sue, but had to go 5 to beat Janice.

1961: World Mixed Doubles Champs: Kimiyo and Ogi

81

The Mixed Doubles went to Connie and Dell

over Pradit/Hildebrandt; the Mens Doubles to Bernie
and Dell over Pradit/Geraldine Karbulka. In the playto-50 Handicap event, Jim Loher seemed a sure winner
after besting Mike Veillette 50-48 and then leading
Maurice Hunter 49-44, but Maurice caught him and
54-52 took the $75 1st prize.
The Boys Under 17 saw in the one semis Bill
Lesner eliminate his friend Smart after an 18, 18, 19
battle of hard counters, lobs, chops, and kills, and in
the other Mike Veillette stop Gary Gilbert in 4. Though
Mike had beaten Bill the last 12 out of 13 games that
Maurice Hunter
theyd played in week-night matches, and had 21-11
Photo by Mal Anderson
won the 1st game of their final here, Bill
went on to 15, 21, 17 take the title. In the
Boys Under 15 final, Mike, disgusted at
having just lost to Lesner in the Juniors,
tried to give Dale [Scheltema] the match.
But down 2-0, Mike got a lecture from
his dad that resulted in a turnaround win.
Another Sam Veillette student, Jeff
Mike didnt play Dale
Jarvela, won both the U-15 As and the
with this racket, did
13s from Tim Smart. In the new U-11
he?...Yeah, o.k., but thats
event, Brian Veillette downed his brother
where his head was.
Photo by Mal Anderson
Steve.
All went much as expected at the Illinois
Closed, played on the Jan. 22-23 weekend
of the Easterns at the Logan Square Club.
Pradit won the Mens over Karbulka. But Jerrys wife took the Womens from Doris Mercz.
Pradit/Karbulka came 1st in Doubles; Davey/Leonard McNeece were runner-ups. In the As,
Junior Champ Chan beat Davey. Bs went to Imants Karklis over Tom McEvoy. Cs to
McEvoy over Chan in 5.
Minneapolis held their annual Twin City Open, Dec. 12-13 and, as Doug Maday
reports (TTT, Jan.-Feb., 1971. 16), the Magoo Clubs guest this year was Bernie Bukiet, and
why, bless him, he could stay for a whole week:
When this news leaked out, Bernie was swamped with requests for
individual lessons. It turned out that he was booked from opening time to closing time
every night.During this week our club business picked up and we drew many new
people to the club.Bernie did a great job in Minnesota and we are anxiously awaiting
his return.
In the Mens final-four round robin, Ray Mosio, who with his hard hits and smooth
defense had earlier ousted #3 seed Charlie Disney, cant win again; and Doug, though he
blasts in two killers to 1-1 even his match with Bernie, doesnt quite have our former National
Champion working himself into an alarming Mayday! Mayday! The final then is between
82

Rich
Sinykin

Octavio
Pinnell, Jr.

Bernie and the undefeated Alan Goldstein. Alan is able to return a million balls, but whenever
he makes a great return, Bernie just pushes, easy like, and waits for an easier ball to kill.
Surprise in the round robin Doubles: Bernie and Alan, having been upset by Mosio and
Henry Klaas, end up in a tie with Maday and Wayne Richter. Bernie, tired, wants to flip a coin
to decide who wins, but they play and Bernie and Alan prevail. Other results: Womens: Janet
Jamison over Connie Disney. Mixed Doubles: Charlie/Connie over Bob Henze/Jo Ann Holling.
Class A: Octavio Pinnell, Jr. over Chuck Turchick. Octavio also won the Juniors. Class B:
Mylo Wattenford over Don McDonald. Class C: Rich Sinykin over Philip Pinnell.
The Omaha TTA (its more than 40 members meet twice a week at the Benson
Community Center) hosted both the Omaha Early Bird Open and the Dec. 12 Omaha City
Open. The ubiquitous Pradit turned up at the Early Bird, but allowed two fellow Chicagoans
to fight it out in the Singleswith U.S. #40 Leonard McNeece getting the better of U.S. #34
Jim Davey in 5. (McNeece also finished 1st, followed by Bruce Ackerman and Bob Gates, in
1970 Illinois Table Tennis Ladder play.) In the Doubles, Peter paired with Consolation winner
Ted Bassett (hed 28-26-in-the-3rd outlasted Topekas Mike Wilson)and in the final they
forced Davey/McNeece into the 3rd. In the Mixed, Jim partnered Womens Champ Diana
Myers to a quick win over Pierce Logan and Dianas mother, Barbara Myers, who was
disappointed that the 1971 U.S. Open wasnt offering a Womens Over 40 event.
Out-of-towners coming to the Omaha City Open braved ice-covered roads, but the
hazardous conditions apparently toughened Warrensburg, Missouris Harry Sandner, for, after
rallying with 5-game wins over 15-year-old Mark Walsh and Senior Champ Steve Fox
Flansburg, he downed Champak Champ Narotam to take the title. Thirteen years later,
Champs son Dhiren will be the U.S. Boys Under 13 Champ. Sandner also won both
Doublesthe Mens with Scott Grafton from the father/son Walshes, and the Mixed with
Womens winner Diana Myers. Under 15 winner Murray Kutler also took the 13s from Scott
Ichkoff, son of Dick and USTTA Hall of Famer Peggy Ichkoff.
California boasted 21 USTTA Affiliated Clubs, one of which, at Cupertino, reported
a just-before-Thanksgiving tournament. Darryl Flann won the Mens from Jeff Mason;
83

Priscilla Parker the Womens from Yuriko Kirby.

Hollywood gossip has it that Priscilla is happily
preggy, and that husband Bob is hoping for a son
Photo by
Mal Anderson
who can eventually fry the tacos in his thriving food
shoppe. Mens Doubles went to Mason/George
Makk over Russ Thompson/Parker; Mixed to Jim
Naik/Hilde Brautigan over Thompson/Parker. As:
Ramon Fernandez over Thompson. Bs: Under 17
Champ Richard Terry over C winner Mohammed
Aghili. A Doubles: Thompson/Parker over B
Doubles winners Terry/Robert Torres. Seniors:
Thompson over Sam Lima.
Wow, talk about Keatss mistaking Cortez for Balboa on viewing the Pacific in that
first famous poem of his, one has to take another look to see if ones looking correctly at the
results of the Jan. San Diego Balboa Open. But, yes, there unmistakably is Erwin Klein, Glenn
Cowan, and Darryl Flann all losing to Mens winner Denis OConnell. (Yep, its beginning to
be apparent that, as Denis told me in an e-mail almost a quarter of a century later, he did o.k.
for a guy who had no footwork whatsoever and never had any coaching. His win over Klein
was particularly satisfying, for Denis considered Erwin a passive-aggressive prick.) No
open-mouth astonishment, though, that in the Mens Doubles Cowan/Mark Adelman defeat
Howie Grossman/Ray Guillen, 3-0. Or that Wendy Hicks takes the Womens in 4 from
Angelita Rosal.
Some other results: Seniors: Russ Thompson over Jim West. Under 17s: Paul Raphel
over Guillen. Under 15s: Thom over Raphel, -22, 18, 19, 20. Class A: Raphel over chopper
Zak Haleem. Class B: Bill Guerin over Eric Thom. Class C: Ray Mack over Thom. Mack
admired Haleems beautiful defensive strokes and his backhand pick, but said when he
suffered from netandedgeitis he could be an angry Egyptian. Ray viewed Thom as a hugely
talented, and hugely sensitive, junior player. In terms of sheer power and spin, he was a
prototype of todays players who counter-looped other peoples loops. But Thom had anger
management problems toohe would break at least a paddle a month, or week. Ray said
that watching Haleem and Thom play a match was a huge thrill, waiting for the nuclear
fission to explode. In fact, he said, Im not sure we ever saw those two complete a match.
Such a shame.
Priscilla Parker:
Cupertino Champ

Eric Thom (L) and Zak Haleem: an explosion between the two is sure to come
Photos by Mal Anderson

84

The Northwest held its Closed at

Portland, Nov. 19-21. Jeff Kurtz took the
Mens from Pak Lam; Judy Bochenski
(without any women to beat?) the Class As
from Portland Museum Art School artist/
teacher Jack McLarty. Class Bs went to
Jacks 16-year-old son, Charles, over David
McLain in 5. The Northwest is pretty bigso
just 3 events in this Closed?
Kurtz has become the Editor of the
Northwest T.T. Newsletter thats
distributed free to the area clubs. It replaces
the Pacific Northwest Table Tennis Times
which went defunct because there were too
few subscribers. Jeff says that the Eugene
rating system, which I have used to rank
Northwest players for the last 2 years, is, on
the whole, quite different from Howards
rating system.

Jeff Kurtz, 1970 Northwest Closed Champ

D-J Lee/Pat Hildebrand Win Easterns

Whats that?Some players missing at the
Philadelphia Easterns too? Post-deadline liberty-bell
calls back and forth between Tournament Director
Herb Vichnin and Ranking Chair John Read with
regard to Pradit and Tannehill result in a Yes, they
can enter, though it means redoing the seedings. Only
comes now a request for expenses. When this is
denied, Pradit says, Forget it. But Tannehills reply is,
Oh, o.k., does money really matter, Ill come. So
they seed John #2 behind D-J. But John doesnt get
to the final. In fact, he never gets to Philadelphia.
And the Womens! Alice Green enters but
doesnt show. Nor does Marianne Szalay. Nor
Denise Hunnius, and Betty Tweedy from Canada.
And Connie Sweerisshe doesnt accompany
husband Dell here. Dick Miles, who wasnt at the
tournament either, recently suggested to me that
nobody ought to show up anyplace ever again until
sponsors start putting up some money. A comment
thatll prove quite ironic five years later when
Vichnin and Miles run the Philadelphia U.S. Open and, because of too little prize money will
find some top players not only refusing to play but picketing the venue. As for this 71
Easterns, George Brathwaite and Fuarnado Roberts think that seedings should be delayed
until its clear that those under consideration have actually arrived at the tournament; also,
they suggest that those less skillful should play early-round preliminary matches.
85

The better players seem to be more outspoken, more critical these days. But the
Philadelphia organizers, though short-staffed, had high hopes and worked hard to please them.
There would be tv coverage, and wise old Ben Franklin himself, were he able to, would
provide in a lightning flash the hundreds of dollars needed to hold the 18-table, time-scheduled
matches in the nice gym rather than in the not so nice one. But then, at the last minute, the tv
deal couldnt be consummated, and, though play did take place on the nicer floor, it was soon
littered with Yoo-Hoo cans.
Which, fairly or not, allows me to segue into Jeff Smarts coverage of the Junior play.
In the most surprising Boys U-17 quarters, Danny Seemiller, playing Mike Veillette, is up 1-0
and 9-1 in the 2nd, but loses in 3. Then its Mikes turn to be up 1-0 and loseto Torontos
Errol Caetano. Meanwhile, in his quarters, Bill Lesner, up 15-10, then down 19-16, drops the
1st to Canadas Rod Young; then, leading 20-16 in the 2nd, again falters before finally winning
at deuce, and going on to take the 3rd. More trouble for Lesner against Bill Zatek. But after
splitting 19 games, Lesners hard smashes and more consistent counters allow him to
advance to meet Caetano.
Before playing the final, Lesner discovers hes got a split paddle and has to rely on a
back-up. With neither boy at his best, Lesner leads 20-19 in the 3rdat which point Caetano
coils up a serve and viciouslyserves off! Bill says later that in the last moments of the
match hed been thinking of a time when hed been down 19-20 to a player and served off.
And then, taking shape in his mind, as if beamed there from a communicative something in the
space-time continuum, comes very clear the thought, Hey, Ill bet Errol serves this one off!
Weird, huh?
Some exciting Junior Doubles playas witness Chuck Zakarins write-up positioned
here. Strange, though, that neither Lesner/Smart, National Junior finalists last year, nor
Seemiller/Zatek, National U-15 Champs, were seeded. In the one semis, Bill and Jeff won
deuce in the 3rd over John McGraw/Steve Wolf after being down 19-16. In the other, Danny

Photo by
Mal Anderson

86

and Bill stopped the very colorful #1 seeded team of Errol Caetano and 9-year-old Scott
Boggan. Turns out Errol and Scott had beaten Quebecs Rod Young and Jacques Bobet in a
wild 26-24 in the third [match]this, after Scotts father had kicked over a barrier when
Caetano missed a match point hanger, an act which later drew Jacques father to exchange a
few words with Tim. Scott, enjoying himself, was all for partnership harmonyIll duck, you
hit it over my head, he said encouragingly to Errol. So of course several times he ended up
sprawled out on the floor to try and let Errol save the point.
In the final, Lesner/Smart are up 1-0 but down 11-4 in the 2nd, only to pull it out. Jeff
goes to shake hands, finds out this match, unlike any other in all the Junior events, is 3 out of
5. So, instead of winning in 3, they win in 4.
In the Boys Under 15, Veillette, after
downing McGraw in straight games (from
down 20-15 in the 2nd), is up 20-19 against
Ricky Rumble in the 1st. Driving him back
from the table, he drops, hits, loops, pushes,
does everything, but cant win. Cant win the
1st, that is; can win the next two. In the Under
13s, its the stylish lefthander from New
Timmy House
stylish left-hander
York, Timmy House, over Pittsburghs Ricky
Photo by Mal
Seemiller who in the semis had knocked out
Anderson
Robert Nochenson, deuce in the 3rd.
Robert Nochenson
Photo by Mal Anderson

Girls Under 17/15/13: 1969 U.S. World

Team member Janice Martin was much too strong
for Mariann Domonkos, 3-game runner-up to Muriel Stern in the 15s, and an easy winner in the 13s.
O.K., Ill begin my own coverage with Over 50s/
Over 40s play. Good to see Si Ratner back from that cold,
cold, cold African cruise, but its Bill Cross, upset in the 40s
by Herb Horton, who takes the 50s from Jim Verta. The
40s goes not to Horton, but to old pro Frank Dwelly over
Mike Lieberman. In the one semis of the Senior Doubles,
Horton/Verta have an excellent win over Dwelly/Benny Hull,
while in the other, Bill Cross pairs withyoull never guess.
Just before the tournament, Bill gets a call at work. No, I
dont think youll recognize me by my voice, says the
unrecognizable voice.Its Manny Moscowitzlast seen by
Manny Moscowitz
Bill, last heard from, 33 years ago! Around 1937, just before
Photo by Mal Anderson
87

Bill took over as #1 in New Jersey,

Manny was the New Jersey State
Champ. And before that, in 1934,
hed won the U.S. Open Doubles with
Sol Schiff. Now here were Bill and
Manny in 1971 ending up being
runner-ups to Sol and tennis pro Mike
Lieberman whod also win the A
Mike Lieberman
Doubles from Vichnin/Gaskill.
Photo by Mal Anderson
In the A Singles, Manfred
Jahn, an exchange student from West
Germany whos attending the State
University at Buffalo, beats Lesner in
the quarters, loses in the semis to
Jim Dixon whos quite put out
because in the last three tournaments hes spent the money to come to, hes met Lee or
Tannehill in an early round. At that rate, he argues, how am I ever going to improve my
ranking? Sol Schiff would say, Shuffle off from Buffalo, cause if Jim lived in N.Y. hed be
one of the finest players in the country. As far back as the 8ths though, against Magoos Dr.
Alan Goldstein, Jim had to go deuce in the 3rd (after being up 18-10 that game).
In the other semis, meet Alan Bell, math major lately turned published Topics
professor (Pythagoras, Synergesis, Gestalt, and Cartland was one of his articles; Playing
Style As A Function Of Freudian Determinism another). After ousting Charlie Disney, deuce
in the 3rd, Alan outlasted Mark Radom, 19 in the 5thwhereupon in disgust Mark, who also
lost the Consolation in 3 to Dave Philip, gave his racket the old heave ho. Alan then went on
to lose to Dixon in 4.
Womens As went to
Yvonne Kronlage, deuce in
the 5th, over Montreal Junior
Shirley Gero.
It may be that Manfred
Jahn brought the red net that
was used on one of the
tablesId heard that the
ITTF is being urged by the
Germans to adopt it. Anyway,
he didnt lose a game in taking
the Bs, and seems to me to
add insult to injury by saying
hes amazed that the players
here in the States are as good
Ernst Willer
Yvonne Kronlage
as they are without any team
play. In the final, he downed
Ernst Willer whom Bell describes as a former German junior champion. Willer is a perfect
example of Freudian theory, says Bell, in that his table tennis play is determined by his
environment and/or heredity. Ernst looks as somber as a good, industrious, penurious
88

German soldier. He seems perfectly ready to use

his Barna rubber defense to push the point for half an
hour or more. Indeed, says Alan, I have played him
two three game sets that went over 90 minutes each.
(The chief referee was busy stacking the soda
machine or something.)
As I mentioned before, the Womens field
was relatively weak. In the top half of the Draw, Pat
Hildebrand advanced to the final over Muriel Stern.
In the bottom half, Barbara Kaminsky (with sister
Donna watching, as if she might start to play again)
beats a considerably slim-downed, long-haired Janice
Martin, 3-0. For a year and a half Janice couldnt
move to her outside right for a ball, finally had to
have that cartilage operation, and ever since shes
lost her confidence of several seasons ago.
Despite the fact that coach Sam Veillette has
her reading Dr. Maltzs Psycho Cybernetics (Lots of
the golf pros use it, says Sam. You know, power of
positive thinking), Janice cant roll more than two
or three balls in a row. Never mind, shell be ready
by the time the Nationals roll around, says Sam
psychocybernetically.*

Donna Newell...may play again

Photo by Mal Anderson

In the final against Hildebrand,

Barbara wins the 1st easy enough, then,
talk about a momentum stopper, blows
the 2nd from 20-16. In the 3rd, Pat, ahead
19-18 and more determined than ever,
gets back Barbaras best forehandand
it makes all the difference. For though
Barbara hits one in to get to 20-19, she
whiffs the next oneand after the break
can never regain control.
In the Mixed final, Barbara and
D-J are down 2-1 and 15-12 in the 4th to
Martin and Dell Sweeris. But then they
win 5 in a row. (Dell will say later that
Barbara slows him down, though how
she does that he doesnt say.) After
which the Sweeris team rallies, only to
see Janice miss a match-point hanger.
Still, Barbara/D-J cant recover, despite

Eastern Open Champion

Pat Hildebrand
Photo by Mal Anderson

tying it up after twice being ad-down.

As for the Mens Doubles, who else but Sweeris/Bukiet would win thatover Sealtiel/
Roberts. Though Dell and Bernie did have some uneasiness in the semis when, in their match
with Brathwaite/Caetano, they were 1-1 and at deuce in the 3rd. In the other semis, only a
89

table away, Resek/Boggan, everyone heard, were down 17-9 in the 4th yet managed to win a
reprieve before losing deuce in the 5th. D-Jwhod he partner? Ah, he didnt play Mens
Doublesnot for a trophy. Besides, he had to go back, make nice with his customers, relieve his
friend Eugene Kunyo who from time to time had taken over the Champions equipment booth.
That brings us, sooner or later, to the Saturday evening break in play before the
concluding Sunday major Championships. The Players Party in the Constitution Room of the
Sheraton Hotel ran out of food before I got there (Enough for 150 peoplethats what they
said we had, reported Erich Haring who said hed sold only 113 tickets). But there was all
you wanted to drink, and a real live band, and bless Dave Gaskill and Bill Sharpe for running
out to bring back fried chicken.
So, since a fun time had to have been had by all, it was 11:30 Sunday morning before
the Mens Singles quarters went offall four matches, maddeningly, at once. In the best of
these, Alex Shiroky whirls hundreds of balls at Bukiet, whose returns are high but
indefatiguably placed, and finally gets enough through Bernie to win in 5. However, one look
at Alex and you could tell he had nothing left to challenge Brathwaite in the semis.
The Chief, before meeting Shiroky, had had a difficult time with Boggan. Tims sharply
angled blocks close to the table criss-crossed George here and there, so that in order to keep
from being Xd out of the match, George had to take to chopping and looping the ball strictly
to Boggans forehand. Up 2-1, but down 13-7 in the 4th, Brathwaite rallied from 15-10 and 1916 down to throw his arms around his exasperated foe. However, faced with D-J in the semis,
George can do no better than Roberts before him.
On the other side of the Draw, Sealtiel, down 2-0 and 12-8 in the 3rd to Derek Wall,
appeared a goner, but though Mitch stopped often
to wipe his brow, it was Derek who said hed been
5-game done in by the heat. Next up for Sealtiel,
Landau. After losing the 1st and being game-point
down in the 2nd, Vic is up 2-1 at the break. In the
4th, hes down 0-7, slowly climbs back up, only to
miss a hanger at 20-19, and in the 5th fall out of
the tournament. I just wasnt aggressive
enough, he kept saying over and over again.
In the other quarters, Errol Resek downs
Dell Sweeris in 4, winning the important 1st game
24-22. Actually, no sooner has their match gotten
underway than Errol is back 20 feet from the table
with Dells power ball for the point still sailing
over his head. As Errol futilely attempts to
badminton the ball back, he goes sprawling and
comes up with a burn. Play stops while Errol
takes the salve offered him, rubbing in the thought
to Dell and everyone that he does try. Against
Sealtiel in the semis, however (Mitch had beaten
him at the Canadians), Errol is in trouble. I dont
Mitch Sealtiel, 1971 Eastern Runner-up
know what hes doing with that strange block of
Photo by Mal Anderson
his, says Errol. And once theyd started the 5th, it
wouldnt matter if he had. Mitch would have beaten anybody in the country that 21-5 game!
90

And now that maxi-coated Patty Martinez Cash and her husband Beeb have arrived,
fresh from their 130-mile drive to see the matches, theres a 15-minute break while the tables
are being taken down.
Hey, fellows. Leave one up, eh? Theres still the traditional climactic final to be played.
But whats this? A hundred peoplefansare calling it a night. At 9 oclock?
Never mind.The 1st game is very quickly over. With D-J leading 20-7 in the 2nd, the
ball boy doesnt even go after the ball. Its as if hes fallen asleepand perhaps he has.
Question for those interested in the future of the Sport in the U.S.: If thered have been
prize money at stake, or Pradit and Tannehills expenses paid and spectator admission charged,
would such disinterest have prevailed?
SELECTED NOTES.
*Sam Veillettes willingness to give psychology a try extends to his off-court life as
well. Next year, as David Wilkening reports in the Mar. 26, 1972 Detroit Free Press, Veillette
will hire Chuck Burnss 22-year-old son, Paul, a music major at Wayne State University, to
work at Figaros, Sams plush hair-styling salon in the Fisher Buildings concourse. Pauls
gonna cut hair? No, nothing psychologically innovative in that. On Monday and Tuesday
afternoons, from 1
p.m. to 4 p.m., Sam
will pay Paul $5 an
hour to play the
pianoinside the
shop. Yep, on an
ancient Wurlitzer
Spinet Sam
borrowed from a
customer, Paul will be
playing, it may be,
Beethoven or Bach,
while hundreds of
curious passersby
stop to listen and
maybe heed Pauls
printed sign: Classic
artist. Make checks
payable to Paul Burns
for his college
scholarship. Says
reporter Wilkening,
Veillette hopes that
barbershop Bach will
relax customers and
Paul Burns, playing classical music inside Figaros salon.
Detroit Free Press photo by John Collier
help ease the
discordant note of
paying the bill: $12.

Its Barbership Bach!

91

Chapter Eight
1971: Pre-Nationals Tournaments.
Continuing with play in New York State, well check out
the Jan. 30th Buffalo and Feb. 6-7 Rochester Opens. Jim Dixon
was in the Mens final in both. The 1st he won from Manfred
Jahn, 3-0, but in the semis had been down 2-1 to Rose before
pulling it out, 19 in the 5th. At Rochester he was upset in the
semis by Daytons Bill Hodge, 18 in the 5th, after which Bill
had no energy left to give winner Mike Ezzo a fight. At the
earlier site it appeared that the women were buffaloed into not
appearing, but at Rochester Kathleen Remington defeated
Diane Kazak and Darlene McCann to win the Womens.
McCann, whose son Tim won the 15s in 5 over John Graham,
teamed with Hodge to take the Mixed. Mens Doubles at
Bill Hodge
Buffalo went to Rose/Morris Myers over Jahn/Wasson; and at
Rochester to Dave Hunt/Andy Anvelt over Dixon/Hodge in 5 (after Dave and Andy had
dropped the first two games 24-22 and were at deuce in the 3rd).
At Buffalo, Anvelt lost the Bs to Rose (after leading 2-0), but took the Cs over D
winner Neal Fox, as well as the B and C Doubles with Bob Green who was the Tournament
Director for the 1948 U.S. Open in Columbus that featured the famous Miles/Reisman final.
The Consolations saw Andy force Myers into the 5th. And in a defensive trial-by-combat
Senior final (surely this was played in Expedite?), Green, though losing, almost 14, -22, 15, 17, -12 out-chopped sticky-chopper extraordinaire Myers three straight. At Rochester, Anvelt
continued his string of successeswon the Handicap Singles over Bill Steinroeder; the 17s
over Steve Kazak (who lost the Bs to Richard Chen); and the Junior Doubles with Kazak
over Jeff Anderson/Jim Shoots.
There was a very good turnout for the Feb. 20-21 Northeasterns at Farmingdale
College on Long Island. In the 90-entry Bs, I dont know
how they let him in, but Peter Stephens was a lock. He
blanked sheet-metal worker Ray Maldonado and firefighter
Marty Theil whod advanced with a deuce-in-the-3rd win over
the one-armed, 48-year-old Marcy Monasterial, Then in the 2out-of-3 final Peter allowed Ernst Willer all of 15 points total.
And who do you think won the 80 entry Bs? Uh-huh.
Peter Stephens. He blanked Doon Wong and Philadelphia
Club Treasurer Dave Gaskill while his final opponent, Pete
Cohen, had to make a two-games-down comeback against
Monasterial. Cohens the guy with the fuzzy sideburns and
the hair and the funny grip. He stays up at the table, blocking
and hitting with just the one side of his racket. It took
Stephens a while to get used to that eccentric game before
rallying from 2-1 down. A Doubleswho won that? Do you
have to ask? Peter Stephens with, o.k., a little help from Dave
Pete Cohen: an eccentric game
Philipover Cohen/Gaskill, after nearly losing 3-0.
Photo by Mal Anderson
92

No, Stephens didnt have the balls to try to enter the

Wheelchair eventthough it would have been fun to see him
play either the winner Ty Kaus or the runner-up Serge
Jelenovsky.
Some of the better players teamed with Juniors in the A
DoublesSweeris partnered Jeff Zakarin, for exampleand
gave them tips. D. J. (thats John) McGraw doubtless learned
a few things from playing with Bill Sharpe, for he not only
won the Under 17s from Ricky Rumble, but was very helpful
in the early rounds to the just coming on Juniors. Hed set the
ball up, coach the kids on their strokesquietly carry on a
little mini-clinic right there at the table.
Jack Carr, for one (TTT, Dec., 1970, 8), would like to
give top players at tournaments repeated byes, so that, instead
of going through the motions against weak opponents, they
could give coaching clinics for spectators and playersin
return for which theyd receive free entry fees, hospitality
expenses, and decent prize money. Why dont we do that? asks
John McGraw: knows how to
Jack. Possible answers: Its work for the good player.
set up the ball
Eventually the player/coach would have to go from coaching
to playing, and likely wouldnt have the proper mind-set to
compete against someone in the 8ths or the quarters who could play more than a little. It
would require that he coach away from players concentrating on their matches in the venue courts
(perhaps necessitating a set-up in another room). He would have to coach to a schedule that could
accommodate players wanting coaching but who were playing in several events. And, given the
necessary remuneration, it would require the organizers of the tournament to take in less money.
In the 15s, Rumble had no trouble in the final with Richard Shelley, but after several
months of coaching by Errol Resek, Richard, like his brother Larry, has greatly improved his
attacking game. The most exciting match in this event was 10-year-old Mike Sterns 9, 20, 22
win over Timmy House who thinks table tennis as much as any kid in New York.
In the Under 13s, Jeff Zakarin apparently got himself straightened out bat-wiseafter
experimenting with a different racket he hadnt had a good
Muriel Stern:
Easternsand so knocked off Tony Ettinger in the final.
talks
to the boys
The most surprising win here, though, had been Tonys
Photo by Mal
over Robert Nochenson.
Anderson
Muriel Stern, Under 17 Girls winner over Barbara
Shelley, came of age this tournament. When Alice Green
again didnt showand by this time shed decided not to
go to the Nagoya WorldsMuriel advanced to the final,
where her opponent was Pat Hildebrand whod beaten
Marylands Xuan Ferguson in 4 in the semis. According
to her father, Muriel doesnt practice much (She goes to
the club, says her mother, and talks to the boys). Here,
down 2-0 and down 20-16, she proved herself an
experienced player by not giving up, by staying alive to
deuce it up and force the match into the 4th.
93

In the Womens As, Muriel loses deuce in the 3rd to Long Islands steady Peggy Daly
whos then beaten in the final by Ferguson. The two womens winners, Hildebrand and
Ferguson, share a third title when they take the Womens Doubles from Daly/Vija Livins. Also,
in the Mixed, theyre both at the center of the action: Pat pairs with George Brathwaite to
defeat Xuan/Lim Ming Chui. Other women receiving trophies are Consolation winner Gloria
Amoury and runner-up Maxine Brown.
In the Mens Doubles, its Brathwaite again, with his last-minute pick-up partner Alex
Shiroky, who people are watching. In their quarters against Roberts/Sealtiel, at 1-1 and 11-all
in the deciding 3rd, Robbie gets a net, then another, and though Alex acrobatically lunges in to
return them, Mitchell with his golf glove, clubs them away. However, up 16-13, Roberts/
Sealtiel unaccountably begin making errors, lose 7 straight, and are match point down. But
then, despite Alexs 20-18 whispered, drawn-out serve instruction to George, Mitch and
Robbie deuce itonly to lose after all.
In the semis, George and Alex beat Pradit and Surasak, 20, 19, 16, when Surasak is
caught just pushing too many balls back. In the other semis, Sweeris/Bukiet win the 1st 25-23
from Resek/Boggan, and thats the match. In the final, Dell and Bernie are up 1-0 but down
20-19 when Bernie gets a net and Alex whiffs one. Dell has looked over to me and said, Oh,
what a lucky shot! Mark it down, Tim! But perhaps this has broken his concentration, for he
follows with two errors, and in a moment the match is tied up. Now Sweeris/Bukiet lose the
3rd, and though theyre 20-19 up in the 4th they cant close. Bernie plays a high ball safe rather
than chance a hit, then gets such a hanger that hes got to smack it. So he does, and,
unbelievably, misses it. After that, there are no more chances.
Bernie doesnt deign to play in the Seniors. And the
events better without him; you dont know whos going to
win. Monasterial reaches the final, but Henry Deutsch proves
too formidable for Marcy. The big upset here, though, is
Islander Walter Shurs win over U.S. #1 Senior Frank Dwelly.
Walter, who after the advent of sponge, stopped and started,
stopped and started playing, has been getting his hitting game
back in shape these past Tuesday
nights at the N.Y. Club. Winner
Deutsch also teams with
Maurice Kendal to defeat
Dwelly/Hull and Sol Schiff/Sid
Jacobs to take the Senior
Doubles. But perhaps Mr. Table
Dr. Maurice Kendal
Tennis, as his equipment ads
continue to define him, doesnt
care too much; hes got another table to concentrate on, can
deal from, though were not talking bridge here.
In the Esquires, the winner was Bob Green whod given
up the Game for almost 20 years. He dropped successive games to
Danny Ganz, Sid Jacobs, and in the final Mitch Silbert. Mitch had
spent long hours at the mike, trying nicely to convince people that,
no, he didnt really want to default them for not umping their
Bob Green: 1948 U.S. Open
required matches, but he wouldor stop the whole tournament.
Director returns
94

In the Mens quarters, its Pradit vs. Roberts, Resek vs. Bukiet, Brathwaite vs.
Shiroky, and Sweeris vs. Sealtiel. Against Peter, Robbies doing just fine with his unhurried but
ever-into-position feline movementsis up 2-0 and at 16-all. Then he fails to return 1-2-3
serves, hisses out an expletive or twoand on they go into the 4th. During one rally, Fuarnado
returns five of Peters hardest smasheswins the point from afar. Then he circles around and
up to the table, blinks impassively like hes vaguely interested. Only, his cats eyes never leave
the ball. Soon hell move on to the semis.
Oh, oh, Bukiets in one of his moods. He doesnt like the table, doesnt like the ball.
Errol puts his glasses on, says the table is perfectly fine, and the new Nittaku ball couldnt be
betterwhy, theyre using them at the upcoming World Championships in Japan. The first two
games Bernie plays horriblyas if hes still got his new fur coat on. As they begin the 3rd, no
matter what it might cost, Bernie cant stand it any longer. He holds up the broken ball. How
this happen? Which absolutely infuriates Errol. So much so that he asks for a ruling. USTTA
Rules Chair Cyril Lederman comes down from the stands. Yes? Did anyone actually see Bukiet
break the ball? No? Well, then, continue play. Resek again builds up pointsand, down 10-4,
Bernie throws up his hands in despair. Its hopeless.
Dont shake hands with him, Errol! someone shouts smiling. That ball! says
Bernieand something more. He didnt win one set from me for two weeks, now he beat me.
Bernies telling the truth. It might well have been during this two week interval that
Boggan was lying. The two were at New York Citys Ed Sullivan Theater in New York
performing, so to speak, on the To Tell The Truth TV show (first airing Mar. 8th). Bukiet
was the 3-time National Champion; Boggan, a bearded Bernie, the imposter who didnt fool
anybody. After the questions, after the guessing by panelists Kitty Carlisle, Bill Cullen, Gene
Rayburn, and Peggy Cass, the real Bernie stands up.
How much money hes going to get, he hasnt figured out yet, but hes smiling. Now I
want Yes, hes glad host Garry Moore has asked himas he was about to say, he will
indeed produce his playing partner.
Boggan looks on. Fuarnado Roberts in the audience looks on. And out from the wings
comes Errol Resek, pockets of his jump suit stuffed with balls. A few strokesthen, sorry, no
more time. Thanks, everyone.
On the other side of the Northeastern Mens Draw, Shiroky plays Brathwaite so fast I
dont even get to see the match. What happened, Alex? I asked him. I dont know, he said.
I hit well one game. Thats all.
It was almost all for Sweeris too. He loses the 1st at 8 and the 3rd at 18; but in between
he sandwiches that all important deuce game. In the 4th and 5th, its no contest, Sweeris wins:
Sealtiels got a block that he cant do anything with.
Semis time, and Dell has to leave one table for anotherleaves momentarily behind
shoes, rackets, boxes of the controversial new Nittaku balls hes hoping to sell. He starts well
against Brathwaite, is up 1-0 and 18-16 after some fine passing shots, but then George gets a
net, Dell fails to return three serves, and George gets another net. Match all even after two
games. And match all even after four. But in the 5th, from 13-12, Sweeris runs it out.
As for the Resek-Roberts semis, Ive never seen Errol so steady. His best stroke is not
his loop (which is very good of course) but his forehand push. He just seems to have as much
time as he wants to work for a high ball. Robbie, I thought, played badlyexcept for the 3rd
where he was in Globetrotter form. Fast ball, slow table, said Fuarnadothe ball rises
shoulder-high, and I cant control it.
95

The LITTA is impressed with Errol. They decide to give

him, win or lose the final, $100 to help pay his expenses to the
Nationals. And just to show their hearts really in the right
place, they give Brathwaite $100 too.
Now its Sweeriss turn to get $100? Thats the prize if
he wins. And, o.k.. hes closed up shop, and, coming out for
the final, hes got it together, does he? Down 6-5 when Errol
serves and the ball hits something and skims into the net, Dell
takes up his face towel and dusts off the entire table. O.K.,
ready? Errol serves off. Which prompts Dell to push the table
closer to Errol. After this frivolity, Dell fails to return three
straight serves! With such a loss of concentration, its no
surprise Sweeris drops the 1st and is at deuce in the 2nd. But
now its Errols turn to be sloppyhe doesnt return serve,
then misses a sitter. Theyre all even again going into the 5th.
But Dell is playing better, is perfectly comfortable countering
from 20 feet back. Up 10-7, Dell, chasing a ball far back,
Errol still gets the $100
extends the racket almost out of his hand yet manages to loft a
return. Errol misses the highest hanger you ever sawand,
instead of it being 10-8 after hed won a hard-fought point, hes down by 4.
Dell has passed half his CPA examshe knows theres no way for Errol to account for
that last shot, it has to cost him. It does: 5th game and title to Sweeris. And sobut, look at
this: people milling about still want to buy those Nittakus that are going to be used at Nagoya.
And Schiff, Mr. Table Tennis, is still dealing. And now Dell is back over there with
himopening upwho knows?a brand new career?
At the year-ending, six-region Ontario Winter Games for
Juniors, played in Etobicoke, Boys and Girls from the Central Region,
coached by Gabor Szucs, came first. Their records: Boys: Errol
Caetano, 15-0; Paul Brathwaite, 14-1; Paul Klevinas, 14-1. Coach
Peter Gonda, 14-1, led the 2nd-place Niagara team. Girls: Violetta
Nesukaitis, 15-0; Flora Nesukaitis, 15-0, Darinka Jovanov, 15-0.
The Ottawa Association held its 1971 Championships on 12
Nissen tables at Algonquin Collegewith Derek Marsham, whod
coached the Ottawa Juniors at Etobicoke, winning the Mens from
Canadian News International Editor Patrick Arkell whod rallied to beat
Frank Shaver in the semis. Womens, as expected, went to Paula
Shaver over Eileen McCullough.
At the Feb. Muskegon Open, Connie Sweeris took the round
robin Womens over Sue Hildebrandt. Kathy Scheltema finished 3rd,
Deb Foster 4th, and Doris Mercz 5th.
The Mens saw Don Brazzell upset #2 seed Jim Davey, then
Darinka Jovanov
eliminate Ken Foster in 5, to reach the semifinal round robin. The three
From CTTA News,
players joining him there were: Dell Sweeris who, as Kathy Scheltema
Jan., 1970, 3
tells us in her write-up (TTT, March-April, 1971, 1;3), was victorious
over a hard-hitting, determined Mike Veillette 20, 24, 19; Bill Lesner, 5-game winner over
Leonard McNeece; and Jeff Smart whod knocked out Imants Karklis.
96

Brazell had come 1st in the $15 Handicap event by beating Dell whod had to give him
a 30-point start to 50. This time there wasnt any spotand yet Brazell, smashing and
returning well enough, forced Sweeris into the 5th. Though losing to Smart in 5, Don also
stopped #3 Lesner in 4. Bill and Jeff lost to Dellwhich made him the winner. But when
Lesner got the better of Smart, a three-way tie for 2nd developed, broken by Brazells most
games won. Mens Doubles went to Sweeris/Lesner over Davey/McNeece.
Other results: Class A: Tom McEvoy in 5 over Ferenc Frank Mercz whod defeated
both Dave Shenk, 21, -21, -21, 22, 19 and Mike Veillette in 5 (winning the 3rd 29-27). Who is
this guy, Mercz, playing out of West Lafayette, Michigan? Never heard of him said the
seeding committee. But of course Frank, a two-time Virginia State Champion, being in the Air
Force, has been stationed also in other parts of the country where, as might be seen in Topics,
hes repeatedly made his mark. Class B: McEvoy, 2-1 over Mercz whod 19 in the 3rd eked by
a vastly improved Maurice Hunter, Michigan Closed Under 15 Champ. Class C: Alex Laufer
(his first tournament win) over Randy Priest deuce in the 5th in the semis, and 19 in the 5th in
the final over Mercz. Class B/C
Doubles: McEvoy/Mercz over
Brazzell/Don Clark.
Seniors: Elmer Ybema over
Michigan TTA President George
Buben. Alas, Frank Tharaldsons entry
had chosen to reach Muskegon the
same day he had. Alas, alas, loyal
Frank had made it a rule not to imbibe
any soft drink that wasnt his
companys Orange Crush. But did
Bea Scheltemas snack shop have
Orange Crush? Thirsty Frank was
crushed to find that it did not.
Elmer Ybema
Muskegon juniors earned their entry
Photo by Mal Anderson
fees by calling matches. Detroits
Maurice Hunter, 14, constantly
pleaded with adults to Please limit your warm-ups to two minutes, while Muskegons 13year-old Brian Sydnor, threatened, Dell Sweeris, report to the desk or I will default you.
No danger of Dell being threatened with default at the Michigan Open shortly before
the Nationalsnot with Peter Pradit, Bernie Bukiet, Jerry Karbulka, and Jim Lazarus in the
field. Karbulka, the Czech penholder whos had deuce-in-the-4th problems with chopper Sam
Veillette, is described by covering reporter Jeff Smart (TTT, Sept.-Oct., 1971, 27-28) as using
wood shots and a C stroke loop, while his semis opponent, Pradit, plays like jagged
lightning with an at-the-bounce, slap-and-slip-and slide attack. After winning the 1st game at
7, Peter is down 17-12 in the 2nd, then rallies to deuce it up. But now, says Jeff, Jerry DOES
HIS THINGWHICH IS TO KILL THE BALL (he must have the hardest smash of anyone
in the U.S). And wins 22-20. Match all even.
In the 3rd, Jerrys super-loops, mixed with bothersome wood shots, seem too much for
Peter who trails 13-6! But then its 13-12!And deuce again. Whereupon Peter gets a net,
and, ad-down, Jerry pushes into the net. Pradit goes on to take Karbulka in 4, and, on beating
Lazarus, advances to the final.
97

Sweeris, down 19-15 in the 1st against Bukiet, wins 6 in a row. Follows by increasing
his lead to 2-up. So what, says Bernie, whos soon blocking back everything Dell throws at
him.In the 5th, Dells up 10-2. But whats a lead like that? says Jeff. Its every hustlers
average score. Bukiet pulls to 13-11, is just amazing. And then he misses a kill. And,
strange, again the game switches round. Dell takes 7 out of 8 to end the match.
Against Pradit in the final, Sweeris, spinning hard, leads 14-7, but Peter catches him
at 16-all and takes the 1st at 18. Up 15-14 in the 2nd, Sweeris evens by taking 6 straight points.
After winning the 3rd easily, Peter in the 4th is up 11-10, gets two nets! Then, at 14-11 he gets
a net-edge! But some tremendous counter-driving brings Dell to 16-all, and again he runs
out the game. In the 5th, Pradits up 13-11, and, after both players get in about 20! fast
counter-drives,Sweeris smacks one through. Pradit gets tight, and Dell is up 19-17 and
his forehand kill is really hot. Only now he loses 3 straight, and Peter has him match point.
After being forced back, Sweeris comes in, smacks a backhand. What! Its coming back!
Well, kill it again. Dell does. Its a killer alrightright into the net. Pradit wins, 19 in the 5th.
At the Feb. 25 Max D. Gooden Open, the Championship Singles featured an 8-man round
robin. First was Alan Goldstein (7-0). Second was the St. Louis Closed Champ Larry Chisolm (6-1,
with a deuce in the 3rd win over Jerry Plybon). Third, Plybon (5-2, with a 19 in the 3rd win over
Charlie Disney). Fourth, Disney (4-3). Fifth, Eric Woltasczyk (3-4). Sixth, Art Fiebig (2-5).
Seventh, James Wachter (1-6). Eighth, Harry Sandner (0-7). Womens Singles and Girls Under 17
went to Diana Myers over her winning Under 15 Doubles partner Jean Varker. The Mixed to Myers
and Plybon. Mens Doubles winners were Disney/Goldstein over Plybon/David Barnes.
Tom Walsh tells us (TTT, Mar-Apr., 1971, 13) that the Feb. Nebraska Closed saw
Steve Flansburg, oft state champion, by varying spin and occasionally looping, defeat
former state champion Remus Kavas (formerly Kavalauskas), now of Chicago. (Theyd play
again in March, and this time Kavas almost hit through Flansburg, losing 25-23 in the 5th.)
Womens went to Diana Myers (over her mother Barbara), as did the Mens Doubles (sic)
where she partnered Flansburg (over Walsh/Kavas), and the Mixed where she paired with
Champak Narotam (over Walsh/Barbara Myers).
Other results: As: Walsh over Narotam. Bs: Leo Kudirka over Rodney Cowles.
Murray Kutler, who was the Consolation winner over Charles Polson, dominated Junior
playhe won the 17s over Jon Deuchler, -16, 19, 17; the Junior Doubles with his brother
Mark over Deuchler/Dave Downs; the 15s over John Zaragosa; and the 13s over Todd
Petersen, the Under 11 Champ over Dan Downs. At the Boys Club tourney, Petersen, though
playing only a year, was said to be impressive in the Under 10 division. The new Novice event
went to Jim Malashock over recent beginner, the future USTTA Coaching Chair and
National Program Director Bob Tretheway.
Now heres Oklahomas increasingly contributive Ron Shirley, not damning with faint
praise, not even praising with feint damnation:
How many table tennis fans outside the Southwest know that this areas best
player never plays in a sanctioned tournament and isnt even a member of the USTTA?
Besides that, he runs the best tournament in the Southwest each year and everybody whos
anybody in these parts plays in it. This very successful unsanctioned tournament [Texas
Open] always runs on time, always offers the biggest trophies, and always is the big
tournament we look forward to. Guess that just goes to show that USTTA sanctioning isnt
necessary for either a good or successful event (TTT, May-June, 1971, 25).
98

How true. And how difficult it is, in a country so large,

in a Lone Star state or elsewhere, to get everyone (and
especially he whos being referred to here, Louie Lancer) to
embrace a National Association. Still, for almost 40 years
now, many dedicated workers have continued and will
continue to do just that. Must be something to be said for
such a uniting.
Bob ONeill writes that on Feb. 6-7 Houstons first
sanctioned city tournament drew 45 entries, though some of
them played on only one day, apparently not knowing they
were supposed to play on two. In the Championship event,
there were 6 round robin groups of 7 players eachwith
Group A being the strongest, followed by Group B. Cecil Kost,
with his strong loop and devastatingly accurate kills, scored
his first win over Hanumanth Rao to take Group A. Rao was
Bob
second over Al Engel. Group B was won by Brad
ONeill
Fountain (his first ever trophy), with Fu
Liem the runner-up via a
tie-breaker with Phil Daly and Kelly Estes,
the Boys Under 15 Champ over, among
others, Perry Schwartzberg, a player well
hear quite a bit about later. Championship
Doubles went to ONeill/Don Weems over
Kost/D.G. Van Vooren.

99

Ron Shirley wrote entertainingly

(TTT, May-June, 1971, 24) about the
Oklahoma Open. The seedings, he said,
went to seed; upstarts advanced:
Take Wiriya Tjakra, for
example.[He] was completely
unknown and entered every event
from Class C up. An engineering
student at the University of
Oklahoma, Tjakra took the court
against [Dennis] Crawford
and quickly became very well
known. And just as quickly
thrown out of Class C.
Crawford, last years number one
Wiriya Tjakra: name says hes a chopper
Oklahoma player, is usually death to a
chopperand Tjakra is definitely a
chopper (his name almost sounds like chopperthe Tj is pronounced like Ch). But Denniss
powerful spins just didnt phase his Indonesian opponents defense like they do most.
Though 4th seed Crawford went down to Tjakra 18 in the 4th, Ron had earlier given him
his duepointing out (in the March-April Topics) that Dennis, along with Norman Behymer,
last seasons Oklahoma Boys Under 15 #2, were among 30 honorees, including baseballs
Johnny Bench, who received certificate awards at a Jan., 71 Oklahoma City Press Club Sports
Headliner dinner. OCU basketball coach, Abe Lemons, gave a lemonish impression when, as
Ron says, he introduced Crawford and Behymer [whose name he never did pronounce
correctly] as tennis players and then as tennis table players before finally spitting out table
tennis players.
Ron also tells us, in proud maverick fashion, that,
though neither Dennis or Norman holds a USTTA
Exhibition Player card, doubtless the national association
wont be too hard on them for introducing the sport to ten
or fifteen thousand sports fans [by playing Christmas-holiday
exhibitions with spectacular shots] at two sessions of the
prestigious All-College Basketball tournament.*
Shortly after Crawford lost, here comes Wichitas
Gordon Beehler who was almost unknown since he hadnt
played here in years and was assumed to be out of practice.
Beehler, like Tjakra, chops a lot but at times he also hits
well (HARD!) with his pimpled rubber. Exit 3rd-seed Joe
Cummings, who lost in 5 (dropping the swing 3rd game 22-20).
Another surprise in the quarters was Don Berry
super looper and spinner extraordinaire. Three weeks
earlier this young Englishman from Manchester had played Don Berry: super-looper Englishman
100

at Fort Worth (that was in the unsanctioned Texas Open?)

where hed been impressive. Still, though he had Kevin
Bells cat-like speed, it seemed likely that Kevins stay-atthe-table-and-hit game would be too much for Dons spinand-move style. But Berry beat the #1 seed in 4, 21-6 the
last game. Only #2 seed David Bell escaped being upset. He
advanced to the semis, 3-0, over Class C and U-15/U-13
winner Steve Hammond who also paired with Shirley to take
the B Doubles.
Thus, in the one semis, Berry looped away Tjakra in
straight games (just as hed done previously in the A final),
and in the other, David Bell easily defeated Vern Eisenhour.
David took Don in the final, 22-20 in the 4th, in part perhaps
because the Englishman might have been a mite tired after
looping his way through 5-events and 18 matches. Berry did
team with Cummings, though, to take the Mens Doubles
Ron Shirley,
from Kevin Bell and Steve Arnold who provided Topics
Oklahoma B Doubles Winner
readers with an explanation of the 3rd and 5th-ball attack,
Photo by Mal Anderson
especially as practiced by the Red Chinesethat is, serve
so as to attack-for-the-point return, or serve and, if unable to immediately follow, aggressively
maneuver so as to do so on the second return. Barry also partnered Paul LeBlanc to a win in
the A Doubles over R.C. Watkins/John McAdams. Womens went to Norma LeBlanc in 5 over
(for the first time) Carmen Ortiz whod eliminated Ozella Henderson. Mixed winners were:
Ortiz/Cummings over LeBlanc/ Kevin Bell in 5.
Other results: Class B: Jay Evans (and his steady variety of unusual spins) in the
semis, deuce in the 4th, over David Barnes, and in the final over Avi Blattstein (whod lost in
the As to John Tomlinson deuce in the 3rd). Seniors: Watkins over Lou Coates. Under 17:
Jerry Crawford 25-23 in the 5th over Arnold whod advanced 25-23 in the 5th over Jim
Hammond, runner-up to brother Steve in the 15s, deuce in the 3rd.
At the 19th Annual Arizona Open, held Feb. 13-14 at the spacious New Moon Valley
High Gym in Phoenix, top-seed Denis OConnells forehand attack was too strong for runnerup Jim Bristol. Denis teamed with Ray Mack for an easy Doubles win over Bristol/Al Everett.
Womens went to 16-year-old Cindy Cooper over 16-year-old Elsie Spinning. Cindy, with
Mack as her partner, also took the Mixed from Mac Horn/Spinning.
Mack recalls OConnell as a serious player who had the practice plan of using Ray
to practice his 3rd and 5th ball attacks. Once, Denis told Mack that he would never be a good
player. That hurt, said Ray. I wanted to know why. Dennis asked him how long hed been
playing, apparently thinking that Ray, who was maybe 20, had been playing about 5 years.
When Mack said, Only 18 months, Denis had a change of heart, and they began practicing
and for a time played doubles together. Because Ray practiced with and encouraged Cindy
Cooper to hit the ball properlyshe used too much sidespin on her shotshe was able to play
Mixed with her. Which, especially since they won, was great fun (I had a huge crush on her
because she was so nice and just plain beautiful).
Other Arizona Open results: As: Roger Yee over John Harrington. Yee also won the A
Doubles with Danny Yu (over Ning Chang/Yinlin Chan). Bs: Tom Sacra over Bob Treece.
Tom also won the B Doubles with Harold Kopper (over Treece/Ed Stein in 5). Cs: Chris
101

Castro over Phoenix Club President Forrest Barr.

Consolations: Jim DeMet over Russ Finley in 5.
Seniors: Helmuth Vorherr over Defending
Champion Horn. Under 17s: 14-year-old Mark
DaVee over Cooper. Under 15s: DaVee over
Andrew Serrano.
Milla Boczars
Hollywood Club, the site of
two winter tournaments
over a 6-week span, had a
very distinguished visitor
the 1936 U.S. World
Womens Champion Ruth
Aarons, newly accepted into
the International Swaythling
Club. Aarons, who in 1967
after the death of her
Mark DaVee: Outstanding Junior
brother, Lisle, moved from
Photo by Mal Anderson
N.Y.C. to L.A., was
World Champ Aarons accompanied to the Club by
(shown here in 1936)
actress Shirley Jones and her son (by Jack), David Cassidy, whom
Ruth was managing.** As a result of her visit, she met Wendy Hicks,
was impressed by her, and afterwards wrote a Jan. 31 letter to a Mr. Yokoyama of Universal
Orient Promotions in Tokyo hoping he or someone he knew might be able to help fund Miss
Hicks to the upcoming Nagoya Worlds. Ruth described Wendy as a very likable and bright
young woman, as well as a very talented athlete. Wendy wrote an appropriate Thank You
response to Ruth, but Ive no record as to whether Mr. Yokoyama was able to help or not.
At the Jan. 30-31 Hollywood Open,
Erwin Klein won the Mens over Wayne
Obertone. Ray Mack, echoing Alex Salcidos
appraisal of Erwin, didnt think Klein was a
very nice person because unless you were a
high-ranking player he didnt deign to speak
to you. However, as a player, Ray thought
Klein terrific, his touch phenomenal.
Though some judged Erwin by this time to be
soft, Ray marveled at his ability to return
peoples chop with light topspin or to return
their topspin with up-close-to-the-table chop.
As for Obertone, he was sometimes mocked
by young Raphel, a punster and natural mimic
Wayne Oberton (L): straight man to Erwin Klein
for whom everyone was fair game (me he
Photo by Fred Grobee
referred to as Tim Bogus). Mack recalled
how Waynes footwork was more than a little
suspecthed take no less than 6 (!) steps for a simple backhand push and return to the
ready position. Ray thought Obertone probably suffered from a severe case of obsessive
102

compulsive disorder, or maybe a severe case of perfectionism. Since Wayne had worked
diligently to become a performing pianist, good enough to go on tour, perhaps this had
something to do with his need for preciseness.
Heather Angelinetta took the Womens over Cindy Cooper. Once, in his innocence,
Mack cheered loudly for Cindy when she got a net and incurred Heathers wrath. Not
sporting, she said, no skill to winning that point. Angelinetta, like Rufford Harrison, who was
also from England, shared an obsessiveness about proper dress. Heather pointed out to Mack
that his cheap $3 track suit, which hed been wearing for a year, had spelled the word
Patriots as Patroits on the pants and sweatshirt. Yeah, yeah, Ray knew that, and knew that
without money hed soon have to go back to Rochester, N.Y. But in the next quarter-century,
with his many Genessee Valley titles and Lifetime Achievement Award, he would become a
living legend among the Kodak camera-minded. Mixed Doubles went not to Angelinetta/
Grossman but to Ray Guillen/Pauline Walker over Earl Jones/Angelita Rosal. Mens Doubles
to Guillen/Grossman over Nick Mintsiveris/Denis OConnell. Milla and Fred Herbst, reporting
on the Southern California scene (TTT, Mar.-Apr., 1971,12), say that Nick, the friendly Greek
bartender-college student, had gone home last summerthats to Erie, Pennsylvania, where
his parents have a restaurantand came back with a new bride, Carole.
Other results: Bs: Andy Beckenbach over Dieter Huber. Cs: Eric Thom over Frank
Huzarsky, 19 in the 4th. Seniors: Alex Gati over Ken Cunningham. Boys Under 17: Paul
Raphel over Guillen. Girls Under 17: Cooper over Rosal. Boys Under 15: Raphel over Thom.
Boys Under 13: David Lange (after he and his family had been in their native Scotland for a
year) over Mickey Kritz, recently of Israel. Angelinetta/Herbst say that Mickeys dad is a
prof at UCLA and author of a childrens book published in Israel and translated from Hebrew
into English.
At the Mar. 6-7 Open, a warm-up for the Nationals at which the California TTA is
paying the entry fees for any of its Juniors, Wendy Hicks was the Womens winner over
Angelita Rosal. (No Mens Singles results provided.) Mens Doubles winners were Guillen/
Grossman over Darryl Flann/Bob Ashley. Mixed went to Guillen/Hicks over Flann/Walker.
Mintsiveris, with his bearcat-paw forehand and crushing backhand beat Hicks in 5 to take
the Class As. Ray Mack beat Thom in 5 to take the Bs.
Other results: Doug Hobson beat Larry
Pekkannen in 5 to take the Cs. Guillen/Hicks also
won the A Doublesfrom Jim Bristol/Danny
Banach. Best in B Doubles: Mack/Thom over
Angelinetta/Herbst. Seniors: Herbst over Russ
Thompson. Under 17s: Guillen over Raphel, -18, 19, 23, 15, 19. Mack said that Ray didnt have Pauls
graceful, powered forehand or classy chop, but he
could make double-winged returns from near or
far, was tenacious, had a huge heart, and an
unflaffable can-do attitude. Under 15s: Raphel
over Thom. Under 13s: Kritz over Laing. Herbst/
Angelinetta say that, under Alan Miller, the new
CTTA Junior Development Chair (who learned to
play and coach in England), all juniors will receive
Fred Herbst, Senior Winner
a free membership.
Photo by Mal Anderson
103

At the Feb. 20-21

Cupertino Open, David
Chan won the Mens
Singles (over George
Makk) and the Mens
Doubles with H. Weber
(over Makk/Azmy
Ibrahim). Apparently
there was no Womens
event, but the Mixed
went to Jim Naik/Hilde
Brautigan over Chan/
Yuriko Kirby. Ibrahim
took both the A Singles
(over Ramon
Fernandez) and the A
Doubles with Fernandez
(over Richard Terry/
Mike Greene). Azmys
obviously been playing,
but I havent noticed
him on the tournament
scene. Perhaps because
David Chan: 1971 Cupertino Champ
Azmy Ibrahim, 1971 Cupertino A
Don Gunn reported that
Photo by Mal Anderson
Singles & Doubles Winner
in Nov. of 1969, in a
colorful Coptic Christian ceremony, Azmy married Margaret Harada, possibly the most
beautiful woman ever to come from Hawaii, or anywhere else. No, she doesnt play t.t., but
she sometimes works at tournaments, and was a great help at the 1969 Nationals.
The Eugene, OR Club has its own player ratings (based on league as well as
tournament play), but at its Jan. 30th Eugene Open, seedings could not be based just on local
play. Mens winner was Tom Ruttinger over Joe Lee whod knocked out Rob Roberts.
Womens winner was Judy Bochenski***, Eugenes #2, over University of Oregons Rachel
Pong. Mens Doubles went to Lee/Roberts in 5 over Eugenes #1 Jeff Kurtz/Bob Ho. Mixed
to Ruttinger/Bochenski over Earl Adams/Karen Berliner.
SELECTED NOTES.
*In the Dec., 1970 issue of Topics (7), Rufford Harrison had taken to task the Detroit
officials whod stopped play on 60 tables at the USOTCs to announce that those who gave
exhibitions without a USTTA Exhibition card would be subject to suspension. Ridiculous. It
was to the Associations benefit for adept players to give exhibitions. O.K., so the Exhibition
player pays a $10 fee for his card, question is, What does he get in return? Rufford concludes
that many players will continue to ignore this stupid threat and go their independent ways if
the USTTA doesnt adopt a more positive attitude.
**Actor Richard Neilson, who, as Jimmy Nelson, was runner-up in the 1940 English
Open Juniors to Jimmy Bermingham, told me he first met Ruth Aarons at a Shirley Jones
Cassidy dinner party, and that he and she hit it off talking excitedly about English Team
104

players. Later, he said, they were both

members of an in-group Nowhere To
Go But Up Club.
***Judy, who plays the clarinet
in her Sheldon High School band, will
not only turn in a Championship
performance at the Atlanta U.S. Open,
but, along with TV appearances on To
Tell The Truth and Whats My Line,
will solo onto center stage at the Oregon
Legislature and with continuing aplomb
perform the role of that states most
acclaimed teenage diplomat. And,
though it probably prompts only PingPong Diplomacy in-group recall, who
knows, perhaps she and Olga, with tears
of joy, brought the hamburger to China.

Jon in the London Daily Mail

105

L-R: Gary Alexander, Treasurer; Ray Filz, Secretary; Gene Wilson, Membership;
Carl Golden, President; Chuck Michell, Ranking
Chairman; Jim Holcomb, Vice-President

Chapter Nine
1971: Debacle of the Atlanta U.S. Open.
L-R: Stan Martin, Assistant General Manager,

Atalanta. No, careful, careful, not

Curly Bailey, John Sims, Betty Greene, Larry Phillips.
Atlantathats where the Nationals were,
right?
Atalanta. You know the Greek myth? This beautiful Southern girl, Southern European
anyway, was warned by an oracle that any coming together in marriage would bring disaster.
She raced her suitorswith death at the finish line if they couldnt, and try as they might they
couldnt, outrun her in time. But the youth Hippomenes appealed to the goddess Aphrodite,
and was given the golden apples irresistible to Atalanta to drop in his race with her. So when
she stopped to pick them up, he won her. But then, ohhh, he forgot to thank Aphrodite for
what shed done and was punished, changed into a roaring lion.
R-r-r-r-r!
Atlanta. A lovely city. That Regency Hotel alone has wooed how many? Those
legendary skyship elevators there. Or coming down, down, down, a glass-enclosed
bathosphere into the depths. Ah, mythswhat truths they hold. Think Atlantis toothat
worldsinking into the sea.
Atlanta. The Nationals. And Tournament Director Betty Greene, who, understanding
and gracious, always could be appealed to. And, listen, 2 a.m. Monday morning finishing time
or no, cant we sayor rather, as the USTTAs how much older Hippomenes, cant I saywe
106

finally made it, joined our tournament with beautiful, beautiful Atlanta, consummated it all,
right down to the last mixed doubles match.
And for that we ought to be thankful, no?
R-r-r-r-r!
But to begin at the beginning. The playing venue is the Municipal Auditorium. My
family and I go in, and how confusing it all islike entering a labyrinth. There, right away, are
tables 29-40. Huh? Some hellos and handshakes, and then out and around to another door and
a registration line and a sackfulof what?forever to be remembered souvenirs?
Then back outside and around and in, and today or tomorrow or the next day up and
down the ramp that leads us to where we think we ought to be. Down to the deep cavernous
gloom of the (R-r-r-r-r) Arena. Tables 1-18. Unavailable to us, as it happens on the first
cramped night of the tournament, because the famous wrestler El Mongol and his snarling
hoard of Assassins are teamed to prevent us from playing. Up, off to the right, is another part
of the maze, the slippery floor of Taft Hall. Tables 19-23. This is where the trophies sit, back
to the wall, like little gilded men and women, 36 of one kind (Jr. Under 13, Mens Singles,
Senior Class B Doublescould there be any doubt were all meant to be one and the same in
this for so long unheroic, unpromoted Game?), 30 of another, every one oblivious to the event
of one anothers identical, uncaring company.
Now back to the ramp that how many floors zigzags up to the Sky RoomTables 2428where, as the tournament progresses, Id have to hike up to from the basement in multilevel search for kids or copy.
And
wherever you
wentyou
couldnt get
away from
them, so wellintentioned
were they
match after
match had
compulsively
its uniformed,
orange-shirted
umpire, badge
newly sewn
over the too
often arrogant, ignorant heart of the rawest of Park Department recruits. Fault! says an
umpire who then, as play repeats itself, asks the players, please, if theyre going to hit the ball
hard, be so good as to tell her which side it goes on because she has trouble following it.
Trouble for everyone: dead-end walls to this labyrinth as player after player looked to
find where his/her draws were posted, when and at what table he was time-scheduled to play.
Sometimes the schedules were hard to read by all concerned. Contestant Shelley, for example,
in the middle of playing his 3rd game against an opponent hed never seen before was suddenly
advised that it was not R. Shelley but rather another, unidentified Shelley who should be
playing this time-scheduled match; and that, wasted half hour aside, hed have to begin again.
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Slowly, with a five-minute delay here, then another, and another, there came a shifting.
Time began working its microscopic little tricks. Unseen by any trained eye, unfelt by any
Committee body, hundreds of distant matches that had been tabled so precisely were slowly
dissolving. So that gradually everyone began to grasp the meaning of his own oracle of
disaster. Was there any way out?
A player appearing, or not appearing, for his four oclock rescheduled two oclock
match in the basement, or his four oclock canceled rescheduled maybe to six oclock match in
the Sky Room, was sent reeling rampward against the walls. It was, as if in the corridors of his
mind, one didnt know whether he was coming or goingwhether, indeed, as he wandered
about, he was matched up with another at all.
So many angry, confused people were complaining at the Control Desk about being
defaulted by umpires that something had to be done. Naturally it was too late for the
unknowledgeable Committee members to learn any of the regular tournament goers by sight or
even by name. Ree-SECK, BUCK-et, Zuh-CAR-in, Bo-GANNand so on, mutilating ones
identity because no individual, it would seem (in spite of Carl Goldens bewildered patience),
mattered more than the dumbest of figures on the most absurd of trophies.
Obviously if those in charge couldnt identify a participant (Will Mr. Shaffer please
report to the Control Desk if hes not already playing a match?), couldnt tell whether he/she
was talking, complaining an arms length away, or winding his puzzled way up and down the
ramp, or practicing on an always open table or two in the dark of the Arena, or out getting a
cold hot dog in the lobby, well, really, how is the poor fellow himself, unable for the din of
hundreds of milling people to hear his name calledand thus how, without causing a great
deal of ill feeling, can he be defaulted?
Faced on the one hand with the insane spectacle of
player after player afraid to go out and eat for fear of forfeiting
his match, or his vaguely rescheduled match, and on the other
with official after official afraid to defaultthough it must
have occurred to them that it would be one way of getting the
tournament over withmore and more participants caught in
it all had stories like Ray McDowells to report.
About lunchtime Saturday, the second day of the
tournament, Rays opponent doesnt show up. O.K.,
understandable. At 1:40 Ray gets word hes won by default. At
2: 10 hes called back by the loudspeaker system and told that
his opponent had been playing another scheduled match and so
couldnt be defaulted. Ray would have to play him later.
Its explained to Ray that, if he has no other matches, he
can of course go back to his hotel and relax. But if hes not
back at 5 p.m. theyll be forced to default him. Two and a half
hours later, Ray dutifully returns, and gets a surprise. Though
the tournament is now two days old, his opponent has never
even checked in, is not at the tournament.
Ray McDowell:
What more can I say? R-r-r-r-r! What went on this
lucky not to be defaulted?
Photo by Mal Anderson
weekend at that Arena stage and its environs can only be
described as Theatre of the Absurd. At any event, in order to
end this prelude, and get on with the matches, let me just say that I dont think Ive ever been
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to even the most provincial of little-town tournaments where there was less communication
between the playersthe ones who knew what Table Tennis was all aboutand the people
trying their best to run thingswho didnt. How could a responsible USTTA award the Open
to this Atlanta group? Easy. The AGTTA had received nothing but praise from President
Steenhoven and others for its previous local efforts. But, wow, given a tournament of this
magnitude33 events and almost 500 entriessomebody from the E.C. sure should have
made a personal inspection of the site.
Also, it may have been a blessing in disguise, but media coverage of this Open, as in
the last one at Detroit, was non-existent. Oklahoma City promoter Ron Shirley says (TTT,
July-Aug., 1971, 11), I have never seen evidence of any effort to gain publicity or news
coverage originating from the national level. The national organization must place little value
on publicity and public relations. His suggestion: I believe that future U.S. Open sponsors
should be required to prove [as in fact Oklahoma City can] that they have the organization,
local support, and incentive to generate publicity and tournament news coverage. If they cant,
they shouldnt be allowed to hold the tournament.
U.S. Open Boys/Girls Play
Im going to begin with Jeff Smarts account of the Boysmatches (TTT, May-June,
1971, 12; 18), though he, too, has some preliminary words to say about the atrocious playing
conditions:
The tables upstairs [If the cold didnt get you in the basement, said Jeff,
the heat upstairs would] were on a slippery(waxed) floor and in small (14 x 7?)
enclosed areas. The four lights, which were about four feet overhead, had been painted
black on the bottoms.
In the basement, the floor was slippery concrete with little room to the sides of the
tables. In the Arena, on the main floor, the lighting and the space was equally poor. [Those
in charge said that the bulbs may have been old, may have lost some of their power.]
Jeff speaks of the Boys Under 13 final between Flint, Michigans Jeff Jarvela (14, 22,
23 semis winner over Jeff Zakarin) and Oklahoma Citys Steve Hammond (4-game winner
over Mike Stern). Both seem intent on being consistent, and, except for a few loops and
drives, do nothing but push. Hammond appears perfectly calm and steady and takes the first
game easily. But then Jarvela begins driving and wins the next two. Then its Hammonds turn
again, and in the 5th, theyre tied at 19-all. At which point the ball goes into the stands and
down under the seats. A new ball is needed, but as ads are exchanged, no one seems affected.
After Hammond misses a set-up to win, hes ad-down and, expressionless as ever, tries a
kill shot that goes out. Jarvela is the new Under 13 champion.
Theres interesting commentary about this 24-22 in the 5th final. Next seasons USTTA
Nominating Chair Ray McDowell (TTT, July-Aug., 1971, 18) takes Jeffs enthusiastic
Michigan supporters to task for their unsportsman-like rooting. He says their bad manners
cheering loudly whenever a serve was missed by Hammond, or when a hanger went
astrayalienated the majority of the spectators who then began rooting for Hammond,
cheering for misses by Jarvela! Ridiculous!
Michigans Bill Lesner counters (TTT, Sept.-Oct., 1971, 17) that it was not the
Michigan juniors who started cheering so boisterously for Steve Hammonds mistakes, but
109

Jeff Jarvela (L) beats Steve Hammond for the 1971 U.S. Open Boys Under 13 title.
Photo by Mal Anderson

Steve Hammond: Hes

perfectly calm and steady;
its the other guy whos the
showboat
Photo by Johnny Melton

rather just the other way around. It was Steves

teammates who made us so mad by their constant
applauding of Jeff Jarvelas mistakes. Lesner saw
the Michigan rooters as showing a much needed
and to be applauded Team Spirit.
Oklahoma City partisan
Ron Shirley interviewed Jarvela
after hed won (TTT, July-Aug.,
1971, 18) and began by
admitting he originally thought
Jeff was a showboat and
perhaps was lacking in good
sportsmanship. Jeff gets excited
during a match and likes to
Ron Shirley
show his emotions and talk to
himselfcheer himself on. Its not unusual for him
to show glee upon getting an edge ball or upon
seeing his opponent serve into the net. Ron says Jeff
has to let go and show excitement in order to win,
regardless of what it looks like to the spectators.
However, says Ron, he changed his mind
about Jefffound he was also modest, that he
praised his coach and others who have helped
him, and acknowledged his opponent Steves
play as fantastic. Jeff was proud that he brought
Flint its first National Table Tennis Championship,
and expressed gratitude to Sam Veillette for a
clinic hed attended, and pointed out that just last
week Sam had given him a helpful tip regarding
his forehand follow through. Ron concludes by
telling Jeff that he was one of the nicest,
friendliest players I had met at this tournament.
110

In the Boys Under 15 final, John Quick defeats Mike

Veillette, whom Smart says in this match cant hit forehands
or backhands consistently. However, its Quicks 20, -14, 12,
-19, 19 semis match with Paul Raphel that Jeff wants to
stress. John takes the 1st when from 19-all he wins the key
momentum point: John kills, Paul counters, and John kills
that. However, Paul himself, with his long, swooping
pimpled rubber slap stroke, can kill well, and after a hard
20-19 loop goes in, theyre into the 5th. Down 20-19, Paul
pushes, PUSHES for at least two minutes until finally he
goes for a loop and is long. Title to Quick whom Jeff says
hes never seen play better.
In the Boys Under 17, Texas lefty Cecil Kost reaches
the final by defeating Raphel and then Quick in 4. He blocks
Johns loops so he cant kill, and scores himself by looping
John Quick: 1971 U.S. Open Boys into Johns middle. Lesner also gets to the final, but has to
Under 15 Champion
go 5 with Ray Guillen, then 4 with Bill Zatek, and in the
Photo by Mal Anderson
semis finds himself down 2-0 to Danny Seemiller before
rallying for the win. John Read, watching, is critical not of
Lesner but Lesners supporters for their close-to-the-court yells, cheers for errors, loud
coaching during points, unkind comments, etc.
In the Kost-Lesner final, played in, as Smart says, at least
85-degree heat, Bill usually makes the kills and Cecil the blocks
and counters. Lesners end-game aggressiveness gives him the slight
19-in-the-4th edgeand hes the new U.S. Junior Champ. Which
probably gives his dad, Dick, more impetus to promote the sale of
USTTA badges and decals to raise
money for the U.S. Juniors upcoming
trip to the English Junior Open.
The Boys Under 17 A was
won by Richard Terry rather easily
over Maurice Hunter. Best matches
were Terrys semis victory over
Timmy House, and Ottavio Pinnells 5game quarters win over Ray Guillen.
Boys Doubles results: U-13s:
House/Zakarin over Robert
Nochenson/Mike Stern, 19 in the 3rd.
Bill Lesner, 1971 U.S. Open
U-15s: Hunter/Veillette over
Junior Champion
Photo by Mal Anderson
Nochenson/Stern 17, 19, 12 in the
semis and Quick/Rick Rumble in the
final. U-17s: last years runner-ups were almost this years: Lesner/
Smart over Norman Behymer/Dennis Crawford, -20, 20, 16. U-17
As: Andy Anvelt/Steve Kazak over Bowen Caldwell/Bob Gellin.
Bev Hess, 1971 U.S. Open
In the Girls Under 13s (no entry fee), Bev Hess, in
Girls Under 13 Champion
winning
3-0, kept runner-up Teresa Miller under double figures.
Photo by Mal Anderson
111

Girls Under 15 went to Judy Bochenski over Angie

Rosal in straight games.
Girls Under 17 went not to Judy Bochenski, as Topics
erroneously had it, but to Olga Soltesz who wrote a correcting
Letter to the Editor. Olga beat Judy in 4, and so reinforced her
selection as a replacement on the U.S. Team to the Nagoya
Worlds.
Girls U-17 Doubles: Bochenski/Jean Varker over
Soltesz/Elsie Spinning.
Events for Girls held last year but not this year: Girls
17 A, Junior Mixed Doubles, and A Mixed Doubles.
Womens Play
This U.S. Open Womens play is wide-open, for those
conspicuously absent are the disgusted U.S. #1 Irene Ogus,
Olga Soltesz, 1971 U.S. Open
unable to take her rightful place on the U.S. World Team for
Junior Miss Champion
lack of funds; the married U.S. #2 Patty Martinez Cash; and
Photo by Mal Anderson
the Defending Champion Violetta Nesukaitis whos already
departed with the rest of the Canadian Team for the Worldsvia the first Commonwealth
Games in Singapore.
So that leavesoh, oh, a problem. Here, I think, is what occurred. Hal Green, Alices
father, says he saw the Draw lying on a desk before it was posted. Dont post it, he warns.
I want to register a protest! But some unnamed person does not hear or heed this counsel
and does post the Drawwhich, needless to say, pairing in the semis, as it does, U.S. #3
Wendy Hicks and U.S. #4 Alice Green, and U.S. #5 Connie Sweeris with unrated Eastern
Open winner Pat Hildebrand, is not favorable to Alice.
Hal carries his case to the higher court of the Ranking Committeeand they admit a
mistake has been made in the Draw. So will I and enough other E.C. members agree that the Draw
should be changed? The answer is Yes, and the Draw is changed. This will result in a Letter to
Topics from Hildebrand who argues that the Draw, once made, shouldnt have been changed. Pro
and con views are aired. Finally a compromise is eventually worked outthe four semifinalists will
play a round robin. Whereas before Pat said she saw the possibility of winning the tournament,
now, in addition to playing in the quarters Barbara Kaminsky whom she beat at the Easterns, she
would, if she got by Barbara, likely also have to play not two but three top seeds. This was a
psychic blow from which she couldnt recover, and she was beaten by Barbarba 12, 12, and 7.
Connie, hands up in exasperation (what a good Draw they were taking away from her),
for a moment isnt sure if she wants to be part of this hopelessly corrupt event. But play she
does, and advances by Barbara in straight games. Everyone seemed reluctant to play Wendy
Hicks, but her advance to the semis was quite perilous. Attacking well, Judy Bochenski had
her down 9-6 in the 5th. But after closing to 13-all, Wendy wings in 4 match-turning winners
and closes Judy out at 15.
Against Green, Sweeris is 20-17 up in the 1st, but then, with the help of a net ball, Alice
deuces it. But though Connie pushes two into the net, Alice still cant win the game. After
taking the 2nd, Green, instead of having a commanding 2-up lead, has just drawn even.Down
2-1, Alice tries picking to Connies forehandonly to find Connie there and countering. This,
and Connies own pickoff Alices pushes to her backhandprove decisive.
112

Green also loses her match to Hicks in 4. In the first two

games, Alice returns the ball deep and Wendy bangs it in. But in
the 3rd game, Alice, or Hal, finds the pattern of returning the short
serve short. And now, especially after losing the 3rd game, Wendy
has to push, wait patiently for better balls, unless she wants to try
to hit in rather desperate shots. In the 4th, Alice, down 20-19
match point, is maneuvering well for a chance to hit in when
Wendy gets a net to end the match.
Despite Hals intervention in changing the Draw, Alice
also loses in 4 to Kaminsky whom Hicks beats 3-0. I cant help
but wonder if Alice had decided to go to the Worlds whether the
outcome of her matches here might have been different.
The Open Champion, then, will be Wendy or Connie. U.S.
Team Captain Jack Howard, whos been Wendys Coach, is
influenced by someone who thinks it unbecoming of him to
obviously take sides against one of his Team members. Jack will
Alice Green: did Hal help? later regret his decision not to help Wendy this match. In the 1st,
Photo by Mal Anderson
Connie, grandly, rapidly, is up 13-5. Anddown 18-13! How is it
possible, at this level, to lose 13 in a row? In the 2nd, Connie
again reaches 13 before her opponent, but this time pulls away to win easily. At 16-all in the
3rd, Hicks fails to return two serves. Down 18-17, she tries to hit in the first ball, misses. Down
19-18, she again tries to hit in the first ball. Whats the hurry? (She cant allow Connie the
opportunity to attack?) But it goes in19-all.Deuce. It takes Sweeris four ads before she
can take a 2-1 lead.

Connie (L) vs. Wendy:

tough match to win, or lose
Photo by Mal Anderson

113

In the 4th, Hicks is up 19-18 and gets a hard-hit forehand through; its enough to win.
On into the 5th. Connie, playing very aggressively, is up 5-0, 8-2. But Wendy picks up 5 in a
row. Then falls 15-9 behind. Only now, unbelievably, as in the 1st game, Sweeris goes into a
funkcant return 1-2-3-4 serves, one after the other. And Wendy wins 7 straight!But
Connie regroups. Shes been taking Wendys spin to the forehand very wellbut of course
Dells been spinning at her for months. Strange, Sweeris is now up 20-17U.S. Open-point.
Crack! Wendy scores: 20-18. Then a long, very hard-fought exchange: 20-19. And
now Sweeris pushes Hickss serve into the net: 20-20. Connie servesand Wendy pushes into
the net. Two ads follow for Connie. First, Wendy gets the ball by her to tie it up. Then a
backhand goes in for Connie, but she again misses Wendys serve. Once more Sweeris takes
the lead. In both the close 3rd game and in this one, Connie has had the ad every single time.
Now Wendy has her last chanceshe swings, misses. Connie throws up her hands. The crowd
erupts into a standing ovationits the most applause Ive ever heard given a U.S. womens match.
Connie wins the 1971 U.S.
Open Womens Championship from Wendy
Photo by Mal Anderson

Fellow Californian Howie Grossman comes over,

plays the gallant. He holds up Wendys hand. And, reminding
me of that Wendy in English storybook lore, she very prettily
smiles.
Womens Bs went to Xuan Ferguson (after being
down 2-0) over Geraldine Karbulka. Womens B Doubles to
Lois Brazda/Karbulka over Melba Martin/Shirley Jordan.
This year, as opposed to last, there was no Senior Womens
event.
114

Xuan Ferguson, U.S.

Open Womens
B Champ

Connie/Dell: a better partnership

Photo by Mal Anderson

Doubles wins with Connie

are old hatbut this first National
Singles Championship will give her
the triple crown. Shes the
Womens Doubles winner with
Hicks over Kaminsky/Soltesz, and
she and Dell are about to down DJ and Wendy in the belated Mixed,
the 3rd Sunday final both women
have been in.

Connie/Wendy:
winning is FUN!
Photo by Mal
Anderson

Mens Play
Before I
pick up the
advanced
Mens Singles
play, Ill
include here
the results of
those events I
havent given coverage to. Class A: Jim Dixon in 4 over Peter Gordon
Stephens whod earlier blanked Denis OConnell. Class B: Jerry Plybon,
deuce in the 4th over Don Brazell. Class C: Hugh Baxley 18 in the 5th over
Ken Foster. Mens Consolation: Homer Brown over Plybon. Wheelchair
events were held last year but not this year. A Doubles: Howie Grossman/
Mark Radom over OConnell/Ray Guillen. B Doubles: Stephens/Dave
Hugh Baxley, U.S.
Open Class C Winner Philip over Dennis Crawford/Norman Behymer. C Doubles: Baxley/Doc
115

Perc Secords Pontiac, MI barbershop and

backroom Ping-Pong Emporium
Photo by John Seator, Pontiac Daily Press

Taul (flew up and back in his own private seven passenger

monoplane) over Lance Rosemore/Bowie Martin.
Over 60s (no entry fee): former World Doubles
Champion Sandor Glancz over Perc Secord. (In a Mar. 25th
letter to Ruth Aarons, his former exhibition partner in stage
and nightclub performances, Sandor said he also won three
5-game matches in the 50s, and that For days every bone
in my body ached, but that it felt good to get back into
the stream of things a little bit. As for Perc, know how
hes won maybe 20 Pontiac City Championships? He keeps
a table at the rear of his barbershop and steadily scalps
many a friendly customer.
Over 50s: former 3-time World Singles finalist
Laszlo Laci Bellak over Max Marinko in the semis and
Frank Tharaldson in the final. (Glancz told Aarons he and
Laci were asked to put on an exhibition, and, as Bellak
said, we brought the house down.) Over 40s: Marinko
over Bellak in the semis and Harry Deschamps in the final.
116

Sandor Glancz: every bone in

his body ached
Photo by Mal Anderson

Bill Meszaros
Photo by Bill Scheltema

Over 40 Bs: Bill Meszaros over Jay

Evans in 5 in the semis and Bob Flowers in the
final. (Bill, Director of Radiology at the Illinois
Masonic Medical Center in Chicago, is well
known for his book Cardiac Roentgenology
that deals with how to improve the accuracy of
the x-ray exam in heart-disease patients.) Over
50 Doubles: Jim Verta/Sol Schiff over Lou
Coates/Evans. Over 40 Doubles: Bernie Bukiet/
Meszaros over Marinko/Bellak. Over 40 B
Doubles: Tony Vasquez/Irv Levine over the
Barrus brothers.

To begin my write-up of the Mens, I

note that in the 8ths San Diegos Mark
Adelman had Sweeris down 2-0 and
staggering around at deuce in the 3rd, but
couldnt knock him out. Marks 5th ball
attack pattern gave Dell trouble: Mark
served, looped the return, and then when
Dell passively blocked back, Mark invariably
killed it. Sweeris escaped because in the 5th
Adelman was placing his chop serves deep,
enabling Dell to spin the ball back, whereas
Mark should have served short, as he did the
opening games, and looped the returns. Dell
may also have been more down than up
considering that Connies going to the
Worlds and hes not. (We arrive in Tokyo,
said Connie, the day of Dells and my
anniversary).
Dells next opponent was Errol
Resek (who was sporting a new jacket with
his Chemical Bank employers name
Poor Dell - so down. How will he manage without Connie?
CHEM BANK shortened to fit on the
Photo by Mal Anderson
jackets back). Sweeris, despite evening the
match at 1-all, cant throw enough punches
to win on points. Resek, having had his ups and downs with Jerry Karbulka (win one at 5, lose
one at 22), isnt stroking out hard, is just steadily pushing, but Dell isnt hitting hard either, is
spinning. So Errol has no difficulty in just blocking the ball to Dells open forehand and hitting in.
In this same side of the Draw, Bill Lesner leads Alex Shiroky 2-0 and 7-3 in the 3rd. But
then when Shiroky starts leaping and looping, Bill starts pressing and missing. Down in the 5th,
Bill who, when hes not hitting thousands of balls against a board, pitches for a baseball team,
looks unsteady out there. But manager Sweeris suddenly appears in view as if from a dugout,
and Bill gets his head together for 9 in a row! For the remaining innings, the sides retired?
Not quite yetbut then Alex strikes out swinging, and Lesners next away match-up is against
D-J Lee, whom he does not beat.
117

Jim Lazarus
usually plays well
against Team
Captain Howards
Photo by Mal Anderson
spin game. But this
match Jack isnt
spinning, hes
socking in winners.
This brings him to
D-J who hed lost
the 1968 U.S. Open
final to. Down 2-0
and 14-3 in the 3rd,
Jack hears an ironic
voice ring out,
Lets go, Jack! A
grim nod, and play
continues.Up 19-3, Lee catches the ball with his head. Jack asks umpire Mal Anderson,
Whos ahead? Ahead? If thats a pun, its no better than the match. Lets go to the other
side of the Draw.
And whos there but Barna Award winner Boggan whos all excitedhas just won the
1st game at deuce from Glenn Cowan. But though hes up 5-0 in the 2nd, and 7-2 in the 3rd, he
wont win another. Cowan then moves on to Pradit, who beats him 3-0. That floor! says
Glenn. Id serve and try to loop hard and Id fall down. And that first game, when we lost the
ball under the stands and wanted another, they wouldnt give us one. Somebody finally got the
ball out and it had some kind of syrupy gook all over it. But the really disgusting part,
continues Glenn, is that my game is as good as Pradits. I just couldnt get the ball in, I dont
know why.
Peterd had a very difficult time in the 8ths with Buffalos Double A ballplayer Jim
Dixon, whose angled-off hitting the round before had more than once sent the lobbing Joe
Sokoloff head first into the outfield bleachers. Before exchange student Manfred Jahn of West
Germany arrived, Jim had to drive the 100 miles to Toronto to practice with somebody, maybe
Wall or Marinko. Now he was lining forehands against Pradit in some DiMaggio-like
consecutive hitting streakis up 2-1. But then Pradit suddenly found just the right place to
position himself. And then went to bat himself. Had, as it were, quite a series. Began angling
balls off to Dixons backhand, angling them short to his forehand and countering everything
fast-pitched to him. So what can I say? Jims all-around play was marvelous, but he didnt win.
Who else is in the quarters here? Four-time Champ Erwin Klein? The69 and 70
finalist John Tannehill? Nope. Erwin, down 20-16 in the 1st to Brathwaite, gets to deuce, then
loses 27-25. That this is a very big swing game is obvious in the 5th. George is down 10-7 after
hed been trying to move around to topspin his forehand more, but Erwin had been controlling
the ball well and deflecting it back to Georges forehand where he was losing points in having
to reach for it. But now Klein fails to return two serves and Brathwaite brings it to 10-all. At
13-all The Chief for the first time begins slicing backhand serves into the middle of the table
and Erwin, deciding to try and roll them, misses one after another. Final score: Brathwaite 21,
Klein 15.
Tim Boggan receives
1971 Barna Award from
Jimmy McClure

118

Tannehill
doesnt appear too
disturbed about
leaving his racket in
Florida. But shouldnt
he have been? Wasnt
he the one everyone
thought had the best
chance to beat D-J?
Anyway, though later,
before leaving Atlanta,
he could find only one
of a pair of shoes he
had, he said he was
being carefulabout
John Tannehill: something ascetic about him?
what he ate. Wasnt
Photo by Mal Anderson
into macrobiotic
foodbut certainly no
Taft Hall hot dogs for him, not even if they were hot. Nothing at all from any kind of
commercial slop joint. Hed cut off his long hair, which allowed me to see something monkish
about him. He wanted to talk heavy. Was thinking of making a transferwould maybe leave
the U of Cincinnati, the robot in his dorm, and go to Ohio State where they were more liberal.
Am I into meditation? he responds, trying to ready himself to answer my question: No. My
religion is probablyLifewhatever that is.
As Tannehills 8ths match gets underway with the ageless Bukiet, John is deeply
disturbed. The amateur umpire is calling the score wrongin Bukiets favor. Bernie isnt
waiting, is serving. John catches the ball, wants to make a correction. The umpire awards
another point to Bukiet. Bernie cant wait to serve again. He knows all about the struggle for
survival. Doesnt want to upset Darwinian law.
John, though, doesnt understand whats happening. He cant concentrate. No, he cant
have another umpire. Yes, he can have another umpireshe will keep the tally on paper for
the first umpire who will call the score. And now 5-10 seconds go by before each service while
the first umpire looks at the second umpires tally. Yes, all right, alls correct.
John is down 2-1 and down 19-13 in the 4th. He wins 5 in a row to make it 19-18
then again has words. Does John want to win the game, or wreak his righteous indignation on
the umpire? It may be he cant do both. Bernie, of course, is single-minded. He knows he must
survive, must win. And does. Johns reaction is the same as when Danny Vegh beat him in his
Cleveland Emporium. He comes off the table sobbing. He has a lot to let out. Privately.
So lets stick with Bukiet as he plays Brathwaite. At the end of the 1st game, at the end
of the 2nd, Bernie and his block can give George 7. But The Chief has stamina and is not one to
give up; and Bernie, a little impatient, a little too eager to get the match over with, tries to hit
in some forehands of his own, and misses. George wins the 3rd.
Bernie takes advantage of the 5-minute break to go outside for some air. After he
returns, the score is 8-all when I hear a fellow say, Eventually age will slow his reflexes
down. And suddenly its George not Bernie who makes the errors. Game and match to
Bukiet. He smiles, lifts his racket to a wave of applause.
119

Peter on the move

Photo by Mal Anderson

Resin? Who needs resin?

The floors fine.
Photo by Mal Anderson

Once again hes in the semis of the Nationals. Its been 5 years. Its also the first time
since 1954 hes not been picked for the U.S. World Team. And facing him is that same Pradit
who the week before at Frank Tichys Pro Invitational Tournament in Chicago beat Bernie
three straight. It was a joke, one of Pradits friends was saying, Peter blew him right off the
table.
But now the conditions are differentas if naturally selected for Bernie. To begin with,
Pradits got a blister on his toe (rawly bandaged) from running and slipping and sliding all over
120

the Taft Hall playing area. No sooner has play begun than Pradit slips on the 3rd point and
stops. Its clear he doesnt want to continue. It is an absurd situation. Bukiet, 52, opposite,
stands fast as the Rock of Ages. Pradit, as in a surreal dream, skates off, smacks a puck that
hits the Rock, and as it skitters away goes chasing after it.
Comes a request for resin. Al Nochenson just happens to have some. Rufford Harrison
sprinkles dust to dust all over Pradits side of the floor. When Harrison works his way
alongside Bernie, Bernie waves him away. Ridiculous. The floor is fine, couldnt be better.
Play resumes.
Pradit still slides. Down 12-8 he shakes his head, serves off. Down 16-10 he slides
some more. Use a wet towel, Pradit! someone shouts. Bernie wins the 1st at 12. He changes
ends, wipes away all the resin Peters wanted. Then he wins the first 5 points. But now Pradit
hits one in: ROAR! Pradit hits another one in: ROAR! Again: ROAR! Pradit on and off the
wet towel has climbed to 6-7. Then he slipsis down 12-6 and scratching his head.
Alice Green cant resist. The match is slipping away from him, she says. Its true,
one is in great sympathy with Peter, yet finds the scene funny. Down 17-8, Pradit gets a net.
Some in the audience cheer. Down 20-8, Pradit in disgust bats the ball away.
Still, he plays on. In the 3rd, Pradit at 4-all ends up on his knees hanging on to the
table. Down 9-6 hes literally down on the seat of his pants. At 9-7 someone shouts, Dont
play under these conditions! Stop! But Pradit plays on. Take your shoes off! shouts
another. Pradit has been provided coke-cups full of water to soak his towel. He takes up all six
cups and dumps them on his towel. Bernie stops play, goes over to wipe it up. Actually Bernie
is playing superbly. Perhaps well enough to beat Pradit under any conditions.
Down 10-7, Pradit fails to return serve. Dont give up! someone shouts. Pradit
rallies to 12-all. Gets an edge. The crowd applauds. What kind of sport is this? Pradit falls
during an exchange and cant quickly get back up. Hes cut his arm a little. He takes off his
sneakers and socks. Its like a 19th-century fight. Then Pradit, on his feet, is at 16-all. But, no,
he cant hang on. Bernie is like Nature, red in
tooth and claw.
In the other semis, its of course Lee
who survives. Resek, having lost the 1st, has
D-J 19-15 in the 2nd, but collapses, makes 6
quick errors. In the 3rd, Errol, having gotten
some spirithes angry with himself for
blowing that last gameis hitting in
forehands, enough to force Lee into the 4th.
But D-J isnt about to surrender his title.
Last up: Bukiet. Bernie has been a
recent houseguest of Leesbut clearly the
hospitality is at an end. Lee, having won the 1st,
is relentless in the face of a 2nd-game 16-all
threat. All right! says D-JAll right!All
right! So its 19-16, Lee. And so onon to the
inevitable conclusion of the 3rd game. Finally
then (All right!), another Championship,
another Nationals, is (R-r-r-r-r) over.
D-J Lee: Fourth in a row
121

Chapter Ten
1971: World Table Tennis Scene as U.S.
Team Participates at Nagoya Worlds. 1971:
Wing of U.S. Ping-Pong Diplomacy Team in
France. 1971: U.S. Team Plays in English
Junior Open.
Immediately after the Mar. 19-21 Atlanta
Nationals, the U.S. Team left for the Mar. 28Apr. 7 World Championships. Though in Vol. V I
highlighted much of the play in Nagoya, Im
going to provide further overseas coverage
herekeep you at least a little abreast of the
1970-71 world scene not only as it pertains to
players from the U.S. but to those from other
countries as well.
In his Topics International News
columns, Rufford Harrison gives us a preNagoya background on the favored teams. The
Chinas Chuang Tse-tung,
Chinese announced their return to the world
3-time
World Mens Champion
arena in June, 1970 by participating, along with
Photo by Dean Johnson
Japanese and local players, in the King of Nepals
50th Anniversary Sports Festival. Three-time World Champion Chuang Tse-tung took the
Mens from fellow compatriot Li Ching Kuang (whom in Nagoya Stellan Bengtsson, on his
way to winning the Mens Championship, would rally to beat 19 in the 5th). 1965 World
runner-up Lin Hui-ching (the future 1971 World Champion) took the Womens from Li HoNan (later Li Henan, our U.S. National Coach).
Japanese Captain Kenji Kasai said his Mens Team was beaten because of Chinas
technical grasp of services, their receives, their third-ball attack. Which means, surely,
theyre not likely to lose these advantages before Nagoya? Truebut after winning in Nagoya
theyll be sure not to gloat. Heres Chuang Tse-tung speaking for his Team: Following
Chairman Maos teaching to be modest and prudent and guard against arrogance and rashness,
well learn modestly from the players of other countries.
Rufford also points out that in a 1970 Japan-Sweden Match (in celebration of Sweden
Day at the Osaka World Fair), two-time European Champions Hans Alser and Kjell
Johansson beat both 1969 World Champion Shigeo Ito and 1967 World runner-up Mitsuru
Kohno in Singles, and also took the Doubles for a 5-0 sweep (Nov., 1970, 5). At this point,
then, Japan certainly doesnt seem a favorite to retain the Swaythling Cup it won in 1967 and
69.
Also in 1970, the 28-year-old Alser won his 6th National Championshipthis time
(from down 2-1 and at deuce in the 4th) over 17-year-old Bengtsson, runner-up in the Sept.
25-27 Netherlands Open to Hungarys Tibor Klampar, and who, with another Swede, Bo
Persson, had earlier been in Japan for three or four months coaching. (Swedens rise to
prominenceBengtsson was the first European to win the Worlds Singles since 1953can
be traced to their decision in 1959 to hire Japans Ichiro Ogimura as their Chief Coach.)
122

A week or so after hed won the World Championships,

Stellan gave an interview to a source Id at the time forgotten to
identify, and cant now. But I include here some of what he
reportedly said, beginning with the fact that a Japanese girl had
given him a red amulet bearing Japanese characters, and that,
being superstitious, he said, I never failed to wear it in my hip
pocket in all my matches during the [Nagoya] tournament. In
earlier match-ups, Bengtsson had had trouble with Hsi En-tings
pips-out serves, but after beating him in the semis at Nagoya he
said, I delayed my return until the spin had worn off. Also, he
felt it was his improved topspin and loop play (brought about by
practice, practice, and more practice) that not only helped him
beat Hsi, but Ito in the final where, with games 1-1, he went
from 11-8 down to 17-11 up.
Topics is also getting articles on English tournaments
from Philip Reid, Chairman and Secretary of the Leicestershire
TTA (wholl write the 1974 authorized biography of Victor
Barna). He tells us that Englands Chester Barnes won the
season-opening Mayflower Open, held at Plymouth to celebrate
the Pilgrim Fathers setting sail for America in 1620. Barnes beat
Phil Reid
the Scottish #1 Malcolm Sudgen whod knocked out Trevor
Photo by Cliff Durley, from the
Taylor, the English #3. (At the 69 Worlds Sudgen had
English TTA News, Apr. 1973, 20
decisively defeated the U.S.s Dell Sweeris and John Tannehill,
but in the current Scottish Closed he was upset by Richard Yule.) Barnes also beat Europe #
10 Denis Neale to win the North Middlesex Open (Nov., 1970, 5).
Japan came to England to play a series of matches and won them all (at London, 6-1;
Exeter, 4-3; Birmingham, 5-2; Middlesborough, 5-2). There were, however, a few memorable
wins for England during this Japanese tour: Barnes over Ito, 13, 15; Neale (the runner-up to
Frances Jacques Secretin at the Spanish Open in Madrid) over Tokio Tasaka; and Spanish
Open winner Karenza Mathews over current World Champion Toshiko Kowada, the Yugoslav
Open Champion on defeating Russias penhold attacker Zoya Rudnova, Europes best woman
player.
Barnes, whod had only one loss against the Japanese, won the Dec. 31-Jan. 2 English
Closed (his 4th), and so replaced Neale who for the last three years had been Englands #1 but
who this year fell victim to lefty Closed runner-up Tony Clayton, England #10. Jill Shirley,
Europe #13, was formerly Englands #1, but has been replaced by Mathews, winner of the
Closed in 4 over Shirley (married name as of June, 71 Hammersley); Englands #3, Pauline
Piddock, whod caused quite a stir at the 69 Munich Worlds by beating the Japanese
Defending Champion Sachiko Morisawa, lost the Nov. Midland Open to Shirley, 23-21 in the
deciding 3rd. English Closed Doubles winners were: Men: Barnes and Trevor Taylor over
Neale and Alan Hydes who in 68 had trained in Sweden. Ladies: Mathews/Shirley over
Bashford/Piddock in 5. Mixed: Barnes/Mathews over Hydes/Piddock in 5.
Reid, whod be a big help to our U.S. Team at the English Junior Open, gives us the
results of the English Open at Brighton (TTT, May-June, 1971, 14): Mens Teams: Final:
England over Yugoslavia, 3-2: Barnes beat Dragutin Surbek and Anton Tova Stipancic, and
Barnes/Neale took the Doubles. Semis: England over Sweden, 3-2: Neale beat Bengtsson and
123

Bo Persson, and Neale and Barnes won the Doubles. Quarters: England over Hungary: Neale
and Barnes beat Klampar. Womens Teams: in early-round play, Shirley beat the Czech Jana
Pauknerova, 19 in the 3rd, to give England a 3-2 advance. Final: West Germany (whod
eliminated England) over Romania, 3-0with Agnes Simon downing Maria Alexandru.
Mens Singles: Early Rounds: Bengtsson beat Barnes; the Czech Milan Orlowski beat
Neale. Quarters: Stipancic over Hungarys Matyas Beleznay; Klampar over Persson in 5;
Milivoj Karakasevic (hed be the 71 Yugoslav Champion) over Bengtsson, 16, 19, 20;
Hungarys Istvan Jonyer over Surbek in 5. Semis: Klampar over Stipancic in 5 (after being up
2-0 and deucing the 3rd from 20-14 down); Jonyer over Karakasevic. Final: 17-year-old
Klampar over Jonyer (after fearlessly capping the match from 20-13 down). Womens Singles:
Final: Defending Champion Alexandru in a blitz over Diane Rowe Schoelerwith Maria
showing at Expedite she can attack as well as defend.

Maria Alexandru, triple-winner at the 1971 English Open.

Mens Doubles: Barnes/Neale, exploiting what appeared to be a home-Draw, beat

Karakasevic/Korpa before losing in the final to Bengtsson/Persson whod downed Jonyer/
Klampar, then Stipancic/Surbek. Ladies Doubles: Final: Romanias Alexandru/Eleonora
Mihalca over Jill Shirley/Beatrix Kishazi. Mixed: Final: Alexandru/Stipancic over Mathews/
Neale. Alexandrus triple title is the first in this Open since Rosalind Rowe did it 18 years ago.
Reid says Maria has an overwhelming desire to winhas untold determination and[for] a
woman approaching forty her energy is astounding and her courage too.
On Nov. 3rd, in Zagreb, the Japanese team of Ito, 1967 World Champion Nobuhiko
Hasegawa, and Yujiro Imano beat the European team of #1 Alser, #2 Istvan Korpa, and #3
Kjell Johansson, 5-2. But at the Yugoslav Open that immediately followed, Sweden beat Japan
in the Teams 3-2, and Alser won the Mens in 5 over penholder Karakasevic. Then a Japan/
Sweden/Yugoslav Invitational saw the winner Ito down, among others, Johansson and in the
final Surbek whod knocked out Bengtsson in the semis after Stellan had stopped Hasegawa
(as he would also in Nagoya).
124

The Chinese turned up at the late Nov., 1970

Scandinavian Open in Stockholm, their first
appearance in the West since 1966, and were
something less than invincible. In the Team matches
they almost lost to England and did lose to Hungary.
Against the English China started strongChuang
Tse-tung downed Barnes 12, 12, and Li Fu-jung
stopped Neale 10, 15. But then Neale and Taylor beat
Chuang and Li Ching Kuang, and Neale, mixing his
steady defence with well timed smashes, pulled off the
upset of the tournament by downing Chuang, 10, 19.
With the tie 2-2, Barnes won the 1st game at 19 from
3-time World runner-up Li Fu-jung, and, after being
forced into the 3rd, had an 8-1 lead in the decider that
he couldnt hold and in fact lost at 16. Which makes
Englands Denis Neale: upset Chuang
one think that if it suits them the Chinese on their
From 1971 Chinese Tour of the
return will practice Friendship First, Competition
British Isles Program
Second.
Hungary (Klampar, Jonyer, Kishazi), whose 7-0 rout of the USSR (Stanislav
Gomozkov, Sarkis Sarkhojan, and Rudnova) would help them to eventually win the European
Leagues Division #1, took the Scandinavian Mens Teams by downing Sweden 3-0. In the
quarters theyd beaten China 3-2: Li Ching Kuang over Tibor Klampar 19, -18, 17; Chou
Lan-Sun over Jonyer 7, 17; Klampar/Jonyer (Mens Doubles winners at Nagoya) over
Chuang/Li 13, -18, 17; Klampar over Chou 21, 19; and Jonyer over Li 20, 13. Hungary,
Sweden, and the eventual winner China (with Nagoya Singles semifinalist Hsi En-ting and
youthful sleeper Liang Ko-liang having replaced Chou Lan-Sun) will all be in the same
Swaythling Cup half at the 71 Worlds, with runner-up Japan and Yugoslavia in the other,
easier half.
In the Mens Singles at Stockholm, no Chinese made the semis. In the quarters,
Jonyer, after losing to Chou in the Teams, defeated him with ease in the 4th, and Bengtsson
ousted Chuang, 18 in the 5th. Alser, whod been down 2-1 to Karakasevic in the quarters,
breezed by Surbek, then just eked out his 10, 17, -16, 20, 14 final with Bengtsson whod had
to go 5 with Jonyer. One wonders whether theres truth in Barnas remark in 1965 that It will
be a long time before China, even with their millions of players, can produce players such as
Chuang Tse-tung and Li Fu-jung. The Draw in NagoyaHis En-ting seeded #21; Li Chingkuang #30; and Liang Ko-liang unseededreflected such a view?* One knows for sure
though, without looking at a photo of Mao Tse-tung swimming in the Yangtze, that never
again, in reply to the question, What do you do for exercise? will the answer come, I eat
with my friends.
In Stockholm Womens play, China was hugely dominant. They beat South Korea 3-0
in the Team final. Cheng Min-chih, soon to be runner-up at Nagoya, won the Singles from Lin
Hui-ching (theyd been World Womens Doubles Champs in 65 and would be again in 71).
And Lin/Chang Shih-lin took the Mixed as they would at Nagoya (thanks, said Chang, to the
victory of the Chinese cultural revolution and Mao Tse-tungs thought). The World Corbillon
Cup Champs, however, would be Japan, sobbing-with-joy victors over South Korea, Romania,
and China.
125

Just before the 1971 Worlds, you could find the

Canadian Team in Singapore, playing with 14 other countries
in the first ever (Mar. 20-25) Commonwealth Games. (The
CTTA provided 75% travel funding only to Japan, team
members paid the balance.) Womens Teams: Canada
finished 4th, but reportedly almost beat England when, with the
tie 2-2, Helen Simerl led Karenza Mathews 20-16 match
pointbut didnt win. Womens Singles: Final: Shirley over
Mathews, 21, -17, 19, 19. Semis: Shirley over Piddock, 18,
16, -16, 19; Mathews over Canadas 3-time U.S. Open
Champion Violetta Nesukaitis, 16, 18, 16. 3rd Place: Piddock
over Nesukaitis, 14, 17, 12. 1968 Canadian Closed Champ
Karenza Mathews
Helen Simerl lost to Shirley, 4, 10, 8. Canadas Joyce Hecht
From the 1971 Chinese Tour of the
lost to Piddock, 12, 19, 16.
British Isles Program
Womens Doubles: Final: Mathews/Piddock over
Nesukaitis/Simerl, 16, 16, 17 in the semis, and over Indias Rupa Mukherjee/Kaity
Chargeman, 15, 16, -16, 18, in the final. Mixed Doubles: Final: Hydes/Piddock over Clayton/
Mathews. Australias Wuvanich/Vicki Woodward finished 3rd.
Mens Singles: Though Barnes had won the Mar. 6-7, 1971 Welsh Open over Trevor
Taylor, and Neale had won the following weeks Scottish Open over Tony Clayton, neither
Chester nor Denis accompanied the English Team to either the Mar. 20-25 Commonwealth
Games or to the Worlds thereaftera no-no that recalls Dudley Dousts lines about the 23year-old Barnes (London Sunday Times, Jan. 10, 1971: Sport Section, 30): By 20, little
Barnes was badly married, badly behaved and banned by the English Table Tennis Association
for going fishing rather than playing in an international match against Belgium.** But Trevor
Taylor, whod almost beaten Barnes at the Oxfordshire Open and did win the Essex Open,
gained the title for Englandthus coming a long way from his Hertfordshire home-play on the
familys dining room table. Final: Taylor over Indias 21-year-old #2 Mir Khasim Ali, 14, 18,
20. Semis: Taylor over 1969 and 70 Australian Champion Chayanond Wuvanich, 15, 13, 14;
Ali over 25-year-old Indian #1 and Captain G. Jagannath. 3rd Place: Wuvanich over Jagannath,
23-21 in the 5th. Originally a Champion from Thailand, Charlie Wuvanich will later in the
1970s for a time be playing out of the U.S.
Mens Doubles: Final: Alan Hydes/Taylor, 17, 16, 11, over
Hong Kongs Ma Lung Sang/Chan Cheuk Lan. Apparently that
Chan is another alias for Alex Tam wholl soon be established in
the U.S. As Id mentioned in Vol. III, when known as Tan Cholin, formerly World #14, Alex had escaped from Mainland China
by swimming to Hong Kong. That China did not take kindly to
this excursion can be seen from USTTA Historian Leah
Neubergers comments (Leah, traveling with the Canadian Team,
had been an observer at these Commonwealth Games):
China stipulated to Mr. Goto [thats Koji Goto,
head of the Japanese TTA and the so-called King of
Nagoya] (who went to China to personally invite the
Chinese team [to the 71 Worlds]without the Japanese
126

Chan Cheuk Lan

(Alias Tan Cho-Lin)
From 1971 Commonwealth
Program

Governments permission) that Tan Cho-lin would not be allowed to play in the
Worlds in Nagoya.
When the Canadian team arrived in HK from China, the 2nd Chinese team was
playing the final exhibition of a series with HK and they stipulated that Tan Cho-lin not
be allowed to play against China and that he also be barred from the building. The HK
Assoc. had a fantastic Chinese banquet for Officials and Players and invited the
Canadian team but the Chinese players refused to attend (TTT, Nov.-Dec., 1972, 3).
At Nagoya, the Canadian men finished in 22nd place (primarily by beating Colombia
early); the women in 16th place (by winning 4 out of 5 2nd-stage ties).
In Vol. V, I covered the key U.S. Swaythling and Corbillon Cup matches in Nagoya
(U.S. Men finished 28th out of 39; U.S. Women finished 21st out of 27), but I might mention
here, to give readers a bit of a perspective, how U.S. players did against those high-up
finishers in the Commonwealth Games. In Mens Cup play against Wuvanich, D-J Lee won 15,
-16, 15, Tannehill won, -16, 18, 14, and Brathwaite lost, -18, 23, -17.
In Womens Cup play against Mukherjee, Wendy Hicks won, -14, 17, 18. Against
Chargeman, Hicks lost, -17, -9 and Judy Bochenski lost, -14, -8. Against Mukherjee/
Chargeman, Hicks/Connie Sweeris lost, -10, -15. Against the Indonesian women whod played
in California tournaments, including the 1969 U.S. Open: Bochenski lost 16, -15 to Jenny
Siswono whom Hicks had beaten 3-1 in the semis at that U.S. Open, and Olga Soltesz lost
12, -7 to the Indonesian #1 Carla Tedjasukmana whom Patty Martinez had beaten 3-0 in the
quarters of that same U.S. Open. Hicks/Sweeris lost to Carla/Diana Tedjasukmana 12, -9.
(Another Indonesian whod played in California, Nila Sari, almost beat Nesukaitis in the
Singles in Nagoyalosing 10, 17, 16, -19, -20.)
Mens Singles matches in Nagoya of interest Id not mentioned in Vol. V were: Japans
Masahiko Ohya over #9 seed Johansson in 5 (Kjell and his brother/coach Christer were pissed
that after Ohya broke his racket it took him 20 minutes or more, what with talking to his
bench, to get back to the table with another); Nobuyuki Kamata over the Philippines #1
Reynaldo Domingo in 5 (Rey will later play for a
quarter-century or more in the U.S.);***
Yugoslavias Zlatko Cordas over Japans #18 seed
Tetsuo Inoue in 5, then Zlatko (who in just a couple
of years or so will be a visiting player/coach in the
U.S. and Canada) over our
own D-J Lee, 3-0; West
Germanys Bernt Jansen over
Canadas Derek Wall, 3-0;
Japans Katsuyuki Abe over
Wuvanich in 5; Klampar over
Irans Houshang Bozorgzadeh,
3-0; Chou Lan-Sun over Irans
Alireza Hejazi (who in years to
come will be playing out of
California), and Canadas Errol
Alireza Hejazi
Rey Domingo
Caetano over Vietnams Thanh
Courtesy of Houshang
From Table Tennis Association of the Philippines
Pham-Nhu in 5.
Bozorgzadeh
(TATAP) 20th Anniversary Report
127

Khmers (that is, Cambodias) Khau Bou advanced over Chuang Tse-tung because, as
the covering newpapers had it, China refused to compete against players who represent
governments[that are] enemies of the Cambodian and the Vietnamese people. Indeed,
China wants to expel Cambodia and South Vietnam from the ITTF because they do not
represent Prince Norodom Sihanouks Cambodian Government in exile and the Viet Congs
provisional revolutionary government; they are puppets of U.S. imperialism. Though the
ITTF wasnt banning Cambodia or South Vietnam, they were in effect ignoring the Republic
of Chinas (Taiwans) application for admission to that august body. Taiwan was also
summarily being expelled from the Asian Table Tennis Federation (for if it didnt belong to the
ITTF it couldnt be a member of a regional association, right?).
Womens Singles matches in Nagoya Id not mentioned were: Chinas #15 seed Li Li
(whod win the Mixed in 73) over Russias #14 seed Rita Pogosova and Romanias #5 seed
Alexandru, both in 5; South Koreas unseeded In-Sook Na over West Germanys # 13 seed
Simon in 4 (In-Sook, on immigrating to the U.S., will be our 11-time U.S. Closed Champion).
Japans Kiyoko Inoue over Germanys #7 seed Diane Rowe Scholer in 5. Late-round results:
Defending Champion Kowada is upset by an unseeded Chinese, Cheng Huai-ying. Lin Huiching, the winner, gets by Japanese National ChampionYukie Ohzeki in 5, then knocks out the
#4 seed, the Czech Ilona Vostova, 3-0, before downing in the final Cheng Min-chih.
In the Singles and Doubles matches at Nagoya, our men and women didnt pull off a
single upset. Best tries were: Glenn Cowans 20, -22, -19, -13 loss to Japans Isamu Koiwa,
and Judy Bochenskis 20, -9, 18, 18, -14 loss to Japans Mieko Fukuno. And dont think
Ping-Pong Diplomacy when Bochenski/Soltesz went out to play their 1st Round of Womens
Doubles against Lin Hui-ching/Cheng Men-chih, the Chinese whod win the Championship:
Judy/Olga lost 4, 7, 7.
On returning from Nagoya, Californias Doug Stewart wrote in Topics (May-June,
1971, 21) that the U.S. Team to the 1973 Sarajevo Worlds should be fully financed, properly
equipped and adequately managed. When players havent got the support they need, you
cant expect a disciplined Team. There was very little discipline or team spirit, especially
among the men, said Doug. And how unimpressive we looked out there in the opening
ceremony, especially with that non-Team member wearing a raincoat. Our Captain/Coachs got
enough to doin the future, the Team must have a Manager (Doug would like the job?), and
a separate Captain/Coach for the Women. Also, the U.S.s most promising younger players
must be given the opportunity to attend intensive training and coaching clinics.
Team Captain Jack Howards Report appeared in Topics (May-June, 1971, 20). He
seemed satisfied with the Teams Singles performance (Stewart, however, thought Jack had
been needed more as a player than as a captain/coach), but felt we had to improve our
Doubles, for there we were continually outclassed. Steady partnerships needed to be
developed, particularly by our women, for in Corbillon Cup play doubles was so important.
Jack thought the level of international play had improved since the last Worlds at Munich, and
commented on two new techniques being used:
[Hungarians] have developed a loop kill shot which goes much faster than the
fast loop we are familiar with, and takes much less effort and body recovery. It seems to be
hit with an extremely fast wrist snap combined with a long start-at-the-knee, finish-overthe-head, arms-fully-extended stroke. The shot can be made with all topspin or with a
combination of top and side-spin which pulls the opponent far out of position.
128

[Regarding service:] to add deception, many top players now keep the head
of the racket constantly moving before, during, and after the ball toss.[This] makes
service considerably more difficult to handle. In addition, some players use a forehand
chop serve in which the racket is kept below the table until just before ball contact, and
there is a foot stamp at contact. The purpose of the stamp is to hide the sound of the
racket/ball contact that would ordinarily be a clue as to spin severity. The fact that the
racket is hidden below the table throws the receivers timing off, as he cannot tell
exactly when the ball will be struck. If the server has different rubber on opposite sides
of his racket, then by not showing which side he uses to strike the ball he adds to the
serves deception.
Although there are rules relating to excessive noise, I never saw any players,
officials, or coaches complain or seem to be bothered by the noise of the stamp even
though they seemed to experience difficulty in handling the serve. [The Mar. 30, 1971
Japan Times, 8, reported that Englands Jill Shirleys concentration was broken by
three protests by British team officials against the Chinese girls habit of stamping her
foot as she served.]
Despite all the World Championships the U.S. has been to, our Teams were still not
prepared to exchange pennants with other countries, and Jack was humiliated to be emptyhanded. Dont let it happen again. He also had advice for future players:
1) Try to always have a coach when playing a tournament match. No worldclass player would ever dream of playing a match without some kind of coach in his
corner. It is a distinct disadvantage to be so unused to coaching that it is actually
distracting to be coached during match play.
2) In a team match, immediately tell the coach and other team members the
weaknesses and strengths of your opponent that you observed during the match.
It is safe to say that unless there is a tremendous improvement in American
table tennis we will fall further behind with each worlds. Prior to our much-publicized
trip to China, this is probably what the future would hold. However, we now have a
golden opportunity to change table tennis from an unknown game to a nationally
recognized sport. With proper handling at the top, and enthusiastic support from the
constituency, it will happen.
Associate Editor of Topics, Long Islands Dave Cox, hopes that the reciprocal visit by
the Chinese later in the [1971-72] season, and the attendant publicity,[will] get something
moving in the schools[produce] an all-out membership drive[and encourage] local clubs
to stage exhibitions. However, as Jack Carr points out in delegating, or rather suggesting,
duties for 20 or so influential USTTA members thatll raise funds for the 1973 World Team,
you need to check out what people will do, not what they think that we should do. Theres a
big difference. In concluding his editorial, Cox takes the position that will be President
Steenhovens:
There will also be voices urging that the USTTA should seek to get the
maximum financial return from the visit [even ask, as one fellow wrote in a Topics
Letter to the Editor, for government backing for the Sport]. We believe, however, that
129

undue emphasis on the commercial aspects would be disastrous, and that the USTTA
should resist pressures of this sort. They should instead concentrate on making sure
that the Chinese are treated with courtesy and hospitality, and not enlisted into a
campaign for promoting breakfast cereals (TTT, May-June, 1971, 16).
Wing of U.S. Team Goes To France
Steenhoven was very fearful of any publicity that might prevent the Chinese from
visiting the U.S. So he was not happy about the early-May invitation to come to France, all
expenses paid, extended to the Ping-Pong Diplomacy Team by RTL (Radio-TelevisionLuxembourg) and Paris Match (the French equivalent of Life). To Graham it may have
seemed something of a publicity stunt. But George Brathwaite, Errol Resek, and Tim Boggan
and their wives, as well as Jack Howard, werent going to pass up the chance to go to Paris
(and then later Strausburg). And, sure enough, we all received there the ambassadorial
treatment that ordinarily only the flight of fancy has heartbeat enough for in reserve.
In Paris, we were put up at the Hotel Plaza Athene, just off the Champs Elysees, along
with, as it happened, the columnist Ann Landers, who advised us that this was where she
always stayedit so captured the flavor of Paris. Soon we were at the Eiffel Tower with the
little gilded-statue souvenir shop at its elevator base. Right up to the top we went. Why the
wire mesh all the way around? I asked our congenial, energetic guide Philippe Adler. People
like to come here and kill themselves, he shrugged. Its a special place.
It was for us too, for not only were we honored guests at a luncheon at the Towers
first-floor restaurant but were the featured attraction at a very formal RTL press conference
held immediately afterwards. This is what theyd invited us for. Virtually everyone in the
communications media in Parisperhaps a 100 strong, from Left to Right, of almost every
nationalitywas represented with pad and pencil and camera. We were escorted to a dais,
found the name cards indicating our seats, adjusted our microphones, put on our heavilypadded earphones to understand the English translations, and under the illumination of any
number of heavy camera lights and flashbulbs followed the cue of our prestigious moderator
and for two hours non-stop were grilled with questions. And not all of them predictable.
What books would you take if you had to live alone on a desert isle? someone asked me. My
answer: Shakespeare, Keats, and a very good dictionary.
It was almost fun to watch the at first skeptical but, be fair, judgments-got-to-be-heldin-abeyance appraisals of us by these professionals and then to see them, under the glare,
warm toward the, if not ugly American, the rather ignorant one as he honestly, independently,
tried to answer their questions. It was as if wed been asked to France so that everyone could
see that, for us, China was indeed as our average, untrained Is, sometimes healthily
disagreeing, pictured it. No, wed not been directed by anybody to spout Chinese or U.S.
propagandawe were as free as speech could make us.
Our hosts couldnt have been nicer. Our wives were escorted to the hairdressers or to
a fashionable boutique or haute couture house where they were invited to watch a fashion
show. Of course there were opportunities for sightseeing: two hours at Versailles, a walk in
Montmartre, and, looming up from our boat, Notre Dame as we went down the Seine (20
bridges and 20 centuries of history).
And surely every tourist had to see the show at the Lido, the largest (seats 1,000) of the
great Parisian cabaret-restaurants. Theres a long table reserved for us right next to the stage. You
know who sat there? says the public relations man who seats us. The Astronauts!
130

Clockwise: Errol Resek, Sally Boggan, Tim Boggan, Merle Brathwaite, George Brathwaite,
unidentified liaison, Jairie Resek, Jack Howard

Hey, whats good enough for those from outer space is good enough for us.
Champagne, steaks, and, before the show goes on, a sort of quick dessert, a backstage visit
with the Bluebell Girlswho, as it happens, are, most of them, as American as we are.
Pictures are wanted. Errols willing to oblige any photographer. Stands on tiptoe to kiss one of
the Bluebell Girls. I kiss her for about five minutes, he says, and nothing happens. No one
gets the picture.
Once back at our seats, the curtains part and a horse and rider come charging at us!
But Robin des Bois reins him in short of our coffee clearing amid the trees of Sherwood
Forest. Above, a man jumps down from the branches. Sword fighters appear and bound about;
maidens are rescued.
But of course its all illusionfor in a later, blown-up spectacle these same maidens
losealong with their clothes, their medieval demureness. And more illusionlose, too,
finally, their sexin a top hat and tails Salut a Fred Astaire. The acts continue with the
ventriloquist, the juggler, the acrobats, the comedy-magician team, the male dancersall very
professional.
Next day we, too, were suited up. Given the mutual mission of goodwill, it was
necessary for the U.S. and French teams to meet. But the cramped conditions in the RTL
studio would not have been sanctioned otherwise. It was only to be expected that Secretin
beat Resek, Jean Paul Weber beat Howard, Danny Dhondt beat Brathwaite, and Christian
131

Weber beat Boggan. But

there was a post-match
surprise, at least for me.
One well-dressed
gentleman gave me his
engraved card and asked
entreatingly if he might
have a USTTA emblem.
But, just as wed had no
pennants to exchange, so
we had no emblems. The
only one I had, I told him,
was on my sweaty shirt.
At the radio/television studio: Errol Resek vs. French Champion Jacques Secretin
Well?he seemed to say.
Photo by Jack Howard
I took the stinking thing
off and gave it to himthat is, shirt and all. He was delighted. A collectors item.
That night we were guests at the very in Francois-Patrice restaurant-discotheque in
the Rue Vavin section of Paris. Our host served us an elaborate supper on a table tennis table
and further charmed us with a whipped ice cream cake in the form of a huge racket. Then
came his confession. He really did love table tennis, and as he had some hard rubber rackets
around and a net, would we mind some private play? Naturally we obliged, and soon the
whole upstairs eating establishment, from cooks to cocktail waitresses, was as madly swinging
in its own way as the downstairs discotheque.
The next morning early we flew to Strasbourg. At the airport we were greeted by
traditionally garbed folk musicians and village girls in Alsatian costumes. Then on into the city,
our fleet of Renaults, flags fluttering in the wind, accompanied by a motorcycle escortwith a
high-speed RTL convertible roaring behind and between and around and away from us, with
what could only be a volunteer photographer dangling out the window like a professional
stuntman in an effort to get photo after photo of it all. Try that with the Chinese and
Steenhoven would have a breakdown and be siren-sped to a hospital.
After the Mayor had received us graciously, we moved diplomatically out of this scene
and went off on a boat ride through the citys narrow canals and locks, then visited the famous
old Strasbourg Cathedral with its unique astronomical clock. After which it was time for the de
rigueur t.t. exhibition between George, Jack, and Errol and the 3 champions dAlsace. A
tense moment or two here, but to everyones immense satisfaction we beat them.
One final receptionat the Council of Europe where, as it happened, we saw its 17
member nations in U.N. session. Only by pooling its resources can Europe draw the full
benefit from its material and intellectual resources and, by becoming a continental society
maintain and consolidate its position in the world.
Then back to Paris for one last day. An N.Y.C. acquaintance of mine who was teaching
American Literature at the Sorbonne, had seen me being interviewed on French television, had
called me, and this last morning we went to the Musee du Jeu de Paumethat section of the
Louvre complex that houses the French Impressionists.
Later, back at the hotel, we said goodbye to our guide Philippe. For me he had been a
kindred soul. His witthe high seriousness, the ironic playfulness of itId always appreciated.
Asked if he were sad to see us go, he could only say, I am as sad as I am exhausted.
132

U.S. Junior Team Members, L-R, back: NPC Dell Sweeris, Bill Lesner, Jeff Smart, Mike Veillette, Dan
Seemiller; front: Kathy Scheltema, Elsie Spinning, Anglita Rosal, and Sue Hildebrandt

U.S. Fields Team to English Junior Open

In mid-April, writes Kathy Scheltema and Jeff Smart (TTT, May-June, 1971, 1; 15;
18), while the U.S. Ping-Pong Diplomacy Team was entering China, a U.S. Junior Team
composed of Bill Lesner, Dan Seemiller, Mike Veillette, Sue Hildebrandt, Angelita Rosal, Elsie
Spinning, and Kathy and Jeff, with Dell Sweeris as Captain, competed in the English Junior
Open at Canterbury, England.
Our International Chair Rufford Harrison
thought these enthusiastic
Juniors nave at best to maintain that they
were playing in the World
Junior Team Championship, for there
wasnt any such recognized
tournament, and indeed the only countries
besides us who sent teams to this English Junior Open were Sweden, West Germany, Belgium,
Netherlands, Ireland, Scotland, and England.
Results of the Girls Team play (Davis Cup style): Final: Sweden over West Germany,
3-1. Semis: Sweden over England I; West Germany over England II. Quarters: Sweden over
Ireland; England I over Belgium; West Germany over USA I, 3-1; England II over the
Netherlands.
Eighths: Belgium, with its chop and pick-hit players, over USA II, 3-0 (Chantal
Deblaton beat Kathy in 3; and Lea Van Heybeeck, daughter of
the Belgian Captain at the later European Youth Championships,
whod play for her country at the 73 Sarajevo Worlds, beat Elsie
2-0). USA I over Scotland, 3-2. Sue, who practices often with
her lefthanded father, Ray, beat lefty Montagu, 19, -15, 15, and
Angelita beat both Montagu and Elaine Smith whod play for
Scotland in Sarajevo.
USA I had a chance against West Germany in the
quarters when Angelita, blocking beautifully and hitting in
the right forehands, opened with a straight-game victory over
Ruth Richter. But Elsa Tonigers steady hits and unbelievable
smashes were too much for both Sue and Angelita, and when
the USA girls lost the doubles in 3 they were out. Of course
there were sights to see other than at the playing venue: Big
Scotlands Elaine Smith
Ben, the Tower of London, the Crown Jewels, Westminster
From 1971 Chinese Tour of the
Abbey, and the Palace.
British Isles Program
133

In the final, Swedens AnnChristin Hellman (shed play for

Sweden at the 73 Worlds) downed
both Toniger and Richter (whod get to
the quarters of the 74 German
Closed), and paired with Birgitta
Olsson to take the Doubles in 3. Kathy
said, All of us were greatly impressed
with[Hellmans] consistent forehand
and tremendous backhand smash
against a low chop ball.
Absent from this tournament
no, it wasnt a World Junior
Tournamentwere the Czech team, led
by Ilona Vostova (World Womens #3
Ilona Vostova, 1971 European Youth Champion
From the Nagoya Worlds Report
after Nagoya), that would win the
upcoming European Youth Championships
(Vostova would take the Singles), and the runner-up Hungarian team, led by Henriette Lotaller
who, tall and with a powerful kill on both wings, would represent Hungary at Sarajevo.
In the Singles events, the U.S. girls all lost early: Elsie to Hellaby of England, Kathy
to Sue Beckwith of England, Angelita to Arntz of the Netherlands, and Sue, a very
disappointing 27-25-in-the-third match to Smith of Scotland. Eighths matches of note were
Toniger over Englands Linda Howard (who by 1975 would be World #48), Richter over
Olsson (by 1975 World #42). In the quarters, Toniger whod never be a big name in Womens
play, almost beat Hellmanlosing 18, -21, -14. The Swede, whod become a super-star (World
#10 by 1975), then went on to beat Hellaby in the semis and Richter 15, 21 in the final.
Hellman would also win both
Doublesthe Girls with Olsson over the
Germans, and the Mixed with Swedens Kjell
Hellstrom over Norways Pal Guttormsen/
Hellaby. In the Mixed, Bill and Angie played
superb table tennis to oust the #3 seed
German pair of Manfred Baum/Toniger.
Then, after losing to an English team in 3,
Angie was still feeling so good she startled
everyone by kissing her boy opponent. Dan
and Sue also did wellwon two matches
(took a game after being down 16-4!) before
being eliminated in the semis.
In the Boys early Team play, USA I (Bill
English Junior Mixed Semifinalists: Dan & Sue
Photo by Mal Anderson
and Dan) lose their 1st tieto the
Netherlands, 3-1 (are able to take only the
doubles). USA II (Mike and Jeff) beat Belgiumbut its a struggle. After Veillette downs Sine, and
Smart loses to Verstraete in 3, the doubles is crucial. Down 20-17 triple match-point in the 3rd, our
guys rally, and, after having 5 ads, finally prevail, 28-26. Mike then wins his 2nd match in the 3rd.
But, oh, oh, next up for the U.S. is Sweden I. So forget it. Jeff says Hellstrom goes to school, but
134

that Ingemar Wikstrom

doesnt go to school,
rather has a jobgets paid
by his club to play table
tennis all day long!
Word was that a
month ago Wikstrom,
wholl be on Swedens
1973 winning Swaythling
Cup team, beat Nicky
Jarvis, the English #1 seed
here. Jeff said his serves
had no effect on Wikstrom
but that the Swedes
Jeff Smart: trying somehow to get his
Englands Nicky Jarvis
service (very short and
From 1972 English Open Program
paddle on the ball
spinny) was devastating.
Photo by Mal Anderson
He also said that most of the loops coming at him, he never
even got his paddle on.
In the one semis, its Sweden I vs. West Germany. Hellstrom, looping back Baums
kills, or deftly blocking them, is up 1-0 and 12-6 in the 2nd, but Manfred, a lefty, curves enough
sidespin loops into the Swede to eventually win the match. Wikstrom then beats Hans Deutz
to tie the tie. Though down 20-17 in the 1st game of the doubles, the Swedes win it, and win
the 2nd at deuce too. Whereupon Wikstrom stops Baum to put Sweden I in the final. And who
do they meet there but unseeded Sweden II (Tony Anderson/Bo Isaksson) whove knocked
out the Netherlands team (Hans Van Der Zee/Hans Lingen). The finals never in doubtthe II
underdogs cant win a game.
Later, observing the European Youth Championships, played Swaythling Cup style,
Phil Reid points out (Sept.-Oct., 1971, 5) that in a key tie Wikstrom will win all three of his
singles matches, but Sweden will lose 5-3 to the strong Russian team who are not at this
English Junior Open. The Russians, said Reid, are all poker-faced on court, come what may,
but their teammates cheering at the barrier show uncontrollable excitement. One occasion
for their tumultuous cheers is when their comrade
Anatoly Strokatov wins, as did Bengtsson before him,
the European Youth Singles and Doubles.
Boys Singles play in the English Junior Open
show 1st-round losers from England wholl become
prominent adult players: Ian Horsham, Don Parker, Paul
Day, and Simon Heaps. In his report on the Boys
Singles play (TTT, Sept.-Oct., 1971, 1; 4), Smart tells us
that in the one semis Jimmy Walker (this seasons
Englands Junior Champion) is the surprise winner over
Wikstrom. Says Jeff, You can beat a lot of the good
players with over-powering loop-kills, but the consistent
blocker and pick-hitter can beat you if your looping keeps
Anatoly Strokatov,
you from finishing the point. In the other semis, Baum
1971 European Youth Champion
downs Jarvis who, though hell lose, 28-26 in the deciding From the English Table Tennis News, Oct., 1971
135

3rd, in the last 16 of the European Youth Singles to the Russian Aleksandr Saprykin, will be on
the English Mens Team at Sarajevo. The final (its best 2 out of 3 too) then goes to Baum in 3
over Walker, after the German is down 19-9 in the 2nd and up 14-0 in the 3rd.
Baum, however, with his weaker partner Deutz, lose in the Doubles final to the
Swedes who, after 3 points go by in the 2nd game, suddenly stop play and go back for some
coachingand no one says a thing!
In concluding, Jeff urges the Association to continue sending teams, especially juniors,
to foreign tournaments. Why? Because the superior competition brings out the best in our
players and gives them great incentive to raise their level of play. Because sending teams
abroad promotes international friendship [as the Chinese well know]. And because
participants on such trips can pick up pointers, new techniques, innovations that they might
never have been able to learn from coaches in the States.
SELECTED NOTES.
*Bengtsson was reported to have said of the Chinese at Nagoya, [The] chink in their
armor was their mental attitude. It only took a 19-all deuce to shatter them. They did not have
the same composure and confidence that they had when they last reigned the world. Of
course His En-ting will be the 1973 World Singles Champion, and Liang Ko-liang will go on
to win three World Doubles Championships.
**Barnes wrote a book (as told to Peter Madge) called More Than A Match (1969)
that was briefly reviewed in the U.S. by Don Gunn (TTT, Sept.-Oct., 1971, 10). Don says that
Barnes, who quit school at 15 to become a professional player, offers only one chapter on
how to playwherein he makes it clear that his opinion of defense is quite low. Just hit the
ball as hard as you can the first timethats his simple advice. Gunn livens up his review
with such passages as these:
Once there was a Chester
Barnes Fan Club. Membership soared to
thirty-two, most of whom were girls in one
class, possibly at the same school whose
gardener told Barnes that the girls were
Real terrors. I kept a pitchfork handy
when working in the shrubbery.
He [Chester] refers to his
marriage, fatherhood and divorce in a mere
eight lines. His son was named Chester, but
the wife went nameless; one of my less
successful matches.A contributing cause to
the marital disaster may just possibly
be[because] during the playing season he
averages one free night every three weeks.

Chester Barnes
From Barness Modern Table Tennis Tactics, cover

***Before playing in the 1971 World Championships, Domingo had 10 years of

tournament experience, including having been a triple winner in MS, MD, and XD in both the
1967 and 1968 Philippine National Championships. He also Captained the Philippine Team to
the 1968 Asian Championships.
136

Chapter Eleven
1971: Canadian Closed Leaves CNE. 1971: U. S.
Intercollegiate Championships. 1971: End-of-Season Tournaments.
For the first time since 1950, the Canadian Closed would not
be played at Toronto in conjunction with the CNE; this years venue
was at Halifax, Nova Scotia, May 22-24. Jose Tomkins coverage
(CTTA News, Oct., 1971, 4-9) showed both the Ontario Womens and
Mens teams finishing first in the Inter-Provincial Matches. In their 5-2
semis win over British Columbia, Quebec could afford losses by
Mariann Domonkos and Francine Charette to B.C.s teenage Czech
emigrant Milena Roudna. But against Ontario in the final they needed
everything they could getwhich, alas, for them was but two wins.
Still, take note: Quebecs Joyce Hecht, hitting like a tiger on
Joyce Hecht
backhand and forehand with her new Double Happiness bat, downed
From CTTA News, Feb.,
both Jenny Marinko and Helen Simerl and took the first game from
1970, cover
Violetta.
In the Mens, the B.C. team had come out of its round robin with a win over Quebec:
Larry Lee had scored 3 winners and Philip Woo Cheng the needed 2 more (over Adham
Sharara and Rod Young whod led Lee 1-0 and, before losing the 2nd 24-22, was up two match
points). B.C.s win allowed them the easy crossover match against Manitoba (headed by
Andrew Ying); while Quebec had to go up against Ontario and could do no better than Guy
Germains one win against Errol Caetano. Ontario went on to beat B.C. 5-2 when Caetano
took 3, Wall (losing to Lee) beat Cheng, and Peter Gonda (losing to Lee) was too good for
Ken Leong.
In Mens Singles, Ottawas Derek Marsham eliminated
Chateauguays Sharara (Derek and his teammate Pat
Arkell would soon be returning to the British Isles, leaving
Sy Fung to be the new Ottawa Closed Champ over Dick
McKinnon). Caetano, down 1-0 and at deuce in the 2nd
against Cheng, stayed alivethen in the deciding 3rd, at
19-all, was helped by an edge ball that eventually allowed
him to 24-22 escape defeat. Siggi Kunz 21, 28, 13 upset
Germain, then carried Caetano to 5. In what had to be the
best match of the tournament, Max Marinko ousted Larry
Leedeuce in the 5th, after being down 15-20! Young
Paul Klevinas, behind 1-0 and at 21-all in the 2nd, survived
B.C.s Eric Calveley, then extended Defending Champ
Wall to 5.
The one semis saw Wall rather routinely taking out
Gonda in 4. But in the otherMax had Errol 2-0 and 2018 in the 3rd but couldnt close, couldnt win the match
while a group of young men in the audience unsportingly
applauded his errors. Against Derek in the final, Errol
Max Marinko
rallied from down 2-0 to win a taut 19 3rd game that
Photo by Mal Anderson
137

produced many fantastic rallies, combining

loops from corner to corner, drop shots,
slow top spins and kills from Errol, while
Derek returned ball after ballon top of his
form. But after Caetano won the 4th, Walls
Over 40 fitness was not called into question
and his cleverly placed shots were too
much for Errol.
In the Womens, Mariann Domonkos
scored an upset win over Velta Adminis;
while Flora Nesukaitis had opening 5th-game
hopes, false hopes as it turned out, of doing
in Joyce Hecht. Of course the winner of this
Closedshed won her first in 65, would be
winning her 10th in 75was Violetta, in 4
over Helen Simerl. Violetta also took both
Doublesthe Womens with sister Flora
smacking in winners (over Simerl/Marie
Kerr), and the Mixed with Caetano (over
Perennial Canadian Womens Champion
Gonda/Domonkos whod prevailed over
Violetta Nesukaitis
Cheng/Flora Nesukaitis deuce in the 3rd).
Mens Doubles went to Wall/Lee over
Caetano/Gonda (after theyd fallen behind 12-6 in the 5th).
At the May Eastern Canada Open there were a few
Americans (almost all from Rochester, N.Y.) among the
trophy winners. C Singles: Bob Brickell (Rochester) over
Steve Feldstein (Willow, Ontario). D Singles: Jim Shoots
(Rochester) over Andy Anvelt (Rochester). Womens B
Singles: Kathleen Remington (formerly from Rochester,
now out of Pittsburgh?) over Darlene McCann
(Rochester).
I presume by
the June Laurentian
Open, Ralph Spratt
had imported for the
Chateauguay Club that
set of Jacques tables.
But it had to be
Jim Shoots, alias The Shooter
something of a
Photo by Mal Anderson
surprise to see that
neither Peter Stephens nor Dave Philip got even to the
semis of the Bs (won by Kurt DEndel over Ken Kerr who
Ralph Spratt, Asst. Ed. of the CTTA News
was re-elected President of the Ontario Association and given
From CTTA News, Oct., 1971
an Achievement Award to boot). Or that neither Bukiet/
Roberts nor Brathwaite/Shiroky could advance to the final of the Mens Doubles. But was it a
surprise that the winner of the Mens Singles turned out to be Bukiet over Brathwaite?
138

U. S. Intercollegiates
The 1971 U.S. Intercollegiate Championships were held Apr. 24-25 at Rensselaer
Polytechnic Insititute in Troy, N.Y. Thered been earlier Regional competitionfor example,
in the Third Region (New Jersey, New York, Long Island, Pennsylvania, and Delaware), held
at Phillys Drexel University, U.S. Junior Champion Mitch Sealtiel had won the Singles from
the Regions Doubles Champions Dave Philip and Jack Wiener.
In his write-up (TTT, May-June, 1971, 29), USTTA
Intercollegiate Chair Stuart Lassar praises Director Richard Chen
for a terrific job in making this the largest Intercollegiates yet.
The (30-team) two-player Team event (both players must represent
the same school) saw the early elimination of Surasak, Sealtiel, and
Landau teams. The late-round Results (played Davis Cup style)
were as follows: Final: University of Buffalo (Jim Dixon, Manfred
Jahn) easily defeated MIT (Chuck Chan, Joe Lee), 3-0. Semis: UB
defeated Bernard Baruch College (Philip, Wiener), 3-1: Philip d.
Dixon, 2-1; Jahn d. Wiener, 2-1;
Dixon/Jahn d. Philip/Wiener, 2-1;
Dixon d. Wiener, 2-0. Semis: MIT
d. RPI (Mohan Rao/Richard
Manfred Jahn, winner with Chen), 3-2: Rao d. Lee, 2-0; Chan
Jim Dixon of the 1971 U.S. d. Chen, 2-0; Chan/Lee d. Rao/
Chen, 2-1; Rao d. Chan, 2-1; Lee
Intercollegiate Teams
Photo by Mal Anderson
d. Chen, 19, 19. 3rd Place: RPI d.
BBC, 3-1: Rao d. Wiener, 2-1;
Philip d. Chen, 2-1; Rao/Chen d. Philip/Wiener, 2-1; Rao d.
Philip, 23-21 in the 3rd.
The Double Elimination 60-entry Singles event was
won by Surasak, who must have been concentrating more on
his studies, for hed have no National Ranking this season and
indeed would be ranked #2 behind Lim Ming Chui in New
England. Second: Vic Landau, who lost twice, both times 3-1,
to Surasak. Third: Dixon, who played a fantastic first two
games but lost to Surasak (-20, 23, -8) and then, I think
thoroughly exhausted, to Landau (-15, 19, -17, -16). Fourth:
Sealtiel, beaten by Landau, 2-0 and by Dixon, 3-1.
Surasak, 1971 U.S.
Quarterfinalists were: Chan, Rao, Jahn, and Philip.
Intercollegiate Champion
End-of-Season Tournaments
The Long Island TTA would be hosting the U.S. Open next year, so not surprisingly
their 71 Closed reflected strong local interest. Results: Mens: Errol Resek over George
Brathwaite, 3-1. Semis: Resek over Tim Boggan, 3-0; Brathwaite over Fuarnado Roberts, 31. Womens: Alice Green over Emily Fuller, 3-0. Semis: Green over Peg Daly, 3-0; Fuller over
Evelyn Zakarin, -16, -18, 19, 8, 15. Mens Doubles: Resek/Brathwaite 3-1 over Peter
Stephens/Rory Brassington whod downed Roberts/Dan Green after being down 2-1 and at
20-all in the 4th. Womens Doubles: Daly/Vija Livins over Zakarin/Fuller, 3-0. Mixed Doubles:
Hal/Alice Green 3-1 over Brathwaite/Daly whod escaped Resek/Zakarin, deuce in the 5th.
139

Other winners: Class A: Ernst Willer over Gary Adelman, 3-0.

Class B: John McGraw over John Locke, 3-0. Class C: Fred Danner
over Steve Greenwald, 3-0. A Doubles: John McGraw/Dan Green
over Henry Deutsch and Mens Consolation winner Maurice Kendal.
B Doubles: Locke/Peter Holder over Sid Jacobs/Stan Wishniowski, 30. Seniors: Hal Green over Deutsch, 3-1. Senior Doubles: Green/
Walter Shur over Jacobs/Mitch Silbert. Boys 17: Gary Adelman over
his winning Junior Doubles partner John McGraw, 3-0. Girls 17: M.
Leonhardt over Barbara Shelley. Under 15: Richard Shelley over
McGraw. 16, 22, 14. Under 13: Jeff Zakarin over David Rubenstein,
2-0. Father/Son Doubles: Lenny/Gary Adelman over Tim/Scott
Boggan, 2-0.
The
Wheelchair winner
was Baldwins midthirtyish John
David Rubenstein
Ebert, father to two
daughters and a son, who, we learn from
Bernie Beglanes Profile (TTT, July-Aug.,
1971, 11), as an 18-year-old Marine had
contracted polio. Though earlier John had
no interest in sports, hes competed in the
National Wheelchair AA Games for the last
seven years and has won bowling [wife
Diana taught him how to bowl] and table
tennis championships. His athletic
accomplishments are far-reaching: In the
last Pan-Am Games in ArgentinaI won a
gold medal in table tennis, two silver medals
in swimming (freestyle and breast stroke)
John Ebert, Pan Am Gold Medal Wheelchair Winner
Photo by Mal Anderson
and two bronze medals in field events
(javelin and shot put).
In June, hell help the Eastern Paralyzed Veterans Association, both as a competitor
and assistant coach, capture the national team title for the first time in 15 years. Then, come
July, in the Pan-Am Wheelchair Games in Kingston, Jamaica, Ebert will upset Woodside, Long
Islands Bart McNichol, holder of six straight national titles, to win a gold in the Class 1-B
competition, then pair with McNichol to take the Doubles.
No Pennsylvania tourneys reported, but Philadelphias Stan Smolanowicz won the
Delaware Brandywine Invitational Singles (over Dave Berard) and the Doubles with Philly
clubmate Johnny Ou. Sal Fertitta tells us (TTT, May-June, 1971, 30) that at the Delaware
Closed, played at the Newark Club with, alas, its poor flooring and glaring sunlight, Ken
Woods, a plus-40 defender with remarkable staying power, defeated looper Ankur Purohit to
win the state title. Woods as Mens Champion had the unique distinction, at least in recent
times, of winning the Seniors too. Mens Doubles went to Bob Hughes and Defending Singles
Champ Don Estep. Brandywine Club President Walt Guyer won the Class A; Newark Club
President Jack Miller the Class B, and with Guyer the Class B Doubles.
140

The results of two Baltimore tournaments within just a few weeks of one anotherthe
March 27-29 Greater Baltimore Closed and the April 17-18 Baltimore County Invitational
(Invitational? What does that mean? Were area players actually invited or excluded?)showed
the same contenders. Mark Radom, 22-year-old Towson State graduate, won the Closed
Singles (over Dick Davidson, Mort Greenberg, Carl Gundersdorf) and the Doubles with
Greenberg (over Singles finalist Gundersdorf/Don Marston whod downed Class A winner
Bob Berkebile and runner-up Dr. Ed Gutman, the winning A Doubles pair). Covering writer
Jack Dawson (TTT, July-Aug., 1971, 24) says Greenberg started playing at 10 in the Jewish
Alliance center on East Baltimore Street, and is now a Phys Ed. teacher who tutors four
classes of 50 youngsters at Hillendale Elementary School.
Lenny Klein, Baltimore
County Invitational Winner
Photo by Mal Anderson

Bob Berkebile

Baltimores best Esquire, Charlie Pearson

Eleanor Pritchett, Baltimore Womens
Champion, and husband Gil
141

At the Invitational, Lenny Klein, who at the Closed had been beaten in 5 by Berkebile,
took the Singles over, first, Radom, 26-24 in the 4th, then finalist Greenberg whod ousted
Gundersdorf, 26, -12, 19, 19. Mens Doubles went to Gundersdorf/Berkebile over Radom/
Greenberg, 18 in the 3rd. Class A was won by Don Marston over Berkebile and Gil Pritchett.
Best for their ages: Marston in the Seniors; Charlie Pearson in the Esquires.
Womens winner at both tournaments was 13-year-old Juanita Santana from the
Herring Run rec center whom Dawson describes as a tomboy with a Latin temper. Though
Juanita says, Im always scared when I play, perhaps this makes her wary about what balls to
push or block and what ones to clobber with her forehand. Certainly she was smart enough to
twice get by 2-time Greater Baltimore Champion, Eleanor Pritchett, Gils wife, and be a
winner in Womens and Mixed Doubles (with Greenberg), as well as dominating the Girls
Under 13, 15, 17 events. Best Under 11 Girl was Sandy Bengtson. Best in Boys 17: Mark
Harris. Boys Under 13 best, Bryan Due.
At the Mar. 27 Orlando Open, the Mens went to Richard McAfee over Ray
Mergliano. With Ray looping and Richard following up with point-winners, the two took the
Doubles from Marv Leff/Steve Rigo. A Champ was Stu Caplin over Steve Federico. Best in
Bs: Jerry Perlmutter over Novice and Consolation winner Greg Gingold. Gayle Rogers won
the Womens and the Girls Under 17 over Debbie Scruggs (Mixed winner with Mergliano),
and the Under 15s from John
Pollard, runner-up to
Gaithers
Cornelius Harrison in the 17s.
unchanging
stance
April at the Mississippi
State University Open saw
Don Gaither win the Mens
via gutsy matchesover
runner-up Ralph Kissel (deuce
in the 5th) and 3rd Place finisher
Van Scherpenzeel (after being
Opponents
2-0 down). (However, later in
Hope
April, at the Southern
Invitational in Greenville, S.C.
Don would lose a -15, 19, 19, If I can
20, -22 killer to Homer Brown.)
get Gaither
to run like
this...

Drawing by Tom Tarrant IV

Photo by Mal Anderson

Homer Brown
Photo by Mal Anderson

142

Doubles winners at this Mississippi State College tourney were Gaither

and Lance Rosemore over Larry Bartley/Kissel (Lance, having paired
with Chuck Michell, would also win the Doubles at Greenville over
Brown/Kissel, as well as the As from Pete May). Class A went to
Bartley over Rosemore in 5; Class B to Jerry Thrasher over James
Altenbach, winner of the Under 19s from Joe Pharo. Best in Seniors:
Gus Armes over Bob Flowers.
At the 20th Annual Midwest Open,
played in Columbus, Ohio, John Tannehill won
both the Mens Singles (over current Ohio
Closed Champ Tim OGrosky) and the Doubles
with Bert Jacobs (over Singles runner-up John
Spencer and 3rd-Place finisher John Temple).
Tannehill and Jacobs, I might add, would have
some adventures this summer. Theyd tried
unsuccessfully to meet up with Norby Van de
Walle in Belgium, then Ebby Scholer in
Germany who advised them to try to find
suitable competition in Switzerland. But since
John couldnt find the desired play there, Bert
says (TTT, July-Aug., 1971, 6) they decided to
climb the Matterhorn. Which was almost a very
bad mistake, for John came very close to falling
Bert Jacobs
3,000 feet; fortunately a Swedish mountain
Jerry Thrasher,
climbergrabbed his arm. They then tracked down the Swedish team
Class B Winner in
(Bengtsson, Johansson, Bernhardt) who were participating in a clinic
Mississippi
in Kranfors, near Lapland, and John joined them. Heres Jacobs
commenting on their daily training routine:
Breakfast, soccer for an hour and a half, practice for two hours, lunch,
practice for two hours, running, more practice, dinner.
Then the day came. Bengtsson says to John, This will be your death, Yahn. It
was five miles of running full speed up a mountain. John struggled to the end and
finished. The amazed Swedes pronounced John not nearly as weak as most American
players and asked him to return in the future.
Womens at this Midwest Open went not to Closed Champ Joanne Pickett or her state
rivals Schuer and Shook but to Sue Hildebrandt over fellow Michiganer Janice Martin. Sue
and Janice took the Womens Doubles from Anne Shook/Ann Ruedle; Janice/Bill Lesner the
Mixed from Schuer/Bill Hodge. Anne Shook (married name, Fish) is very strongly in favor of
Womens Rights, and so shes pleased that Ohio TTA officials listened to her and other
womens complaints (which were?) and acted favorably on them.
In an earlier chapter, Bert Jacobs had told us something about Ohios Mike Dempsey,
for Mikes accomplishments go back to 1969 when U.S. Wheelchair Champion John Gray had
brought Mike to the National Wheelchair Gamesand the kid had upset veteran Serge
Jelenevsky for the gold. Wheelchair athletes compete according to function based on spinal
143

Mike Dempsey - was always

a pretty happy kid

cord injury level or comparable muscle strength. Since

Mike competes in the least disabled category, the more
so with him the saying, Its Ability, not Disability that
counts. In 69, Mike began his astonishing
accumulation of yearly gold medals, so that for the
next three decades, people would think of him as the
current National Champion.
Thirteen years earlier, when he was about six
months old, his doctor had given him a normal virus
shot, but something abnormal happened and Mike lost
the use of his legs. With me, hed say later, being in
a wheelchair wasnt a matter of adapting. You might
have a period of bitterness when you have something
and lose it, but this being the only thing I ever knew,
Im not bitter. I was always a pretty happy kid. This
July, only 14, Mike, coached by Jim Beckford, will
have his first international triumpha gold in his class

at the Pan-Am Wheelchair Games in

Jamaica. Interested parties ought to be able
to read about our U.S. Pan-Am triumphs in
The Wheelchair Competitor. Thats the
magazine devoted exclusively to reporting
and promoting wheelchair sports that
Lincoln Park, Michigans Stef Florescu, 1964 Tokyo Wheelchair
Olympics gold medallist, has just become editor and publisher of.
The Michigan Open saw Peter Pradit continue to move
toward his seasons U.S. #2 ranking by downing Dell Sweeris in a
19-in-the-5th final. Sweeris, however, paired with Lesner to win the
Doubles over Pradit/Jim Davey. U.S. Champion Connie Sweeris,
whod automatically be ranked #1 in Womens, though dropping a
game in her Singles to Womens A winner Geraldine Karbulka,
went on to beat Girls Under 17 Champ Kathy Scheltema in an easy
final. Connie probably opted to sit out the Womens Doublesa
move which produced a taut 22, -20, 21, 19 win for Scheltema/
Debby Foster over Maureen Farmer/Karbulka. A surprise in the
Mixed though, for Bukiet/Scheltema somehow upset the Sweerises.
In the Senior final, Bill
1971 Wisconsin
Hornyak fell to Elmer Ybema
Closed Champ Ted
Stef Florescu
who also won the Handicap,
Stomma and son
Photo by Bill Scheltema
51-49, over Mike Veillette.
At the Wisconsin Closed, Ted Stomma won the
Mens Singles; runner-up was Senior and A Doubles
winner Russ Sorenson. Stomma also scored in Doubles
in the Mens with Heck (over Sorenson/Sorenson) and in
the Mixed with Womens winner Mona Buell (over Pfalz/
Pfalz).
144

Up in Minnesota, MTTA President Charlie Disney, a

stockbroker, and MTTA V-P Alan Goldstein, a doctor, are
building an empire. Charlie and his wife Connie (TTT, May-June,
1971, 27) write that those in Minneapolis interested in upgrading
the image of table tennisrealized the futility of tournaments as
a means of increasing the number of sustained players. So, since
bi-monthly tournaments at the local Y werent cutting it, they
worked out an agreement with the dance hall management of
Magoos. Two nights of the week Magoos would serve as a
dance hall, the other five nights as a table tennis club. With a
massive promotional effort, they then immediately established adult commercial and junior
leagues. Perhaps their most important concept: [That] one out of every ten basement players
is willing to play in tournaments but that seven out of every ten are willing and eager to play in
leagues. Another important concept: Authority must be delegated, and everyone must
become a willing worker (with, it may be, the incentive of free coaching). Everyone
includes even the top players who, if need be, must be (shades of the Cultural Revolution) reeducated to help.
Gradually a number of outside organizations became interested. A Minneapolis
Kiwanis Club co-sponsored with the MTTA the largest Junior State Tourney ever held
perhaps anywhere170 players, on 22 tablescompleted in six hours. Each of the 56
members of this Club contacted local schools and signed up players for the tournament.
Also, through Kiwanis contacts, the MTTA was able to start an in-service coaching program
for the Mpls. Gym teachers. As the MTTA began to thrive, they established a full time
business telephone with a secretaryready to take advantage of all the China publicity.
Dr. Goldstein (in an
adjacent article in that same
Topics issue) outlines what
other local clubs can quickly
begin to docontact the
media with club information,
get t.t. into nearby schools,
start a membership drive, hold
a tournament, give exhibitions,
start leagues. In short, do what
for decades others have urged
their local club members to do.
Difference is: after the China
Charlie Disney
Dr. Alan Goldstein
trip, many more people are
Photo by Bill Marlens
From the Minnesota Classic Program
thinking table tennis. So act
now, says Alan somewhat ominously. Any delay can be disastrous.
In May, the MTTA held the Minnesota Open. Mens winner was Disney over Goldstein
whod eliminated Doug Maday 2-0 (winning the 2nd game 24-22 from 17-8 down). In the first
two (split) games of the final, as Maday reports (TTT, July-Aug., 1971 19), Alan was able to
return Charlies loops and hits and Charlie was able to stop all of Alans pick hits. But in the
deciding 3rd, Charlie started moving the ball around, and perhaps this tactic enabled him to
win by the slimmest of margins. Some other results: Womens: Connie Disney over Coleen
145

Mosio. Class A: Octavio Pinell, Jr. over Paul Wong who with tricky serves and hard hits had
ousted Chuck Turchik. Class B and C: Minnesota # 18 Bill Stotts. Seniors: Ray Mosio.
One sees from Tom Walshs write-up (TTT, May-June, 1971, 26), that the Nebraska
#1, Steve Fox Flansburg, recovering from an operation, had to miss the State Open. In the
Double Elimination Mens event, unseeded Leo Kudirka immediately upset #1 seed Tom
Walsh, 29-27, 24-22, then went on to reach the final of the Winners Bracket by defeating
Defending Champion Scotty Grafton. There he scored another upsetover Champak
Narotam, 11, 15. Meanwhile, in the Losers Bracket, Walsh, playing with a hard rubber Hock,
was recovering with a 20, 11 win over sponge player Grafton, only to lose, 17, 19 to Narotam.
To be the Champ, Champ had to stop Kudirka twice. And he did. In their first match, though
outscored, he prevailed 19, -12, 22. Then, though Walsh cautioned Narotam to hit the good
ones, Champ returned after their rest, demonically smashing, hardly ever spinning, crushing
ball after ball, demoralizing the dazed but game Kudirka. So much, said Walsh, for the
Professors advice; hed return to Victorian literature.
Other winners: Womens: since Defending Champion Diana Myers opted to play in a
tennis tournament, Wisner girls replayed their Girls 17 final with the same result, Kathy
Moeller over Vicky Heller. Class A: Murray Kutler over Jerry Malec. Class B: Kutler over
Dave Downs. (In both events, young Murray knocked out Jim DeMet who was on his way to
take some lessons from Joe Sokoloff.) Novice: Wisners Dirk Petersen over New Yorks
visiting Marc Landman. Consolation: Kudirka over Lee Larson (though how Kudirka even got
into the event is beyond me). Seniors (with 1944 U.S. Open Over 35 Champ John Tatum
watching from the stands): Malec over Larson (whod won the Bs and the Novice at the
earlier Omaha Boys Club tourney). Boys 17: Jon Deuchler over Downs. Boys 15: Kutler over
Scott Ichkoff (who partnered his famous mother, Peggy, in the Mixed?). Boys 13: Ichkoff
over Todd Petersen.
At the 10th annual Heart of America Open, held
May 15, courtesy of the K.C. Parks & Recreation
Department in the Kansas City, Missouri Gymnastics
Center, U.S. Champ D-J Lee was the feature
attraction. Scotty Grafton, President of the
K.C.T.T.A. and David Barnes, Promotion Director of
the K.C.T.T.A., were key to his successful
appearance not only at the tournament but at several
exhibitions he gave to promote the Sport. Scotty
writes (TTT, July-Aug., 1971, 20), for example, of a
Saturday at the Blue Ridge Mall where D-J played
the Honorable Charles B. Wheeler, Jr., an M.D. who
was the good-sport Mayor of Kansas City, then
amused the crowd by hitting and chopping away at
Grafton with a shoe brush. Heres Scotty on another
highlight of the tournament promotionthe PINGPONG-ATHONG:
Kansas City TTC President Scott Grafton

This event [covered by T.V. camera &

radio] involved local disc-jockeys playing all Table Tennis Challengers on the enclosed
Blue Ridge Mall area for $.50 a game. If the challenger won, the TV-Radio Station
146

matched the challenge fee & therefore $1.00 went into the
Mayors Philharmonic Music fund. You should have seen the
look on the disc-jockeys faces when a few of the tournament
players came over & blasted them off the table.
The Open of course was won easily, not by a d-j but by DJin a round robin over Davenport, Iowas Roy Fatakia, Arlington,
Texass Richard James, and K.C.s Bob Covey. Lee/Grafton took the
Doubles. Covey, in a pick-hit duel, was the Class A winner in 5
over John McAdams from Irving, Texas. Best in Class B: Chicagos
defensive-minded Laszlo Keves, despite a fall into the table that cut
his arm, over Albuquerques Keith Treece.
The April Great Plains Open at St. Charles, Missouri saw
Peter Pradit win the Mens from Harry Deschamps, best in Seniors
over Bruce Ackerman. St. Charles County Closed Champ Jean
Varker was the Womens winner over Lois Brazda. Mens Doubles
went to Larry Chisolm/Jim Davey over Pradit/Cawley; the Mixed to
Pradit/Brazda over Davey/Varker, 19 in the 4th.
The May Oklahoma Closed,
Ron Shirley tells us (TTT, MayJune, 1971, 25), was won by 17year-old Norman Behymerbut he
had to work hard for the title,
especially since he doesnt care to
Laszlo Keves
practice, has other things to do,
like heading his high
school choral group, staying active in his church,
and working at an after-school job. His victims
were Steve Engel (18 in the 5th), Vernon
Eisenhour, and in the final Steve Hammond,
runner-up in the U.S. Open Under 13s. Little
Stevie, 5, 2 and 105 pounds, straight-game
upset the Defending Champion Dennis
Crawford. And in the final, had he won that 1st
game at deuce after rallying from 20-16 down,
the outcome might have been different, for he
won the 2nd at 19 before the older boy more
confidently began angling him out of contention.
Thus Behymer became Oklahomas sixth
different champion in six years.
1971 Oklahoma Champ, Norman Behymer
Other results: Womens: 12-year-old Peggy
Photo by Mal Anderson
Shaha d. Karen Markwell. Mens Doubles:
Behymer/Crawford d. Engel/Eisenhour. Mixed:
Crawford/Susan Manek over Glen Markwell/K. Markwell. Class B: Avi Blattstein over Steve
Hammond. Avi, 22, once played in international competition for Israel, but now is attending a
Catholic College in a Baptist Oklahoma town.
147

Winners at the April New Mexico

Liz Gresham,
Open: Mens: Helmut Vorherr over Mac Horn.
1971
New Mexico
Womens: Liz Gresham over G. Toland. Mens
Womens
Open
Doubles: Horn/David Petty over Vorherr/Ed
Champ
Stein. Class A: Bob Treece over Stein. Class B:
Mark DaVee over N. Grandjean. Seniors:
Horn over Stein. Juniors: DaVee over E.
Enslin.
Manitoba held
its March Golden Boy
Open at Red River
Community College.
Mens went to Frank
Hodl over Hans
Hirsch; Womens to
Swedish newcomer
Bibi Ingimundson over
Jacki Gilchrist. Bibi also won the Mixed with
CTTA Deputy President Art Werier. The May
Manitoba Open saw Andrew Ying again win
the Mens (over Hirsch), and Indias Meera
Thadani the Womens (over Gilchrist). Other
winners: Mens Doubles: Hodl/Zoltan
Gergeley (Hungarian Club) over Hirsch/Bruno
Fischer (German Club). Mixed Doubles:
Art Werier, Deputy
Werier/Ingimundson over Hodl/Thadani.
President, CTTA
Handicap: Art Koberstein (German Club) over
Joe Bradbury. Seniors: Hodl over Eathen Miller, President of the
North Dakota Association. Hah! You probably didnt know such an
Affiler, Associationexisted.
British Columbia held its April
Championships at the Sea Island
Forum in Richmond, and then its May
Sports Festival Tournament at the
Bruno Fischer
Hungarian Social Club in Vancouver. From CTTA News, Aug., 1968
At both tournaments, emigrants
Milena Roudna and Zoltan Pataky were players to watch.
Roudna, the Sports Festival Champion, won the Triple
Crown at Sea Island by defeating her Womens Doubles
partner, Joy Jenkins, in the Singles and teaming with B.C.
TTA official Chandra Madosingh to take the Mixed. Pataky, a
top Junior in Hungary before immigrating to Canada less than
three months ago, lost at Richmond to Joe Lee, the -18, 22, 24, 17, -23 runner-up to Tom Ruttinger. But a month or so
B.C. Officials Frank Karika (L) later he won the Mens Singles over Philip Woo Cheng and
and Chandra Madosingh
the Mens Doubles with B.C. President Frank Karika over
From CTTA News, Jan., 1973
148

Eric Calveley/Rajinder Singh. In Junior play, Seattles Danny

Mattson proved stronger than the Lo brothers, Victor and
Eddie.
At the Pacific Northwest Open, held Apr. 24 at
Eugene Oregon, we see from Lou Bochenskis coverage (TTT,
May-June, 1971, 23) that players are pleased both by the
areas rating systemas developed by Jeff Kurtz that
classifies players in 200 point jumps from Class E (under
1200) to Championship (over 2000)and by round-robin first
rounds (much appreciated by Tom Ruttinger, for, though
compiling the best record in his group, he was upset by Dave
Joe Lee, 1971 Pacific
Hudson).
Northwest
Open Champ
The Mens final couldnt have been more of a struggle.
Joe Lee had match point at 20-18 in the fifth, but Ruttinger
slammed one [in]then ticked the [table] end to tie it up. Then the ball did an unbelievable
balancing act on the net and dribbled over on Toms side to put Joe one up. Joe called, Please,
just one more point and got it. In the Womens, Brooke Williams Smith, with just a
minimum of practice after many months of absence, returned to eke out a win over her
former pupil, Elsie Spinning, -19, 23, 16, before losing in the final to Judy Bochenski.
Other winners: Mens Doubles: Lee/Ruttinger over Kurtz/Earl Adams (Kurtz would be
this seasons Oregon Closed Mens Champ, Adams the Senior Champ). Mixed: Ruttinger/
Spinning over Lee/Bochenski. Class A: Hudson over fellow University of Oregon students
James Tong and Ed Ng. Class B: Eddie Chin over Steve Berliner. Class C: Alan Chin over Ron
Ferrions. Class A Doubles: Tong/Ng over Hudson/Lou Bochenski. Class B Doubles: Ron
Carver/Spinning over Alan Chin/Ng. Seniors: Adams over Oregon Closed Over 50 Champ Art
Schuff. Under 17s: Judy over Danny Mattson (who in the State Closed would beat Judy).
Under 15s: Judy over Charles McLarty. Under 13s: Mike Bochenski over first-time trophy
winner Kim Keeney.
Northern California players just squeezed the
Cupertino Open into their 1970-71 season. Results: Mens:
Allan Herskovich over Richard Terry who won the Class A
(over Jim Goodwin), the Class A Doubles (with Richard
Montgomery), and the Juniors (over Steve Slavich). Class
B: Jim Naik over Ed Ngai. Seniors: Herskovich over Sam
Lima. Mens Doubles: Jeff Mason/George Maak over
Herskovich/Wong. Mixed Doubles: Naik/Hilde Brautigan.
At the May Premier Open at the Hollywood
Courts, Denis OConnell won the Mens over Glenn
Cowan in 5. In his semis, Denis was extended into the 5th
by Junior Champ Paul Raphel whod beaten Howie
Jim Naik
Grossman and Darryl Flann. Glenn had advanced,
perilously, by Ray Guillen (from down 2-0 and at 18-all
in the 3rd). In Mens Doubles, Denis and Ray Mack downed Grossman/Guillen, then in the
final Bobby Fields/Mark Adelman. In scoring the final winner, Mack smashed in a low,
heavy chop from Fields, a very poor percentage shot that afterwards Denis criticized him
for.
149

Carol and Fred Grobee

Fred Grobee, reporting on the

tournament (TTT, May-June, 1971, 23), paid
particular attention to Bill Garretts match with
5th seed Wayne Obertone, in which Bill led 2-1
and was at 22-all in the 4th before losing.
Garrett, using thin pimpled rubber, grips the
blade, not the handle of the paddle, with his
fingers spread. For backhand shots, he shifts to
his left hand; so hes really hitting a left-handed
forehand in the same manner he hits his righthanded forehand. Match that, readers.
The 3-Star Pacific Coast
Championships, reported on by Kathy Chin
Carol and Fred Grobee
(TTT, July-Aug., 1971 1;16), were held May
28-30 at San Diegos Balboa Park. Longtime San Diego Tournament Director John Horning
complained that the USTTA offered so little help in running its major tournamentsthis
considering that the Association pocketed a $350 sanction fee. Also he was rightly irritated
that 22 players who entered (whom the organizers expected payment from) didnt show. But
perhaps Johns Letter to the Editor (TTT, July-Aug., 1971, 11) best expressed his displeasure:
To the Editor:
Television station KRMB in San Diego covered the recent Pacific Coast Open
Table Tennis Championships. The result of this coverage was a short film clip of one of
our better players swearing at the news commentator and throwing papers at the
camera. Such behavior should not be tolerated. Steps are being taken to initiate
appropriate disciplinary action.*
Ah well, Swiss pathologist/cardiologist, the former Yugoslav World Doubles
Champion, Dr. Zarko Dolinar, was quoted as saying in Nagoya, The net is too tightly
stretched across the table.[As] a result, many paddlers become near nervous wrecks at the
end of closely-fought matches.
Regarding Kathys write-up, since shell concentrate on Singles play, Ill begin with
some Doubles results. Mens: Glenn Cowan/Tom Ruttinger over Mark Adelman/Ragnar Ray
Fahlstrom in 5. Womens: Irene Ogus/Angie Rosal over Pauline Walker/Cindy Cooper.
Disgusted as Irene was over not being helped by the USTTA to go to Nagoya, shes back
playing againthough for how long? A Doubles: Danny Banach/Ray Mack over Mark DaVee/
Barry Nelson. Senior Doubles: Banach/Russ Thompson over George Kelemen/Gene Wilson.
Junior Doubles: Ray Guillen/Angie Rosal over Nelson/DaVee.
Other results Ill also mention before going on to the Mens and Womens Singles.
Class A: Guillen 12, -22, 21, 18 over Wendy Hicks. Class B: Gene Wilson over Richard Terry.
Class C: Si Kenig over Barry Nelson. Seniors: Thompson (after being down 2-0) over Banach
whod outlasted Kenig, after Si had upset Fred Herbst, 19 in the 5th. Si, said Chin, uses
sneaky serves, loops, chops, pushes, [close-to-the-table blocks,] mixing up his stuff.He even
uses the ole gotta tie my shoelaces and wipe my face routines.
Boys 17: Guillen over Cowen in 4. Girls 17 (round robin ending in a three-way 3-1
tie): Cindy Cooper upsets Judy Bochenski, 18, 20, so when Judy has to go three to down
150

Angie, I dont see how, as Kathy says, Judy and Angie (who obviously had to beat Cindy
either 2-0 or 2-1) are playing a final that Judy wins. (If Angie beat Cindy 2-0 shed win; if
Angie beat Cindy 2-1, Cindy would win.) Boys 15: Raphel over DaVee. Girls 15: Rosal over
Bochenski, 21, -16, 8 (after getting off to a 7-0 lead). Under 13s: David Laing over Chris
Rosal who, at 11, won the Closed Novice.
In early-round Mens matches, Erwin Klein advances to the final with wins over Rob
Roberts and Ray Fahlstrom. On the other side of the Draw, Raphel knocks off Lee Johnson,
while Ray Guillen is ousting Glenn Cowan (I cant believe it says Ray as hes mobbed by
the congratulatory gallery). But next round, up 2-0, then at 24-all in the 4th against Raphel,
Ray cant find the clincher. Paul goes on to survive Ichiro Hashimoto in 5, then 19, 19, 16,
26 wins another close one in his semis against Darryl Flann. Surely, against such competition,
this is the sustained best the 15-year-old has ever done. But then in the final, says Kathy, a
little awed by Klein and his coolness, Paul offers no challenge at all.
In the Womens quarters, after Bochenski and Ogus exchange deuce games, Irene
wins in 4, but afterwards, in a match she might have won in straight games, 21, -23, 20, -15,
she falls to Rosal. In the other section of the Draw, Heather Angelinetta rallies from down 2-0
and a 21-19 3rd game to eliminate Cindy Cooper. Hicks, however, cruises along over Chin and
Angelinetta, and, though 22-20 in the 4th tested by Rosal in the final, is the Champion. Kathy
closes her article by citing her interview with Wendy to see if she has regrets on missing the
China trip:
It turns out that she had a marvelous, expense paid, nine-day vacation in
Hawaii in lieu of the Chinese trip. Having made previous plans with a friend to meet in
Hawaii, Wendy and her friend were wined and dined by AMFAC Corp. and given VIP
treatment (which included expense-free dinners, penthouses, speeches, $500.00 and
other fringe benefits. They even offered to send her to China). She really enjoyed
herself and thus didnt feel too bad about missing the other trip.**
SELECTED NOTES.
*The offender was Glenn Cowan, as Horning revealed in a friendly letter to me. Id
tried to excuse Glenns use of profanity, and suggested he receive special consideration
because he was the name in table tennis at this hour. John was having none of that. Besides,
he said, Disciplinary Chair Eugene Wilsons recommendation of a six months probationary
period certainly wasnt harsh. He thinks Raphels offense was much worse than Cowans, and
adds, The recommended six month suspension for Paul Raphel is the minimum penalty
recommended in the ITTF rules for the first violation of the doping law. (I dont think Paul
was suspended at all.)
**Mal Anderson sent me an Aug. 2, 2005 e-mail telling me that hed heard from
Connie Sweeris, Wendys roommate, that Wendy had cried all night just before she left the
next morning for Hawaii. A traumatic experience that decisionmade the more so because
Mal said that when Wendy arrived in Hawaii her girl friend said she should have gone to
China.

151

Chapter Twelve
1971: E.C. Meetings/Topics Controversies.
By the July 3-4, 1971 E.C. Meeting, the following Officers would have one remaining
year to finish out their 1970-72 term: President Graham Steenhoven (whod announced hed
not seek re-elction); Executive Vice-President and Equipment Chair Jack Carr (who expected
to succeed him as President); Recording Secretary (E.C. Minutes-taker) and Rules Chair Cyril
Lederman, and Vice-President and Topics Editor Tim Boggan. When Madeline Buben resigned
as Corresponding Secretary, incumbent Vice-President and USTTA Public Relations Chair
Fred Herbst was appointed in her stead. Rudy Muehlenbein had
resigned as Treasurer, so Dell Sweeris took over, running
unopposed for the position. (Dell gave a Treasurers Report, and it
was noted that George and Madeline Buben audited the books.)
Vice-Presidents beginning a two-year term were
Photography Chair Mal Anderson, Ranking Chair John Read (both
re-elected), and Membership Chair Marv Shaffer (who in his
campaign statement had urged the establishment of a USTTA Hall
of Fame).* Joe Sokoloff finished just behind Shaffer in the voting.
Dick Miles became the TV Chair; Jack Howard the
Selection/ITS Chair. Dick Hicks continued as National Tournament
Director, as did Erich Haring as Eastern Regional Director and
Myron Mike Edgerton as Midwest Director. After serving for
almost 10 years as Pacific Regional Director, John Hanna resigned
(drawing a Topics article of thanks
from John Read), and was
succeeded by Richard Alden.
Myron Mike Edgerton,
Taking Richard Feuersteins
Midwest Regional Director
place as Great Plains Director was
Photo by Mal Anderson
Marianne Szalay whod strongly
urge the development and
empowerment of USTTA
Regionsthat is, she wanted interclub, inter-city, inter-Regional play,
Regional ranking, Regional
newsletters, and 50-50 USTTA/
Regional splits on sanction and
membership fees. Taking Hugh
Babbs place as Southern Regional
Director was John White. After
Pacific Regional Director
reading Winter Park, Floridas
Richard Alden
Roseanne Merglianos Letter to the
Editor (TTT, Dec., 1970, 9)
protesting the appearance of our U.S. Team to the Worlds (I take
John White, defender of our
pride in my country, my [USTTA] organization, and myself, and I
U.S. Team youth
dont want any unkempt, scroungy-looking people representing
Photo by Mal Anderson
152

ME), and especially after reading a Letter that appeared in the Nashville Banner describing
the American players as a motley group, hippie freaks, long-haired bewhiskered freaks,
hippies, and radicals, as contrasted with the normal American youths of our nation,
White protested (TTT, May-June, 1971, 17). He defended the players at length, said, for
example, he knew these players as being quite intelligent and articulate, and wondered how
a person, by seeing someone only a few minutes on televison,[could] come to such definite
derogatory conclusions and even put them in print for everyone to read.
What people think and feel strongly about, and so put in print, is bound to reflect a
disparate table tennis community. Such sincerity, openness, variety, controversy, seriousness is
of course what I as Editor wanted for my magazinean embracive, not a parochial read.
John Tannehill, however, in the eyes of many, didnt help his cause by writing an article
for Topics (Sept.-Oct., 1971, 10) called The Coward in Ping-Pong. Of course I as Editor
printed this controversial grouping of hateful thoughts. Why? Because John couldnt be more
serious in his preaching out against the player its clear to me and others that he was in danger
of becoming and didnt want others to become. Theres a coward type in table tennis, he
writes. His voice is filled with little determination or conviction, but his personal manner
would put him in favor of any corporation executive and hed be loved by his teachers.
(Really?) Hes generally a paranoid attacking player who can dream of nothing besides
ping-pong. This perfectionist has a lifeless life, for his table tennis playat which he works
relentlessly, mechanicallytakes away his anxieties. Takes away, too, his soul, his humanity.
Hes concerned only with winning quickly. Its as if he is on the verge of laying a girl, his ego
brutally insensitive to the whole situation but desiring nonetheless her body for masturbatory
pleasure. And after he wins, his groupies surround him and try to pimp a little of his power
for themselves. All this is superb excitement for the coward.
Although John closes with the plea, Please
dont become this anti-life, sad creature, heres
Detroits Bill Byrness reply in the next issue of Topics
(Nov.-Dec., 16):

To the Editor:
John Tannehills The Coward in Ping-Pong is
lewd and vulgar, completely out of place in our family
newspaper. [John uses the vulgar word farts, but
does so to vulgarize the coward.] Whether it has any
redeeming social value I leave up to the amateur
sociologists such as our young author who might think
twice before bringing dishonor to his distinguished name.
There is a larger implication here. Shall the
purpose of Topics be to dispense table tennis news and
Illustration from Alice in Wonderland
features, or shall it be a forum for any contributor who
wants to see in print his obscene thoughts and dirty jokes?
Ill send you a blue pencil for Xmas, with the hope there will be no more issues
a parent should hide from his children.
P.S. Tim, please print this to save me the trouble of sending copies to the rest of the E.C.
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One could see that I, as Editor of Topics, was determined to have some color in the
magazineI especially favored Letters to the Editor. One (in TTT, Sept.-Oct., 1971,17) I
headed Snob-Droppings?:
To the Editor:
Ill tell you why table tennis is dead and will always be a third rate sport. #1
SNOBBERY! #2The same old second-rate players, issue after issue. All you hear
about is the same lousy namesConnie and Dell Sweeris, Howard, Resek, Cowan,
BLAH, BLAH, ad infinitum. Who cares! So, what else is new? I dont give a damn
about these people. They are so stuck up and at least a dozen points better than I they
would not play me. How under the circumstances can one improve his game?
Table tennis will always be a dormant sport. Your paper stinks, and all that
permeates from your paper is the stench of CLIQUE, CLIQUE, CLIQUE. I quit
fencing for the same reasons.[The fencers] always wondered why they couldnt
increase their membership. They would rationalize that perhaps the equipment was too
expensive, insufficient facilities to practice, and lack of recruiting enthusiasm among
the present members. BULL-SHIT! The real reasons: SNOBBERY! And
CLIQUISHNESS! Ill tell you what the real criteria of a good fencer is: a
Ph.D.[Ironically, an adjacent Letter-writer asks if anyone knows of any university in
Europe that offers a Ph.D. program in table tennis.]
Bill Marlens keeps trying to deify Reisman and equate Reisman equals table
tennis and this is equal to high intelligenceBLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BULLSHIT!Goodbye.
ANONYMOUS
Out of Chicago, Ill.
This article drew a spate of replies (TTT, Nov.-Dec., 1971, 16-17). Heres one from
Omahas Bill Myers:
To the Editor:
For shame! My 11-year-old daughter reads Table Tennis Topics, and while she
probably sees 4-letter words on the powder room walls where she attends school, she
doesnt expect to find them in the official magazine of the U.S.T.T.A. While I have no
objection whatever to the printing of critical letters under the doctrine of freedom of
speech, I do believe it is the editors duty to edit when necessary.
And from Lexington, Kentuckys Ted Friedman:
To the Editor:
I am not going to apologize for my attitude. The language has no business in
a periodical that reaches families in their home. I have two adolescent children and 1520 teenagers who look to me for guidance.
Anyone writing such trash should be required to sign his name. That would
make him think twice.
Incidentally, Tim, does this mean you will print anything thats sent to you? Or
where do you draw the line? This sport to me represents a good wholesome way to
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stay in good health. The day it stands for kooks and rabble-rousers is when I say
goodbye.
And from New Yorks Pauline Somael:
To the Editor:
[With regard to John Tannehills article,] I rather felt there I was reading a
continuing chapter in some new pornographic book. Apart from the dirty words, the
article is quite senseless, besides being overly sensational, and I would hesitate to let
my eight-year-old read it. Never mind the fact that she wouldnt understand the words,
shed want them explained.
I am most certainly against censorship but I am most certainly for good taste.
Topics has gone a bit too far this time.
Naturally my opinions may be thought ridiculous. I am, after all, over thirty and
consequently quite senile.
I will close this unpleasant letter by wishing Anonymous out of Chicago my
deepest sympathize and I hope he/she recovers soon.
And from Oakland, CAs Don Gunn:
To the Editor:
Re the letter in the Sept/Oct issue, from the Chicago Dirt Mouth.He does
have a good point or two. Certainly Marlens is a crashing bore. [Pauline Somael thinks
that Billwhom weve read earlier detailing his experience as Marty Reismans
manageris now writing tongue-in-cheek. (See TTT, three straight issues beginning
with the May-June, 1971 one.) But as Billa.k.a. Ma Lei-ssu(h)expostulates on
the Freaking of our Sport (from Sol Schiffs fingerspins to Liang Ko-liangs
footstamps); as he writes of his dedication to table tennis, to Marty [and hardbat as
opposed to sponge play], to the study of Chinese, and[to his] five year anticipation
that it [table tennis] was the only plausible means of re-approachment between China
and the U.S., I havent the foggiest notion why Pauline thinks that Bill is writing
tongue-in-cheek. Marlens is surely sincere, too, in thinking that our tortured youth,
threatening us with a new Dark Age, could benefit from the dignity, the discipline, the
satisfaction, the good health, the morale, and the hopefulness that playing table tennis
could bring them.]
[Gunn goes on to say,] What really sticks in the craw of the CDM is that this
exclusive clique of snobs does not include him. What is especially maddening is that he
is not kept out by his race, creed, age, sex, political bias, disposition, or stupidity. The
absolutely only criterion for entry into the select group of insufferable top-rankers is
playing ability.
And from Woodmere, Long Islands Mort Zakarin:
To the Editor:
[To Anonymous:] I wonder if its not your snobbery thats the problem, for
Ive seen Dell and Errol and Jack Howard and Peter Pradit hitting with many
players.[These] are the top players in our country, and they should be written about
155

because the people are interested in them.With all of your problems, have you ever
thought of going for counseling?
And from New York Citys Toby Olson:
To the Editor:
Under all that invective and anger Anonymous out of Chicago gets to some very
important points. They cant be brushed aside through ad hominem attack.What
Anonymous points to is the contradiction between an organization that on the one hand
wishes to make the sport popular and at the same time, through its structure, administration
and the attitude of many of its players, also wants to remain hierarchical and insulated.It
should be clear that there is really nothing that can be done about the attitudes of individual
players. But is there something that can be done about an organization that equates dignity
and professionalism with insularity and snobbism? Of course there is: change it.
And from Cincinnati, Ohios Ed Morgan:
To the Editor:
I read the John Tannehill piece, The Coward in Ping-Pong, and the letter to
the editor headed Snob Droppings? in the October issue of Topics, and I said to
myself, Tim, Baby, are you gonna get mail!
Since Tannehill is a friend of mine, I admit to viewing his work with a
favorable prejudice. He is currently in the throes of a very conscious effort to examine
and alter his whole life-style, and this piece is an effort to purge himself by public
confession. In this state, he is given to somewhat more introspection than most of us,
and introspection is usually painful.
Where should our editor stand in regard to Johns reference to sex and other
forms of biological relief?The widely accepted criterion is whether or not these
references are essential toor even contribute significantly tothe substance of the
material. If the article would not suffer from the elimination of this language, then the
editor clearly has the right to remove it. Its strictly a judgment call, and no writers
material is exempt from this right. If (again, in the judgment of the editor) elimination
of the language would actually strengthen the piece without altering the meaning, then
it could be argued that its his duty to edit it out.
Consider the other factors, also. What might be acceptable language in a
general-interest magazine on the newsstand could be quite another matter in a closedcirculation periodical with a substantial readership in the 12 to 17-year-old age bracket.
On the other hand, every time these kids attend a movie, theyre in imminent danger of
hearing language far more explicit than ever appeared in Topics. For that matter, they
can hear sterner stuff than that nearly every time one of our better players blows a
crucial point in a tournament.
Everything is so damned relative, isnt it?
As for the anonymous citizen from Chicago who was frothing at the chops
about alleged table tennis snobberynow theres a man whos mad, Mad, MAD!
This guy envisions a Utopia in which, for instance, golf magazines never mention
Nicklaus or Trevino, and these gentlemen spend all their spare time with duffers.
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In truth I feel sorry for the bleeder from Chicago. He has already abandoned
fencing, and now has apparently crossed table tennis off his list. If he gives up every
sport whose participants are not paragons of social perfection, there will eventually be
nothing left for him except, maybe, bullfighting. In view of his choice of expletives, he
might feel right at home in the bull-ringwith a shovel.
Most publications place unsigned letters in the same category as writing on
toilet walls, and refuse to publish them. Standing in Boggans shoes, I probably would
have published this one, if only for the laxative effect it may have had on my readers.
Maybe the game is crawling with snobs, and Im just too stupid to have noticed.
Which brings us back to the point, from which we have strayed. What we have
here is a matter of editorial judgment, which nobody ever said is infallible. If were
going to give Tim Boggan the responsibility for producing this paper, we must also
give him the initiative necessary to get the job done. In the past year we have witnessed
an astonishing explosion of editorial energy. If were going to enjoy the benefits of that
energy, wed better be willing to live with an occasional editorial boo-boo.
And from Hartford, CTs Tom Dulack:
To the Editor:
I loved that letter from ANONYMOUS in your last issue of TTT! Bull-shit!
Yes, thats the word, the language, the tone of a reality I often find absent from your
pages. Bull-shit!. Bravo, ANONYMOUS. Youre not anonymous to me. Youve got a
face and a voice and a personality.
Dear Sports Illustrated. All your Arnold Palmer worshippers and Nicklaussuckers. I say you stink, youre all bull-shit! You too Sporting News. BLAH, BLAH,
BLAH. Go to hell. Bull-shit. Goodbye! Wonderful.
Think of what sport is all about, the people who are athletes, the people who
watch. Their authentic voices, vocabularies, concerns. Anonymous. Yeah, invisible.
Reading SI or Sporting News, judging solely by their letters to the editor, inferring
from their editorial content, you would gatherif you didnt know betterthat all the
jocks in America were equal parts poet-philosopher and theology student. And the
fans? Who are the fans? Pittsburgh. You win the World Series, rip up the town.
Hunkies. Beer drinkers. Smash the windows, burn cars, rape girls. Were champs!
Right on. Or Chicago. The Black Hawk fans. Fling garbage on the ice. Beat your
players over the head with umbrellas when they lose. Heat half dollars and throw them
on the ice: maybe somebody will break his neck Yeah! Its a big boring snow job most
sports writing gives us. Its really been a privilege playing in this wonderful country
and Id like to express my humble gratitude. Thank you, Mr. Player.BLAH,
BLAH, BLAH. Hypocrisy and lies and deceit. The mystique of Vince Lomardi, the
asceticism of a Jim Ryun. Ah, bull-shit. Clods, dolts, animals. Put a mike in the dugout,
then bleep out the bad words. What the hell is one supposed to think is being said?
Dear God, please help me strike this gentleman out. Whats he really saying? You
sonofabitch, Im gonna stick this in your ear. And the fan is yelling, Stick it up his
ass! And who reports this? Who deals in this whole country, in print, with anything
approaching the marvelous and gritty and obscene reality of serious competitive sport?
Who would publish old ANONYMOUSs letter?
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Tannehill, in that other article, is absolutely right. What do we really mean

when we talk about color in a sport? Humanity. Men who are not machines. The guy
who skulls eight shots into the drink, then jumps in himself. Theres drama, theres
color.
Your paper is most fascinating when it is most anti-establishment. It has always
seemed to me that Topics had the potential to become the sporting equivalent of
SCREW and THE BERKELY BARB. As it is, you have a unique publication. Theres
probably nothing like it in the country. It has its own avant garde tone. But, to my
mind, it has never gone far enough underground.
It seems to me you have a strange and wholly indefensible urge to go straight,
to be more respectable than SI. Why? Your readers respond to your movement in the
direction of art and poetry. Push it further. Respectability is synonymous with dullness.
And you certainly seem to have a lot of Puritanism in your ruling councils.
There must be no end of flakes and malcontents and loonies and crazies in the
table tennis world. A very rich warehouse of anecdote and lore. Why not get into it?
Explore it?For the biggies in the Media there are bucks to be extorted out of
dishonesty and instant myth. But you are playing a different game. Go with it. Go
populist. Theres a grass roots thing out in the hinterlands that you ought to explore.
Step one in a course of treatment designed to rehabilitate your sport and find
your soul (the other steps will follow in the manner of a chain reaction):
ANONYMOUS for President of the USTTA. How about that, ANONYMOUS? How
does that grab you? Can you rally your constituents? Draw up your platform? And
from Chicago I hear the dim raucous reply: Ah, bull-shit, Dulack. Yeah, you too. Bullshit. Blah, blah, blah. Goodbye!
And, finally, regarding this one issues packet of letters (though other issues are sure to
bring more), from Merrick, Long Islands Tim Boggan:
To the Editor:
If no one minds me saying so, Im really a little bit shocked myself at some of
the extremes of these replies. However, I hope everybodys good common sense will
prevail and I can go on about my business, piloting Topics up and down the middle
course of that great river of our table tennis life.
As that uncivilized Huck said of Mr. Mark Twain, There was things which he
stretched,** but mainly he told the truth.
John follows up on his coward treatisethis time in a Who Is To Judge article (TTT,
Nov.-Dec., 1971, 14) singling out a no less real-life person than World Champion Stellan
Bengtsson. Having seen Stellan training near Lapland, John realizes hes far superior to the
greats of yesteryearbut at a cost, for he notes that, though his unvarying strategy of serve,
loop, kill is, with his Mark V space weapon, executed with an unbelievable consistency and
technique, its anathema to the senses. Anti-human technological need is beginning to pervade
the Sport: mechanical robots spread their metallic disease like cancer around the globe.
What charisma, asks John, can survive the dull predictability of the machine? Could
it be that ones very being incorporates the oscillation and senseless, electric hum? John
laments how the sensuality of the game has been lost to the silent thud of the sponge. Now
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speed is of the essence. The long, skillful maneuvers of a hotly contested match have evolved
into the rushing impatience and quick movements of an athlete racing the clock of his mind
towards the tape, nervously aware that a split second could tell the winner. And the loser.
But, adds John, theres no tragedy in a sponge players defeatnothing resembling the moral
suffering of a Marty Reisman who has remained faithful to the sensual style of his game
despite technological inventions. His personal aura remains.
AndsurpriseANONYMOUS is back (TTT, Jan.-Feb., 1972, 16) and perhaps not
so mad, Mad, MAD!:
To the Editor:
If anyone really got the gist of my letter, it was Tom Dulack.
Since belonging to[a Chicago] club for a year now, I have played with our
top-ranked player just once. The reason I was lucky to play him once in a year was
because at the time all the tables were occupied and he needed me to play on. So it was
two out of three, rather, two straight, and I was sitting on the sidelines again. His
friend and he proceeded to play afterwards for about two hours.
I am one, and I dont think Im unusual for this, who enjoys the brawl at a
hockey game, the wreck at a stock car race, Arnold Palmer doffing a shot, or Dell
Sweeris falling down while trying to kill a ball, or Dal-Joon Lee serving off the table.
Would you rather be in a gallery of golf fans that was observing Jack Nicklaus roll off
seven straight birdies, or be following a lesser known pro and watch him duff four
straight shots into a lake and break his clubs? I know where I would get my moneys
worth of enjoyment. I would probably help the lesser-known pro break his clubs.
This does not mean I do not enjoy sports. I love the human quality in it, and the
drama. What every table tennis needs is a free for all after each important tournament
with fists flying and a brawl between the fans and players. The most interesting fights
would be between the lower-rated players and the exalted higher-ranked elites. Outside
of snobbery, table tennis and fencing share a very important qualitythat is, the game
demands that the personality of the competitor become involved in the playing of it.
Only boxing puts more demand on the personality of the competitors.
The personality of each and every player is of prime importance to increase
interest in and broaden the game of ping-pong. So lets not keep reporting on just how
good any one particular player is, or constantly deify retired players.
And to close this set of Letters in the Jan.-Feb., 1972 issue, heres Carpenteria, CAs
Larry Pekkanen:
To the Editor:
I was delighted to see such a heavy response from the readers that I was
inspired to bring to life my long stagnant pen in hopes of participating in what promises
to be a running encounter session in published form. I never thought that I would see
such a lively and provocative exchange in a table tennis journal.
In the past few issues, the readers have been demonstrating that one would be
hard put to find a more interesting cross-section of attitudes and character types in
other sports.
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I must congratulate ANONYMOUS, sniveling coward that he is, for it is

through his efforts that a class C player such as I can now fearlessly approach a
superstar in hopes that ANONYMOUSs tirade stirred inward feelings of guilt and
fear, thus forcing him to sympathize with my plight as a mediocre player. Superstars, I
issue to you the ultimatum: If you refuse to play my kind, we will walk out en masse
and take up fencing.
I must comment on the raging controversy regarding the presence or absence
of good taste in your magazine. You must educate your readers on the merits of
vulgarity and profanity. It sells. Its arty. It arouses people, wakes them up. They love
it, although they wont admit it. I can see the children of table tennis families reading
this paper out behind the barn or some other hideaway. Think of the prestige of being
sold only behind the counter! Intellectuals and voyeurs alike will sing praises for your
magazine. Pay no attention to those who would deny others the free expression of
what is merely the language of today, and you must keep up with the times. Parents,
you must instruct your children in the proper uses of four-letter expletives. A harsh
word is not as expensive as a broken paddle nor as painful as an ulcer. A vigorous
damn! releases hostile energy and shows that he or she is trying.
As for John Tannehills article, anyone who thought that was vulgar probably
never got past Black Beauty in school. It was a significant and penetrating look into
the mind of a character type that can be found in many a club or tournament, and he is
to be congratulated for spilling his guts out. Vulgarity is only in the mind, not in
harmless words. If we learn to accept profanity as being only the expression of hidden
sexual anxieties, perhaps we wont get so upset about it. The game can be highly
sexual, as John mentioned. A great amount of energy is released, and we all know
where a portion of that energy comes from, dont we?
Well, and now how much energy are we going to see at any E.C. Meeting?
Naturally, as witness the May 1 and July 3-4, 1971 Minutes, plans for the coming of
the Chinese in 72 are uppermost in our officials minds. Fred Herbsts Motion that Graham
B. Steenhoven and J. Rufford Harrison constitute a committee of two to negotiate a contract
for the Chinese visit to the U.S.A. was carried unanimously. Both will be granted a leave of
absence from their respective employers and will travel with the Chinese throughout the tour.
Herbst in his Progress Report (TTT, July-Aug., 1971, 13) pointed out that, under the joint
sponsorship of the USTTA and the National Committee of U.S. China-Relations (profits to be
shared equally), negotiations with the Chinese must be handled with the utmost delicacy.
Diplomatic protocol must be observed, a circus atmosphere must be avoided, blue-ribbon persons
and companies in the major cities must be contacted and funds arranged, and hundreds of details
foreseen and prepared for. Herbst offers a debt of gratitude to USTTA President Steenhoven:
The Chinese believe in the leadership principle. Steenhoven was the leader
of our delegation. Every aspect of the tour was cleared with him and he was the
symbol of the American people to them. Fortunately, this wise, old head made the
correct judgments and ran a tight ship. He maintained the proper dignity, avoided
friction and politics, and treated the hosts on a strictly people-to-people basis.
International political considerations aside, it was the confidence the Chinese had in
Steenhoven by the end of the trip that caused them to respond affirmatively to his
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[Editors note - Historical oddity: three typos in front page caption and angled text.]

invitation for a reciprocal visit. They know they will be afforded the same courtesy
without political or commercial exploitation if Steenhoven is in charge. If our group
had behaved like a disorganized bunch, that would have been the end of it. And Nixon
would still be barred from the Great Wall. Also, everyone on the trip made a buck
except Steenhoven. He sold no articles, accepted no paid lecture tour, is not writing a
book, hasnt endorsed any product. All he has is our thanks and a picture of himself
with President Nixon at the White House.
Nixon, I note, who reportedly never learned to play table tennis, was made an honorary
member of the USTTA.
161

Bob Gusikoff made a presentation for Youth Marketing Inc., Al Burton President.
This company, specializing in building up sports stars as personalities, had success in
promotional work, pointing out what had already been achieved with Glenn Cowan. But as
Herbst said, a key requirement in their proposal was handling the American tour of the
Chinese, and authority to sell the television rights. When the tour feature was withdrawn,
YMI (who had no D & B rating) was no longer interested. Mr. Little offered Lake Tahoe as a
site for a rematch with the Chinese, and Fuarnado Roberts made a plea for the N.Y. TTC to
host the Chinese Team. Like all other offers these would be taken into consideration.
The May-June, 1971 Topics was considered a souvenir issue, and VERY optimistically
50,000 copies were printedat least half of which were never disbursed, never used. The idea
was for clubs to buy lots of 100 at $.25 a copy and sell them for $1 a copy, and for, say,
sporting goods stores to buy them and give away a copy free with any table tennis product
sold. Herbst moved that a budget of $100 be allocated for the placing of advertisements in
selected publications for selling the souvenir edition. This was carried.
Titusville, Floridas Kipling Randy Hess (TTT, Nov.-Dec., 1971, 18) wrote of his
experience with this souvenir issue:
Nine club members took 20 copies each to sell. I dont know how hard the
others tried to get theirs sold but I left 10 of mine at a 7/11 type store and 10 at a
friends drug store. They only sold 3 and those for $.50 [half price] in 2 months.
The issue didnt go over as some expected for at least 3 reasons: it was too late
in getting out (should have hit the stands within a week of the return of our team) [uh,
the Editor should have done the 32-page issue in China, got the Chinese to print it
piecemeal as the trip proceeded, and mailed out the thousands of copies from
Shanghai?]; the cover was dull and unimpressive (should have been in color and had
large headlines reading, say, U.S. Team Returns From Behind Bamboo Curtain); and
most papers of this size and quality paper are either free or only $.10 to $.15.
Jack Carr moved, That election of E.C. members be made by Clubs, 1 vote per club.
This wasnt discussed due to there being no second.
Dick Miles presented a tentative offer from the Philip Morris organization to request
permission from the U.S.T.T.A. for a six week tour [of foreign and domestic players] between
January and March, 1972, perhaps in conjunction with the Virginia Slims Lawn Tennis Tour.
He was given permissionbut no such tour ever came about.
Jack Carr moved that a proposal be made to the I.T.T.F. that, in addition to the present
Federation requirements, World Team members be citizens or permanent residents as defined
by individual country immigration laws, or be married to a citizen. This was defeated.
Carr moved (regarding Bylaw change 5.21) that To qualify for consideration as a
member of a USTTA International Team, a player must have acquired at least 15 points during
either the present or the previous season, and must have participated in the most recent U.S.
Open Championship. This was carried.
Mal Anderson moved that in future the current National Junior Champion (boy and
girl), if eligible, be put on the Worlds Championship Team. This was defeatedthough the
E.C. would favorably consider such an outstanding Junior.
John Read moved that all International Team Fund fees at 3, 4, and 5 Star
tournaments be doubled effective 8-1-71. This was defeated. Carrs proposal that Dick
162

Lesner be appointed Chairman of an ad hoc International Fund Raising Committee was

unanimously agreed upon.
Carr moved to delete free USTTA Junior memberships. As of 9-1-71, not only 104
(out of roughly 1,000 Junior members) will be paying their $2 membership fee, but hopefully
all those hundreds more. Carr also moved to waive Junior membership requirements for
Junior events at Closed No-Star tournaments. Both these motions were carried.
Herbst moved successfully that USTTA affiliated club membership cards be valid only
for a No-Star Closed tournament. One reason that, despite renewed interest, the membership
has stayed stagnant is that people have been entering Open tournaments with a club card. We
have active clubs numbering hundreds of members but with less than 10 or 15 individual
memberships! We have tournaments with 100 entries, about 90% of which get in with club
cards! O.K., institute a Playing Permit, but this free-ride card has got to go.
Proposed Club affiliation fee changes were defeated. Carr moved that the E.C. give
one years free affiliation to a club who has been continuously affiliated for five consecutive
years. This was carried.
All this talk of a few dollars must have seemed petty to many USTTA members.
Atlantas Ray Filz, for instance (TTT, Sept.-Oct., 1971, 16), wants the Membership fee raised
from $5 to $15-$20. That would give us maybe $40,000 more a year. With which we could:
1Have a $10,000 U.S. Open which could give the game a lot of publicity.
Newspapers seem to cover sports more when money is involved. (Here in the South
they have $10,000 Putt-Putt Tournaments.)
2Hire a capable person to devote full-time to the game, talking to state
athletic people about getting table tennis in the high schools, getting firms to sponsor
tournaments, etc. Pay him $10,000-$15,000 if necessary, but get someone.
3Hire an Alser or a Scholer or an Ogimura to visit
all the key areas in the country for coaching and/or exhibitions.
Pay him what it takes and if we run out of money we should
raise the dues. Our government does the same with taxes and
we have to like it or leave it. Maybe we would lose some
people, but I truly think those who really enjoy table tennis
will gladly contribute their part if some positive results were
obtained.
Needless to say, most of the E.C. members werent ready for
any appreciable increase in dues. Still, by Jan. 1, 1973, the Life
Membership fee will go from $50 to $100, and by Oct. 1, 1972, a one
year membership will cost not $5 but $10 (though a three year
membership can be bought for $20); a single issue of Topics will be
$1though a 6-issue years subscription can be bought for $5.
Herbst moved that the Minutes of the E.C. meetings be
published in Table Tennis Topics verbatim. This was carried.
Rufford Harrison moved that the site for the 1972 U.S. Open
be at Hofstra University, Long Island, New York. Boggan, whod
been called away (he was playing matches?), requested Long Island
TTA official Chris Shlotterhausen to be his proxy (so as to reflect his
163

Chris Schlotterhausen
Photo by Mal Anderson

Yes vote on the motion). Initially, according to Schlotterhausen, there was no dissent. Later,
however, Chris says Parliamentarian Jack Carr JUST REMEMBERED that proxies must be
made known a week in advance. The Minutes record that the vote FOR was unanimous. But,
though Jack says he voted FOR, and chastises me (you were at the meeting, Tim) for
printing in Topics Mort Zakarins lie that Jack had abstained, Chris, whod been attending
the meeting in my place, says Carr didnt vote at all (TTT, May-June, 1972, 9).
Boggan moved that David Sakai, provided he pays checks due to the USTTA and
gives a letter of apology, be reinstated immediately. This was defeated. Read moved that
Sakai be advised that the E.C. will favorably consider his reinstatement upon payment of
checks due, a letter of apology, and after the six months suspension penalty as originally
levied. This was carried.
Sweeris moved that the USTTA International Committee organize a trip to Europe
for Mens, Womens and Junior Teams during the 1971-72 season, which is to be completely
funded by the players themselves. This was carried.
Perhaps well send another Team to China?Or one to Taiwan?
SELECTED NOTES.
*Topics columnist Don Gunn hopes (TTT, March-April, 1972, 8) that someone is
amassing table tennis memorabilia for the museum which hopefully the U.S.T.T.A. will
eventually establish. Some rather obviously desirable things for such a museum would be
tournament posters, especially from the Worlds, sponge bats from the days before
standardization, old banjo-style bats, even the boxes that balls come in, bat presses, books, a
coherent sentence written by Boggan, a lock of Glenn Cowans hair, with head attached; the
possibilities are endless.
**I confess for the Record that, in an attempt to balance the responses, I asked two
professorial colleagues, Toby Olson and Tom Dulack, to respond to Anonymouss letter in any
liberal-minded way they wanted.

164

Chapter Thirteen
1971 Summer TournamentsPart I.
And speaking of Taiwan, the Rev. Carl McIntyre brought a group of Taiwanese
Christian players to the U.S. in August and September. According to Chris Depee (TTT, JulyAug., 1971, 14), one of the Tours projected 35 stops* had been Portland, ORs Madison
High School where it was reported that Taiwans world-class players would be looking for
local volunteers to play matches. Fantastic, thought Depee. A real opportunity for our
players to get some much-needed top-flight competition. But, oh, oh, because the Nationalist
Chinese are not members of the ITTF, the USTTA couldnt countenance its players taking
them on. Our International Chair Rufford Harrison said (TTT, Sept.-Oct., 1971, 16) that the
USTTA offered to seek ITTF permission should anyone request it, but no one did. (Why
should they? And why should Harrison offer to write such meaningless letters? What chance
had they of getting official permission?) This group just appeared in the States, and, contrary
to protocol, the USTTA never received any contact from them or from the Republic of China
as to their coming. In Hawaii, wrote Rufford, the ROC Consul General there did not know
about the group until it arrived in Honolulu; and he expressed himself as being disappointed
with the combination of sport and religion.
Ah, but another tourmini-tourwas in the offing. Geza
Gazdag wasnt going to have a Vanderbilt tourney this year, but
changed his mind at the last minutethus the appearance of world-class
players from Sweden, Hungary, and Yugoslavia in New York, Chicago,
and Oklahoma City. Bengtsson and Johansson might also have appeared
in Minneapolis, except, as Alan Goldstein tells us in a Minneapolis TTA
Newsletter, his verbal agreement with Gazdag meant nothing, for Geza
(whom Long Island columnist Danny Ganz whimsically labeled the
Hungarian noodle and cabbage-eating champion) apparently wasnt
speaking for the Swedes who wanted considerably more money to do
exhibitions thereespecially if, as Geza claimed, they were expected to
do four in one day.
You gotta give Geza kudos for trying. In conjunction with this
Danny Ganz
Invitational, hes announced the openingfrom June 18-Sept. 18of the
Photo by Mal Anderson
Vanderbilts exclusive Table Tennis Club. Itll have 5 tables, will be open
7 days a week, 10 am to 10 pm. Membership fees $25, costs you $1 each
time you play. Instruction is available!
But as both the USTTA and the
Canadian TTA discovered, Gazdag is a hard
guy to do business with. For a long time
hell owe the USTTA a $500 tournament
sanction fee, which will finally be forgotten
in a show of good will toward him. Ontario
TTA Secretary Jose Tomkins tells us in a
June 28, 1971 warning letter to President
Hungarians Zoltan Berczik, Istvan Jonyer, Tibor
Steenhoven that Geza brought the four
Klampar and Matyas Beleznay
Hungarians to North America on 29-day
From CTTA News, Oct., 1971
165

excursion tickets, meaning they couldnt leave until July 12, although he was aware they had
to return to Hungary by June 23rd. The Hungarian coach Berczik was apparently frantic when
advised by the airlines that were the players to leave on June 22 thered be a penalty charge of
$304 each! According to Jose, Gazdag, after a long phone conversation with Berczik,
promised to help but did nothing. So, since the Hungarians were ending their North American
Tour in Canada, it was left to the Canadians to contact the Hungarian Embassy, the Mayor of
Toronto, and the airlines that ended up charging Berczik and his players only the fare from
Toronto to Montreal (presumably their departure point).
Gazdag, in his March, 72 Report on his 71 Vanderbilt tourney indicated hed not like
being called a noodle and cabbage-eating champion, especially as hed had to endure a
personal loss of $12,858.93 on this tournament. Hed hired a professional public relations
man, had advertised the eventspent $5,000 for promotion and for publicity! He said he
worked hard to negotiate getting the overseas players, and received no local N.Y. help at all
had to go to a factory to get the tables. He paid over $700 for Glenn Cowans expenses
because the USTTA requested his presencebut this was a waste. His play wasnt interesting
to the spectators and on TV he promoted himself, not the tournament. Geza says he paid the
highest airline tickets, and treated the players to first class hotel rooms and first class
restaurant service. Although he knew it would be a loss, he wanted to dignify the game;
therefore I took the Garden [Madison Square Garden] for the final.
Stuart Lassar failed him as a Chief Referee, so he had to hunt among the spectators
for good umpires. ABC News took advantage of him, as did others. Worst of all, though, his
partner in the venture disappeared, probably after he saw the advance ticket sale was
disappointing, and is now suing Gazdag. It was his partner, Geza says as he moves to close his
letter, who bought the cheapest airline tickets (two persons had to stay here [in the U.S.] at
least 21 days) and later this caused us some problems and inconveniences. Poor Geza.
Although he asked himself, Where were all the people? he complained that Topics made
ridiculous remarks about the Garden attendance. And, oh yes, Ron Shirley owes him $450
and Jose Tomkins owes him $400.
Still, bad vibes or no, he would like to have a contract with the USTTA to run an
Invitational every year toward the end of April. He would call this tournament the U.S. Open.
But first things first. For the New York Invitational, Geza agreed that possible
spectators werent alerted far enough in advanceBobby Gusikoff said that if someone had
given him their names and addresses he personally would have made 200 phone callsand so
the 4-day turnout wasnt what Gazdag had hoped it would be. Still, a tournament where Dick
Miles and Bernie Bukiet are umpiring, surely that would be something to see. And there
(appearing only in New Yorkfor some token play and a vacation?) was Japans 1967 World
Champion Hasegawa. Said one spectator, Hes getting fat, isnt he? Said another, He looks
like a Japanese shark, if there is such a thing. Bengtsson, hair flying as usual, was practicing
with a new tournament ball, and in a few minutes the center of his racket had developed a little
white spot of concentration. One fellow, looking at Stellan and others, observed, Everybody
here needs a haircut.
People start to come inamong them, quietly, Danny Kaye.
Whos he? I hear a voice say.
The World Champ, says another.
Famed actor Kaye says he likes to play, but doesnt much get a chance to. How long
have they been playing with these rackets? he wants to know.
166

Bengtsson makes him a

present of one of his (sells for
$15). Fellow Swede Kjell
Johansson is standing by. Danny
wants to know what kind of racket
he plays with. Johansson points to
Bengtsson, smiles, and says, Hes
the World ChampI play with
his.
Danny concludes you have
to be in as much shape for table
tennis as you do for football. Is
there any game faster? he asks.
Jai-alai, somebody says.
But the wall has no
strategy replies Bengtsson.
Yeah, says Kaye, the
walls a dumb wall.
All of this is fun
Three celebrities, L-R: Danny Kaye,
conversation to me. And I just
Miss Ping Neuberger and Marty Reisman
dont understand why even
dedicated people in our sport dont
want to be in on the big-time scene, why theyre willing to settle for so much less.
Of course Bengtsson is not always feeling so friendly. He complains about the tables,
the floor. (Im used to playing on a wooden floor, he says. This floor is too soft.)
And with talk of floors, Im reminded that Wally Gundlach, who used to play out of St.
Louis 20 years ago, and once was on the U.S. World Team, showed up for the matches one
night. Hes into selling Sport Face. Schools are using it now, he says. Its the best surface
for tennis.
A number of people I hadnt seen in years, like Jimmy Ayers, attended the matches.
And of course one meets strangers. I was introduced to Emil Muceran of New York City, a
past or present vice-president of the Romanian Federation who, I was assured, is an extremely
good coach, fluent in four languages.
Says a voice nearby, Its their coaches who insist that these players be so alive. See
how theyre off their feet when they hit the ball. Bengtsson gets so psyched up, he doesnt
know where he is.
But someone else says, Bengtsson won the World Championship because he has the
best rubber. The other players cant play against his rubber. Sooner or later the ball will pop
up. Why do you think they charge $15 for his bat?
But anyone who watches Stellan knows how good his footwork is, how it enables him
to follow up his serve, take the return and begin to force. When asked how he hits his
backhand, he points to his waist, says he pivots from there.
And how deft his placements! One spectator says, Bengtssons the only one here to
use a drop shot. He just takes everybodys spin, drops the ball dead, and catches em 10 feet
away from the table. Hasegawa with one of his lobs has so bent his knees lifting the ball that
he cant get back.
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And yet with Jonyer and Klampars spin Bengtsson has trouble. Boy, says Bukiet,
this Jonyer is the best spinner Ive ever seen. Only, as it happens, this tournament Jonyer
cant play at all.
Klampar, though, is something else. The jokes continue. Can you imagine him
winning this tournament?What would they give him? A big rubber duck and a lollipop?
But Klampar, with his devastating loop (propelled by a snap and a very long follow
through), continues to win. Now if he can only stay awake.
Meanwhile, Korpa (who came 2nd to Karakasevic in the recent Yugoslav Closed)
makes no attempt whatsoever to be aggressive off his serve. He still plays old-style pushes
(butboom!what a forehand he can hit in). Like Bengtsson, he keeps the ball in play and so
often provides more drama than the eventual winner Klampar who swats away, quickly,
carelessly it seems, maybe five points a game.
As for Johansson, though his hammer isnt striking like it used to (hes tired at 24? he
sometimes looks tired), hes gotten very steady, especially with that backhand.
Certainly nobody thinks any American is going to wina match?a game? And yet
Resek and Cowan do earn (are not given) a lot of points. I swear to God, says Glenn,
Bengtsson never had a fade away till he watched me.
In the final, Klampar beats himBengtsson, not Cowan19 in the 3rd.
Topics (July-Aug., 1971, 5) prints two small write-ups about the June 20th Chicago
Invitational that followed the Vanderbilt tournament. Harry Ward of the Chicago Club tells us that
400 spectators (one of whom, Ted Kassel, says that approximately 200 lucky enthusiasts) saw the
exhibitions/the tournament put on by the Champion Europeans on a brutally hot afternoon. The
venue, said Kassel, was Frank Tichys Logan Square Club on the Northwest side of Chicago, and
though the physical arrangement for spectators was not perfect and the temperature was almost
unbearable, fan after fan was both amused and amazed by the play.
Amused in part because American players in the area were willing to be eighth-final
foils to the visitors: Bengtsson d. Ted Bassett; Karakasevic d. Jim Davey; Jonyer d. Leonard
McNeece; Klampar d. Richard Mazurek; Korpa d. Dell Sweeris; Johansson d. J. Novacek,
and, in the only match that wasnt won 3-zip, Beleznay d. Jerry Karbulka in 5 (this after
Beleznay had played a pre-lim match against Mike Veillette, downing him in the deciding 3rd).
Late-round results: Bengtsson d. Peter Pradit (whod had a warm-up match against
Bill Lesner); Jonyer d. Karakasevic; Korpa d. Klampar; Johansson d. Beleznay. Semis:
Bengtsson d. Jonyer; Johansson d. Korpa, 23, -14, 21. Final: Bengtsson d. Johansson in 4.
Kassel says that to his knowledge not a word of this once-in-a-lifetime sporting event
reached the local TV stations, or even the newspapers. But Ward, though admitting there was
very little cooperation from the communications media, does say there were four small
articles in the sports pages of the major daily newspapers, several articles in the foreign
language and neighborhood papers, and a valuable plug by a popular disk jockey, Roy
Leonard[also a mention in a gossip column]. Speaking as a tennis buff, says Kassel,
this table tennis event overshadowed all the tennis tournaments recently offered in the
Chicago area when it comes right down to spectator thrills.
Topics readers were given an added pleasure when it turned out that Steve Arnold
(Jan.-Feb., 1972, 5-6) had done an interview with Stellan Bengtsson right after hed finished
his last match and had gone up to the seedy dressing room above the Tichy Club. Steve
could see right away that the 100 degree heat, the almost daily air flights, and the weight of
the champions mantle weighed heavily upon him:
168

His faceopen and innocent, crossed frequently with pleasant smileswas worn; his
hair dripped sweat; he looked older than eighteen: no rest for a winner. While he stripped his
dark blue shorts and shirt, he constantly, always politely, acknowledged greetings and
congratulations shot at him by well-wishers and competitors. Bengtsson toweled himself,
dropping [his 5,5, tightly knit, muscled frame] onto the hard wooden benchleaned back
and took several deep breaths.
O.K. Questions?
Q: How long have you been playing table tennis?
A: about eight years, but real practicewhat we in Sweden would call real practice
(exercise, running, and training)about five years, six years. I started playing I guess when I
was about ten or eleven.
Q: Who were the coaches who helped you develop your style, your ability to return
nearly every ball with great variation in spin to an awkward spot on the table?
A: two good coaches at my local club in Bandhagen.Ogimura. I also worked
with Hasse Alser and with Kjells brother (Kjell coughs and Bengtsson smiles at him). When I
was in Japan in the 1970 season I studied with many Japanese coaches too.
Q: in Japan what changes did your game
undergo? You seem to retain the European emphasis
upon a spin game to force your opponent into tactical
errors.
A: I learned to stop hitting my forehand with
my arm and I began to use my whole body.I also
started using the Mark V heavy rubber I use now.
Because of it, though, I had to work on my big and
small strokes to control the ball.
Q: What do you think of [Chuang Tsetung]?
A: Even though I beat him when we played in
Sweden in 1970 and this year in Nagoya, I knew he
was the greatest player ever. He was about 10
kilograms overweight in those tournaments and
getting old; but when he was fit, he could hit
forehand and backhand and never missalmost. I
would like to study table tennis with him, but I think
it very difficult for me to play the kind of attack game
he does.
Stellan Bengsston: eye on the mark

Photo by Dean Johnson

Q: What was your strategy [in
Nagoya]against the Chinese players?
A: I had to play all players differently; but since Li Ching-kuang beat me in the team
matches easily, in those games I think I hit too fast with too much spin. Li is a blocking player.
When I slowed the game down, he did not put any power into the ball. The ball then came
more slowly to me, and I was able to play my type of game, not the angles and the quick
blocks Chuang and Hsi En-ting use. I used a similar technique against Hsi En-ting who beat
me four times very easily in Sweden.
169

Q: What do your mother and father think of you holding the title of World
Champion?
A: They are very glad and proud. My parents... never told me not to practice, even
when I was playing many hours a day. But now that I am world champion, everyone wants to
beat me. That makes it hard on them and me too.
O.K. Interview over. Bengtsson began to shiver. He slipped out of his yellow sling
shot jock strap and went to the single shower. When he emerged a few moments later, he
looked like any other skinny, naked teen. But, said Steve, its a sad commentary upon
Americas sports scene that no one important was there to talk with this giant of a young
man. Sad that few Americans knew or cared he was here.I was struck with the poverty
of our treatment of a champion in a land reputed to possess much.
Bengtsson and the other Europeans then went on to Oklahoma City for a one-day
Invitational there. It was played appropriately enough at the Fairgrounds International Building, and
the OCTTA announced that all organized junior sports teamssuch as YMCA, church or boys
clubsmay attend the afternoon session on 50-cent tickets. Hungarys Beleznay opened with a
23, 22 win over teammate Jonyer, then faced Bengtsson. OCTTA President Ron Shirley in his
write-up said that Stellan, who looks more like a junior highschooler than a world champ (that is,
until he gets a racket in his hand), lost his coolcomplained that the Nissen table sagged in the
middle, that the concrete floor was too slick. As a consequence, the Champ lost to Beleznay
but by the typical exhibition score of 19 in the 3rd. Later, however, Bengtsson did have a chance to
make the final against Jonyerbut lost to him 19 in the 3rd.
That brought A Group winner Jonyer up against fellow Hungarian B Group
winner Klampar. Klampar always looks like hes going to doze off at any time, so its hard to
say whether he was really putting out 100% in (1st Prize $500, 2nd Prize $300) losing to
Jonyer 3-0. For sure, though, Ron thought, Some sleeping pill manufacturer ought to hire
Klampar for their TV ads.
Howd the U.S. do? Sweeris played extremely well at timesthough in 7 matches
could take only 1 gameagainst Jonyer. Maybe all Dell needs is a few world class practice
partners in Grand Rapids? And Cowan (described bizarrely by local reporter Paul Sewell as
the morale leader of the U.S. ping-pong diplomats) maybe he too needs something more?
In losing all 6 Singles games he played, Glenn averaged only 14 points per game. When
Bengtsson/Johansson heard the Doubles offered no prize money,
they declined to play, so the event was canceled, and Cowan,
pairing with Sweeris, got the opportunity to lose two more
games in an Exhibition Match with Jonyer/Klampar.
California put on a number of summer tournaments
perhaps the most talked about of which was the $2200 San
Francisco Bay areas International Masters Invitational, or, less
pretentiously, Marin Invitational, held June 10-11 at Kentfield. One
of the players not invited was U.S. World Team
member Cowan becauseas Dick Miles, in a
June 7 letter to President Steenhoven, showed
he was aghast to have found outMax Hajek,
Vice-President of the Marin Club, objected to
Maz Hajek
Glennslong hair. Heres Dick:
Photo by Don Gunn
170

Peter Yeung

Peter Yu

Photo by Don Gunn

Photo by Don Gunn

Steve Varela

Richard Liang

Photo by Don Gunn

Photo by Don Gunn

What colossal gall!

[The] kind of attitude that Hajek expresses in this is exactly the kind of thing
that all through my serious playing days when I was living, eating, and sleeping table
tennis, used to send me into a corner in rage and despair.
Is table tennis never to get rid of these unconscionable disciplinarians?
Both Don Gunn (TTT, July-Aug., 1971, 1; 16) and Dave Hewson (TTT, Sept.-Oct.,
1971, 22) reported on this tournamentwith Don noting that Paul Raphel (CA #8 in the U.S.
Mens Rankings) kept walking up and down in his playing outfit, twirling a bat. This, Don
saw, as either demonstrating a basic insecurity, or trying to make the point that he should
have been invited. Meanwhile, Dan Goodman, the promoter of the event, exercised his
prerogative by putting himself into the draw, with another local player of no particular
renown[for, as Gunn says,] a bit of comic relief. (People found it funny that Dan broke his
glasses in a preliminary match?) A select 14 of the players in the Draw had their entry fees
paid by a sponsor, who also provided a playing shirt with an ad on the back.
Gunn said the tournament was run in a thoroughly professional manner:
171

Only at the Worlds have I seen so much attention to providing the audience
with information on who was with who and what was happening. With only two tables
in use, spectators could see both easily, and at a glance learn the name of each player,
and his score in points and games. Each match had an umpire and a scorekeeper. Each
spectator received a leaflet showing the draw, and giving information on the seeded
players, as well as plugs for local clubs.
Dan had the foresight to enlist a good crew, with John Hanna as tournament
referee. The bulk of the umpiring was done by Sharon Acton (ex U.S. Womens
Champion), Ria Aki, Harry Nelson, John Horning, Dieter Huber, and Heather
Angelinetta. Bill and Jerry Quick and Jean Veit did most of the scorekeeping.
Bud Bowers, former president of the Marin Table Tennis Club, set up
signs, wiped tables, and did similar drudgery.
Max Hajek handled the announcing job with aplomb; his careful diction and
continental accent justifying the use of the word international for this hopefully
annual event.
Gunn made few comments on the play, but he did call attention to the one Womens
matchwon by Wendy Hicks ($75) over Irene Ogus ($50) who later at the San Francisco
Cable Car Classic would win the Womens and the Mixed with Shonie Aki. Wendy, Don said,
looks as if she finds life a real joy [which she hadnt before?], and I say hooray for her.
Hewson, who spoke of disputations being held to an absolute minimum, the decorum
of the players fitting to the high class of the event, noted that the [very satisfied] spectators,
who paid from $1.75 to $2.25,numbered well over a thousand for the two days. He then
describes a number of the matches:
First Round Results: 3-0 wins: Peter Pradit over Weber; Denis OConnell over Ramon
Fernandez; Jack Howard over Peter Yeung; Sweeris over Ray Guillen; Vic Landau over Danny
Banach wholl dominate the CA summer Senior events; Rob
Roberts, the upcoming Semana Nautica Mens winner, over
Azmy Ibrahim; Erwin Klein over Richard Liang who at San
Francisco in Aug. will be the Cable Car runner-up to
OConnell; and Howie Grossman, finalist at the Semana
Nautica at Santa Barbara, over Alex Salcido by default. Of
more than routine interest: Allan Herskovich over Joe Lee,
19 in the 4th; Tom Ruttinger over Peter Yu, 25-23 in the 4th;
Ray Fahlstrom, winning the 2nd at 19 after losing the 1st, over
George Makk in 4; and Ron Von Schimmelman over Aki, 8
in the 5th.
More contested matches: Former South Korean star,
Joong Gil Park, 29, has settled in the States. Hed been
ranked #3 in Asia (after eliminating Ogimura, 25-23 in the 5th
in the 1963 Asian Championships in Manila). His soft but
graceful topspin does in San Franciscos Steve Varela.
Albuquerques Helmuth Vorherr, winning the key 1st game,
23-21, his mixture of hard rubber defensive strokes and
counter-driving sallies preventing Sacramentos Jeff Mason
Helmuth Vorherr
from looping as hed like, advances in 4. Bay area player,
Photo by Don Gunn
172

Santa Barbara A and B winner Richard Terry forces 6th seed

Darryl Flann into the 5th. But perhaps the best early-round
match pits San Franciscos best, Dave Chan, against San
Diegos best, Mark Adelman. Chan stays close to the table
and employs a fine serve to get openings. Adelman delivers
crouching forehand blows from all over the table. Mark, after
losing the 1st, survives the marathon 2nd, 34-32, then hangs on
to win, 23-21, 22-20.
Eighths: only
two easy matches:
Sweeris over
Ruttinger; Klein over
Fahlstromthough
Mark Adelman
Photo by Don Gunn
Flann doesnt have
much 4-game trouble
with Grossman. Pradit, hitting in aces, is up 2-0 and
16-4, when suddenly he begins losing points with
reckless abandon and somehow ends up dropping this
3rd game 27-25, then wins the 4th. Roberts loses a game
Ron Von Schimmelman
21-4 to Landau, but more than balances by winning the
Photo by Robert Compton
other 3, two at deuce. OConnell has trouble adjusting
to Herskovichs hard rubber game, but manages to win 24-22 in the 4th, warding off Allans
rally from 11-17 down. Against Howard, Von Schimmelman is behind 2-0 and 20-15 match
point in the 3rdthen is even up going into the 5th! Whereupon Jack changes his style
completely, plays as much backhand as he can, stays close to the table, pushes and pick hits,
so that, coming off the table after being blown under, 21-9 in the 5th, Ron looks [as Gunn says]
as if he had just been rescued from a sunken U-boat. Park is out of shape, not prepared
for Adelmans devil-may-care forehand smashes, and though Marks down 16-17 in the 5th,
hes able to run out the match.
In one of the round robin semis, its Howard 3-0, Pradit 2-1, OConnell 1-2, and
Adelman 0-3 (though he goes 5 with Jack). Against OConnell, Howard wins 3-0. But, as
Jacks up 20-14 in the 1st, dont ask how Denis was able to continue on and get another 13
points. Another streaky 1st game occurred in OConnells match with Pradit. Peters up 5-1,
then down 13-6, then up 19-14, then loses at deuce. Wild, huh? After Pradit wins the 2nd to
even the match, OConnell goes ahead in the 3rd 7-1, then loses it at 16, then drops the 4th at 8.
Against Peter, Jack mixes it upplays defense and loops. Though he wins the 2nd, Pradit
cant decide whether to loop or kill the ball, and, unable to mount an attack, cant stay in the
match. Afterwards, says Hewson, Peter felt he should have hit more and looped less. Some
spectators, probably unaware of the large role of spin in modern table tennis, could not
appreciate Howards deceptive play which prevented Pradit from gaining his balance and
winning long sequences of points as he had in his earlier matches.
In the other round robin semis, Roberts beats Flann in 4, winning two 19 games. But
neither player can contest against Klein or Sweeris. Against Erwin, Dells hard-driving
attack wins him the 1st at 8. But in the 2nd, Klein rallies from 12-8 down to 15-12 up, and
squares the match. In the 3rd, Dell, by easing up on the spin on some of his loop-drive shots,
causes Erwin to make errors and lose the game. In the 4th, Dell, up 14-6, is flyin: back 25 feet
173

on his forehand side[he] smacks a forehand counter, then sprints 20 feet across court and,
10 feet back from the table, hits in a return which Klein nets. Sweeris is too good for Erwin
($250) today. And in the final, richer by $600, Dells too straight-game good for Jack ($450).
Joong Gil Parks play at Marin and now a couple of days later at the Lois Tuttle
Tournament in Hollywood was his first in six years. In his semis, he beats Denis OConnell who,
as Fred Grobee in his Topics coverage (Sept.-Oct., 1971, 23) tells us, has a notch cut into the side
of his bat as a place to put his finger. In the other semis, Darryl Flann, often driving both
backhand and forehand shots to either corner with that elbow-to-the-side, all-forearm swing,
prevails over Klein in 5. In the 1st game of the final, Park started having trouble with both his arm
and leg muscles, stretching and shaking them to relieve the cramps which were beginning. By the
5th game, Park gets a cramp bad enough to have his leg massaged. Then at 9-all comes another
crampat which point Park says, Thank you to Flann and forfeits the match.
Some other results: Womens: Angie Rosal over Heather Angelinetta. Mens Doubles:
Guillen/Grossman over Roberts/Adelman in 5. Mixed: Adelman/Angelinetta over Grossman/
Rosal. Class A: Guillen over George Makk. Class B and C winner: C. Chang. Sat.
Consolation: Dieter Huber over Jim Laing; Sun. Consolation: Bard Brenner over Bill Garrett.
Boys 17: Guillen over Boys 15 winner Eric Thom.
Milla Boczars Hollywood Club would host another
tournament at the beginning of August. This time Klein would
win itover Park whod regained enough of his form to down
Cowan in 5. (Later that August Park would have a breakthrough
win at the California State Open.) Judy Bochenski, who was on a
six weeks exhibition tour of California, took the Womens from
Heather. Mens Doubles went to Park/Guillen over Adelman/
Roberts; A Doubles to Guillen/Rob Lange over Garrett/Harold
Kopper. Class A: Banach over Nick Mintsiveris, 19 in the 4th.
Class B: Doug Hobson over his winning D Doubles partner Jim
Bys. Paul Raphel, whod won the 17s and 15s at Santa Barbara,
beat Eric Thom, after Eric had ousted Guillen. Boys 15 was a
Danny Banach
stunner: Jaret Hall over Dale Fenderson, -19, 26, -20, 19, 24!
Photo
by Mal Anderson
Boys 13 winner: Keith Hall over future U.S. World Team member
Dean Galardi, whod also be Under 13 runner-up at the Cable Car Classic where another young
player of promise, Calvin Chow, took both the Bs and Cs.
The Southwest Open saw several repeat winners.
Englishman Don Berry won the Mens from Bob ONeill and the
Mens Doubles with Bell (over Don Weems/ONeill)but in the
Mixed, Bell teamed with Marianne Szalay to stop Berry/Stacie
McNulty. Grady Gordon won the Seniors and reportedly the
Esquiresbut lost the Senior Doubles with Batson to Rich Puls/
R.C. Watkins. John Quick won the U-17s and 15s.
Oklahoma #1 (Dennis Crawford, Steve Hammond, Ron
Shirley, and Glen Markwell) took the Southwest Teams over
Phoenix (Al Everett, John Harrington, Bill Guerin, and Byrd). As
went to Dennis Crawford over Everett. Bs to Bobby Plait over
Grady Gordon
David Petty. Cs to Ralph Bender over Guerin. Ds to Markwell
Photo by TT Unlimited
over Batson.
(Courtesy of Sue Sargent)
174

Hal Lupinek (L) and Don Larson surveying the scene at the Minneapolis Magoos Club

What are you doing? said the voice. Yep, just like that, out of the blue. It was Charlie
Disney calling me from Minneapolison a late July Friday afternoonand he was asking,
Want to come up this weekend, as our guest, for the Aquatennial Open and a Promoters
Meeting?
Several impractical hours later, my wife and I and our boys were met at the
Minneapolis airport by Charlie and his sports-loving wife Connie, and soon, as participants in
the two hundred different sporting and cultural events held during the yearly Aquatennial
Festival, we were off to the most interesting section of townpast the karate club and a
thriving little pool hall, the adult book shop, and the water bed store, to the red-painted
faade of Magoos, a nightclub turned table tennis cabaret.
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On the door outside were tacked up pictures of some of the playersDisney and
Goldstein were there of courseand a copy of the Minnesota State Rankings. Inside the at
first dim Club there was a check room or two and, stretched very nearly across ones path, a
large sign-in table, staffed by Magooers, with a stack of some of the 2,000 China Topics
Charlie had hoped to distribute. To the right was a 30-foot bar with (what I always like to see
at the bottom) a support rail.
Coffee you could order at this bar, or soda pop (soda in New York, pop in the
Midwest), or beeror you could buy whatever you found edible, from chocolate-covered
cupcakes to hot, machine-made sandwiches. Into the wall behind was the Pro Shopwith its
cubby holes of bats. Young Magooers Don Larson and Rich Sinykin worked as managers here.
To the left was an entranceway, leading off to where in one room we were to see a film
of the 71 Worlds and have a Promoters Conference. This Conference, which I want to speak
about before continuing our Magoo tour, was attended by Ron Shirley, Scotty Grafton, Art
Werier (CTTA Vice-President from Winnipeg who brought six players with him), Doug
Maday, Alan Goldstein, Jerry Taylor, Charlie Disney, and also Jack Howard and Tim Boggan,
special guests flown in at Magoo expense as a token of gratitude for all theyve done to
promote and upgrade the game on a national level.
To strengthen the Sport, as Charlie points out in PromotersLets Get Moving
(TTT, July-Aug., 1971, 20), a change of attitude is needed among all players and
promotersa change from the negative attitude which says nothing can be done to a positive
attitude which says anything should be given a try. At Magoos, Charlie explains, we use the
helpful buddy coaching system in which each of the top players takes five beginners under
his wing, teaches them the game and instructs them in coaching procedures (it is made clear to
these beginners that they are to become workers as well as coaches). Each of these five takes
another five under his wing and so it continues.
Magoos needs in miniature emphasize what the USTTAs needs are: Leadership
specific goals have to be defined and achieved; Delegation of Authoritypersons needed to
do the necessary jobs have to be chosen with care; and Communicationmembers need to
know whats happening at high-level meetings. Charlie, idealistic, always upbeat, believes that
if promoters are found to strengthen local clubs nationwide, the Sport cant help but grow.
Continuing our tour of Magoos, we pass the restrooms and come to one of the Clubs
large Information Boards. Thumb-tacked up there with other interesting items is a 1966 photo of
Bukiet and an article from the N.Y. Times explaining to prospective Magoo habitus how Bernie
made his living from the Game.
There was a large, red-carpeted area leading to the dance
flooror rather the playing areawhere 10 tables, eventually
coming down to the raised big bandstand (a marvelous place for
visiting dignitaries to watch the action), were comfortably set up
under 40 or so fluorescent light fixtures.
Off to either side of this spacious playing area were night-lifelike booths that allowed you to eat, drink, smoke, pen in your little
kids while you enjoyed the floorshow. To the rear, in some seclusion,
was the operating desk, the control center for the matches.
As Doug Maday reports, with the help of Morley Frantzik,
Tony Skjold, Gus Kennedy, Jerry Taylor, Leo Bernat, and Harry
Kitselman, this years Aquatennial Open went very well. All the
Harry Kitselman
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Junior events were round-robins. 17s: Steve Hammond over Rich Sinykin. 15s: Hammond
over Canadas Pete Shanahan. 13s: Scott Boggan over B. Flesch. Other results: B and C
winner: University of Minnesota student Don Larson over Canadas Bob Barker. Don hasnt
been playing quite a year, but hes showed what determination, practicing, and coaching can
do. Best in As: Hammond over Paul Wong, perennial A finalist from Superior, Wisconsin
(who may be thinking of moving east to Champion, Michigan).
The Mens was a round robin of the 6 top players. Many of the matches were close:
Goldstein over Disney deuce in the 3rd after Charlie had made a gritty rally from 17-20 down.
Maday over quick-hitting Ray Mosio in 3. Mosio over defender Goldstein in 3. Boggan over
Maday, 19, 22. Maday over Goldstein (whod won the 2nd by attacking) in 3. Boggan over
Goldstein in 3. Howard, shakily, over Disney in 3. Charlie, up 19-17 in the 1st, lost four in a
row. Then bounced back to take the 2nd. Then was up 10-3 at the turn in the 3rdonly to have
Jack tie it up at 16-all and go on to win. In the final, Jack stopped Tim in straight games.
Grand Rapids, with Tom McEvoy doing the coverage, was host to two summer
tournaments. First, the June Western Michigan Open, held on a sweltering hot day at the
Garfield Park Lodge.
Mens: Final: Dell Sweeris over Jim Davey, 20, 9, 17. Dell didnt lose a single game on
his way to the title. But Jim had some interesting matches. It was always an experience to play
Paul Lamse, for Paul uses sponge on one side and wood on the other, and constantly alters
the side he hits the ball with, so you never know when you are getting a dead shot off the
wood, or a spin, or a loop, or whatever other kind of junk he puts on the ball. Jims next
match was against Imants Karklis who recently defeated Connie Sweeris three straight to win
the Grand Rapids City championship (Dell didnt play). After going 2-0 up, Jim falters,
doesnt find his attacking game until he 21-9 easily takes the 5th. In the semifinal round robin,
Daveys 1st-game 22-20 win over Jim Lazarus gives him the momentum to take the match 3-0.
Then against Leonard McNeece hes 2-1 down before recovering to advance smoothly in 5. In
the Womens, Connie Sweeris wins (dont tell
Jim Davey
anyone) $10 for beating Millie Shahian ($5), 3-0. It
Photo by Steve
may be the first time money has been given to the
Kazak
women in this area, but youd think the recipients
would say, Hey, keep it.
The 5th Annual Grand Rapids Summer
Open, with $600 in prizes, was held at Dell
Sweeriss new Woodland Club. Winners of the
Mens 8 round-robin brackets: #1: Jim Davey
(when Jamaicas Orville Les Haslam failed to
show); #2: Peter Pradit; #3: Larry Su over Alan
Goldstein, 20, 17 (George Brathwaite didnt show);
#4: Dell Sweeris; #5: Pete Nasvytis over Connie
Sweeris, 18, 20 (Fuarnado Roberts didnt show);
#6: Jerry Karbulka over Don Brazzell, 18, 17; #7:
Bob Dawidowicz, a recent immigrant, formerly
ranked in the top ten in Poland, chopped down
Bill Lesner, 21, 18, then just managed, with his
pimpled rubber defense and pick-hits to outlast
attacker Doug Maday, -22, 10, 22; #8: Nigerias
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Dell and Connie Sweeriss Woodland Table Tennis Center

Photos by R.J. Poel

Waidi Dawodu over Paul Lamse, 15, 20. Quick single elimination matches followed, all won
2-0: Pradit d. Davey, Karbulka d. Su, Dawodu d. Dawidowiz, Sweeris d. Nasvytis.
In the semis of the Winners Bracket, Karbulka provided the first real surprise of the
day, stopping Pradit, 23, 11, while Sweeris easily disposed of Dawodu. Dell then, all over
the table, destroyed Jerry, smashing, looping, and counter-driving. In the semis of the
Losers Bracket, Davey was much too strong for Su; Dawidowicz likewise for Nasvytis. Bob
then knocked off both Jim and Waidi in straight games. This brought him to Pradit and a 1stgame 21-18 win that stunned the spectatorsbut then Peter got his timing back, and Bob
was out. Then, 19, 10, Karbulka too. That put Pradit in the final against Sweeris. With both
playing grimly, aggressively, Peter 21, -17, 19 was barely able to take the $225 first prize.
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Other winners: Womens: Connie

Sweeris over Geraldine Karbulka, 15, 13, 6.
Class A: Final: Doug Maday, after upsetting
Bill Lesner, 19 in the 3rd and Pete Nasvytis
in 4, defeated Paul Lamse on the strength of
two big 24-22 and 25-23 games. Class B:
Tom McEvoy, winning 5 straight matches,
without the loss of a game, had Bob Quinn
as his final victim. Novice: Rich Sinykin
over Wilbur Haggerty. Mens Consolation:
Lamse over Maday, 11, 18. Handicap:
McEvoy 50-47 over Mike Baber whod
eliminated Dawidowicz. Seniors: Quinn
over Bill Rapp. Under 17s: Tim House over
Baber; Under 15s: Baber over House.
Under 17 Girls: Kasia Dawidowicz over
Barb Taschner. Under 13s: Dawidowicz,
said to be the Midget Champion of
Poland, over Tom Kellog. Well watch the
Dawidowiczes, especially Kasia, become

Kasia Dawidowicz
Photo by Mal Anderson

U.S. Champions in the years to come.

The First Annual Arkansas Open, Dick Coffman tells us (TTT, Sept.-Oct, 1971, 25),
drew 79 players from seven different states. Class winners wereAs: Steve Engel over John
McAdams, 12, 13, -18, -19, 19, after John, trying to cap his comeback, though a little out of
position, went for a match-point down kill shot and missed by a fraction of an inch. Bs: Engel
over Avi Blattstein, 18 in the 4th.
Three of the Mens quarters matches were won 3-0
super-looper
Richard James
over Engel, 3-0;
Don Gaither over
James Guthrie who
plays a blocking
game with board
bat (click-clickclick); and Don
Berry over Lance
Rosemore. But
Richard James
lefty Clay
Whitelaw had to
work: winning out over Steve Hammond in 5, after
Clay had rallied from 2-0 down against just-turned40 Vern Eisenhour. The one semis saw Whitelaw
down James in straight games when Richard
couldnt hit his loop on the table; the other saw
Clay Whitelaw
Berry pressure Gaither into missing his crossPhoto by Mal Anderson
179

court shots. Coffman was struck by Gaithers unusual very fast loop, which starts at the floor and
looks as if it goes to the ceiling. The final went to Berry, -28, 21, 16, 18, maybe because, though
the venue was air-conditioned, Clays gotta feel he has a lot of weight to carry around.
By the second day of the Aug. Spaceport Open at Merritt
Island, FL, the following six teams still had a chance to win the Team
Championship: (1) Pete May/ Ralph Kissel, (2) Barry Rost/Bob
Walker/Wayne Daunt; (3) Richard McAfee/John Quick; (4) James
Altenbach/Chuck Michell; (5) Joe Sokoloff/Lenny Bass/Bob Katz; and
(6) the Florida State University sponsored team of Armando Herrera,
according to covering reporter Max Miller (TTT, Sept.-Oct., 1971,
26), the Cuban National Champion from 1959 to 1964/Joel Suskind/
Luthra Narenderpal, said to have been a member of the 1969 Delhi
University [team] which won the India team championship.
In the final, after McAfee/Quick led Sokoloff/Bass 2 matches
to 1, Lenny went unconscious as he repeatedly counter-slammed
McAfees supposedly sure-winner drives and tied up the tie. Then Joe
proved hes still the best around these parts by beating John 21-6 in
the deciding 3rd. (Second-place finishers from the first day of play had a
Consolation event won by Greg Gingold/Steve Federico.)
Other winners: Womens: Debbie
Scruggs over U.S. Girls Under 13 Champ
Beverlyn Hess in the semis and Gayle
Rogers in the final. Under 17s: Jeff Thomas
Lenny Bass
over Cornelius Harrison. Under 15s: Bev
Hess over John Elliott. Under 13s: Ed
Hartone of the 9 Juniors sponsored by the City of Atlanta, most
playing in their first sanctioned tournamentover Kevin Reynolds.
H Blair reports (TTT, Sept.-Oct., 1971, 26) that at the
Orlando Summer Open, spectators were disappointed that Ray
Mergliano didnt enter, since just three weeks earlier in the
Miami Open Ray defeated Sokoloff in the semi-finals and McAfee
in the finals. Also, here, Big Mac suddenly became ill after his 1stround match and had to withdraw. In
the absence of these two, often all eyes
were on young John Quick. In one of
the two most watchable Mens
quarters matches, John defeated Lenny
Bass 24-22 in the 4th, this while Marv
Leff was 19, -17, 18, 19, 18 battling
back to oust Chuck Michell.
Debbie Scruggs
These advances, said H, led to
the most exciting match of the
tournamentQuicks 12, 15, 18, 26 semis win over hard-rubber
chopper Leff. John, Blair enthused, has the ability to do the
John
unexpectedor to do the expected at the unexpected time. He will
Quick
sometimes gamble at a very crucial stage of a match, and usually it
180

pays off, for he also has the ability to outthink his opponent. H doesnt point to any specific
example of this in describing Johns semis match. Just says Marv was content to let John do the
hittingwhich he did, as hard as he could. And since Marv kept getting the ball back, the crowd
loved it. Play on other tables stopped temporarily, because the players wanted to see it, too.
Sokoloff has a deft touch for a big man, and has all the shotshe can loop, drive,
counterdrive, and he can defend. He also is much traveled and has lots of experience. In the Mens
final he beat John 3-0but two of the games were deuce. Womens went to Olga Soltesz over
Debbie Scruggs and Gayle Rogers. Mens Doubles went to Sokoloff/Bass over Leff/Mike
Auerbach. Mixed to Steve Rigo/Soltesz over Sokoloff/Rogers. Olgas said to have a sponsor for all
of this seasons tournaments, plus a months coaching in Florida by the best available coach. Ever
see her business card?
H closes his write-up by
waxing ecstatic over the Orlando
Clubs new digs. A celebratory party
(beer, sandwiches) opened the new
clubroom that features a roomy 6table set-up. A large cake had the
inscription, Welcome To The Orlando
Table Tennis Club, and another, with
15 birthday candles, lit up young John
Quick. This is a Club that knows how
to take care of its own.
SELECTED NOTES.
*According to the Aug. 31, 1971 N.Y. Times, this Taiwan Team Tour was organized
by the China chapter of the World Council of Churches. Two Baptist ministersaccompany
the Team, and the Team members themselves carry bibles in their hands when they enter an
auditorium. Matches are set up in church halls in schoolsacross the country. Promoting
Christianity instead of Communism, this Taiwan Team won its 23rd straight matchat South
Orange, N.J., over a pickup team of Seton Hall students.
Another McIntire Tour stop was the White House. Heres the Sept. 9, 1971 N.Y.
Times (reprinted in TTT, Sept.-Oct., 1971, 17):
Dr. Carl McIntire, the fundamentalist radio preacher, won permission to stage
a Ping-Pong match today in front of the White House to protest Ping-Pong
diplomacy and President Nixons forthcoming visit to Communist China. But there
were strings attached to the Park Services agreement.
The Ping-Pong table will have to be legless, since one with stationary legs
might make it possible for someone to jump on it and over the fence to the White
House. And the table will have to be carried slowly the length of the sidewalk, with
players whacking away at the balls as best they can on the move.
It was uncertain whether the Nationalist Chinese Ping-Pong team, which is
touring the country under Dr. McIntires sponsorship, will play in the demonstration
today.
Thats what we all want to see, isnt it? Table Tennis on the move.
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Chapter Fourteen
1971: Summer TournamentsPart II
(Brathwaite Beats Haslam To Win Central
American Open; Haslam Wins U.S. Empire
State Open).
Though Richard Farrell has come to the
July 17-18 $600 Great Lakes Open in
Rochester after winning what Id called the
Philadelphia Summer Open (actually, as Mal
Anderson correctly pointed out, it was the
Quaker City Open), hes unseeded and
unplaced. Consequently, after hes had 5-game
trouble in his opener with Canadian Junior Paul
Klevinas, hes forced to meet in the 2nd round
none other than Errol Resek, one of the
favorites to win the tournament. (D-J Lee had
entered but didnt show, perhaps becausehis 1971 Great Lakes Open Champion Richard Farrell
Photo by Mal Anderson
car had been stolen?). Errol has put new rubber
on his racket and is hoping to break it in
gradually. (As if wife Jairie disapproves, she says to someone, He has other rackets he could
use. To which Errol replies, Thats not true.) He begins breaking in the racket by going up
2-0, after winning the 2nd at 19, but when he loses the 3rd at 19 that gives Farrell confidence.
Now Richard with steady, up-to-the-table backhand counters starts forcing Errol back.
Perhaps Errol thinks that if he chopslike Fuarnado Roberts?Farrell wont be able to
handle the spin. But Errol, who does not chop like Robbie, is for the remainder of the match at
the mercy of Richs wind-up forehands.
As the wide-open quarters gets under way, Ive had my eyes open a bitah, what you
dont know about people youve associated with for years. Alex Shiroky, I learn, was born in
Mainland China, has a Russian name, and is not now (and maybe never was) a citizen of any
country. But, as in previous matches hed easily beaten Dixon and Boggan, he sure has an
identity on court and looks indefatigably strong. Earlier, while relaxing at the swimming pool
of the Rochester Ridge Road Holiday Inn (Wow! says my little Eric. Did you see that! He
swam under the whole length!), Alex said hed been practicing nightly at Reismans club, had
been running daily (I run backwards too, he says smilingits supposed to help my
coordination), and so is right now at the top of his game. But Farrell, drifting easily a giant
step or two back, grabs Alexs hop-like-a-rabbit loops and tosses them back, and the
mustachioed Shiroky, outsteadied, goes down, 18 in the 4th.
Next up for Farrell: Bernie Bukiet (How much I get I win?). In the quarters, Bernie
had been behind 19-15 in the 5th to Canadas Larry Lee, but from his age-old magical depths
had six times worked his bag of tricks, then, smiling, took his curtain calls to the roars of the
crowd. Against Rich, the dark-browed Bukiet again looks like he might pull forth something
from his invisible cape. With games 1-1 and the score 19-all in the 3rd, Farrell serves straight
topspin and Bernie (whod come back from being 18-14 down) puts his return into the net
and flings his racket there too! But then he deuces it up and pulls out the game after all.
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At the break, Bernie says, Farrell plays pure table tennis. No tricks. He says he cant
win because Rich has no weaknessescan hit from either side. In the 4th, once Rich sets up a
forehand, no matter if Bernie gets it back, there comes another and another, until Bernie is way
back, and Farrell, now with both feet off the floor, is swatting it past all defense. Still, Bernie
remains stubborn. Though he sees his power failing, he can yet seize one advantage. Farrell, up
18-16, serves and calls a let. Bernie does not break concentration. He makes a good return to
Farrells outstretched hand and claims the point. In a moment its 19-all. But Farrell, whos
been cheered on by his father (father-figure?) doesnt falter. And as Rich positions himself to
bang in successive forehand winners, Bernie, like a doomed man, like Merlin and his wand
imprisoned in a tree, can only stand and wait the end.
Coming out to play his quarters against Roberts is George Brathwaite. You could see
from the professional way George arrived for his
matches, the manner in which he carried himself,
the repeated deliberateness of his service
position, the ritual jogging between points, his
high seriousness. The Chief, one senses, would
be ready to give an exhibition anywhere in the
worldat the Rome Hilton, say, where, Id read
recently, the Italians had installed table tennis
tables because it was their idea that all Americans
now were just crazy about ping-pong.
Of course George, rolling, and Robbie,
returning off his anti-topspin, got into an
expedite match. Whereupon no one seemed to
know for sure whether you were to count the
time one used to wipe his glasses, or towel the
sweat off his brow, or slowly walk to retrieve a
ball, or tie his shoes, or say a silent prayer, or
God knows what. No one had a stopwatch and
so, over Roberts protests (though it was he who
wanted the expedite rule in, wasnt it?), the time
would be judged, the rule brought in, via 15
The Chief at the ready
minutes on the wall clockand Errol Resek,
having nothing else to do, was brought in as timekeeper. With the result that The Chief would
advance in 4 to the semisthere to 3-zip do away with Mitch Sealtiel whod earlier barely
survived Peter Stephens, 19 in the 5th.
O.K.: the finals. Hes a dancer, says a guy next to me. Yeah, look at him dance,
says anotherthe two of them sounding like characters out of that famous Hemingway story
The Killers. They were speaking of George of course, for whether he was chasing a ball, or
sending Farrell off after one, hes continually jogging. However, The Chiefs play was not up
to standardnot until he was down 2-0 and 10-4 in the 3rd. Then he began a comeback that
brought him into the 5th. Though Farrell, refusing ever to drop the ball, would drive George
20-25 feet back, George would so aggressively counter that hed be able to dance in to the
choreography of a follow through and force Rich back and away and out of the point. But
then in the 5th, Brathwaite, down 10-1 at the turn, was surely a goner. And though he made the
long professional climb to 15-18, it was too late. Farrell has just too much reach on him.
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In the Womens final, ex-Barbadian Pat

Hildebrand, whod just won the Philadelphia Quaker
City Open over ex-Vietnamese Xuan Ferguson, defeated
her againin 5 after protesting that Xuan was putting
her service hand with the ball under the table and then
bringing it out and throwing the ball back so fast that Pat
couldnt see it to her satisfaction. The somewhat
confused umpire, trying to go by the unavailable book,
was as politic as possible. Then, with the games 2-all, Pat
explained sweetly that she had to go to the ladies room.
What do you do now? asked the bewildered umpire,
well aware that technically there is a rest period after the
3rd but not the 5th game. My advice was to let her go
else be faced with having exacted the severest penalty.
Other winners: Mens Doubles (after Farrell/
Sealtiel had been left out of the Draw that had already
begun, and a lengthy discussion as to what to do about
it): Resek/Brathwaite in 5 over Bukiet/Larry Lee whod
been match-point down to Shiroky/Boggan. Mixed
Timmy House
Doubles (insisted upon by Hildebrand): Resek/
Photo
by Neal Fox
Hildebrand over Boggan/Ferguson whod gone 5 with
Bill Hodge/Darline McCann. Under 17s: Paul Klevinas
over Mike Baber in the semis and Timmy House in the final. Class A: Peter Stephens over
Farrell in the semis and Shiroky in the final. Class A Doubles: Stephens/Dave Philip over
Farrell/Hodge. Perhaps after Stephens/Philip win the Mens Doubles in N.J. from Roberts/
Sealtiel, theyll be persona non grata in future A events?
Brathwaite Wins Central American Open
Brathwaite followed up his play in Rochester by going off to play in the extended Aug.
5-17 4th Central American Open, held at the beautiful National Arena in Kingston, Jamaica.
The unsigned write-up, perhaps written by George (TTT, Sept.-Oct., 1971, 11), described The
Chiefs daily regimen while in Kingston: jog two miles every morning, exercise, practice for
one hour in the afternoons, and play elimination matches at night.
The climax to his efforts came on Aug. 12 when in the singles event he faced the giant
Jamaican, Orville [Les] Haslam, who, currently living in London, is ranked #7 in England.
Reportedly, Haslam had not lost a match in Jamaica since 1967and 5,000 spectators didnt
want him to this evening. Brathwaite, as was not unexpected, dropped the 1st game. But
George remembered the discussion he had with the English coach at the World
Championshipsin which it was made clear to him that any good steady player should beat
Haslam. So, if he remained patient and didnt rush his shotswhy, yes, angling in balls, he
could, and did, take the next two gamesGeorge observing that once he got a three or four
point lead, Haslam became automatically a defensive-minded player rather than the vicious
attacking player he is when he is in the lead.
Finish him off now!... Finish him off now! Thats what the pro-Haslam spectators
began shouting. And, acting on that cue, Les took the 4th at 14. But then in big trouble in the
5th, what was he to do? Down 19-17, and his supporters up out of their seats, Haslam, while
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back-to-back engaging in two long rallies, suddenly, without warning, unleashed two
tremendous forehand kills which sent the American sprawling! Score: 19-all!
More screams: Kill him!Kill Him! George, keeping his cool, decided that a
Bengtsson serve, short backhand sidespin, might work, so he served straight into Orvilles
big forehand[and] Haslam put it into the net. Another opportunity to serve brought another
thought. Hoping to outsmart his man, he made ready for the same serve. Only this time he
swung deep to the backhand andOrville popped it up and George killed to the middle!
Point, game, and match to Brathwaite!
Well-deserved applause. But George was not yet the Champion. Soon, thoughfor
the final against Trinidads Winston Mulligan was but a 3-game formality. The Chief also won
both Doubles. He paired with Canadas Errol Caetano, who perhaps like George has dual
citizenship in Guyana, to take the Mens from Haslam and Fuarnado Roberts, loser in the
Singles to Trinidad semifinalist Mansingh Amarsingh.* And he paired with Denise Osman to
take the Mixed from Haslam/Monica DeSouza. Perhaps this hat trick, along with the PingPong Diplomacy trip thats given George renown will win for him the coveted Sportsman of
the Year in his native Guyana?
Haslam Wins Empire State
The Empire State Open, held Aug. 21-22 at Farmingdale,
N.Y., was something far more than a warm-up for the Sept.
2-5 Canadian Nationalsit was a trial run, an
opportunity for learning, for it was being directed
by the same Long Island TTA executives, headed
by President Dave Cox, whod be responsible for
putting on our own U.S. Nationals at
Hempstead, Long Islands Hofstra University
next year.
In the absence of D-J Lee (hed been
invited, but Id heard hed met with an accident
and that, under the circumstances, it was not
advisable for him to play), Orville Les Haslam,
having come, at the generous invitation of the
LITTA, direct from the Central American Open in
Kingston, was the Mens winner. And speaking of
generosity, it may interest readers to know that
John Ebert, whom weve seen as one of the PanAm winners in the Wheelchair Games in
Kingston, was telling me how Haslam, an iconic
Les Haslam, 1971 Empire State Colossus
sports figure in Jamaica, shagged balls for the
Photo by Neal Fox
wheelchair players hour after hour, day and night,
for two whole days.
Haslam, with his strong physique and handsome face, brought a game to the Long
Island players and spectators that was new and exciting. His stance when receiving is
something Colossus of Rhodes-likeexcept that he rocks back and forth on his very
outstretched left foot, while with the heel of his right its as if hes digging a marble-hole. I
might also mention that a number of spectators were interested not in comparing whether
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Haslam was a better player than Brathwaite but whether he had better legs. The Chief,
however, would not be with us long. George had let it be known in Topics that hed lost to
Bukiet here because he was just exhausted after his play in Kingston. This of course did not
sit well with Bernie, and hed respond with a Letter to the Editor in which hed say, Good
players do not make excuses when they lose to another good player.
Against early opponent Jim Dixon, it appeared that Haslam, having lost the 1st game
26-24, then just squeaking out the 2nd at 19, was in danger of losing the match. Mort Zakarin
writes (TTT, Sept-Oct., 1971, 29) of how Dixon was all over the court, hitting backhands and
forehands just as hard as he could, how he kept Haslam on the defense, roaming far behind
the table, vainly trying to keep the ball in play with loop shots that went twenty and thirty feet
in the air. With the crowd screaming and applauding his every point, Jim was up 15-10 in
the 3rd. Then he served off. As Haslam turned to retrieve the ball, Mort said he saw a smile
on Less faceand knew Dixon wasnt gonna be the winner. Indeed, Haslam went on to take
that game at 19, the 4th at 16.
Next man up for Les, and beaten quickly, was Mitch Sealtiel whod been runner-up to
Fuarnado Roberts in the N.J. Summer Open. Then, in the semis, it was Reseks turn. You
only write about me when I lose, complains Errol. Well, what can I say struck me about his
earlier straight-game match with Peter Stephens? Only that it drove a disgusted Peter out of
the Doubles and away from the tournament. Oh, alright.Errol, Ive got to say, has one very
distinctive shot: he comes smoothly, shoulder-down, into a forehand put away like Trevino
lining a drive or Palmer pinching a six-iron. No one else in the States quite hits a shot like it.
Down 2 games to 1 against Haslam, Errol rallied in the 4th to draw close at 19-20. But
the Jamaican cracked an incredible counter from far back to end it all. If I win that 4th game I
win the match, says Errol. But then he adds, I didnt feel comfortable out there against him.
He has lots of spin. If you dont have good timing, you miss the ball.
Over to the other side of the Draw now, to Lim Ming Chui, the lefty penholder who
uses the wooden side of his racket. His opponent in the semis is the inimitable Bukietattired
in a sleeveless, yellow-colored undershirt and bright red pants. Never mindChui plays as if
color-blind. Down 19-20 in the 1st, Bernie gets a high ball to hit in, misses it. Lim Ming rounds
the table and takes up his towel, doubtless to wipe his face and compose himself. Bernie
comes over, snatches it out of his hands and throws it over the barrier. What the! Turns out
its Bernies towel Ming is using. Its one thing to beat Bernie a game, another to rub it in?
When Bernie loses the 2nd game at 19 you can tell from the look of him that he needs a
lot more than one of those hundreds of Smile buttons Danny Ganz has made up for the
tournament. Chui play very fast with the wood, you understand? says Bernie later. If I
catch someone who plays without tricks I get to the final. I have a very good chance against
this fellow Haslam.
In the 3rd, Bukiet is down 12-6, and, well, its all over.Isnt it? No, not quite. Lord,
what a hold Bernie has on life! He keeps reminding me of someone who ought to work in one
of those survival schoolsyou know, where they tell you how to stay alive in a desert, a snow
crevasse, a locked basement room with a homicidal maniac. He wins 12 straight points.
Fantastic!
But then Chui, shaking his head irritablyas if, out in the hall between matches
playing bridge with Sol Schiff, Benny Hull, and Bob Kaminsky, hed unaccountably again
missed a makable slam and for a moment forgotten where he wasstarts to get hold of
himself. Suddenly the line of play is clear. And he begins cracking rapid-fire shots left and
186

right, like (snap, snap, snap) a declarer taking in sure

tricks. So, no, its not in the cards for Bernie always
to come from behind. Age-old amazing he is, but also
human.
Perhaps too human. After this emotionally
exhausting loss, Bernie decides, rather spontaneously,
opportunistically I think, to accompany someone to
the local diner (named, of all things, Bernies). This,
however, did not sit well with Dave Cox, the
Tournament Chairman. Had it not been made clear to
Bernie as well as to the 200 or so spectators that the
Mens Doubles finalbetween Resek/Bukiet and
Brathwaite-Haslamwas about to begin?
Sol Schiff trying for another kind of slam
Cox already has had much too trying a weekend.
Photo by Mal Anderson
Hed been particularly put out that several seeded and
placed players, whose entry he had accepted without entry fees, hadnt showedindeed,
hadnt had the courtesy to tell him they werent coming. Tannehill was one of these players.
He had gone from waiting to play with the Swedish team in the little town of Kranfors,
Swedenfirst theyd let him play with their bus driver, then the weakest member of the
Womens Team, then once with their #4 Bernhardt, whom John beatto waiting in Jamaica
for the expense money he was to receive for showing up there and losing twice to Roberts.
Though Dave knew the crowd wanted to see Bernies Doubles match, he was mad
enough to announce over the loudspeaker, Mr. Bukiet has five minutes to report. Otherwise
he will be defaulted.
Sally, my wife, jumped into our car and drove off to Bernies to get him. I made
soothing words, tried some conversationlike the March Hare with the Mad Hatter. Coxs
co-workers, Mitch Silbert and Chris Schlotterhausen, and Rulesmen Cyril Lederman and Mal
Anderson are consulted. Says one, Has anyone else been give this liberty?Well, if he needs
a lesson.
Fifteen minutes later, outside the un-air-conditioned gym, where theres cool campus
grass, Cox is shaking an adders finger at a very apologetic Bukiet (Im sorry, Cox, very
sorry. I didnt know).
A fine example you set for the junior players, says Davethats a line I remember.
And he goes on. You know Ive run a nice tournament up to now, and now youve kept this
crowd that has looked forward to this match waiting 25 minutes, and now, very likely, theyre
all hot and irritable and ready to go home. And so on, because Cox has worked hard and is
naturally disappointed that all things cant go as hed like them to.
But as for the crowd, when Bernie comes into the gym, all is forgiven, forgotten. The
spectators whistle and yell their approvalit may be, their love. And its a good 4-game
matchthough, poor Bernie, on losing, has got to put up with Errols smiling, All you do is
block. How are we going to win if you just do that?
I have more things to say about my friend Director Cox and the pressure hes felt this
weekend, as well as some observations on Reismanhey, if Marlens, can write reams on
Marty, I can write a little. But first, the winners of the remaining events:
Womens: Alice Green deuce in the 5th over Xuan Ferguson in the quarters, and 20, 15, 9, 18 in the final over Pat Hildebrand whod downed Olga Soltesz 17 in the 4th. Womens
187

Doubles:
Kaminsky/
Ferguson over
Soltesz/Lisa
Yoon. Mixed
Doubles:
Haslam/
Hildebrand over
Bukiet/Barbara
Kaminsky in 4.
Mens As:
Marcy Monasterial
Photo by Mal Anderson Marcy
Monasterial in 5
Ed Smolen
over Jim Dixon who (after being 2-0 down and at deuce in the 3rd)
Photo by Bill Marlens
had escaped Dave Philip 26-24 in the 5th. Somebody said,
Monasterial wont tell anybody what kind of crazy rubber hes got on his racket. But so far
as Im concerned its not what he carries in that hand of his that wins for himits what he
holds in his heart. Womens As: Muriel Stern over Marguerite Burnett whod ousted Ferguson.
A Doubles: Rory Brassington/Ed Smolen over Jim Dixon/Ray Mack in 5. Bs: Joe Ching over
Richard Chen. Consolation: Ernst Willer over Bill Steinroeder. Wheelchair: Tyler Kaus over Dave
Vincent. (Ty was right to chastise me in a Letter to the Editor for not including this event in the
Resultsit was a memorable moment for him, his first tournament win ever.)
Esquires: George
Rocker over Manny
Moskowitz 19 in the 3rd in the
semis and Marv Shaffer in the
final. Seniors: Hal Green over
Monasterial. Senior Doubles:
Mitch Silbert/Tim Boggan
over Sol Schiff/Moskowitz.

Mike Stern
Photo by Bill Marlens

Ty Kaus

Dave Vincent

Photo by Mal Anderson

Photo by Bill Marlens

Under 17s: Rick Rumble over Mike Stern. 15s: Rumble over
Bruce Plotnick. 13s: Stern, winner of a $25 check for Most
Promising Junior, over Carl Danner whod stopped Scott
Boggan, 19 in the 3rd. Fred Danner, in his autobiographical
Ping-Pong Diplomat, a Work-in-Progress hes letting me read,
says that Carl was ecstatic over this win, for it meant Fred was
going to take him for the first time to the Toronto CNE
188

tournament. He also says by rooting for Scott I

was trying to disturb Carl. I categorically
deny this, categorically deny I ever focused on
trying to disturb any opponent of my sons
throughout their careers. That was beneath me.
However, regardless of what people thought, I
was going to cheer. The focus of my cheering
was always positively on Scott and Eric, never
on their opponent. And, indeed, I cant recall
even one instance when someone (other than
Scott or Eric) asked me to stop cheering for
them.
The two most exciting matches of the
tournament for me (aside from my own deuce in
Carl wins...a trip to Toronto
the 4th match with Bernie) were in the 8ths when
Photo by Bill Marlens
Chui played 5 games with Reisman and Miles
went into the
5th and then defaulted to Rory Brassington. As luckor,
rather, as the Tournament Directorwould have it, both were
played simultaneously.
In fact, one almost wasnt played at all. Reisman was
directed to barriered-off court #2. He got out there, looked up
at the ceiling, went round to the other side of the table, began
tap-tap-tapping the ball nervously on his racket, looked back
up at the ceiling, hit a couple of balls with Chui, and came off
the court. I cant play on this table, he says. There are
shadows here. I dont play unless I have perfect conditions.
Cox is called for. He is very busy. What? Reisman
wont play! He sees Marty standing there, looks at him as if
her were mad. There is nothing we can do about the airconditioningits just gone off. People will have to stay hot.
No, no, its not that, Dave, I say. I know youre
preoccupied, but its just that Marty cant see well enough on
table #2. Cant he play on #1 after Miles gets finished?
Slowly Cox understands. Something happens in his
eyes. He strides to the microphone. Mr. Reisman has exactly
two minutes to begin play. Otherwise he will be defaulted.
Something wild happens in Reismans eyes. He
immediately goes up into the stands and sits down. A
spectator next to him is grinning like the Cheshire Cat.
Cox is reasoned with, cajoled, flattered, appealed to. He
throws up his hands in exasperation, in despair. His tournaments
already behind schedule. Privately a USTTA E.C. member is
heard to say, If theyre so far behind now, Id hate to think what
the Nationals will be like. But Cox and crew, despite the large
number of entries in many events, know very well what theyre
Reisman tap-tap-tapping
189

doing. The Saturday night party at a marvelous lodge up in the woods will be delayed an hour or
two (which doubtless deters a good many people who would have enjoyed a Danny Ganz steak and
a drink or two from coming), and the matches will right themselves.
As Reisman, sitting in the stands, is scheduled to play, and Cox, still watched by the
grinning cat, is studying his watch, I hear someone suggest if it might not be possible for
somebody to go up into the rafters to see about the lights. Another asks, Why cant they play
the next match scheduled on #1 on #2 now, and then play Reismans match scheduled on #2
on #1? Miles is appealed to. No, he doesnt want to trade courts. He, smiling, agrees with
Reisman. Marty is right. The lighting is unquestionably better here. Court #1thats where he,
Miles, belongs. Thats where hes going to stay.
Both Cox and Reisman know that the crowd very much wants Reisman to play. Dave
knows that the spectators feel they get their moneys worth when Marty plays (and every nonplayer was being charged $.75 to get in, even the wives of the players). Cox recognizes Martys
class, his charismaknows he is, rightfully, a legendary player. And Reisman is quite aware of the
questions Bill Marlens has repeatedly posed to him, Does not a star owe his public the pleasure of
his talents? Can he legitimately say, Everyone comes to me. I come to no one?
The Gordian knot of the impasse is this. That Reisman is proudly holding out for being
a professional among amateurs. He wishes to settle for nothing less than the idealits a
matter of principle, of spirit, of soul with him. Or, if it isnt, hed like it to be. Reisman is
Reisman. He, his unique persona, and lifelong artistry are not to be duplicated by the masses.
In a sense, Marty is really in the ivory tower of the dreamer-artist, playing match after match in
the beautifying mirror of the mind. Cox, when in a certain mind-set, is not for giving anyone
national champions, legendary figures includedany special privileges. This too is an ideal, an
abstract, but one which puts less emphasis, less importance, on the individual. Of course you
can argue that each and every individual is as important as the next, but to my mind this is just
not demonstrably true. Humans need heroes and heroines, as they do gods and goddesses. Its
this necessary element of a responsive spirit in man or woman, of soul, that Ive often found
lacking in American table tennis officialdom.
Reisman and Coxits the perennial conflict between the individual in authority vs. the
individual not in authority. It is, on the one hand, Coxs time-scheduled tournaments, carefully
planned (though already disrupted by people having to be called several times for their
matcheswhere are their time cards that took so long to make up?) and also carefully
constructed so that each match can be allotted its predictable mathematical sameness, a pattern
of completeness that is necessary to any Directors aesthetically satisfying tournament. And it
is, on the other hand, Reismans unpredictable sense of attention-getting drama. With his
playful, cat-like playing of long five-game 1st round, 2nd round, 3rd round matches, hes been
the bane over the years of anyone trying to time-schedule him.
Yet, as weve seen, though its gone against his grain, Cox could have defaulted
Bukiet, but didnt. Perhaps its because Daves so adamant here with Reisman that he later
tries to strike a balance by being lenient with Bernie? Or was it that he didnt want to be
embarrassed by having to cancel a final match? Or was it that he genuinely didnt want to
disappoint the spectators? Or was it that he had a secret sympathy with the aging Bernie who
after all has given his life to the Game, some perhaps hidden reverence deep down somewhere
that Dave was almost unaware of? Or was it that because it was obvious I cared so much that
Bernie not be defaulted, and out of friendship with me that he waited those extra minutes for
him to show? Or was it that it was better in the long run, more aesthetically satisfying, to
190

Lim Ming Chui (L) and Marty Reisman:

This match is being played under protest, said Marty
Photo by Bill Marlens

Dave Cox
Photo by Bill Scheltema

complete that Doubles final late than not complete it at all?

Who knows? Probably not even Cox himself. Reason is not
the be-all and end-allthere are truths it cant get at with certainty.
At any event, Daves two minutes are up andWait a minute! Martys getting up. Hes
been surrounded by people urging him to play. Yes, he is going to play! He walks back into the
court, and announces very loudly, Im playing this match under protest.
Shadows there may be for Reisman, but for the first two games he completely
dominates the table. Occasionally Chui turns over his racket, uses the dreaded wooden side.
Reisman, however, couldnt care less. It works absolutely no effect on him.
Repeatedly Ming can do no more than go through the motions. Its as if hes paralyzed.
Finally, in the 3rd game, he begins to play a little. And now its apparent that theres something
missing in Reisman toocompetitive concentration. (When was the last time he played in a
tournament? And, after all, the first two games have been so easy.)
One way or another he and Chui get to deuce. As theyre playing the 20-all point, a
ball from an adjacent table hops the barrier and comes bouncing into Reismans view. Let!
says Marty and stops play. Ming does not like this callthough, rules aside, it is an
unquestionably ethical one; the ball has carried right into the side of their table. A word or two
is spokenMartys bottom line is, Weve always called lets around here when a ball comes
into the court. The umpire, who is not Cyril Lederman, or, for that matter, anyone on that
gentlemans official Umpires List, agrees that, yes, it was a let.
This no-point, as it turns out, is very much a turning point in the match. From now on,
it all somehow goes sour for Reisman. He begins making errors, and now Chui, once hes got
the idea he can win a game, two games, the match, from this no longer casually magical figure,
more psychic force than man, he who was dominant is no longer so.
Perhaps, consciously, or unconsciously, Marty might have been psychically disturbed
by his instinctive urge to prevent the point from being taken from him. He, who proud, was
above stooping, had stooped a little. A quarter of a century ago, Marty might have been two
games down and at deuce in the 3rd, and, with a smile, given the ad point to his opponentand
then of course won the match. It was precisely this proud bull-fighter-flirting-with-death
bravado that had so engaged and thrilled the audience, and, more importantly, fed Reismans
over-the-years increasingly mighty ego, or spirit.
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What a falling off, then, this Weve always called lets around here. It made
Reisman mortal rather than immortal. And so the psychological ambiance, the romance, the
fairy tale spell that Reisman and Chui were caught up in dissolved. Chui, faced with a 40-yearold man, and one considerably out of practice at that, was suddenly no longer paralyzed and
went on to win the match in 5.
Ah, would that the Reisman of old come again and live to do his heroics. But could it
ever happen?
And Miles, what of him against Brassington?
For a week before the tournament, Rory would call our house. Im sorry to wake
you, he said to my wife one morning. (You should be, she said to him.) I wanted to catch
Tim before he left for work. [Unbeknown to Rory Id been leaving the house at 5:15.] I
wanted to know if hes found out yet what kind of ball theyre using in the tournament.
Naturally Rory couldnt practice with any other kind of ball.
Brassington is really up for
his match with Miles, and Dick,
well, hed gone 5 games with
Kaminsky in the 1st round, and one
wonders as his career is coming to
an end just how much he can care
about any match. Although Dick
wins the 1st game at 9, he cant hit
consistently through Rorys stiff
chopand loses the 2nd and 3rd
games at 19. After theyve played
for an hour and go into the 5th,
Dick of course is defensiveminded, but Rory, surprise, has
taken to line-drive looping and has
been remarkably steady. In fact,
hes never played better in his
Dick (L) vs. Rory
lifethe points mount up for him
Photo by Bill Marlens
one after another.
Ive been cheering hard for Miles, as I was also for Reisman, but now Dick says, Leave
me alone, will you. Tim?
Finally, down 16-6, Miles stops play, says to Brassington, I think Im going to quit.Yes,
Im quitting. He looks very pale and is feeling dizzy. He goes outside alone to get some air.
What do you want to root for the old men for? Peter Stephens says to me.
What could I tell him? That, like Reisman and Miles, I, too, was an old man in my
forties? That I played and watched and wrote about the Game, and the people in it, as best I
could, conscious of some absurd dream, some perhaps more absurd reality?
SELECTED NOTES.
*Mulligan and Amarsingh, from Trinidad, are obviously good Ping-Pong players. Don
Gunn must wonder if they know that the soprano steel drum, used by the steel bands of
Trinidad, is called Ping Pong. He also must wonder if they drink a Ping Pong cocktail
(lemon juice, egg white, sloe gin, and Crme de Yvette).
192

Chapter Fifteen
1971: Sweeris/Nesukaitis win CNE. 1971: Sue Hildebrandts Summer in Japan: The
Difference Between Japanese and U.S. Players. 1971: Why the Chinese Win. 1971:
International Match Between Mexico and Houston.
USTTA International Chair Rufford Harrison begins his coverage of the Sept. 2-5
Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) tournament in Toronto (a record 277 players) with the
Team Matches between the U.S. and Canada. First, the Womens. Their Champ, Violetta
Nesukaitis, opens by beating Our Champ, Connie Sweeris. Connies drives come Robot-like
at anyone with the temerity to try hitting, but the art of rolling, lifting, looping, topspinning,
these difficult to define weapons in the armory of she who would beat a chopper, this art has
never come easily to Connie. Add an appendectomy one month before (can Connie afford to
lose any of herself, even a little appendix?), and a win against Violetta wasnt in the tealeaves. However, this was the Canadian womens only victory. Wendy Hicks made short work
of Canadas other chopper, Helen Sabaliauskas Simerl. Then Wendy and Barbara Kaminsky,
back on the Team after a break of almost ten years of family planning, edged Violetta and
Joyce Hecht. Only one other challenge remained: would Wendy be able to get through
Violettas defense?Yes. And her recipe for success?Roll, from side to side. Use an
occasional drop. Killwith authority whenever possible. And combine with a large dose
of that essential ingredient, patience, which Wendy has in abundance.
Then the Mens. Like our Juniors in their International, they would take all the
matches. (But why only two boys and one girl on that Junior Team Doug Stewart wanted to
know. Why not give more Juniors the chance to represent their country?) Bukiet, in his
second youth, had no trouble with Derek Wall. Resek, down 1-0 and at deuce in the 2nd
193

against young Errol Caetano, managed to pull out the match in 3. Our Errol is improving
slowly, but their Errols accuracy and power are both on a different plane from what we saw
a year ago. It took Tannehill the full 3 games to down Lee. Thats Larry Lee. Where was DJ? Broken ankle, says one informant. Car trouble, says another. Didnt want to lose to
Hydes, says still another (thats Alan Hydes, the visiting English International). Resek also
had an easy time of it with Wall whose face acquires that ruddy, heart-attack-impending hue
early in the game. Bukiet then wraps up the U.S. blitz with a 2-1 win over Lee.
And now, before Rufford takes up the Mens and Womens Singles play, and Tim
Boggan the Junior play, here are the winners of the other events (Class As are offered here for
the first time). Mens Doubles: Hydes/Caetano 16, -25, 12, -22, 17 in a gritty semis over
Brathwaite/Dixon, and in a 3-0 anticlimactic final over Sweeris/Bukiet. Rufford said that
Caetanos windmill arm had Brathwaite running all over the place, but that George returned
brilliantly from well behind the table, his spins slowing the
opposition.
Womens Doubles: Judy Bochenski/Patty Martinez
Cash over Sweeris/Hicks, 17, -13, 19, 25. Earlier,
Kaminsky/Olga Soltesz posted an exciting 18, 14, 22 win
over Simerl/Marie Kerr. Maries husband, Ken, formerly
from Northumberland, England, was Canada #3 in 1966,
and has been President of the Ontario TTA since 1969. He
is about to be appointed the paid Executive/Technical
Table Tennis Director of Ontario Province, and so joins the
other Sport Ontario Directors in Lacrosse, Rugger,
Soccer, Swimming, and Track and Field. Mixed Doubles:
Hydes/Nesukaitis over Boggan/Cash who in the semis
came from down 2-0 and deuce in the 3rd to knock out the
Sweerises, after Dell and Connie had stopped Howard/
Hicks, 24, 19. Mens A: Tak Lam over Paul Raphel. (Tak,
formerly #6 in Hong Kong, now plays out of the less
exotic little town of Waleska, Georgia.) Womens A:
Sports Ontario TT Director Ken Kerr
Mariann Domonkos over Xuan Ferguson. Seniors:
Boggan over Max Marinko.
Naturally in covering the Mens matches, Rufford has a few things to say about John
Tannehill. Who wouldnt? First, in the 8ths, John lost to Fuarnado Roberts, as he had in
Jamaica. Was out of practice, was he? Must be, since hes not turning up at tournaments he
enters. Rufford, whos always insisted that U.S. Teams be outfitted, likes Robbies canaryyellow Jamaica jump suit, but is appalled by Johns appearance. If you cant put on clean
shorts, you just put the same ones on backwards, right? Maybe so, but it isnt my idea of the
example to set for our juniors or for the Canadian public. As for Johns shirt, it reads
Hodgefor Columbus, Ohios Bill Hodge. What happened to the U.S. Team shirts
Tannehills gotten for playing here, or playing for the U.S. Team in the past?
In another 8ths match, against Brathwaite, whod had to go 5 to get by Torontos Bill
Cheng, Englands #4 Hydes was lucky. Turns out the Englishmans attack is all spin, without
good kills, and for the first two games George, away from the table, did more than hold his
own. But with The Chief up 1-0 and 18-17 in the 2nd, Alan got two edges, then won on a net
ball. In the next two games, with the pressure off, Alan pulled away.
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Above: Dell vs. Englands Alan Hydes

Right: Dells winning follow through
Photos by Mal Anderson

Hydes went on to eliminate U.S.

Junior Team Captain Jack Howard
whod defeated Bukiet in straight
games. This put him against Sweeris
whod advanced over Robbie, then
Canadas Graham Gear. Dells
weakness has always been his penchant
for retreating to the barrier. This leads
to spectacular play, but not necessarily
winning play. Imported competitors
have always forced Dell back. But wait.
[Wait literally, for, as Jose Tomkins says,
rain came pouring in through the newly
fixed roof putting all seven tables out of
action. But then, ah, when play
resumed] Here was a new Sweeris, a
Sweeris at the table, who could force
Hydes back. In his 3-1 win, Dells was the controlling racket throughout.
Never mind. Hydes still had to be in pretty good spirits. Rufford Harrison writes (TTT,
March-April, 1972, 4) that Alans on his way from England to Japan for six months of
coaching and study. Hes been awarded a table tennis fellowship provided by the Winston
Churchill Memorial Trustone of 98 provided to the ordinary bloke who might be in dairy
farming or crime prevention.
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In the other half of the Draw, Caetanos play against Peter Pradit reminded Rufford of
the former Sweeris, for Errol was often at the barrier, making lightning lunges from corner
to corner, occasionally rushing in for the drop. Best the Canadian youth could do, though,
against Peters angled-off attack was 17 in the 4th. U.S. #10 Chui, advancer over Canadian
Peter Gonda, did a lot betterhad Pradit down 2-0. But (though a strong candidate for the
U.S. Team to the 73 Sarajevo Worlds) he didnt win. Meanwhile, it was Resek over Larry
Lee, and Derek Wall 18, 18, 23, -17, 8 over Jim Lazarus. Errol then easily went through
Derek, but in turn was blanked by Pradit.
So, as the Mens final is about to begin, Dell (with stamina to burn) is warming up,
trading rapid and accurate forehands with a young machineno, not Peter, but Under 13
runner-up, N.J.s Mike Stern. And Praditwhere is he? He has five minutes to
report.Meanwhile, Stern passes Sweeris with a fade-away to the forehand corner.One
minute.Stern drops Dells lobcatches him flat-footed.Mr. Pradit is deno he
isnt, because a Tournament Committee member had told Peter the wrong time to return.
Rufford, whos always been partial to Dell, says that the crowd is almost disappointed. Stern
leaves the court to an ovation.
Pradits kills are half volleys and therefore sharply angled. The new Sweeris found
this to be no problem; he managed to block most of Pradits angles and counterhits, often
leaving Peter yards out of position. In winning 14, 19, 19, Dell shows himself to be on a par,
if not with Europes best, at least with the sub-elite, and we havent produced anyone on that
level in years. How fitting, then, thought Bill Marlens, that Dell should be the one to teach
President Nixon how to play,* and influence him to have a Table Tennis Corps like a Peace
Corps.
In the top half of the Womens Draw, Kaminsky stopped Green in 5, then fell 3-0 to
Nesukaitis. In the bottom half, Sweeriss vaunted counter attack usually allows her to
maintain the barrage against any North American opponent. But Judys aggressive play from
both wings overcame Connie in
straight games. Advancing to meet
Judy in the semis was Patty Cash
whod triumphed over Wendy Hicks
in 5. Shucks, said Rufford. Only
two girls on the entire continent
with the ability to beat Nesukaitis,
and one has just put out the other.
Butsurprisein the semis, U.S.
#8 Bochenski, continuing to attack,
finished off Patty in the 3rd and 4th
with ease.
Mgod, could Judy win!
Almost. She was leading Violetta 21then she forgot the recipe, the
angles, the drops, the patience, and
her kills too often went everywhere
but on the table. At the 2-1 break,
Violetta had been advised to vary
Winner Violetta against a hard-hitting Judy
her chop more, and she did.
Photo by Mal Anderson
196

Harrison said that if Judy couldnt read the variation, she should have, for safetys sake, rolled
to the middle of the table. But Rufford was impressed with Judys backhand against chop
this weapon was unique, none of the other U.S. women had it. Judy wasnt armed yet with a
backhand kill, but she did have well-placed drives, and thats all that is needed to keep the
chopper from coming in.
Now for the Juniors. Though Hollywoods Ray
Guillen won the 17s precariously from Torontos Paul
Klevinas, -16, 20, 18, he could often be seen out there on
court shaking his head and looking forbiddingly
pessimistic. Indeed, one of his losing opponents reported
him as saying in mid-match, Oh, Im never gonna win
this one. I dunnoRay, whos otherwise quite
personable, reminds me of one of those bright kids in my
grade school who always irritated me with their moaning,
their worries about passing this or that test when you
knew damn well they were a lock for 95 or better.
At any event, whatever the psychological
fragments Ray shored up against his mistaken impending
ruin, they worked. Having earned enough money this
summer to make the trip to Toronto, he was clearly not
one of those teenagers who had come, say, to paddle his
boat round Ontario Place while fighter planes disciplined
themselves overhead. If I cant go to the big
Nothin soft about Ray
tournamentslike the Canadians, the USOTCs, the
Photo by Mal Anderson
Nationalstheres no use playing, he said. And with an
aim-for-the-stars outlook like that its not just in the infinite space of Chance that he was able
to win all his close matches.
Im thinking particularly (and the point stays lodged in my 8-year-old Erics mind as
well) how Ray was match point down to Long Islands John McGraw and how he countered a
long, miraculous forehand back from the barriers to
draw even and eventually win the match, and how he
then went on to 8, 20, 20 beat John Quick of the
U.S. Junior Team before eliminating Mike Veillette in
the semis.
Guillens friend and fellow Californian, the
puckish Paul Raphel (under-rated at U.S. #35), I have
Paul, a gift for
to say a few words about. With his imagination, his
mimicking
gift for mimicking other players (oh yes, he makes me
Photo by Fred
look absurd), Paul ought to be in a Shakespearian
Grobee
repertory company. Playfulthats what he is. A
worldly-wise innocent with a huge, hidden ego that
outs, for example, when he plays Glenn Cowan a
practice match for $10, he was murdered in the final
act of the As, 6, 7, by Tak Lam. Also, in an early
match of the 17s, he barely escaped Timmy House, 19
in the 3rd. And though in the Mens hed beaten the
197

Under 15 winner, Veillette (who in the final destroyed Klevinas), he had to go 5 to do it. In the
quarters of the 17s against Danny Seemiller, he just kept missing his cue, finally losing 18 in
the 3rd. But Raphel, unlike Guillen, looks to end the point quickly, and, if his timings not
sharp, why he might, with a shrug of the shoulders and a lean to the wind that no one else in
the playing hall feels, agree dreamily, that, yes, it was on such a day that he lost to Klein in the
finals of the Pacific Coast Open.
Seemiller, also of the U.S. Junior Team, on hitting forehands or backhands, continues,
window-wiper style, to use the same side of the racket, though flipping his different-sided
rubbers during the point. Dannys very fast at the table, but in trying, in a losing U-17 semis
effort to counter everything with Klevinas, he sure needed someone to tell him to switch
tactics along the way.
As some of you know, Danny has been playing American Legion high school ball and
recently had a try-out for the Pirates. Scouts watched him play 2nd and 3rd, tested his arm, his
running speed, and promised that their farm system would be interested in him next year for
more try-outs.
The Pennsylvania team of Seemiller,
Joe Scheno, and Bruce Plotnick won the 14team Junior Team Matches, in which best 4 out
of 7 round-robin ties follow the same age
format as last yearU-13 plays U-13 and UBruce Plotnick...
15 player, U-17 plays U-15 and U-17 player,
right out of Dickens
and U-15 plays U-13, U-15, and U-17 player.
Photo by Mal Anderson
Scheno did heavy duty, coming through in the
all-important U-15 spot. The N.Y. #1 team
(John McGrawhe had an important win over
KlevinasRick Rumble, and Mike Stern) was
2nd. Plotnicks win over Stern was the decider.
Ah, Plotnicksomebody said that, with those
baggy playing-pants and that natural, Please,
Sir, Oliver-appealing face, he looked like a
Dickens waif.
Stern had left his rackets in a taxi that first morning
coming over to the Exhibition, and, though his father had spent
literally hours on the phone, nobody could help him. N.Y.s
Timmy House, who beat Mike in the final of the 13s, arrived an
hour too late from Michigan for the Team matches. Hed been
to Sweeriss summer clinic, had stayed there a whole week. We
jogged, did push-ups, sit-ups, touch-toes, knee hops, squatthrusts. Wow, it was an exercise for this young enthusiast
just to talk about it all. We learned to block Dells loop, to
serve and kill, to hit forehand after forehand. If you couldnt get
21 forehands in a row in, you had to run around the skating
rink. At first people were running in circles. But then they got
used to it. I hit in 516 without missingthat was my record.
Timmy is so addicted to the Sport that hed even played
Perus Gerardo Briceno
in a summer tournament at a New York Peruvian Club that was
Photo by Rufford Harrison
198

celebrating the 150th anniversary of Perus

independence. I dont know whether they allowed him
to play in the Latin American event (won by Louie
Blejer). But, though Timmy was beaten in the
quarters of the Invitational Open Singles event by Sol
Schiff (winner over Gerardo Briceno), he and Dave
Philip took the Doubles from Ernst Willer and Ray
Maldonado.
Not much action at the CNE for the girls.
Omahas Diana Myers beat Canadas Biruta Plucas in the
final of the Girls Under 13, and again in the semis of
the15s before (I dont know why) defaulting the final to
Quebecs Mariann Domonkos. The Junior Miss winner
was Judy Bochenski over Sue Hildebrandt, 20, 13.

Diana Myers
Photo by Mal Anderson

Sue Hildebrandts Summer in Japan

Sue Hildebrandt (TTT, Sept.-Oct.,

1971) writes of how, after two months
in Japan this past summer, she was
getting to feel Japanese. She was the
houseguest of Kimiyo Matsuzaki whose
home can be seen in some Japanese
architecture books. Kimiyo of course is
the former World Champion who last
season was the CNE Womens
Champion and stayed with the Warren,
Michigan Hildebrandts for a time as
player/coach. Became close friends with
Hera, too, did she?
How Japanese was Sue? I ate
eel, squid, raw fish, and even shrimp
with the eyes and all, octopus, and
wreath shells. (The Japanese I know
are slender. How much of this fare did

Sue and Hera.

Hera went to
Japan too?
Photo by Mal
Anderson

she eat to put on 20 pounds?)

Sue remembers specific incidents that made her feel less a visitor and more of a native.
Heres one:
[A girl] I practiced with asked me if I wanted to dance with their company
in the Japanese traditional dance. I laughed and said, Sure! Well, the next day before
practice Kimiyo said, Sue, by the way, at four oclock you have to go to the bank
(where the table tennis players work) and get fitted in your kimono for the dance
tonight.
When I got there the girls put my hair up, painted my face white, and dressed
me in a kimono with the wooden shoes and all. I danced down the streets and across
the stage in a contest! Many people were excited to see a foreigner dance!
199

[Just] before I danced, five of us girls were talking and standing a little bit
out in the street. One driver didnt like the idea of us being there so he pulled up very
close and said to me, Hey, girl, you have a stain on your kimono! These are the kinds
of things they say instead of swearing!
From her stay in Japan, Sues convinced that the one thing the Sport needs in the U.S.
is audience participation. When she walked into the gym where the Girls National High
School [Table Tennis] Matches were being played, it was unbelievably crowded and so hot
that I got rashes. I was so surprised by the noise, I thought there was a basketball game going
on. Boy, it suddenly struck Sue that table tennis is the most exciting sport Ive ever seen! If
they yelled like this in the U.S. they would all be considered rude and having bad manners.
Winning was definitely important to the Japanese. Every point was cheered and clapped for
even, it may be, if the opponent missed a serve.
The players would do junkin (thats a scissors, rock, and paper game) both to see
whod choose the ball from the different ones available and whod serve. Between each point
the players would jump around and loosen up. Their coaches sat behind them inside the
barriers and coached them throughout the match! The players were so serious, Sue said, that
she learned how NOT to appreciate good points, for when I smiled or said nice volley all I
got was a dirty look.
And what mind-preparation the players went through. They chant over and over with
closed eyes that they will do their best, be serious at the game, and try to improve. Their
coaches are severe, so severe that they sometimes slap the players or punish them!
Sue, who says her goal is to make the U.S. Womens Team to the 1973 Sarajevo
Worlds, took her cue from the rigorous training she was witness to:
I played in the beginning five hours everyday and then after awhile it was
between three and five hours. Some days I ran nine miles but mainly it was six and
sometimes I rode twelve miles on a bike.I would often play three hours without
stopping or resting! Boy, I never sweated so much in my life. (After the first five
minutes I would be completely wet, even my shoes!) Sometimes I practiced footwork
exercises for one hour without a rest. When we did control exercises (forehand drives),
if one person missed, you would both start over. One time Kimiyo and I did 1,380 and
then because she missed she fell down and almost cried!
How different this experience was for Sue couldnt have been more apparent when she
came back to the States. I found it, and I still find it, hard to play against shake-hands
players, she said. Also, I realized how terrible the tables are here [in the U.S.]. Most of the
time were still playing Ping-Pong!
Why the Chinese Win
In an article on The Value of Various Styles of Play, (TTT, Jan.-Feb., 1972, 7), Steve
Arnold says that the Oct., 1971 Tamasu Table Tennis Report suggests that, because Japan
doesnt have the depth and variety of styles that the Chinese do, they cant beat China. In
playing the Japanese, one needs only to adjust to a game plan built upon a powerful topspin
drive generated by inverted sponge.
200

Now, says Steve, contrast that monostylous approach with what the strategic-minded
Chinese players were doing in Nagoya, how they took full advantage of modern technology.
Consider their t.t. armament and what they do with it:
His En-tingright-handed pimples-out attacker, excellent topspin drives.
Li Fu-junginverted sponge left-handed topspin attack, particularly noted for
good serves and three-ball attack.
Chuang Tse-tunguses a four-ounce bat, thin pimpled sponge, is able to attack
with backhand and forehand, delivering balls with great quickness at sharp angles.
Liang Ko-liangright-handed all-round player, uses pimpled thin sponge on
the backhand and thin inverted sponge on the forehand.
Chang Shih-linright-handed penhold defensive player, orthodox rubber, has
amazing ability to vary chop, forcing opponents to misjudge spin.
Li Ching-kuang, left-handed, penhold blocker, pimples-out thick sponge, able
to force opponents into mistakes by blocking even the hardest smashes.
The Chinese desire for variety extends to innovations. They flip their racket sides,
footstamp, and chop when the ball is out of the opponents line of sight.
This diversificationand therell be more of it the world overhas been made
possible because of ever-developing technology. Heres Arnolds assessment of whats
current:
For the defensive player, the Japanese have developed a light, flexible bat
made of willow. The paddle makes the production of varied spins in chop quite easy. In
addition, Europeans have produced an evil-looking blue anti-topspin rubber to allow
some control over loop drives. Finally the Chinese have introduced a theory for
chopping.[They stress] contacting the ball at different points on its trajectory, using
disguised strokes, and varying blade angles. These tools can make defensive players
tough opponents even for super-loopers.
For the looping or inverted rubber player, the arcing stroke executed with the
closed bat generates a great deal of spin. The expensive sponges available, trimmed at
the factory of the dead areas produced when the material is processed by heat, favor
topspin drives. These super-sandwich rubbers can be manufactured in many
thicknesses, pip sizes, and weights to produce varying combinations of speed, spin, and
control.
Sriver, for example, comes in two forms: S-type for spin and L-type for speed.
Two millimeter Mark V combines an ability to produce great spin when a slow,
deliberate stroke is used; speed when a sharp hit is executed; and a no-spin dead ball
when a block shot is employed. These materials can be combined with Chinese juniper
wood blades for great speed or with more flexible blades for all-round play and spin.
All players profit from the livelier tables and balls. Tables in Europe and Asia
are often more than 25mm thick, made of fifteen-ply wood. Ballsgetting more
durable, more consistently round, and harderseem faster to many older players.
These developments in the sport demand that players use greater skill, speed, and spin
in executing shots to win points.
201

Given this
evolution, Arnold says
that the suggestion that
inverted sponge killed
the sport is parochial.
Young players in China
have much more
opportunity to develop
first-hand knowledge of
the sport than their
American counterparts.
Youngsters in the U.S.
need to be helped to
Pre-school training in China: little kids; big bats and balls
use effectively and
From [Chinas] World Table Tennis Stars, 1959-89
cunningly the most
advanced material possible. If not
If America does not commit herself to this attitude but continues to wish
progress out of existence and to dream of the good old days when bats were hard
rubber, then the death of table tennis will no longer be blamed on inverted sponge.
International Match Between Mexico and Houston
Californias Doug Stewart cites Judy Bochanskis much
improved play because of what, consciously, or unconsciously
she absorbed in Nagoya. He believes with many that there
ought to be more International competition for our players. A
relatively inexpensive start, he said, would be to play Canada
International Matches not just once but several times during
the season. Doug, whos originally from Australia and was
associated with the first South-East Pacific Area Table Tennis
Tournament in Melbourne in April, 1968, believes that the
U.S. should stage a Pacific Basin Championship in L.A., thinks
sponsorship could be raised.
And maybe hes right. Lowly Mexico, World #36
Doug Stewart
among the men (their women didnt go to Nagoya), came full
bore to Houston, Oct. 28-Nov. 2 for an International Match, and Marianne Szalay, who did
the Topics coverage (Nov.-Dec., 1971, 1;21), had tears of thanks in her eyes. How rightfully
proud she was of the City of Houston, its people and the Houston Table Tennis Association.
And also very pleased to have received a letter from the White House acknowledging the
tourney.
Marianne, whom Jack Carr thinks of, hands down, as the worthiest recipient of the
next Barna Award for making possible this great event, is about to give you the results of the
Matcheswith both Sr. Mario Romero-Lopequi, Counsel General of Mexico and Mr. John
Hughes, Superintendent of Recreation, representing the Mayor of Houston presenting the
trophies. But, as youll see in a moment, with the incredible sponsorship attained, there were
no losers.
202

Mens Team: U.S. 5Mexico 1. Hanumanth Rao d.

Carlos Lezama, Mexico City #2 and former National Doubles
Champion, 2-0. Brad Fountain d. Manuel Silva, Mexico City
#3, 2-0. Jesus Gil, Mexico City #1, d. Don Weems, 2-0.
Fountain d. Lezama, 2-0. Rao d. Gil, 2-1. Weems d. Silva, 20. Accompanying this Team were the two top Mexico City
Juniors, Roberto Otero and Humberto
Gonazalez, and two officials, Dr. Helios
Farrell, President of the Mexican T.T.
Federation, and a 7-time National
Champion who also played in Nagoya, and
Dr. Jorge Gonzalez, MTTF Vice-President.
The U.S. Captain was Al Engel, President
of the Houston TTA.
Don Weems
Womens Team: U.S. 3Mexico 0.
Photo from TT Unlimited
Ann Ramsey d. Claude De Renero, Mexico
(Courtesy Sue Sargent)
City Champion, 2-0. Szalay d. Beatriz
Dr. Helios Farrell
Palafox, Mexico City #2, 2-0. Ramsey/Shirley Woo
From Uzorinacs
Legends, 432
d. Palafox/Socorro Nunez, Mexico City #3, 2-1.
During the five days the Mexicans visited,
they were guests of the City of Houston and were treated royally:
[The City] gave the Fonde Recreation
Center the beautiful trophies for the Tournament;
Nieman-Marcus presented gifts for the Mexican
Team; the Hotel Sonesta gave complimentary
hotel accommodations; Continental
Trailways the transportation; Oshmans
Sporting Goods the mens shirts and the
womens tops for the Houston Team;
Jimmy McClures Sports & Trophy
Shop the Barna 3 crown balls; Jamies
of Houston the Friday luncheon;
Houstons Fonde Recreation Center
Hubers Seafood & Oyster Bar the
Friday dinner; Foleys Azalea Terrace the Saturday luncheon; Bismarck Restaurant the
Banquet; Galleria Roof of Houston Oaks Hotel the Sunday brunch; Royal Coach
Motor Hotels Coach & Horses Club the Sunday dinner.
Holiday Inn downtown offered one weeks stay [in Houston?] for the winner of the
Mexican Team [sic: if the Mexicans won?], and the new Holiday Inn Civic Center one
weeks stay in Acapulco for the winner of the Houston Team [sic: if the Houstonians won?]
Besides [their] TV appearances, which were taped at Rice University, they
were taken on special tours at NASA and the Astrodome.
Naturally everyone who benefited hoped the City would host more International
Matches. Lets see, who else to invite?Possibly Peru (World # 32), Brazil (World #33), or
Columbia (World #34)they even had a Womens team in Nagoya.**
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SELECTED NOTES.
*I dont think Bill thought he was going to teach Nixon how to use chopsticks, but he
did send to him and, via the President, to Chou En-lai in tandem the most beautifully fashioned
red chopsticks in stunning gold holders. Nixon, however, sent them back, saying he was sorry
but he couldnt take them to Chou. So if Marlens couldnt give them to two Heads of State,
whod be next best to have them?Marty Reisman, of course.
**Ah, we have a possible liaison in Colombia who himself is trying to make contact.
Jim Leggett of Bogota, who earlier had lived in Florida, likes to write Letters to the Editor of
Topics cause hes into t.t. A 5, 11, 170-pound, 35-year-old, hed especially like to
correspond with a 16-25-year-old English-speaking lady, 120 pounds, height immaterial, who
doesnt drink or smoke, and who, most importantly, plays table tennis as a sport. He says he
cant play in the Colombian National Championships because to enter you have to be in the
top 5 of your club. Of course he could go and watch, pick out an attractive woman player,
start by asking her for her autograph, first for himself, then, later, one for a friend, etc. Or he
could write Marianne Szalay, and see what mutually might be arranged in Houston.
Theres also Sam Ognibene, a kindred soul
out of Balboa in the Canal Zone. In a Topics Letter
he tells us that last March he ran an 80-entry Mens
tournament in the Canal Zone (won by Chinese
players from Panama). Now hes trying to start a
local and/or a high school club, particularly if
someone could send him a spelled-out coaching
program. But space must be allotted by the
government, and when he says he has in mind 4 to
6 tables, their jaws drop. Still, this fall, hoping to
be helped by the Armed Services Radio and TV
network, he feels hell be able to start a Handicap
League (maybe 24 teams, some of them, he hopes,
with women players).
Now jump 30 years to Dr. Raymond D.
Spanns Senior of the Month article on Sam in
Sam Ognibene
the Nov./Dec., 2003 issue of the USA Table Tennis
From USATT Magazine, Nov/Dec, 2003, 30
Magazine. There we learn that Sams the kind of
imaginative guy who, once visiting Guatemala and wanting to play table tennis somewhere,
simply held up his table tennis racket as cabs drove by until one picked him up and took him to
a place to play. Think he was successful at Balboa High?
[With] help from his students, [he] renovated the upper floor of an
abandoned school building and converted it into a table tennis center. Using his own
money, Ognibene purchased six tables, a table tennis robot and even air conditioning.
The studentswere able to play before school, during lunch and after school.
Ognibene encouraged and mentored the students as they made tremendous progress.
The facility was then made available for players from Panama City for two nights a
week. The popularity of table tennis in the area blossomed (30).

204

Chapter Sixteen
1971: Eastern Fall Tournaments.
In my Topics write-up of Philadelphias June Quaker City Open, I had, as usual,
established a voice, but this time an unusual oneI came through as quite without energy
(Id done an enormous amount of work since returning from China), and was irritated that my
older son Scott had to play fellow Long Islander Jeff Zakarin two straight matches (the one in
the first round, the other in the second) in the Boys 13 and 15. I was also very discouraged
that there hadnt been any round robin matches for either Scott, just turned 10 a few days
earlier, or Eric, still 7, to play in. I felt that the organizers didnt care whether my boys and I
drove down from Long Island and spent $45 in entry fees, or not. The trip, especially since Id
been very tired, just didnt seem worthwhile. We got beat early and left early. In the mood I
was in, I began to think (though surely not seriously?) that maybe my kids would be better off
in another sport, and indicated as much in my incomplete write-up.
Without pursuing trying to get the results of the tournament from
Phillys Erich Haring (I felt that, as Eastern Regional Director, he
should have sent them to me), I sniped at him as being for some
time now a phantom Director.
Mal Anderson later responded in Topics that it was very
difficult for a Regional Tournament Director to send out the results
when he is in Puerto Rico on business, and that I owed his friend
Erich an apology. WhichI may have. Although Ill shortly express
my own take on the next Philadelphia tournament, the Liberty Bell
Open, Ill let Mal continue on (TTT, Nov.-Dec, 1971, 26) with his
Erich Haring coverage of this Open.
not
a
breach to be seen
We learn that theres a new Philly Club on Juniper St.with
Photo by Mal Anderson
the potential to be the best in the East. It had 9 tables, great
lights (eight-foot fluorscent tubesabout 100 foot candles at table level), and a wooden
floor (which needs more work). Mal says that, though the Club raised its prices for the
events, they drew a whopping 127 entries. Fortunately, the organizers, in addition to their 4th
floor club, were able to rent the 3rd floor as well, giving them 13 tables in all. However, for a
couple of reasons, the time-scheduled matches had broken down, and the tournament wasnt
concluded until 3 a.m!
Director Herb Vichnin was confident, however, that time-scheduling was the way to go
in future tournaments, and wrote a lengthy article in Topics (Nov.-Dec., 1971, 27) carefully
detailing in chronological order the necessary step-by-step preparations (involving, for
example, draw sheets which list the time and table number for each match, along with the
match number and eventeach players individual time-scheduled sheetmatch cards in
advancepeople behind the desk who know what you are trying to do[and the need for
keeping] at least one swing table). Dont deviate from your scheduling, Herb warneddont,
for instance, let players decide when or where they will play, or accept any unscheduled
doubles entries.
In Mens quarters matches, Lim Ming Chui in a wild counter-driving match,
defeated Alex Shiroky, 3-0. Alex moved too far back too soonso Chui used the angles and
he also hit in some counterdrives from the barriers. Bukiet beat Peter Stephens comfortably;
205

and Mitch Sealtiel had a quick win over Boggan. Roberts easily handled Pennsylvania champ
Danny Seemiller (who beat Dave Philip). Dan could loop and hit against Robbie, but missed
many drop shots when his kills were returned, and Robbie even won a few points by hitting!
(That anti-topspin sponge has helped Robbies hitting and hasnt hurt his defense at all.)
In the one semis, Roberts downed Chui 20, 18, -22, 15. At 18-all in the first game,
Chui caught a leg cramp. Robbie helped massage it. Lim swallowed some salt and Gatorade,
seemed to recover, but could only win the 3rd game. In the other semis, both Bukiet and
Sealtiel blocked backhand and killed forehand, but Bernie hit more in.
The final (for which Mal was acting as time-keeper?) saw Bukiet win the first two
games from Roberts21-16 (10 min.), 21-18 (13:50). But then he seemed to tire (it was
after 2 a.m.) and his kills started missing. Robbie won the 3rd, 21-7 (6:30) and the 4th 21-17
(13:55). Then, in the 5th
Bernie missed a hangar at 18-all, and the expedite rule finally came in at 1819. Bernie tied it up on his serve, but Roberts hit one thru on his, and then Bernie hit
into the net to end the match. At times Bernies defense looked as good as Roberts,
and Roberts hitting looked as good as Bernies! [Winner got $50, runner-up $35,
semifinalists $20.]

Bill Sharpe, 1972 PA Champion

Photo by Mal Anderson

Barbaras back!

Emile Short

Other results: Womens: Barbara Kaminsky 8, 8, 20 over Alice Green who couldnt
hit 2 balls in a row. Mens Doubles: Peter Stephens/Dave Philip over George Brathwaite/Alex
Shiroky. Mixed Doubles: Bukiet/Kaminsky over Stephens/Marguerite Burnett. Mens A: Bill
Sharpe over Doon Wong. (Bill had worked at the club from 8:30 PM Friday to 3:30 AM,
then went to work Saturday morning at 5:40 AM without any sleep, then came straight to
the tournament from work.) Womens A: Muriel Stern. A Doubles: Stephens/Wong over Sol
Schiff/Sid Jacobs. Class B: two hard rubber players in the finalwith Herb Hortons picks
giving him the win over Jacobs. Class C: Emile Short over Greg Plastrik. Consolation: Short
206

over Jerry
Fleischhacker.
Esquires: Jim
Verta over George
Rocker. Seniors:
Boggan over
Horton. Boys 17:
Dan Seemiller over
Andy Anvelt
whod 19, -20, 19
knocked out
N.Y.C.s Plastrik
playing in his first
tournament. Girls
Jim Verta
Greg Plastrik
Photo by Mal Anderson
Photo
by Mal Anderson
17/15: Muriel
Stern over Juanita
Santana.15s: Timmy House over Plastrik. 13s: House over Mike Stern. Junior Doubles:
Seemiller/Bill Zatek over Anvelt/Steve Wolf. Earlier, the Seemiller/Zatek team lost a game to
the Schnick bothers 44-42!
My wife, Sally, did not accompany our sons and me to Philadelphia, but she did have a
few things to say in a couple of Topics articles about the unfortunate plight of the nonplaying wife. How she would have liked to have gone to China, like her friend Jairie Resek,
but it wasnt possible. While I was in far away Peking practicing Diplomacy, shed on one
occasion served as a substitute teacher for a discussion of Marriage and the Family, and that
got her to thinking the more how she wasnt too happy about being left with two sons and
the responsibility of taking care of the house for four weeks. In fact, at this particular time in
our lives, even when I was home, I often wasnt there for a family dinner, what with teaching
on some nights and on others going off to The City, to the t.t. club.
How about Sally herself taking up the Game? Not a chance. I have no intention, no
matter how short the supply of mixed doubles partners is, to do something publicly that I do
so badly. How about if Sally and Tim go dancing? Not a chanceyoud understand why if
youd danced with Tim. Says Sally, With Tim, your whole social life revolves around when
tournaments are not. If you are so foolish as to plan ahead and schedule something in advance,
say a month or so, then very likely you will have to either change it or not go because a late
flyer announcing a tournament on that date has appeared. One fares best by only seeing
socially other table tennis families. Then of course of late there was the growing cancer of
Topics taking over our garage, basement, closets. And now, word has even gotten to Sally that
I intend to run for President of the USTTA against Jack Carrand without giving up my
Editorship.
I dont know who the USTTA Psychiatrist-in-Residence may be, Topics columnist
Don Gunn had written in his Nov.-Dec. Gunn Shots, but in any case he is probably too
busy with Boggan to help any of the rest of you. So, reader, consider yourself warned as I
present another of my the-way-it-was articles, Why, Yesterday, I Got Mad In Philadelphia.
As youve earlier been privy to how discouraged I was at the summer Quaker City
tournament, and how I didnt have a nice word to say about that tournament, you may wonder
at my reaction to receiving an entry blank for Phillys fall Liberty Bell Open. Naturally such
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invitations are hard to resist. Each tournament gives my boys and me a chance to spend the
day together, doing something we like to do. Its good, I think, that Scott and Eric play for
keepsto win. That they learn how to concentrate the more, and learn how, consciously or
unconsciously, to discipline themselves in one of the many classrooms of life.
Granted I strongly encourage (demand?) high seriousness from them when they play,
granted Im a hard schoolmaster (not to say coach), still, to some who know me, it is, perhaps
unfortunately, almost the only time Im strict with them. Certainly I do not, for example, wash
their mouths out with the occasional foam of my wrath. No, like me, like anyone, they may get
justifiably angry, may often hear or use those well-known forceful words of life.
Ideally, the inevitable dirt aside, I want Scott and Eric to attend a club where they can
watch and talk to and play with the most professional of players (like Bukiet or Roberts), for I
think that unless a boy does this he will likely never be able to get very good. And if hes not
very good, hell either be apt to quit, or, what is from my point of view worse, apt to have too
much amateur in him, so that, deep down, it wont matter enough to him whether he wins or
loses. And just as my favorite poet, Keats, said, the excellence of every Art is its intensity, so
I say there is nothing worse for the image of our Game, our Art, than tournaments or
exhibitions where its clear the players just arent putting out their all. So it is in any sport.
One reason Im so intense with my boys is because I, Tim Boggan, want them to care
passionately about table tennis and stick with itat least until I myself have to give it up.
What of course theyScott Boggan, Eric Bogganwill want as life goes by is another
matter, and sowhat am I to do, kill what I love?there are no robot-like drills, and almost
no practice sessions at all between tournaments when my boys are into playing other sports.
For the most part they do what they want to do. Only, as I say, perhaps its the priest or the
schoolteacher in me, some fist-shaking discipline on my part always seems necessary.
To put it another way, my own pride and passion, I hope, will be my boys. They are,
indeed, as the saying goes, my pride and joy. My being, I hope, will be their being. It is, if
you can bear for a moment the heavy cross of my Catholic boyhood, the consequence of
Lucifers fall, Adams sin, that the sins of any father are visited upon his children. It is Herods
heredity to make such sacrifices. Ultimately, part of God the Fathers Grand Illusion to make
man in His image, free and proud.
No, I havent forgotten Sallys irreplaceable part in their lives and mine, and that its
specifically the Liberty Bell Open Im to talk about in this article. To get back to that entry
blank Sallys rather resigned to seeing, I dont have to be reminded of old Ben Franklins line,
Necessity never made a good bargain.
The momentary question is, am I going to make the 2 and -hour drive to Philadelphia
and 2 and -hour drive back? Is it really worth the effort and expense to take my 10-year-old,
my 8-year-old there? And yet there are so few tournaments.Look, I cant have it both ways.
If I want the boys to play seriously, what choice do I have? Ive got to commit them to where
the action is.
Of course if I take them, I cant expect them to sit around most of the day while I play.
Ive got to keep them busy, else maybe theyll never want to go to another out-of-town
tournament again, or maybe any tournament at all, because theyll be bored to death. Which is
even worse than losing again and again a first-round match. After all, Scott and Eric have each
been playing for a while now, and generally always against older boys, so that the constant
disadvantage has toughened them up someand, sure, theyd rather play than not. Even if it
looks like theyll lose, theyll do the best they can.
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I have to figure realistically that Eric wont win a match unless some local kid unexpectedly
decides to play and the Tournament Committee wants to be nice and, as we do in Long Island
tournaments, try encouragingly to pair him up with somebody his own speed. As for Scott, hes got
a good chance of winning maybe two or three matches out of all the combined Junior events hell
be in. Still, for all those hours, its not enough play to keep two boys active.
If only the Tournament CommitteeHerb Vichnin, Erich Haring, Mal Anderson
would agree to have a modified round robin or two, or even a double elimination event like
Sweeris does in Grand Rapids or Disney does in Minneapolis. I write a note to Vichnin, the
Tournament Director, urging him to give the kids a break. I cant help thinking that Vichnin,
Haring, Anderson would be far more receptive were theyor just one of themto have the
personal interest in the Juniors that I have, if just one of them had a son or daughter who
played. But cant they see anyway that they ought to try to encourage the youngsters to come
to their tournaments?
Alright, for this City of Brotherly Love tournament, I call up my Poor Richard
practical side: He that lives upon hope will die fasting. I put the kids into a number of other,
non-Junior events as well, end up spending almost $60 in entry fees for the three of us. Which
is certainly what youd call supporting a tournament. But lets not do it half wayeither we
come to Philadelphia to play and try to win, or we dont.
We get up at 4:30 the
morning of this one-day
tournament, pick up the two
Shelley boys who live less than 15
minutes away, and were off. And,
yes, we arrive safely and are among
the first to open the club. A
spacious new clubwith today, at
any event, 13 tables that can be
used for play. Perhaps theyll have
round robins after all?
Right away we begin
practicing. My 8-year-olds
Richard (L) and Larry Shelley
Photos by Harvey Shelley
concentration is good, but it always
takes Scott 20-30 minutes to get
his head together. Like me, he doesnt enjoy practicinghe always wants to smile and play
games, always wants to look at the spectators and always wants them to look at him.
I hear Vichnin explaining to several people that the event prices for this one-star
tourney (Mens$5; As$4.50; Bs$4; Cs$3.50) are high in the hopes of keeping
the entries down (theyd anticipated theyd have only 9 tables to play on). Unfortunately, he
says, that didnt workthey have a large entry, and wouldnt have access to an additional 4
tables until later in the morning. Errol Resek, mindful of the increased entry fees, was one who
deliberately boycotted the tournament. The $50 1st prize in the Mens, he felt, wasnt
commensurate with the money being taken in.
I think to myself that this Philly tournament really centers around the Class A, Class B,
Class C playersthose players mirrored by the games of Vichnin, Haring, Anderson, their
Philadelphia friends and acquaintances. If they really didnt want so many matches, why are
they holding a Class C? Wouldnt a Class A, a Class B have been sufficient?
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As for the U/13 Juniors (and here in the interest of recording some facts I must get a
little ahead of my storythis article is, after all, about why I got mad, and, as you can see, Im
not mad yet), there are 10 entries. Just enough, I think, to make two nice round robins.
Philadelphia is represented by only one player, Bruce Plotnick. With the exception of New
Jerseys Mike Stern, all the other boys have come from New York.
Of course Im talking about Boys here, The entry blank also
listed Girls U-17, U-15, U-13, but those events were just mechanically
inserted, without a thought as to where girl-entries would come from.
(Perhaps Baltimores Miss Santana would round up a dozen or so
friends from her neighborhood Y and charter a bus and come on up
for a fun day at the tournament? No? Why not?)
Actually there were four girls who showed. Miss Reinhart,
who for some reason participated in only one eventplayed one
match against Miss McDowell to win the U-13s. Miss McDowell
played one match in the 15s and one match in the 17s, both against
Miss Santana who beat her 7, 10 and 5, 6. That left Santana to play
Womens A winner Muriel Stern who at our next Nationals would be
Juanita Santana
a semifinalist in the Girls Under 15. These so-called events could
hardly have been very satisfying to anyone. How much better it would have been to use some
common sense and, rules or no rules, mix the girls in with the boysand of course play some
round robin matches. Ill hazard that what this new Philadelphia club needs is a Junior
Development Chair.
Im reminded of Alice Green and Shazzi Felstein wanting to play in the Mens Class A,
so as to get some fun practice, and not being allowed to because it was contrary (since there
was a Womans Class A) to some rule written down someplace in an almost secret manual that
only a relatively few people in the united States, not to say the world, looked at or cared
about.
The Boys U-15 had a turnout of 24. The U-17s a full draw of 32which worked out
nicely (no need for byes, eh?) except of course for someone like Steve Wolf who rode down
from New York and in the 1st round met Danny Seemiller of the U.S. Junior Team.
Well, there was always Junior Doubles. Only, since this event was scheduled for 6:30 in
the eveningBoys U-15 began at 11:40there was a long wait for most fathers and sons in
between, especially when in actual fact the Junior
Doubles didnt get under way until almost 9:00. But so
a third of the entries had left by then, so what? Of
course if they could afford it, Juniors could play in the
intervening Class events, right?
But, though Id entered and paid their fees
ahead of time, just getting my two boys into the Class
A Doubles was such a hassle. I thought that 8-year-old
Eric and Bernie Bukiet might be able to keep the ball in
play together. But you should have heard the bitching
that brought forth. Why, it was as if someone might
lose to them. If Eric can play with Bernie, said Marty
Theil, the 3rd-ranked singles and 1st-ranked doubles
player in Pennsylvania, then I can.
Marty Theil...hell play with Bernie
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Still, Vichnin risked it for me. No, Bernie and little Eric wouldnt have been seeded in
the Mens, nor Scott and I (we were to lose in the 1st round of the As). Later, though, Herb
says to me, Look, next time let us make the rules here, let us run our own tournament our
own way. You know, Ive had to let other players in who wouldnt otherwise have played.
(Maybe he meant Stephens and Wong who beat Vichnin and Bill Sharpe in the final?)
My god, 5 hours commuting time and $60 entry fees aside, youd think I was asking
one hell of a favor to let my kids play a little bit in the tournament.
Of course what really made me mad happened quite early in the day. After warming up
Scott and Eric, I went over to look at the draw sheets. There was the U-13 drawand, no,
they werent having a round robin, it was single elimination. And Scott in his 1st match was
playing the #1 seed Timmy House. You wouldnt do that to your worst enemy. And in the U15s, in the 2nd round, there again, though repeatedly they play at the New York Club, was
Timmy House.
Never mind that Scott had to play in the U-17s, in the first round, Mike Stern, who in
a recent tournament was voted The Most Promising Junior among the East Coast regulars,
it was expected hed likely draw someone tough there.
In the 13s and 15s it was the same as last time. I
might just as well never have written the Topics article, never
have sent the note to Vichnin. Nothing had changed.
Well, goddammit, I got mad. If I thought theyd
spitefully, deliberately manipulated my boy into the draws that
way, II dont what I would have done. But, no, I felt it
couldnt be petty malice, I didnt want to believe that.
However, it seems to me that in the last six years since I
returned to play, the players and their often common-sense
Vic turned his
requests have been repeatedly subordinated to the abstract
back on Tim,
laws of the USTTA by a number of officials simply because its
did he?
much easier that way to run a tournament. The question of
being fair and just is so dependent on the pros and cons of each individual caselike the
complicated ethics of ones own lifethat its much simpler not to have to confront any vital
human emotional appeal but to say irrationally, coldly, What is the Rule on this?
I felt that Vichnin, Haring, and Anderson really didnt give much of a damn about
Juniors. Thirteen tables they had, and, during the course of the long day, again and again tables
were vacant of matches. Had they decided earlier to time-schedule them, they could easily
have played round-robin matches for the Boys U-13. Short-staffed as they were, I myself
would have run it (as the next week I was to run an U-15 event in Kaminskys Capital Open).
They could have started it not an hour late as they did, but at 8:30, and if theyd have given
me two tables, Id have had the event finished at 11.
Its something of a paradox that Vichnin, though he seldom, if ever, supports a
tournament outside his own area, does want table tennis, at least locally, to growand
certainly it was through his efforts that the large new Philly club was found. In fact, in many
ways, for the bulk of the entries, he organized and ran a good tournament.
As for Anderson, well, you cant deny he works hard too. Topics, as you know, has
been helped immeasurably because I can count on his photographs. And Id heard that hed
helped young Plotnick to improve his game. But the other Juniors, Mal, the other Juniors, all
the ones you dont see, what about them? And now, there at the tournament as Id been
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coming at him hard, he lifted up his pants leg and showed me a bruise hed somehow gotten in
working 12 straight hours yesterday preparing the club for this tournament. I work as hard as
you do for the Game! he counter-screamed, and for one unbelievable moment I thought he
was going to take a swing at me. Youre always trying to change the rules when it affects
Scott, he said. Youre not so interested when it comes to someone else. I didnt think this
was true, but even if it were, surely one has a responsibility to look after ones own.
Vichnin, meanwhile, after urging me to calm down, himself dropped the pose of reason
and began threatening me with a letter hed written after my last Topics write-up.
What letter? I said. Where is it? Give it to me and Ill print it.
No, he said. I just want to see your face when you read it.
Well give it to me, I said. But for some reason he never did.
Since there werent going to be round robin matches, the only concession I wanted
them to make in the U-13 draw was a token one, so that Scott would play Timmy House (the
eventual winner of the U-13s and U-15s) in the 2nd round rather than in the 1st. This change
involved my younger son Eric and the younger Shelley boy, Larry. Eric would now play not
Larry but Timmy House, who would be nice and give him practice. Eric wasnt going to win in
either case, and Larry, instead of having a lock over Eric, would play Scotta fair match (they
were later to play in another event where Scott was down 16-18 in the 3rd before winning).
Vichnin, whos certainly more flexible than
Haring or Anderson, actually agreed to this change, but
then a protest was made by Long Islands Fred Danner
on behalf of his son Carl whod split matches with Scott
in the earlier Empire State Open. If Carl wanted to be
the #4th seed rather than Scott, that would be all right
with me, so long as Scott didnt have to play one of the
top seeds in the 1st round.
Anderson, though, professed to see nothing
wrong with Scott playing Timmy in the 1st round.
But you know how well Scotts played the last
two tournaments, I said.
Fred and Carl Danner
How should I know that? he says indignantly.
Photo by Danny Ganz
You were there, I say.
But I dont watch the 13s, he says.
Ironically, however, Fred Danner, whod earlier objected to my proposed change in the
draw, registers his protest at what he hadnt realized before, that Scott was to play Timmy in
the 1st round. You can imagine how Vichnin needs to hear this.
Now at my request, Haring, along with Bob Kaminsky and Jimmy Verta, who are, or
were, National Ranking Committeemen, become interested. The Rules Manual is found, paged
through, examined. Erich wants to know only if theres been any breach of regulations. Bob
wants to know if, though hes down in Washington, he shouldnt have been consulted
regarding the U-13 draw.
Vichnin is asked how hed seeded the event. We seeded one and placed two, he
answers.
But you cant do that, says Haring.
Well then, says Vichnin, we seeded two and placed one.
Never mind, says Haring. After the draws been posted, you cant change it.
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But the draw wasnt made conscientiously, I say.

Still, theres no breach of regulations, says Haring.
Anderson agrees. Right, he says. I only know one wayand thats to go by the
book. If you dont like the rules, change them.
Change them, I think. Change how many petty rules! A foolish consistency is the
hobgoblin of little minds and other nasty thoughts are scampering through my mind.
O.K., finally there is nothing
more I can do. Scott plays Timmy
House once, twice. In the U-17s
he plays Mike Stern who, having
showboated at the CNE with
Sweeris, seems to want to do more
of it. Surprisingly, Scott is up 1-0
and unbelievably has him 20-17
match point in the 2nd. Then he
smiles at Mike, serves a fast, tricky
serveoff! Loses the game. Up
18-17 in the 3rd, he loses that one
too. I am both vindicated by his
play and extremely disappointed
Mike Stern: best to keep an eye on...the photographer
even, you might say, sick at heart.
Photo by Mal Anderson
Turns out another father is
too. New Yorker Howie Korman
has also lost a heartbreaker to Stern, deuce in the 3rd. It would have been a marvelous win for
him too. I catch a glimpse of young Howie and his father going down the stairs long before the
tournament is over, almost as if they were sneaking
off. Its as if no one has seen the boy play, no one
cares if he returns another day. No, Howie is not
going to the USOTCs.
After Scott is finished with his last matcha
Mens Consolationit is past 11 p.m. And after a
full day of cheering my boys on and cheering myself
through 6 events, I am getting tired. It will be
another 2-3 hours before the Mens final, before
Bukiet and Roberts will be playing in front
ofwho?for what?
The Shelley boys, Richard and Larry, and
Scott and Eric and I get into the car to head for
home, and the two little ones are soon fast asleep.
It is raining steadily and there is no let up.
Howie Korman
I stop on the other side of Philadelphia to
Photo by Bill Marlens
keep awake. My little 8-year-old Eric (he won that
first doubles match with Bernie, deuce in the 3rd,
won another match from an older boy after being down 6-0 in the 3rd and crying), he just cant
stand up any more to the pace, the pressure. He and Scott are sitting sound asleep at the
Howard Johnsons counter.
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We get back into the car, drive on another 20 miles in the rain, and Ive got to stop
again. More coffee. Now, though, Im determined to make it home without any more stops. As
it is, it will be after 3 a.m. when I get to bed.
Coming down the last 45-minute stretch, watching the wipers go back and forth, again
nearly dozing off, I quickly, instinctively, have to swerve hard to avoid hitting a car.
WHATS THE MATTER, CANT YOU DRIVE! a voice screams at me. And now
Im yelling, howling out loud at myself, cursing, urging myself to stay awake, be responsible.
Ten minutes later we come to a very bad accident. A car has been completely
destroyed. Four former occupants huddle dazed on the wet grass. Someone is covered with a
blanket who will never speak again.
I remind myself that this is it. Even if I am just absurdly, madly, talking to myself here,
Ive got to stay awakeI have to speak out. Its not just for me, to keep me alivebut for the
boysmy own of course, but the others too.
Its one of those times, I tell myself, when it makes sense to be something of a
madman.
This Why I Got Mad article drew Mal Andersons fire
grossly unfair, he called it (TTT, Jan.-Feb., 1972, 16), then
elaborated:
Your comment about me, that for one unbelievable
moment I thought he was going to take a swing at me, was
totally asinine. What really happened was that after you
screamed and raved for several minutes, I yelled back. There
was no possible threat of violence on my part. If I looked that
bad to you, how do you think you looked to me, and to
everyone else there? Unlike you, Tim, Ive never been kicked
out of a tournament for uncontrolled temperament. Unlike
you, Ive never been involved in a fistfight at a tournament, or
hit a spectator with a thrown racquet.* And you see threats of
violence when I raise my voice? Im keeping this short
Mal venting
because, unlike you, I dont think the memberships dues money
should be spent on long articles written just to vent my feelings.
To the membership: This man put this nine-column article in Topics just to
satisfy his personal feelings, knowing full well that Topics budget is already way overspent. At the USOTCs E.C. meeting [details in a later chapter], he had to get an
increase of $2,000 of our hard-earned dollars just to keep operating.* When pressed
about his budget overrun, he replied, So double the goddam dues! If the E.C. minutes
are printed in this issue, you can all read that he did propose to double your dues. Do
you think this irresponsible person should receive any consideration when you vote for
president of the USTTA?
Tim, I trust you will print this before the election. It will save me the trouble of
sending copies to all the affiliated clubs.
There hadnt been a tournament in the Washington, D.C. area in almost 5 years, but
now, a week after the Liberty Bells ring still echoed, Bob Kaminsky decided to put on the
U.S.A. Capital Open in New Carrolton, Maryland. Perhaps this was a catharsis of sorts, for I
believe, only the week before, the local club had burned down.
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Whereas I heard the people in Philadelphia had made $1,000 from their 1-star, the only
capital Kaminsky could raise here, after all was said and done, was $200. Of course though he
wanted all the entries he could get, his aim was scarcely to make money. He charged, for
example, $1 for Boys U-17, not $3 as they did in Philadelphia, $3 for Mens, not $5 as they
did in Philadelphia.
And in another sense, too, and Im sorry to
have to say it, this wasnt a capital openwas, in
fact, far from first-rate. Saturday morning play was in
a small room with 5 too-crowded-together tables
while we were kept waiting for the schools gym
turns out a ballet class had it until noon. And then
once we got the gym, the floor was so slippery as to
prove almost unplayable. Players had their sneakers
and socks off. And it was all one could do to
persuade one barefoot European-cum-New Yorker,
mustachioed Joe Mimososometimes called
Portuguese Joefrom throwing cups of sticky
Portuguese Joe Mimoso
coke all over the new floor. Which, if the object was
Photo by Mal Anderson
to end the tournament early, certainly would have
done it.
Playing conditions aside, however, it was a pleasure for me to go to Kaminskys
tournamentto be welcomed, with my wife and kids, as a weekend houseguest into Bob and
Barbaras home. In this run-where-you-can, when-you-can, whether-you-can-afford-it-or-not
table tennis world, such hospitality comes as a saving grace. Shiroky, Brathwaite, Bukiet, and
Schiff, too, were put up, and perhaps others (Carl and Yvonne Kronlage had offered their
home)all of us made to feel that the organizers appreciated our 5-hour drive there, and the
same back.
Actually, for some whod tried to find Good Luck Road, either the night before or in
the early morning, there were problems. Caught in the parallel lines of the Belt that
unexpectedly read West and Southas if to defy the laws of space and starlightPeter
Stephens and friends drove back and forth for hours in the dark trying to find the right exit.
Fuarnado Roberts, going it alone, circled round and round, and finally landed. A quick phone
call. Yes, hed come by plane. Could anyone please come out to the airport and pick him
up?What? What do you mean, the tournaments in Washington?Robbie was at the
Baltimore airport!
Lets begin coverage with the Juniors, at least two of whom, Mike Stern and Richard
Shelley, also had arrival problems, for heavy fog had closed the N.J. Turnpike. Twice
telephone calls to Kaminsky had to be made: Were coming, were coming! Please play
around us!
Under 13s. With that crazy-cut racket of his, Stern beat Bruce Plotnick in a terrific19,
-20, 23 final. Bruce (whose dad, Sol, tells me he always takes 3 bufferin tablets before the
Junior matches) was ahead 18-15 in the 3rd, but couldnt hold on to win. Until the second half
of the 2nd game, Bruce said, he hadnt found the right pattern of play. Hed been chopping
Mikes serves and too often popping the ball up. Which was a big mistake, since 11-year-old
Mike, whod just recently won one of the vaunted 16 spots in his N.J. clubs Thursday-night
league, can really swat a forehand.
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Under 15s. Long Islands Jeff Zakarin beat

Stern in the semis and Plotnick in the final, both in
straight games. Jeffs back playing welland
ironically part of the reason might be that his robots
broken. With that kind of mechanical practice he
was having trouble changing his rhythms to the
different styles he had to meet in tournament play.
Boys Under17s. Another Long Islander,
Richard Shelley, beat Zakarin in the semis and
Stern in the final. In just the last week Richard had
gotten coaching from Roberts. Hed been using
half-dead sponge, had been standing far too upright,
and had been keeping his racket much too closed.
Robbie got him to crouch, to open up his forehand
stroke, and to stop slamming backhandsinstead,
he was to concentrate on keeping the ball in play
until he could set up the forehand kill. It made all
the difference.
Jeff Zakarin...back on his game
Photo by Mal Anderson
Can anyone still doubt that you need active
not passive people in this Game, people who are
into the tournament scene, player-coaches who
have demonstrated their ability and can be looked
up to by the young. Things really must continue to
change if the Sport is to grow. Its amazing to find
out that as late as the late 1950s, it was mandatory
in the U.S. Open to have a Senior Doubles but not
a Boys or Girls U-13.
Girls Under 17s. Its just ridiculous to
mindlessly have a Girls U-17 if one has reason to
believe beforehand that almost no one will show up
for it. In the final here, Miss Santana beat Miss
Young 6 and 0. Holding this event (and the same
thing happened last week) prevents Santana from
playing with U-17 boys (preferably in a beginning
round robin) who would give her the enjoyment,
the practice, of participating with those she might
beat or give close games to. How long, if faced
with such stupid adherence to a rule, will she keep
coming to tournaments?
Womens. Barbara Kaminsky took the
Womenswinning in the semis 2-1 over Guyanas
Marguerite Burnett, who recently took time off
from her U.N. work to have a baby, and in the final
South Koreas Lisa Yoon
Photo by Mal Anderson
2-0 over pretty, pig-tailed Lisa Yoon, formerly of
South Korea, whos now living in Coach Jack
Carrs Hampton, Virginia area and working in the PX at Langley Air Force Base.
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Mixed Doubles. Burnett, however, had her winning moments. She paired with Peter
Stephens, also from Guyana, to win the Mixed from former National Mixed Champions
Bukiet/Kaminsky.
Womens As. Marguerite also took the Womens from 20-year-old Yoon whod come
to the States to live with her sister and brother-in-law. Lisa had been on a South Korean high
school team that went to Japan to play. She used to practice 5-6 hours a day against good
competition and wishes she had the opportunity to do that here.
Mens As. In between cleaning up the house after her
two youngsters and mine, and preparing for the post-tourney
party she and Bob were to give, Barbara, edging out Mort
Greenberg 29-27 in the 3rd in the quarters, and Jim
McQueen 23-21 and 21-19 in the semis, got to the final.
There she was finally beaten by Herb Horton, runner-up to
Boggan in the Seniorsor perhaps I should say she was
beaten by Herbies incredible, as if termite-ridden racket, the
rubber literally having been stapled on to the blade.
Mens Bs. McQueen also lost in the semis of the
Bsto runner-up Alex Gellen, the Consolation winner. Best
in Bs was Richard Chen who back in the quarters barely
beat out 12-year-old Plotnick, 19 in the 3rd.
Herb Horton with his stapled racket
Mens Singles. The only contested match in the
Mens quarters is the tense 5-gamer between Chui and
Roberts. After Lim Ming lost to Robbie last week he changed to pips out. But, down 2-0, that
doesnt seem to have helped him. Only now he steadies, forgets about trying to hit out, or
even roll the ball, just pushes and chops with the wooden side of his racket, tries patiently to
get the expedite rule in.And this strategy works wondershes up 15-11 in the 5th. But then
helped by two backhands that zip in, Robbie ties it up. Chuis a little rattled? He serves a fast
one, offno, not off, it catches the edge. And Mings saved from quite possibly a breaking
point. Robbie, upset, makes a pushing error. But he collects himself, gets another backhand
inits 18-all.
And now into this drama enters the deus ex machinathe expedite rule. Which does
not provide a happy ending for Robbie. Hes left to complainand with some justification
about the use of the electric clock instead of a stop watch, about the fact that the tables were
close together and so, because there were no barriered-off courts, stray balls repeatedly
stopped play, which Chui perhaps took advantage of by toweling himself more than was
necessary, or so it seemed, so it always seems to one whos lost under such circumstances.
Resek, after quickly going through Boggan, is in the process of doing same to
Brathwaite and so will advance to the final. (Oh, says The Chiefs wife, Merle, my husband.
My husband, Ive never seen him play so bad.) Chui, meanwhile, made quick work of
Bernieallowed him only 36 points in 3 games. Maybe someone had come up to Ming in
between matches, given him a big lift by congratulating him on his 6-page spread in the
November Esquire? Anyway, this loss wasnt the worst that had befallen Bernie recently.
That morning at the Kaminskys, when we were all listening to a recording of Yul
Brynners sister singing Russian songs, Bernie came down from sleeping late and began very
excitedly telling us that he knew these songs, that these come out when I was there, fighting,
back during World War II, and how he would sing them all, one after the other, :when I have a
date and oh, how easy it would be then to.
217

Now he was trying again to mouth the words. Except that he was having a little
trouble. Because now several of his front teeth were missing. I have a little bridge, he was
telling us by way of explanation. I have a tooth pulled. And this weakened my bridge, you
understand? I live on the 8th floor. I go to the window. I dont think. I look down from my
house and everything all fall out, you understand? And I never find. Now [he smiled] I have a
big dentist bill. Timmy, you put down in Topics if any dentist is interested in having a good
ping-pong coach.***
Weve still that Mens final between Errol and Lim Ming to play, and also the final of
the Mens Doubles. But its getting very late. Perhaps the tournament cant be completed. The
custodian had been issued strict orders to have everyone out of the gym by midnight. But of
course hed been given a few more dollars and had extended his deadline to 2 a.m. But thats
itno later.
Against Chui, Resek has no troubleat least in the beginning. Perhaps its the half of
glass of beer Lim Ming has been drinking before the match. I never drink alcohol, hed said
quite seriously. (But then why was he drinking beer?) The first two games Chui really looks
bad, but then he takes the 3rd, and after an abbreviated break (Cmon, said Errol, is there
gonna be time for the Doubles, or not?), Ming is feeling much better. I was drunk, he says.
Now I can see better. Except that he just cant stop Errol from snapping in backhands and
winning easily.
Mens Doubles. One game! shouts Kaminsky to Errol and me. We had beaten
Roberts/Chui in the semis, but were now about to lose to Brathwaite/Shiroky in the final.
One game! We have to be out of here by 2! But we made it 2 out of 3 anyway. And while a
tired custodian was noisily sweeping up this last dirty room, while the few spectators were
chatting and taking up their chairs, while the several remaining tables were being folded up and
rolled away around us, we played onthis week table tennis U.S.A,.next week?
SELECTED NOTES
*Regarding the two incidents Mal speaks of, Ive written in Vol. IV about how I
irresponsibly let the racket go and how it caromed off and nicked Patty Martinezs brother Jess
on the nose, and how consequently I was defaulted from the tournament. I was never in a
fistfight. Mals referring to when I beat Hal Green in a close match at a tournament in the
downstairs gym of the Riverside Plaza Hotel. I let out a whoop on winning, which Hal, who
could be volatile at times, did not take kindly to, and then, trying to be conciliatory, I thrust my
hand out to Hal and unintentionally made slight contact with his chest which he mistook for
aggression. He wrestled me to the ground and had me in a neck hold as his daughter Alice
upstairs in the balcony began screaming. What she didnt know was that Id deliberately gone
totally limp and Hal, understanding I was not fighting him, was putting no pressure on me at
all. We soon got up and resumed our friendship.
**USTTA Treasurer Dell Sweeris, in a Jan. 6, 1972 letter to the E.C. says his analysis
of the Topics situation shows that the China issue (50,000 copies instead of the usual 67,000) is what has thrown the budget into an unfavorable position. He goes on to say that
since the E.C. approved this run, I really dont think we can hold Tim Boggan [responsible].
***In the very next Jan.-Feb, 1972 issue of Topics, N.J.s Dr. Thomas Lenz, a dentist
who plays at the Irvington Club, offered his services to Bernie.

218

Chapter Seventeen
1971: Tournaments Before USOTCs.
Florida started its fall season with
the Sept. tournament in Orlando.
Joe Sokoloff won the Mensin 5
in the semis (after losing the 3rd at
deuce to go 2-1 down) over an
attacking Richard McAfee (now
living in Miami), and in 4 in the
final over Womens winner Olga
Soltesz. Olga had a 5-game
quarters match with Boys U-17
winner Jeff Thomas, then, behind
2-1 in the semis, fought off Ray
Mergliano. As H Blair tells us
Joe Sokoloff
(TTT, Nov.-Dec. 1971, 22), Ray
Ray Mergliano
Photo by Mal Anderson
is primarily a spinner, Olga is
strictly a hitter. And because Olga does not chop, Ray was not
able to use his most effective weaponthe loop. So, in the ensuing
counterdriving contest, Olga was best. In addition to taking the Mixed with
Steve Rigo in a furious 28, 20, -14, -23, 13 final over Sokoloff/Gayle Rogers,
she was runner-up with Mergliano in Mens Doubles, eliminating Steve
Federico/Greg Gingold before losing to Sokoloff/McAfee. Olgas successes
prompted some men to complain about her playing in their events.*
The Pinnell family, formerly from Minnesota and now living in
Chattahoochee, Florida, distinguished themselves. Octavio, Jr. was runnerup in the As to Sam Hoffner, Senior Champ over Jerry Perlmutter; won the
Class B from Bill Bobson; placed 2nd in Boys U-17; and won the Boys U-15
from John Elliott. Phil Pinnell, 10, took the Under 13s. And Octavio, Sr.
Steve Federico went home the Novice winner.
At the Oct.
Miami Gold Coast Open, Beverlyn Hess,
best in Brevard County (as is her father,
Randy), won the Womens over archrival Debbie Scruggs. The Men played a
7-team round robin for the
Championshipwith the result that
three teams tied: Sokoloff/Lenny Bass;
McAfee/Sol Schiff (despite Steve Rigo
and his anti doing in both players); and
Bob Walker/Peter Pradit (playing now
not out of Chicago but Miami, for it may
be that Peter is already working in Bobs
Bev Hess - best in Brevard
bank as a computer technician). The
Photo by Mal Anderson
219

other seeded team of Under 17 winner John Quick/John Tannehill (graduate of a Miami high
school) didnt fare so well because both McAfee and Schiff out-countered Tannehill, and
Sokoloffs super-loop did John in as well. Pradits 10-0 record was unmatched, but he did
have to rally to beat both Sokoloff and Tannehill. John is using more defense in his game,
says Joe (TTT, Nov.-Dec. 1971, 22), and this would sometimes slow Peter down to where
hed temporize with a rolling topspin, and then John would move around and smash the ball
right off the bounce. Both players, though, generally smashed the ball to the far edges of the
table and were going for deep angles and for the point with every shot.
Before hurrying off to the Nov. $600 Southern Open at Raleigh, N.C., the top N.Y.
players participated in Joe Montis Paddle Palace tournament in N.J. As Ray McDowell
reports (TTT, Jan.-Feb. 1972, 29), not enough table space and 110 entries produced a 4 a.m.
Mens final between George Brathwaite and Fuarnado Roberts whod been down 2-0 and at
deuce in the 3rd with Dave Philip. As usual, George has been playing any number of matches in
singles and doubles, but when he wins the first two games at 19, he should still have enough
juice, adrenalin, whatever, to finish Robbie off. But up 16-10 in the 3rd, he cant close, and
cant win the 4th either. In the 5th
Brathwaites leading 19-11, and its Roberts serve. Then, all that draining of
energy takes its toll and Brathwaite gets a king-size muscle cramp. Its so painful he
can hardly stand. Umpire Ray McDowell tries to help and does manage to work it out
a little, but the minute he stops rubbing, the muscle knots up like a ball!
Roberts, ever a gentleman, and a great sport, has Brathwaite stand up to the
table and purposefully serves 2 off to give George the match!
Other N.J.
Paddle Palace
winners: Womens:
Pat Hildebrand over
Muriel Stern, 18 in
the 3rd. Mens
Doubles:
Brathwaite/Peter
Stephens over Mitch
Sealtiel/Philip
whod downed
Roberts/Boggan 19
in the 3rd. Mixed:
Scott McDowell
Joe Ching
Sealtiel/Stern over
Photo by Mal Anderson
Photo by Mal Anderson
Brathwaite/
Hildebrand. Class A: Sam Hammond (whom well hear more
about shortly) over Joe Ching, after Joe had stopped Eric Phillips 19 in the 3rd. A Doubles:
Phillips/Timmy House over Hammond/Arthur Nieves. Seniors: Sid Jacobs over Ed Gutman, 15, 19, 17, then Irwin Wolf whod ousted Van Doren 19 in the 3rd. Under 17s: Jeff Zakarin
over Richard Shelley in the semis, -17, 23, 20, and Scott McDowell (Rays son) in the final,
deuce in the 3rd. Under 15s: McDowell over Zakarin. Under 13s: Bruce Plotnick over Mike
Stern.
220

The Southern Open, held at

Raleighs Lions Park Recreation Center
under the sponsorship of Tommy Tarrant
and Jim McQueen, was the only
tournament in my life Ive ever been to that
I didnt hear one roar of complaint. And
why was that? Because, though they lost
$200 (when they didnt get the local entry
they expectedwhere, for example, were
Atlanta Closed stalwarts, Altenbach,
Tommy Tarrant
Jim McQueen
Cannella, Golden?), they gained so much
Photo by Mal Anderson
good will by being extra-considerate of the
players. If a posted draw wasnt to your liking, if you thought some injustice had inadvertently
been done yousay you were scheduled to play the same person twice, or a person from your
own areathe voice behind the microphone kept urging the players themselves to come up to
the Control Desk and help set matters straight.
I found out later that Referee/Drawmaker Jack Carr wrote National Tournament
Director Dick Hicks a four-page, single-space Dec. 22 letter on all that he, Jack, had done and
all that should be done in the running of this, a 3-Star tournament. For example, said Jack:
I had to be at the tournament site all the time. I didnt have time to play, and
so I didnt even though I do usually. I didnt have time to go out to eat. Everyone
checked out and in through me; I kept a list including the time they were due to
return.
I offered to write the news media, and a letter of introduction for the local
people, on official stationary. Most of the time this is more impressive than contact
from the local people alone. Also, I arrived early Friday in case it were needed for me
to contact the press in the blue blazer with insignia. An official uniform and a title
usually helps.
All Saturday morning was devoted to the Juniors. The
Tournament Committee allowed me to run round robins in
both the 15s and 17s, so each boy, including my two little
ones, got to play (though there was no 13 event) anywhere
from 10 to 14 matches. Augustas Pete May (Hell be the
Atlanta Closed Champion) was one much interested in
Junior playhe got to the final of the Bs after a great match
with Atlantas Ray Filz (white sweatband juxtaposed to black
golf glove gave me the impression that Ray was some sort of a
swingin Dr. Strangeglove). Pete, who said hed quit playing if
he couldnt come to the fun round robin matches at the
USOTCs, planned to bring a Junior team there not next
Pete May...looking impish
month but next year.
N.Y.s Ricky Rumble won the U-15s (7 entries) without
losing a game. However, he had a challenging 18, 23 match with Octavio Pinnell, Jr. who last
year had gotten some good coaching in Minneapolis from Charlie Disney and others. Octavios
221

loop bothered Ricky for a while, but though he had

chances to close a point he would either refuse to angle
his hits or be unable to drop the ball in close enough to
catch Ricky.
Octavio, Sr., whod moved his family to a little
town outside Tallahassee, was telling me that there are
about 30 players in his immediate vicinity and that a
few of them are Class A caliber but that none of them
want to get beat by his 10-year-old son Phil. So hes
having a difficult time starting anything.
Its really not an unusual story. The game seems
to be split in this country between the amateurs who
want to play socially and the professionals who want to
play seriously. Generally speaking, its the seriousminded who come to Geza Gazdags N.Y. Invitational
to see some of the worlds best players, while the
amateur-minded majority, who have little or no passion
Phil Pinnell
Photo: Table Tennis Unlimited
for the Game, stay home.
(Courtesy of Sue Sargent)
One father in the Raleigh area had seen a notice
about the tournament in the paper (thats how I started,
saw a notice in the paper) and had brought his son to play in the 15s, but not the 17s. They
wanted to see what it was like. Ordinarily, the kid would get no play at all, would lose his first
match and be out of the event and out of the tournament. What struck this father, as the son
lost match after match, was the incredibly serious attitude of the winning boys and their
fathers. Wasnt it, after all, just a game? So I had to tell him that, when you drive thousands of
miles, spend thousands of dollars every year, and sometimes suffer as you see your children
sometimes suffer out there at the table, no, its not just a game. For you, for them, winning is
very different from losing.
That father, seeing what some would call this obscene reality, and hearing me carefully
try to explain itas Pete Maravichs father, say, must often have tried hard to explain itleft
with his boy before the kid had finished playing all his matches. I dont think they went back to
their basement to try to practice upany more than I think the U.S. Team can ever be a threat
in world competition by practicing exclusively in their little basements.
In the U-17s (11 entries) Rumble lost an early game to Tom Seay but then ran it out
against everybody else including National U-15 Champ John Quick in the 14, 21 final. Down
17-16 in the 2nd, Quick scores with a serve and one. Down 19-18, he gets a low, flat forehand
in. Then, after Ricky goes match point up with a hard passing forehand (Baby!), John
(Thats it!) passes him. But Rumble, up again, is not to be denied. He gets an irretrievable
edge (All right!) to win.
John rounds the table and, as hes on his way, fast, out of the playing court, the
ballsomehow gets squashed. Referee Jack Carr in his black and white-striped vest goes after
John as if hes about to throw down a handkerchief on the play. Inference and Hypothesis
thats a chapter particularly interesting to John in a bridge book hes been reading by a
controversial English expert, Terence Reese** (John started playing this complicated card
game at age 7). Inference and Hypothesis: the Durham Herald umpire laughs and says, When
the National Champion gets beat, I sort of feel a crushed balls in order. Carr didnt think so,
222

but said in his letter to Hicks that he didnt say anything to Tannehill right away, didnt want to
rub salt in the wound, and that when later he talked to him about unsportsmanlike conduct
and how it would be a shame to ruin a great record by one emotional moment, John agreed
and thanked me, and later umpired a match for the one he failed to do because of the flare
up.
John also got to the final of the Class A where, after a nip and tuck (12, -22, 19) win
over his longtime playing partner Dick McAfee, he was beaten very easily by Dave Philip.
Both Philip and Peter Stephens had come from N.Y. under the impression that there were
money prizes for the As. Dave stuck it out, but Peter strayed away and was defaulted. The
two had been winning some doubles tournaments in the East, but here they were eliminated in
the quarters by Roberts/Boggan who went on to down Resek/Brathwaite in the final.
Beverlyn Hess won both the Girls U-15 (3 entries) and U-17 from her Spaceport Club
neighbor, Debbie Scruggs. Bev was telling me about this horse she used to have in her back lot
of a yard. It loved to roam about eating grass and more grass, crossing over Route 1 in search
ofwell, whatever a horse searches for, until finally it and the situation just got out of hand.
The teenage Bev, too, is a roamer (at least when it comes to t.t. tournaments)?
In the Womens (9 entries), Bev lost 18, 17, 21 in the semis to Lisa Yoonwho
inched out Xuan Ferguson in a 19-in-the-5th thriller. Lisa had come to Raleigh 3 days before
the tournament, and had practiced hour after hour with Tommy Tarrant who had just blocked
ball after ball to her. After winning the 1st game from Xuan, Lisa began pushing with herbut
even though Lisas pushes were sometimes much too high, Xuan wouldnt hit them. Why take
a chance, she must have figuredpushing is my game, Lisas is topspinning. But now Lisa
begins to vary her top and chop. And Xuan is bothered by a serve where Lisas hand passes in
front of the ball and she cant momentarily see it. Down 20-17, Xuan loses the 3rd at 19 when
she cant bring herself to hit the high ball that will tie it up; instead, she drops it too short.
Down 20-16 in the 5th, she starts another rally, gets to 19but no further.
In the Mixed, Chui/Yoon advance by Sokoloff/Scruggs in 5, but lose their final to
Pradit/Ferguson. Peters quick angles dont give Ming much opportunity other than desperate
attempts for winners.
Sunday afternoon all play stopped except for the Mens quarters. Pradit, the ex-Thai
star, was ready, but a while back it looked as if he might not be. Hed been faced with the
possibility of playing a woman opponent, and this was culturally something he was not about
to doeven if it meant he had to default. Fortunately, Peter, whos taking an intensive English
course at the University of
Miami (he hopes soon to be
getting into computer work)
didnt have to speak to the
problemhis prospective
female opponent never got to
him.
Instead, he breezed by
Kuo-san Chung (once
Nationalist China Air Force
Champ, now a doctoral student
in Electrical Engineering at
Kuo-san Chung, short-circuited by Pradit
Duke) who last year had beaten
Photo by Mal Anderson
223

Resek 14, 11 at the USOTCs, and who this year knocked me out in the 1st round. Chung Stuns
Boggan was the weekend headline. Penholder Chungs wooden side of the racket had absolutely
no effect on Pradit, and when Peter started looping, Chung couldnt compete.
In the companion quarters on this side of the draw, Roberts and Bukiet warmed up for their match
by playing gin rummy. My little Eric comes in from having wrestled playfully at football outside and
asks Bernie, What month has 28 days? Bernie thinks a while and surprises me by saying,
February. Hah, hah, yells my little one. Youre wrong! All the months have 28 days!
It is not Bernies day. Robbie borrows my sneakers, goes out and beats him 3-0. For
some perverse reason, Bukiet (who earlier, down 20-13 to Hou-min Chang, had won 8
straight) is playing Roberts with a new, untouched racket, and during one stretch misses 6
consecutive forehands, almost, as it were, deliberatelyas if to prove its not in the cards for
him to win. Up 19-16 in the 3rd, he drops 5 in a row. Another reminder to us that weve seen
him strangely fatalistic beforesometimes not even finishing out a match when it seems he has
every chance to win it.
Pradit fares even worse with Roberts. Hes switched from thinner to thicker rubber,
cant hit as flat as he used to, now spins more. He says against a hitter the change has helped
him to bring the ball back faster. But Robbie isnt a hitter. He plays spectacular defense, and
Peter goes down, down, down, 9, 9, 10!
In the other half of the Draw, both quarters matches are close. Brathwaite begins by
soft rolling to lefthander Chuis backhand. Which is a mistakebecause Ming (though earlier
hed almost lost to Philips loops) has no difficulty in blocking them back. Down 2-0 and 1820 match point, The Chief takes lots of powwow time, makes like Bengtsson with the serve,
and runs out the game. Rolls on through the 4th. And is up 11-7 in the 5th! Later Chui tells me,
George made me feel I was such a good blocker I forgot I was supposed to hit the ball. But
then Ming remembers. Wins 12 of the next 15 points to blow the match open as George
unaccountably makes errors.
Not only has Resek broken his glasses, hes nervous at having to play Sokoloff, loses
the 1st game at 10. He doesnt know how to get control of that lazy, no-spin ball coming at
himand seems to be doing little more than just piddling out there. Joe is wired for an upset,
is as intent on stringing Errol up as he would be one of his North Miami Racquet Shoppe
specials. His lob is especially effective. He catches Errols hard- hit ball remarkably fast and
flips ithigh up and curling back. Down 2-1, Errol starts
taking more time, pushes the ball around, and Joe gets a
little too soft. Errol comes back, wins in 5. I needed to
hit a little more, Joe says. Spin a little more at him.
Slow him down.
In the semis, Resek meets Chui. This time Lim
Ming is drinking not beer but orange juice and honey.
Errol begins by playing with his heavy USA jacket on
but, on winning the 1st, he sheds it. Chui seems very
much afraid of Reseks loop, and is hitting out wildly.
Though up 2-0, Errol is down 15-19 in the 3rd yet still
looks like hes going to win this game tooand does.
Cracks in 6 straightas if he could spot Ming 10.
Maybe, before Chui plays, he should stop drinking,
Lim Ming Chui...drinking again
period?
Photo by Mal Anderson
224

In the final, Errol, winding up on everything, annihilates

long-sleeved, red-shirted Robbie, 7, 10, 14. Makes one think he
could win the Nationals in his home territory next spring?
Coming back to N.Y. in our two-car caravan, Eric had
gone up ahead to be with Bukiet and the others. Bernie had bet
him a quarter he couldnt stay awake until we stopped for food
and gas. He did. A little later, on the road again, Errol and Jairie,
Bernie, David and Peter, were all giving Eric a sort of table
tennis Spelling Bee. When he answered correctly, the words they
rewarded him with were an education in themselves.
Hugh Babb (TTT, Jan.-Feb., 1972, 26) covered the
Kingsport, Tennessee Openplayed under the direction of
Mickey Greer on 10 Nissen Tables at the beautifully remodeled
Civic Auditorium. Clay Whitelaw, in an up and down match
(was up 2-0 with a big lead in the third), won the Mens in 5
from Defending Champion, Dr. Hans Dietl. Mens Doubles went
Hugh Babb
to Whitelaw/John White over Dietl/Gary Ervin. Womens winner
Photo by Mal Anderson
was University of Tennessee instructor Gemma Kerrin the
th
semis, deuce in the 4 , over Nina Robinson, and in the final in 5 over Betsy Bradley, a local
high school girl who very successfully uses a plain wooden racket.
Other results: Class A: Nashvilles Larry Bartley, whose Topics ad reads Quality Built
Hand Made Rackets For The Champions, 21, 23, 19, 12, over Ervin whod been down 2-0
to 14-year-old Bill Edwards. Class B: W.W. Walker (Winston-Salem. N.C.) over Tom Seay
(Huntsville, AL). Class C: Jimmy Ervin over Dale Stafford. Seniors: White over Neil
Holloway. Under 20: Edwards over Seay in 5 in the semis, and Jimmy Ervin in the final.
At the Oct. Grand Rapids YMCA Open, Tournament Chair Tom McEvoy reports that,
to no ones surprise, Sweeris dominated play. However, Dell wasnt the only one in the field.
In the 2nd round, #3 seed Jim Davey was upset by
McEvoy whose unusual racket, no sponge, no hard
rubber, just plain wood on both sides, disrupted
Jims timingso that when he tried to overpower
the ball, he found it came floating back and his
return smash going into the net. Tom beat him 13,
13, 18. Next round, McEvoy was doing just fine
against Jeff Smart, had him 2-1 and 14-6. But wait,
suddenly McEvoy tries to take the offense! What?
With a wood bat? And from there on is afflicted
with a very bad case of nerves, and is beaten 14 in
the 5th.
Joining Sweeris and Smart in the semis was
Jim Lazarus, whod downed former U.S. Top 40
Ralph Stadelman, and Paul Lamse whod squeaked
by Mike Veillette, 19 in the 5th. Paul, playing with
wood on just one side, and sponge on the other,
further confuses his opponent because he is
Jim Lazarus
constantly switching the side that he hits the ball
Photo by Mal Anderson
225

with, and so you might get a dead shot

off the wood, or a loop from the
sponge side. Lamse, however, did not
fool Smart, who in the final round robin
took 3rd, while Lazarus was runner-up.
Other winners: Mens Doubles
(Sweeris sat out): Pete Nasvytis/ Smart
in 4 over Maurice Hunter/Jeff Jarvela
whod upset both Davey/Veillette, 21, 13, 21, and Laszlo Keves/Lamse, 17, 20, 17. Class A: In a repeat of their
Mens match, Lamse again downed
Veillette, 19 in the 5th. Earlier Veillette
had thrice wondrously survivedfrom
3 game points down to knock out
Imants Karklis - want to buy a racket?
Hunter 25-23 in the 4th; from match
point down to edge Imants Karklis, 25-23 in the 5th (Karklis of course using one of the rackets
that, with careful attention to wood, thickness, weight and grip, he manufactures in the
basement of his home); and from maybe 5 game points down to 33-31 in the 4th oust
Nasvytis. Talk about determination to win!
The Sept. 10,000 Lakes Open in Minneapolis was the last tournament at the Nicollet
Ave./Lake St. Magoos Club. No more Magoos! What happened? The building was sold, and
the new owners said, Out! But President Charlie Disney writes (TTT, Jan.-Feb., 1972, 28) that,
despite this being a crushing blow, a club member, Dan Satterberg, eventually found a new
site that, with a lot of hard work, would be suitable. Among the 60 people (men, women, and
juniors), who helped with the move and the restoration
were: Disney, Alan Goldstein, Ray Mosio, Larry Jensen
(and his dad), Mel Zuchman, Gus Kennedy, Andy
Lantos. Morley Frantzick, Tony Skjold, Hubert
VanDemmeltraadt, Curt St. John, Jack Pick, Dave
Lindquist, Omar Anderson, Doug Maday, Don Larson,
Rich & Stu Sinykin, Dick Kreuger, and Bob Henze. No
wonder renovations would take six long, frustrating
weeks. Heres what originally they were faced with:

Gus Kennedy helping out at

the new Magoos Club?
Photo by Mal Anderson

The first and second floors of the building were

in great shape and looked well cared for; but the third
floor, where the club would be, had been unoccupied
for 23 years. Paint was peeling, plaster was falling, junk
was scattered all over. To make it our new home, walls
would have to come down, junk carted out, plumbing
repaired, lights installed, and everything would have to
be painted. But it had a 25-foot dome ceiling, balconies
for spectators, free parking, a passenger elevator, a
freight elevator, and reinforced concrete construction
that minimized the hazard of fire.
226

The main center room which was 50x70 would take eight tables; and along
the south side, after tearing down some more walls, we could fit four more. In an open
room on the west end two more tables would fit. On the north side was a room that
could be used for a club room plus two small offices.
After six weeks of proposals and counter-proposals, Disney and Goldstein signed a
ten page lease (for three years with two two-year options). In the beginning, the rental
agency had wanted $500 a month, but though, mercifully, that was reduced to $350 plus
electricity, the new Magoos expenses had doubled. Still, says Charlie, Despite the high cost
of relocating and the increased operating costs, the future looks bright.
Lots of action in Omaha. At the Early Bird and then in Nov. at the Cornhusker and
Omaha Opens,
Diana Myers was
predictably too
strong in both the
David Barnes
Womens and the
Girls 17 for
Debbie
Denenberg. No
surprise, since she
was now hitting
well to the
corners, shed win her share of Doubles too. Not only the
Mixed (with Scotty Grafton at the Early Bird and David Barnes
at the Omaha Open), but a Mens Doubles, too (with Steve
Fox Flansburg). Tom Walsh says Dianas a good doubles
player because she hits harder and more accurately than most
men and because children, after all, have more time, and her
father coaches her with unusual parental zeal.
In Mens play, the chief contenders, besides Flansburg
who wasnt much into competing these days, were Tom Walsh
Debbie Denenberg
who won the Early Bird and came runner-up to Missouris Harry
Sandner at the Omaha; Barnes
who took the Cornhusker at the South Omaha Boys Club; and
Grafton, Doubles winner at that Club with Barnes.
Walsh won the Early Birdfirst, by taking his opener
against Senior Champ Lee Larson; then, by switching from his
customary pimpled-rubber bat to sponge to down A Champ
Don Taylor; then, by switching from pips to sponge and back
again to pips to advance over Grafton (hitting in 3 winners
from 18-all in the 3rd); and, finally, by stopping Barnes in the
final, after David had finished off Flansberg.
Omaha would send a team of Juniors to the
USOTCsJon Deuchler, Dave Downs, Charles Polson, and
Steve Endres. But perhaps the most promising young player in
Murray Kutler
the area is Murray Kutler (who has wins over Grafton and
Photo by Tom Walsh
227

Barnes). At the Early Bird he barely lost the 17s, 24-22 in the deciding 3rd, to Omaha Open 17
winner Deuchler, then split matches with him at the Cornhusker. At the Early Bird, Murray
also won the 15s (over Omaha Open 15 Champ Pat Windham in the semis, then John
Zaragosa in the final); and the 13s over Scott Ichkoff. Other strong young players are Joe
Windham (winner over his brother Pat, deuce in the 3rd in the Omaha Consolations); John
Canzonere (has a victory over Diana); Early Bird Novice winner Dirk Petersen; Scott Petersen
who won the Omaha Novice over his dad LeRoy; and Todd Petersen who at the Early Bird
lost to Ichkoff, 16, -25, 15, but won the U-11s.
Walsh, who did the Early Bird write-up (TTT, Nov.-Dec., 1971, 21), wonders when the
USTTA will support the Omaha clubs by sending some touring players through the
Midwest. (Like a circus? For a young player to join and run off with?) He reiterates that
local table tennis in the U.S. needs far more attention than does an
international team. One should learn to crawl before walking, and so far, from my point
of view and that of many others, Im sure, our players havent begun to crawl to the
international level of play. I dont mean to denigrate some fine athletes, but future
athletes will not be forthcoming unless something is done soon on the local level.
Wont be forthcoming from Omaha is more what Tom means. Like so many promising
youngsters, like our own U.S. World Team members, Myers and Kutler are geographically
trapped. Theyve no strong local adults to constantly play, no one to take them to tournaments
week after week where theres top competition. Thanks to Dianas talent and the persistent
encouragement of her parents shell go on to win two U.S. Open Girls Under 15
Championships. But afterwards, on going back to Omaha, shes probably a lonely winner,
needing some in-group fun with peer players if shes to continue as a Champion. Later, the
Butler family will face the same problem with Scott and Jimmy, but will find an ally in
aficionado Houshang Bozorgzadeh. Hell return from Iran, settle in Iowa, and become friends
with George Nissen, he of t.t. table and trampoline fame. George has just opened a new
Racquet and Sports Club, the site for a Cedar Rapids TTC run by John Stillions.
Some traveling players got to the Southwest Open in Oklahoma City. Mens went to
Sweeris, though in the final round robin he was down 1-0 and 17-13 in the 2nd to Englishman
Don Berrys super-spins. Brathwaite downed Berry and David Bell to come 2nd. Connie
Sweeris was the Womens winner over Sue Sargent, then Norma LeBlanc. The Feb., 1972
Table Tennis, Oklahoma Newsletter congratulated Connie on her Ping-Pong Diplomacy talk
before a joint gathering of the Oklahoma United Nations Club of Oklahoma City and the
Oklahoma City University Culture Committee.
Glenn Cowanhes traveled a bitwon the Long Beach Open over Denis OConnell,
as he had earlier the University Citys Oktoberfest. Angelita Rosal took the Womens from
Heather Angelinetta, winner at Universal City over runner-up Mary McIlwain and
(transplanted or visiting?) Ohioan Mary Landfair. Cowan also won the Mens Doubles with
Darryl Flann over Howie Grossman/Paul Raphel. Mixed went to H. Raack/Cindy Cooper,
deuce in the 5th in the semis over Ray Guillen/Rosal, and 19 in the 5th in the final over
Grossman/Angelinetta whod edged Mike Greene/Pauline Lepke in 5.
At the Hollywood Fall Open, Patty Cash came up from San Diego to take the
Womens from Rosal, while Klein stopped Joong Gil Park, 16, 21, 19. Lots of Doubles
reported, but not the Mens. Mixed went to Darryl Flann/Priscilla Parker over Ashley/Cash.
228

Senior winner was Alex Gatiover Ashley in 5 in the semis, then Banach. Senior Doubles:
Ashley/Julius Paal over Banach/Russ Thompson. Boys 17: Raphel over Guillen, def. Girls 17:
Rosal over Cooper. Boys 15: Kritz over Jaret Hall. Boys 13: Keith Hall over Galardi. Class A:
Ray Mack over B winner Bill Garrett. Womens B: Crowley over Freischlager. A Doubles:
Banach/Mack over Ichiro Hashimoto/Cash, deuce in the 3rd.
Ray Mack in writing
about his Hollywood days
when he was learning to be a
good player, appreciated the
help not only of OConnell,
of his A Doubles partner
above, Danny Banach, and of
his A Doubles opponent
above, Ichiro Hashimoto.
Mack said that Hosh (not
Hash) had gone to a camp
in Japan where they taught
Ichiro Hashimoto: 17
him about table tennis and
speeding tickets with his Jag
that he was Rays first real
coachwould talk with him about strategy and
The Scandinavian Champion
training, stressing the catch position, keeping that
Photo by Don Gunn
damn ball in front of you so there was time for a
backswing and follow through. Hosh was a professor at UCLA (taught Electrical
Engineering?), and very nicethough perhaps the cops didnt think so, for he had a very
heavy foot, evidenced by the 17 speeding tickets hed accumulated in his Jaguar. Also helpful
to Mack was Darryl Flann, the Scandinavian Champion (at least when he was on Tour with
Bob Ashley). Darryl had Ray practice side-to-side footwork and counter-hitting, and fed
him short balls that I had to lean in and stroke with my forehand until I got the drill right.
Then of course there was Joong Gil Park. In exchange for a ride to the club (at least I
had a car!) Park would hit with me and make me do footwork drills. At no charge! What a
thrill. When he looped to my backhand, it was all I could do to block back about three balls
before the speed and spin overcame me. Ray said that, Back in Korea, when Park was in the
8th grade, he went to the table tennis coach and asked what it would take for him to make the
team. The coach gave him a paddle, told him how to swing that perfect, long forehand, then
told him to do it 1,000 times a day, and come see him in a year.Park obliged! And he made
the team all right. So, on hearing this, what did Ray do? For a month or two, he managed to
swing the racket 500 times a daywhich he says really helped his Hollywood forehand.
A new club opened in Dublinthats in Californiaand to celebrate they played their
inaugural Open in conjunction with Livermores Northern California Closed. In the Open
Mens, Dave Chan overpowered George Makk. Cupertinos Sam Lima won both the Esquires
(over Bob Eckert) and the Seniors (over Bob Stone). Boys U-17 went to Kent Hasse over
Steve Slavich. In the Closed Mens, Jeff Mason downed ex-Egyptian National, Azmy Ibrahim
who told me in an Egypt-Japan Match in Alexandria he once played Ogimura. As went to
(Robert?) Wong. Bs to Jim Naik, Cs to Dieter Fuss. There were no Womens matches
reportedperhaps they werent held. But, if so, what kind of example is that to give a group
just starting out? And no Doubles reported either.
229

No surprises at the Portland, OR Closed. Rob Roberts won the Mens over Judy
Bochenski, 19, 19, -18, 18 in the semis, and over Joe Lee, 19, 17, 22 in the final. Earl Adams
took the Seniors from Bob Ho. Ed Ngai was the Class A winner in 5 over Paul Chang; Ron
Carver the Class B winner over Al Zimmer; and Michael Scott, Sr. the Class C winner over
Ken Stubbs. This is Michaels first mention in Topics; hes a future USTTA Hall of Famer, who
didnt come to the Sport until middle age. In 1970 he became the Director of the Washington
State TTA with tables set up at the Seattle University Pavilion.
Who turns up playing at the University of Oregon Closed in Eugene but Jack
Howard. Huh? Yephes no longer living in California. Fred Herbst wrote me hed gotten a
bum break when Jack Howard moved to Seattle. Said hed just arranged to start work on a
coaching film with Jack and a local fan,a news cameraman for a TV station. At this
Closed, Jack didnt win the Mens Singleshe lost to Rob Roberts in 5 in the semis.
Winner was Seattles Tom Ruttinger whod eliminated Jeff Kurtz in 4 in his semis. Howard,
however, did win the Mens Doubles with Ruttinger over Judy Bochenski/Roberts. And, as
were about to see, for sure he and Judy will be in Detroit for the Dec. 4-5 USOTCs.
SELECTED NOTES.
*Ohios Don Lyons (TTT, Jan.-Feb., 1972, 20) is one whos adamantly against having
to play a woman in Mens Singles. He gives an example of a man whos cold from not having
warmed up while the girl hes to playoh, oh, a penholderhas warmed up in other events.
He says its good practice for her, but what if he loses? There goes his male pride, ranking
points, and a lot of riding from his fellow club members. Who is all the pressure on?
Oregons Lou Bochenski (TTT, Nov.-Dec., 1971, 10) praises the best men players in
the Northwest for allowing his daughter Judy to improve by playing in Mens events. He urges
the USTTA to change Mens Singles to Open Singles. He argues analogically that, though the
young and the old have their special Junior and Senior events, they can play in Open Singles
(get better, especially the quick-to-improve Juniors, by playing tougher competition). So is the
gender difference so great that women shouldnt play against men? Obviously not, for men and
women play against one another in Class events.
Ohios Jim Supensky (TTT, Mar.-Apr., 1972) says that he, personally, wouldnt object
to playing a woman in Mens Singles, but that then, to be fair, men ought to be able to play in
Womens Singles. He suggests that perhaps the powers-that-be could consolidate the Mens
and Womens events into one eventcall it Open or Championship Singles. Then also
consolidate the Ranking Lists into just one such list so as to include both men and women.
However, Jim foresees a problem:
The only difficulty I see in this plan is in the realm of international
competition. Suppose that one of our women developed such a high degree of skill
that she happened to gain a berth on the number one U.S. [Mens] team. [Think it
couldnt happen? The future could prove you wrong.] Would the I.T.T.F. allow the
team to play in the World Tournament? Would other countries allow their players to
compete against a [Mens] team that had a woman member?Is there any other sport
in any other country that allow women to compete with men? This would be an area in
which the U.S.T.T.A. could pioneer.

230

At their Detroit USOTC Meeting, the USTTA E.C. would unanimously pass a
Standing Rule that, Any tournament may allow Women (Girls) to play in the Mens (Boys)
events by indicating this on [the] entry blank, in addition to Womens (Girls) events. But then
Jack Carr will ask Rules Chairman Cyril Lederman if this Standing Rule isnt in conflict with
Bylaw 2.4551 that says, Women shall be allowed to participate when a comparable event for
Women is not held or is cancelled because of insufficient entries. This seeming conflict poses
questions. Does a Bylaw supercede a Standing Rule? If a sponsor uses this Standing Rule
will his Regional Director object? Will anyone else?
**Reese coauthored the bridge book
Defend With Your Life with another master player/
teacher, Eddie Kantar. Readers of these volumes
will remember Eddie as having been inducted into
the Minnesota Table Tennis Hall of Fame, and also
for participating in the 1957 Stockholm World
Championships.

231

Chapter Eighteen
1971: Pittsburgh Juniors, N.Y. Men, Canadian Women Win USOTCs. 1971: Flurry of
Canadian Tournaments. 1971: E.C. Meeting/USTTA Members Thoughts on Improving the
Association.
In the USOTC Junior Team final, PittsburghDanny Seemiller, Bill Zatek, Joe Rokop,
and Hank Coulterdefeated OntarioPaul Klevinas, Yu-Jin Pak, and Imdad Khan. New York
was 3rd; Minnesota I, 4th. Writing a Letter of Thanks to the Detroit organizers (they ran the
best tournament for players Ive ever been to) was Long Islands Cosmo Graham, a Junior
good enough to have beaten Ricky Rumble in a Philly tourney this fall. Cosmos quite an
enthusiasthas kept a record of every match hes ever played, be it in a local league or fourstar tournament.
Seemiller got into the real table tennis world several years back by
winning a Pittsburgh playground tournament. Dr. Bill Walk, the Pittsburgh
Juniors Team Captain here, heard about it. A fellow had come into his
office and given Bill an eye-opener. Hey, he says, I know who the best
ping-pong player in Pittsburgh is: Seemiller.
Seewho? says Bill. Youd better have your eyes checked.
He cant be the best player in Pittsburgh because I am. And that of
course got Danny and Bill together.
Seemiller, as Ive said before, is a very
good baseball player. But I ought to tell
you that his teammate Bill Zatek is also
very good in another sport, tennisranks
4th in the Middle States 16 and Under. In
a key match in the Pittsburgh-Ontario
tie, Bill was down 4 ads in the deciding
USOTC Junior Team
3rd to Pak before finally pulling it out.
Captain Dr. Bill Walk
Hank Chip Coulter, another member
of the Seemiller team, couldnt stay around to have his picture
taken, not even for the front page of Topics. He didnt want to
miss another day of school. After all, hes the team genius
made his own robot, right? Joe Rokop, who with a 9-1 record was
very much in the picture, probably took Hanks trophy home to
him. But Joe was keeping for himself the ball of that last game
that gave these Pittsburgh juniors the Championship. He didnt
Bill Zatek
lose that in all the hand-slapping (Were gonna have a party)
Photo by Mal Anderson
talk.
Bill Walk praised Joe Pinson of the South Park Club for having
encouraged juniors over the years. All four boys play at South Park, reportedly the oldest
continuously affiliated club in the country, and Bill finds it remarkable that with never a
ranking mens player to practice with, never the advantage of any professional coaching,
theyve done so well. Ah, Bill, but these boys dont just play locally, they go out and compete
in tournaments, and are privy to watching and so learning how some of the best players in the
country win.
232

N.Y. Wins Mens

With George
Brathwaite (12-2), Errol Resek
(12-1), and MVP Award
winner Fuarnado Roberts (9-1)
starring, and Tim Boggan (100) and Bernie Bukiet (6-0)
doing minor-part mop-ups
New York #1 won the Dec. 45, 1971 USOTCs Mens
Championship. In the 5-1 final
1971 USOTCs Mens Team Winners, L-R: Tim Boggan, Bernie
at Detoits Cobo Hall, they
Bukiet, George Brathwaite, Fuarnado Roberts, Errol Resek
beat CanadaDerek Wall (153), Errol Caetano (13-3), Peter Gonda (9-2), and Larry Lee
(7-5). Even though this final tie was ringed round with
spectators and featured Gondas fine play against Resek,
and particularly Caetanos spectacular hitting against
Roberts (Errol was twice up 15-4 on Robbie), Canada
really didnt offer a climactic challenge.
Indeed, had the N.Y. #2 teamRory Brassington
(11-4), Sam Hammond (11-2), Dave Philip (8-4), and Jim
Dixon (8-6)not knocked out BostonDick Miles (121), Lim Ming Chui (12-5). Alex Shiroky (9-0), and Peter
Pradit (6-2)Boston would have played in the final
instead of Canada. Earlier, though Miles and Pradit both
downed Brassington and Dixon, neither could beat
Hammond, and Chui, surprisingly, lost all three of his
matches.
Hammond, 23, whos not been in this country very
long, played for Ghana in the 65 and 67 Worlds and was
Peter Gonda
Photo by Rufford Harrison
West African Champion in 1966-68. After teaching African
History for a while and not playing for 7-8 months, hes
come over here to visit his uncle. Hes an off-the-table spinner who beat Pradit when its all

Ghanas Sam
Hammond

233

Jack Howard cant push through MVP Winner Roberts

Photo by Mal Anderson

our National Champion,

D-J Lee, can do to spin
past Peter. Of course
Sam also has a fine
backhand loop that
Pradit couldnt handle.
D-J, who became an
American citizen Oct. 1
in a Cleveland, Ohio
courtroom, then soon
after won the Central
Canadian Open at St.
Catherines, Ontario,
didnt play for 5th-place
finisher OhioJohn
Pirate-capped Glenn Cowan cant Tannehill (18-0), John
1971 USOTCs Mens MVP Winner
hold lead against Robbie
Fuarnado Roberts
Spencer (14-5), and Tim
From the 1972 Minnesota Classic Program
OGrosky (10-3)
because hed hurt his back and was sitting out this tournament.
PhiladelphiaRichard Farrell (13-4), Mitch Sealtiel (12-3), Bill Sharpe (10-4), and
Peter Stephens (7-2)finished 4th just behind CaliforniaGlenn Cowan (11-2), Jack Howard
(11-3), Erwin Klein (10-1), and Paul Raphel (10-1). California went down in the semis, 5-2,
to New York #1. This tie gave Roberts his MVP Award, for, pick-hitting marvelously, he came
through with all 3 wins, a big one against Cowan after losing the 1st, and a very big one against
Klein (who beat both Resek and Brathwaite).
The turning point of the tie was probably the Cowan-Brathwaite match. In the 1st,
Glenn, down 20-16, rallies, but his rally dies at 19. Luck has not been with him this game, and
at one point hes batted away a strange stray ball thats come into their court from the emptytable area all around them. In the 2nd, George is up 20-19 match point, and after a tense
topspin exchange Cowan smacks one in. Deuce!No, wait a minute! Umpire Jim Rushford
has called Let! Hes seen a ball coming into their court. A ball! What ball! yells Cowan and
234

all of California. Does anybody see it now? Where is it? Where could it have come from?
Where could it have gone? Never mindfrom the gods out in some far off space it cometh;
and to them returneth. Play resumes and The Chief of course wins the point.
Although Michigan finished 9th, 25-year-old Dell Sweeris not only was 21-1 but in the
International Team Squad (ITS) Matches Friday night, he beat Brathwaite, Chui, Cowan,
Lesner, and Klein.
Canadian Women Best
To win the Womens Championship, CanadaVioletta
Nesukaitis (21-1), Helen Simerl (12-7), Mariann Domonkos (127), and Captain John Tomkinsdefeated runner-up San Diego
Patty Cash (21-2), Angelita Rosal (15-4), and International
Pancake-sponsored hostess Cindy Cooper (6-12). Third Place
finisher was CaliforniaWendy Hicks (20-2), Judy Bochenski
(19-4), Heather Angelinetta (2-12), and Pat Crowley (1-12)
when, in a big swing game, San Diegos Cooper came from 20-16
down to defeat Angelinetta. Fourth Place went to New York, led
by Alice Green (16-5), and Fifth Place to Maryland, led by
Barbara Kaminsky (14-8).
It was Canadas moment of glory though. National Champ
Nesukaitis, in winning the MVP Award again (she lost only to
Hicks), substantiated the Prudential Insurance Co.s sound
judgment in giving her time off and, if I heard correctly,
sponsoring herthe American Co., shhh, thus helping to thwart
an American team from winning.
Helen Simerl, having just graduated
from the University of Torontos
IHOP Hostess Cindy Cooper
Teachers College, is looking for a
Photo by Mal Anderson
job. Her two specialties are Man in
Society and Guidance. But if, in the outside world, Helens not
finding it easy to get into the right position, in our little inside
world, the Toronto League has certainly helped her footwork.
Case in point: against California, she mixes up Bochenski with
what she called her off-balance defense, then finally ends this
very important match by running around her backhand to smack
in a sensational forehand to win 25-23 in the 3rd.
Mariann Domonkos is only 13, but it was her steady
contribution, too, that enabled the Canadians to take the title.
Although she lost a match to her American counterpart, Diana
Myers, she beat all the 3rd-position players of the top contending
teams. Diana and her dad, Bill, werent happy about Diana, one of
our most promising young players, coming all the way from
Omaha to Detroit to play on a weak team in a weak half. Is this
going to help her game evolve? Provisions should be made for
Helen Simerl...offering Guidance
those geographically trapped; the Womens format changed
From Chinese Delegation to 71
doubtless, too, to accommodate doubles play.
Worlds Portfolio of Photos
235

Canadian Play on the Increase

As everyone whos come to this 140-team USOTCs knows, table tennis activity is on the
increase in the U.S. But so it is in Canada too. Ken Kerr has a full-time $12,000 a year Executive
Director position promoting table tennis in Ontario alone. And Nova Scotias Roy Gannon, the
CTTA Executive Director, has been traveling the small towns across Canada promoting the Game
as a concern of the federal government, asking rec centers and school boards for funds to get tables
in schools and urging summertime table tennis physical training camps. In the rather near future,
however, Gannon will be suspended by the CTTAthough I dont know why.
The Canadian government has also
sponsored four $1500 table tennis
scholarships (for Peter Gonda, Doreen
(Darinka) Jovanov, Flora Nesukaitis, and
Adham Sharara) to the Ontario College of
Arts. Is it just a coincidence then, or is it
Canadas image of herselfher table tennis
dreamthat allows her already to see the
immediate practical results of having all three
of her teamsMens, Womens, Juniorsin
this years finals?
A big reason for Canadas success is that
from Oct. through Dec., all across the vast
Adham Sharara...$1500
country, theres been a flurry of tournaments
table tennis scholarship
their players play. Of course, in each section we
Photo by Mal Anderson
see pretty much the same names. In the Quebec
area, Chateauguays 13-year-old Mariann
Domonkos, who says she plays perhaps 12
hours a week, in three hour sessions (she also runs track at her Billings school), won the Oct.
Chateauguay Open and will win the Quebec Closed. Look for Guy Germain to take the Quebec
Mens Closed from Rod Young whos their
best Junior player with Under 15 Champ
Jacques Bobet, Jr. a close runner-up. Up and
coming youngsters are Pierre Normandin and
Christine Forgo.
In Ontario, Derek Wall, recently
given his Harmonie Clubs Silver Pin
Award, is still topshe won three fall
tournaments: the Sept. Toronto West End
Y Open over his destined successor Errol
Caetano who would defeat Modris Zulps in
the final of the Ontario Closed (apparently
Wall was off somewhere, wouldnt be
playing); won the Oct. 9-10 Central
Canadian Open over Buffalos Jim Dixon;
1971 Quebec Champion
and won the Oct. 23-24 Chateauguay Open
Guy Germain
over Peter Gonda, winner the following
Photo by Tom Slater
week at an Ontario Regional Closed over
236

Bill Cheng. The Nesukaitis sisters, the Womens Doubles pair of Marie Kerr and Helen Simerl,
and Doreen Jovanov and Biruta Plucas with their improved play, are completing the process of
taking over from the old guard of Jenny Marinko and Velta Adminis. But Max Marinko and
Modris Zulps continue to battle it out in the Seniors. Paul Klevinas and Yu Jin Pak are the
best Juniors with Steve Feldstein good enough now to win C Singles. Bill Soros, Ron
Bickerstaffe, and Bob Jewell remain Class B threats.
In Manitoba play, veteran
Frank Hodl was the Champion at the
Nov. Unicity Open (over Hans
Hirsch) and would be too at the
upcoming Keystone Open (over
Andrew Ying, winner of the later Red
River Open over Zolten Gergely).
The best young woman player in the
area (3 straight tournament wins over
Jacki Gilchrist) is Meera Thadani,
who learned to play in India. But
since this table tennis-playing family
hasnt funds to send her round to
tournaments, its unlikely shell
achieve her promise. A Manitoba
player in the Under 13s, Brian Kid
Zembic, well hear from in the future,
his budding notoriety not confined to
Brian Kid Zembik
11-Times Alberta Open
table tennis. At Saskatoons Regina
Champion Hong Mar
Open, Sylvio Koo beat Fritz Nadrowski, soon to be the
From CTTA News, Apr., 1972, 17
CTTA Board member for Saskatchewan. At the Alberta
Open, 11-time Champ Hong Mar barely got by 11-year-old Eddie Lo, 20, 24.
Zoltan Zollie Pataky, whom well hear more about shortly, is the new big name in B.C.
He won the Oct. Memorial Open over Phil Cheng and will win the Dec. B.C. Winter Sports
Festival Open over
Sylvio Koo. Also
formidable are the
Lo brothers, Victor
and Eddie, and
Peter Joeall of
them capable not
only of winning the
Juniors but now
the Class A. The
WardsHugh in
the Seniors, and
his daughter Leslie
in the Womens and
Junior Girlsare
Vancouvers Hugh Ward
Vancouvers Leslie Ward
Division threats.
Photo by Mal Anderson
Photo by Mal Anderson
237

E.C. Meeting/Members Thoughts on USTTA

As usual, there was an E.C. Meeting during the Team Championships. According to
the Minutes (TTT, Jan.-Feb., 1972, 9-10), for the half-season period from June 1 through
November, the USTTAs expenditure over income was $2,574.40 for a total expense of
$13,996.30 and a Balance Sheet showing the net worth of the U.S.T.T.A. as $13,307.98.
Fred Herbsts motion to increase the budget of Table Tennis Topics by a maximum of $2,000
additional for the remainder of the fiscal year was carried 4-3-1 (that is, with 1 abstention).
Fred Herbst moved that 100 copies of the China trip issue of Table Tennis Topics be sent to
each club and that we ask for a donation of $10 per club was carried unanimously. Herbst
also moved, That the Topics Editor use his editorial responsibility to delete slanderous
statements and attacks on individuals from Topics articles. This was carried 5 for, 1 against.
Jack Howard said that unfortunately due to the free availability from I.B.M. being
withdrawn, the [rating] system had to be reprogrammed for a smaller computer and the
expenses incurred during the fiscal year 1970/71 ending May 31st was the sum of $536. Jack
asked to be reimbursedand was by unanimous vote. John Read moved that the E.C. budget
$850 maximum for the 1971/72 rating programand this passed 4-0-3.
President Steenhoven submitted copies of a contract to members of the E.C. that had
been signed by him, covering a period of 2 years which, excluding contracts already in
existence, gives Media the authority to market all items connected with the U.S.T.T.A., subject
to the U.S.T.T.A. having final say in the approval of any equipment involved. (Ive no record
of Media ever marketing anything for the USTTA.)
Herbst moved, That approval be given for the first
U.S. Closed National Table Tennis Championships, to be
held July 28/29/30, 1972, to the Southern California Table
Tennis Association, the tournament to be held in the Los
Angeles area. This was carried unanimously. (The date
would later be changed to November. But the tournament
which back in the summer of 1970 was being planned for a
year later with John Hanna as Director and the Queen Mary
as the venuewould never happen.)
Herbsts proposed Bylaw change, that a playing
permit shall be allowed [not at any kind of tournament
but] at one and two star tournaments, [cost] to be $1.00 for
adults and $.50 for juniors would give way later to Mal
Andersons approved motion that a playing permit will be
allowed at any sanctioned tournament at the cost of $2.00
John Hanna - gonna run
adults and $1.00 juniors.
a U.S. Closed?
Jack Carrs proposed Bylaw change, That for every
U.S.T.T.A. membership sold at tournaments within a
U.S.T.T.A. District Affiliate area 20% shall be given to the District Affiliate would give way
to Andersons motion, carried unanimously, that, For every first time or upgraded U.S.T.T.A.
membership sold by an affiliated club, the affiliated club will receive 15% and the
corresponding affiliate, if there is one, will receive 5% of the membership fee. This will not
include playing permits or renewing a lapsed membership. Affiliates might better encourage outof-towners, a fellow wrote in to Topics to say, if in their listings each would be sure to include a
phone number. Also, he thought the USTTA ought to list non-USTTA clubs or places to play.
238

A new player, a beginner, sends a Letter to the Editor that such players need help:
Most of these players dont know the rules or what kind of paddle they
should use, or what the different kinds of paddles are used for, or the different kinds of
hits (forehand loop, backhand loop, kill, etc.). I think each new member should be sent
information as to where he can practice, learn the terms and rules of the game, or
where he can write to get these things.I enjoy the TTT, but it should have at least a
page or two of illustrations and instructions and information for beginners. Agreed?
[A request for information to the Membership Chair ought to produce results (address
can be found twice in Topics). But Editor Boggan, though he welcomes and will print
articles of all kinds, should take the initiative to himself request more material for
beginners. What the hell, if B.F. Skinner can teach pigeons to play Ping-Pong, imagine
what a local club coach can do for humans.]
At this Dec. Meeting, Bylaw changes submitted in writing by V-P Boggan[require]
further consideration for ratification at a subsequent meeting.
Boggans proposed Bylaw change that Boys Under 13 Singles, Girls Under 13
Singles, Juniors Under 11 Singles from now on be mandatory events at our U.S. Open would
later be passed 7-0. Boys and Girls Under 17 Doubles, Boys and Girls Under 15 Doubles and
Under 13 Doubles would follow.
Boggans proposed Bylaw change to raise the membership fees for Adults to $10.00
for 1 year, to $20 for 3 years, and to $100 for Life would later be passed unanimously.
However, his proposal to raise the Junior dues from $2.00 to $5.00 would be rejected. A nonmembers subscription to Topics would cost $5; a single copy $1.
Boggans proposed Bylaw change to delete the following requirements to run for
U.S.T.T.A. E.C. office would later be carried 5-2:
Have previously served as a U.S.T.T.A. Standing Committee member for at
least a year.
Have passed the written umpire exam.
Have been an E.C. member at least for two years if wanting to serve as
either President or Vice President.
E.C. members Carr and Boggan, with far different personalities and contributions to
U.S. Table Tennis, will run against one another in the spring of 1972 for the Associations
Presidency. Tim, whether hes fully aware yet hes going to oppose Jack or not, has lashed out
at him at length (TTT, Sept.-Oct., 1971, 12). Why? Because for a while hes had serious
reservations about him, and is now incensed by a short article Jacks written called Give
Clubs The Vote.
In this article, Jack lists (Tim says dismissively that Jack is forever listing) some of
the items clubs do. Tim takes objection in part to Jacks selection, feels he overstates club
effectiveness. To understand why Tims so volatile we have, first, to go back to the summer
E.C. Meeting where Jack had proposed (the proposal dismissed for lack of a second) that each
affiliated club, regardless of the number of its members, be given one vote, and one vote only,
in the election of future officers, and that this method of voting ought to supplant the present
method whereby each member votes for the officer of his choice.
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Tim questions Jacks motive for this new method of voting. He says, Lets suppose
that next year is an election year for Mr. Carr, which it is, and lets suppose that, say, Magoos
club in Minneapolis, or Milla Boczars club in Hollywood, has, say, 89 USTTA members. And
lets suppose, too, that theres suddenly a newly formed cluboh, say, in Virginia, with the
requisite 5 members. Now Jack, as you may or may not know, is the E.C. officer in charge of
Chair Richard Feuersteins Affiliated Clubs Committee and of course would like to do what he
can to insure the gratitude of each and every one of the 137 Affiliates and 4 District Affiliates
listed in the Sept.-Oct., 1971 Topics. Under Jacks proposal, this newly formed Virginia club of
5 would have the same power of one single vote for an E.C. officer as that thriving club of 89
members.
Or, to look at Jacks proposal another way, like edging ones way round a sleeping
basilisk, fascinated that at any moment the eyes might open and give off that fatal glance, if 45
of those thriving 89 members voted one way, and 44 the otherwell, tough luck for the wiped
out. So that, theoretically, the vote of 5 new members, or if the vote between them went 3-2, 3
peoples vote would count but 44 peoples votes would not. Tedious arithmetic, it may be
but necessary to protest a wholesale slaughter.
Now Jack is backand this time in print. He has an alternate suggestionnamely:
Why not give our Clubs the vote for E.C. members, at the rate of one vote per every five fulltime adult USTTA members? Why, says Tim, does Jack delight in using people as counters,
reducing them to abstractions? Why is he so anti-individual? Its this at the empty-cistern
heart of his hard-working-night-after-night philosophy about the Game that Tim so takes
vigorous exception to. Tims reminded of how Jack had said, I dont give a damn whether
any individual players, particularly the best of our present day players, ever go to the Worlds,
ever go abroad in this decade or the nextan attitude which Tim thinks is not merely
arrogantly indifferent but negative to furthering the Sport, especially negative and
objectionable when held by an officer of the USTTA.
You cannot give the clubs anything, says Tim, unless the individuals in such clubs
benefit. And you do not give the vote to individuals by taking away from those same
individuals at a ratio of 4 to 1 the vote they already have. Surely what the USTTA wants is not
less people to vote but moremore people to vote intelligently.
Tim is indeed passionateand vitriolic:
I am enraged as Jack is frustrated. Enraged by Jacks ignorance or
hypocrisy. Enraged at his system of priorities, his lack of vision. Of course Im being
terribly hard on him. And perhaps on myselfsince its scarcely politic for me to lash
out so.
ButI dont know how else to dramatize itthe real trouble with table tennis
today is that which Mr. Carr will likely never be able to get at. And that is, more than
we need badly needed amateur clubs that come and go of a changing Saturday
afternoon, we need full time promoters and professional players. We need players with
Arnold Palmer-like charisma to dramatize the sport, to become heroes to the young
who, as things are pushed back and forth over the Executive table now, have, Im
afraid, absolutely no future in the Game.
Naturally Jack responds. At the summer E.C. Meeting, he says, the E.C., including
Boggan, thought it a good idea to follow Mort Zakarins suggestion that before we consider
240

Bylaw changes we should learn the rules of other national non-profit organizations,
particularly those of the U.S. Lawn Tennis Association.[So, says Jack,] lets have the E.C.
do its homework, instead of voicing meaningless generalities, personal feelings, and near
hysterical accusations having little or no basis in fact.
As it happens, says Jack, the U.S. Lawn Tennis Association, of which I am a member
and official umpire (officiating at the past two Indoor National Championships), does not
allow votes by its individual USLTA members. How does that grab you? The voting is done by
the clubs, the number of votes determined by the type of club.
Jack then goes on, as he says, to stick with facts instead of fiction, rhetoric, and
hypothetical hypotheses. Hes neither ignorant nor hypocritical, he says, to point out that
voting is not done by individual members in many other organizationsfor example, the
National Association of Parliamentarians (local units have prorated votes), the American
Bowling Congress (Regional affiliates given a proportional number of votes), the U.S. Chess
Federation (voting done by State Directors, one director for every 100 full national
members), the National Rifle Association (voting done by LIFE members), the North-South
Skirmishers Association (one vote per club no matter the size of the club), and so on,
convincingly.
Tim is clearly wrong for accusing Jack of being ignorant or hypocritical without
specifically backing up his accusations, doubly wrong in fact given the context. However, hes
not impressed by Jacks marshaling of these voting factsmore lists, he thinks. Its not
enough, he says, in our America, where most of us still value the fact that every man must be
allowed his individual voice, to say that we should do a thing because others do it. Why in the
world should the USTTA be like the North-South Skirmishers?
This Carr-Boggan skirmish, preparatory to the battle lines drawn, the support soldiers
mustered, brought forth some thoughtful comments on the state of the Association by both
S.J. Fertitta and Fred Danner. Heres Fertitta:
The USTTA is one of the few organizations that has no grass root
foundations. It has no real top-to-bottom organizationno local support. Sure, it has
members and affiliate clubs who look to it for guidance on rules and matters
concerning table tennis, but it gives little else to these [members and clubs]. And,
returning in kind, they give little to the USTTA other than dues and a sort of lip service
that might be mistaken for a desperate need to have a sense of belonging. The USTTA
is certainly a staff organization (the executive committee) without a line organization to
carry out its policies.
The USTTA is going in the opposite direction from good leadership. It is
forcing the clubs into independence and non-sanctioned activities.* It has instilled the
feeling that the USTTA is merely an honor society for the select few with no interest in
and no consideration for the sport at the local level.
What the USTTA doesnt do is limitless, but as a start it has failed to render the
leadership required of a national organization. It has failed to organize itself properly
and therefore the rank and file of table tennis lacks structure and coordination.
The regional and local organizations that do exist have no real stature, and
only a very tenuous link to the national organization. As long as this type of
relationship exists, there can be no extension of power, no growth and only the
slimmest of loyalty to the governing body.
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Why not re-evaluate the USTTA organizationally? Why not let this matter of
club voting be the stimulus for a reconstruction program to give table tennis the kind
of modern top-to-bottom organization it needs to growindeed, to survive?
Why cant the club be the foundationas a member organization with a say in
all matters and a dictum from the national organization to carry out prescribed policy?
Why not have state directors as liaison between the E.C. and the clubs?
Look at the petty squabbles, the invectives that fill the columns of Topics,
the impractical bylaws that further alienate both members and affiliates alike. Look at
the financial situation, the world rankings, the lack of interestin fact, pick out any
aspect of table tennis you wish and youll find problem after problem.
Who can change it all?
Danner argues (TTT, Nov.-Dec., 1971, 8) that
neither Tims desire to develop top U.S. players or Jacks
desire to develop clubs and leagues has much chance to
bring about the changes we need to promote the Game.
To begin with, Fred stresses the USTTAs need for
resourcesfor teams of competent promoters who can
be compensated directly from the success of their
promotions, and for access to public facilities.
PAY to profit, says Fredpay our membership
chairman for each new member he can bring in; pay a
USTTA official for every paid top-player exhibition he can
arrange** (10% of players total fee to go to help sponsor
our U.S. Team to the Worlds); pay tournament
committees to run well-attended USTTA Open
tournaments; pay a USTTA official a commission for
getting a corporation to advertise in a tournament
program or in our national magazine. Bring in funds, too,
by asking USTTA members who get paid for appearing
Fred Danner - ever ready with suggestions
Photo by Mal Anderson
on TV or for writing articles to give a percent of that
money to the USTTA Fighting Fund. (Fred might have
added that Jack Carr has thus far generously remitted over $750 in royalties from his
Advanced Table Tennis book to the USTTA E.C.)
Fred says that the problem of getting spectators to watch good table tennis is very
dependent on the facilities available:
Present tournaments are generally run in school buildings or in low-rent
storage buildings in a poor section of town. Most tournaments havent even got
enough seats for the players much less the few people who show up. The
[unknowledgeable] people who come [generally] dont get any information on who is
whoand are not likely to come again.Spectators are told to keep quiet every so
often if they try to root for their favorite player. No explanations are available to the
prospective fan of the tactics being used in the matches or of the previous records of
all but the final-round players. We must all eat outside of the playing areas, so
spectators cant watch while they eat. And of course we dont allow smoking in the
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playing area, a rule that may have merit but which may also discourage the fan.
How can we ever get paid spectators in large numbers unless we make them
feel that table tennis events are first class activities and that they themselves are a most
important part of these activities.
Table Tennis, says Fred, has a real job competing for sports fans when those fans are
used to well-promoted events.
Whats also wrong, asks Fred, with a top player approach to try to move the Game?
Why not develop good young players into world beaters and send them all over the place
fully subsidized by the USTTA. The problem is that the Sport can only become popular
when enough people are exposed to good matches with top players to attract new fans. But
the idea of putting 8 world champs in a room cant attract a crowd if the room is on the 3rd
floor, the elevators arent operating, and you cant find anyone to sell you a ticket one hour
before the start of the matches. In other words, good [top?] players are usually poor
promoters.
But, Fred, I note that Geza Gazdags last extravaganza with world champions playing
in a respectable venue in the heart of New York City didnt attract much of a crowd either.
Fred now suggests that average good players (one of whom would be Fred?),
playing an exhibition, can sometimes [occasionally? often?] do more to get the fans out, so
long as the fans can identify with the players. Huh? Professionals are too good? Just as
baseball fans often personally identify with losing teams, so table tennis fans can more
identify with those not so skilled? Table tennis has tried to convey a false impression of the
average US quality of play by showing off only the top 10 or so ranked competitors. I hardly
think so. On the few occasions Top 10 players have gotten gigs, their introductions surely
identify them as elite players. Who would think them average?
Fred suggests that if we flood sports night programs with merely good players and
good MCs on the microphones, that could be a much more successful promotion. More
successful than what? This is one of those first class activities that Freds talked about? A
novel idea: forget about using the best players to promote the Game, use the less skilled, and
in fact urge them to make errors so the basement players watching can more identify with
them. Wow! So much for the Champs dedication to the Sport, their earned stature, their builtup appeal.
Good players [Fred here means the top players] are only useful
for promoting U.S. table tennis when they attract paid spectators or
when they collect fees for USTTA & local associations. Otherwise they
act only [only?] as a cost item in the USTTA budget at World
tournament time. But isnt there USTTA value in having them, the
besteven if theyre not superstars like Miles or Reisman in the
1940slend interest, even prestige to a World tournament? And if
you dont honor your top competitors, who do you honor? We have a
Hall of Fame for players who collect fees for USTTA & local
associations?
Fred then says, With good promotion efforts the top players will earn far more than
they do now and be of a large benefit to the USTTA. But Freds not speaking of promoting
the top players on sports night programs or anywhere else. Who cares about the top players?
Whos going to promote them? How?
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And now for why the future of table tennis isnt linked to the clubs. The problem, says
Fred, is one of economics. It costs a lot to initially finance a decent club. And a member of
such a club might be asked to pay $4 an hour to playa sum many would consider absurdly
high, even though it might be necessary to pay for the private facility and the salary of a fulltime manager for this club.
Current USTTA clubs, Fred points out, have all compromised their operation because
of this financial problem:
Firstthey dont pay salaries in most cases to those who work to run them.
Secondclubs open every day of the week are located in poorer sections of town
where rents are more reasonable but where girls and women will not come out to play.
Thirdclubs share public school gyms on a part-time basis where the facilities costs
are minimal but where playing time is restricted to one or two nights a week and
subject to the policy fluctuations of the local school board.
Clubs of the present type characteristically operate for a few years until the
volunteers who run them give up their efforts or until the facility is no longer available.
On the one hand, club size cannot expand beyond about 50 members because the
faculty size is fixed and playing becomes too crowded. On the other, clubs cannot
contract much below the 20-player level because the lack of different players makes the
game boring and the facility hard to justify. A 20-player club also does not have many
qualified candidates to move up to replace workers and officers who leave.
[Former Club President Walt Guyer (TTT, Nov.-Dec., 1971, 15) says There should be
more encouragement and more recognition to the 5% (or less) who keep the clubs and
leagues goinglike a free membership in the USTTA for each officer of a club or
league, and/or free entries in various events of tournaments.]
Fred says whats needed is a club like a six school facilities setup where an interschool league could be formed, and a night program established for adults. (Fred knows all
about leagueshaving detailed in Topics (Nov.-Dec., 1971, 29), his Huntington, Long Islands
Round Robin Method for Club League play.) The idea is to have one club open on Monday,
another on Tuesday, another on Wednesday, etc. You could play any night, and the multiple
locations make it much more difficult for a club to be wiped out by the loss of a single facility.
School administrators would welcome a Junior tie-in, and hopefully tournaments could be run
on weekends that would profit, well, everyonethat is, if spectator admission would be
allowed.
Image-building concepts ought to be fostered at clubs,*** like Table Tennis keeps kids
from bad habitsone of which might be too much emphasis on competitiveness, usually a nono among instructors of youth programs. So, says Fred, we need a new modelthe flexible
club.
But such an extended club, subject Id think to the same limitations of school venues
Fred cited before, would not be a home-away-from home for me, or I would think for any of
the professional set, and I really cant see any rising young stars coming out of such an
environment.
Dick Miles (TTT, Nov.-Dec., 1971, 1; 3) has his idea on how to start Association clubs.
It involves levying a $2 tax on each USTTA member:
244

Call it a self-charity tax. If no one welched [can you see that

happening?] wed have $8,000, enough to open a table tennis center. Let the
USTTA take that money and lend it to any member who can show in a responsible
way that he wants to operate a public table tennis center. If he lasts in that business
he pays the money back within six months or a year, possibly with a small interest.
Said money is then lent out again for another center. And so on. Once people, even
complete strangers to the Game, find out that theres money in operating public
table tennis centers (and I for one have enough confidence in the Game to believe
that they could be profitable (if properly designed) and you will soon see T.T.
centers opening all around you. Run by businessmen. But we ourselves need to
prime the pump for such a program.
Later, in a Feb. 24, 1972 letter to Dave Peck of Indian Industries, Dick tries to get the
Manufacturers Association interested in the idea of investing in such a prototype center. If this
first one is successful, urges Dick, a franchise operation could quickly produce hundreds of
public places to play which will in turn sell tables for you.
Hundreds of public places to play: quite a dream, eh?
SELECTED NOTES.
*Again and again in these History volumes weve seen how players (cheapskates
Carl Zeisberg, 1930s USTTA President/Editor extraordinaire, called them) have always
wanted to play the Sport as cheaply as possible. Its no surprise, then, that in the 1960s/
1970s the practice continues. In Chapter Twelve, I noted how Fred Herbst felt the USTTA
had to do something about the abuses of club card membershipso many playing in Open
tournaments but not wanting, or needing, to buy full USTTA memberships. That free ride,
hed said, had to stop, and the E.C. agreed.
Now we read (TTT, Nov.-Dec., 1971, 10) how Lou Bochenski objected to the
Northwests ploythough of course it had been done earlier in California tournaments
of calling what was obviously an Open tournament a Closed one. The University of
Oregon Closed, a title that suggested the entries would be limited to students of that
University, turned out to be not primarily for students, but so free-ranging as to include
tournament regulars not just from Oregon but California, Washington, and British
Columbia. As Lou said, the sponsoring Affiliate wanted to avoid the [Open] requirement
of USTTA membership (for that would bring in more entries) and wanted also to take
advantage of a smaller sanctioning fee for Closed tournaments. Lou recommends that
USTTA membership be required for all Open and all Closed tournaments, except for
Closed club or city tournaments.
That this affiliate, for one, had so little loyalty to the USTTA is obvious from an article
in Topics by University of Oregon student Chris Depee. Though Chris, on starting to play in
Eugene and for some time after, had exchanges with various Northwest table tennis officials,
NONE of them, he said, urged me to join the USTTA, or even mentioned the national
organization.
**Rufford Harrison and Jack Carr, neither of whom one expects to be a paid topplayer exhibitionist, have a very long article (TTT, Nov.-Dec., 1971, 9-10) on How To Give
An Exhibition.a fourth of which has to do with dress and grooming. The article should be
245

quite helpful to those

who are inexperienced,
but are the
inexperienced going to
give exhibitions?To
the hopefully ignorantof-the-Sport audiences
the authors assume?
Maybe yes. And can
the inexperienced
execute (for that
matter, could Harrison
and Carr?) the standard
routines suggested?
Maybe no. But, what
the hell, any exhibition
helps popularize the
Sport? Maybe yes,
maybe no.
***Mort
Zakarin thinks each
Montgomery Ward Department Store exhibition with Jack Carr retrieving
club ought to have a
resident pro to give it more class, and says that if the Sport is to grow it needs big money
prizes. Felix Bogart thinks each club ought to have a public relations man. Felix, a Huntington
Club member, is concerned as to whether civilities are being observed at clubs. Do we
carefully honor player rotation in waiting for ones turn to get on the table? Do we take
advantage of others in warming up too long while others wait? Are power cliques overly
honored and given deference to? Are some of our young players priggish and ill-mannered?
Do the youngsters feel the only object is to win? Are they not taking cues from their parents
and elders? Were we not taught it is not who won but how you played the game that
counts?

246

Lou Dubin

Steve Shoemaker

Keneth Dale Draper

At the Table Tennis Saloon:

gunslingers Houshang
Bozorgzadeh (L) and Bobby Fields

Dick Miles:
promotional duties

Chapter Nineteen
1971: D-J Lee/Wendy Hicks Win at $7,500 Redondo Beach Western Classic.
One week after the USOTCs, almost every top player on our little circuit attended the
$7,500 Redondo Beach Western Classic. I started my write-up of this California tournament
247

by prefacing it with Keatss first well-known poem, On First Looking Into Chapmans
Homer, in which he uses analogiesan astronomer suddenly seeing a new planet, an explorer
climbing a peak to suddenly discover the Pacific Oceanto emphasize his own awe at seeing
such an incredible expanse of poetry via Homers translator. My own romantic, analogic aim
was to show the glimpse of a new table tennis world: one brought about by the combined
talents of savvy businessman/promoter and player/artist.
Brought about?How?
Lou Dubin, Junior Development Chairman of the California T.T.A. (Dean Galardi, the
California Under 13 Champ, is one of his protgs), is having a beer in The Sea Inn (The
Worlds Most Unusual Tavern)where they just happen to have a ping-pong table or two.
Lou has given Steve Shoemaker, Jr., the bearded owner of the tavern, a paddle for his
birthday. (As comfortably, not to say sloppily, dressed as Steve usually is, he looks like he himself is
the tavern owners best customer.) Turns out that Steve is what anybody sober would call a nonplayer, but on this particular day he asks Lou if they couldnt run a little ping-pong tournament.
Sure, why not? says Lou. And perhaps hes thinking, Here? In this tavern? Well,
why not? And though they have another beer on it, nothing more is said, and with still
another beer surely the ideas forgotten.
Eight oclock next morning, though, Lou gets a call from Steve. (What tavern owner
in his 30s is ever up that early?) Lou, he says, Im really serious about this ping-pong
tournament. Weve got an 8 a.m. appointment this coming Wednesday with the Chamber of
Commerce. Im going to ask for $2,500 to start us off.
It just so happens that the casual-looking, somewhat paunchy, bearded Steve is Vice
President of the Fishermans Wharf; Redondo Beachs Young Man of the Year; and
Treasurer of the local Chamber of Commerce.
The appointment is kept, the $2,500 is given like a shot, another $2,500 is urged, and
five men in the Chamber are given one week (Dont worry, says Steve, theyre good fund
raisers) to come up with the cash.
Meanwhile, Steve gets Kenneth Dale Draper, the local Hermosa Beach artist known
for his seascapes, and a winner at the recent Catalina Art Festival, to do a table tennis action
painting. This is appraised at $1,500. Eventually, what with one thing and another, $7,500 is
raised. Formula for Professionals Dream: PRIZE MONEY gets NAME PLAYERS, gets
PUBLICITY FOR REDONDO BEACH (from San Diego up to San Francisco) AND THE
SPORT BEFORE THE MEDIA-ORIENTED EYES OF THE PEOPLE, gets SPECTATORS
AT THE MATCHES, gets (maybe) MONEY BACK AND MORE.
Admittedly, however, the playing site leaves something to be desired. Dwight Chapin
(L.A. Times, Dec. 13, 1971) describes it as an $11 million parking terminal still under
construction.The place has all the charm of a medieval prisonhuge globs of concrete that
assault the eye and open spaces that let through so much chilly, winter wind you think youre
ON the Pacific Ocean, not just next to it. To help promote the tournament, 10-time U.S.
Champion Dick Miles is brought in for several days ahead of time. He is interviewed by Jim
Murray, the well-known sports writer for the Los Angeles Times, who is to devote his full
Sunday, Dec. 12 column to table tennis. Then Dick and his Stiga Robot and Miss Redondo
Beach make things happen at a Press Party at Steves Sea Inn. Then Dick, Erwin Klein, and
Glenn Cowan are guests at a Sportswriters Luncheon in Los Angeles. Its here perhaps that
arrangements are finalized for some TV coverage of the tournamentthe Miles-Sweeris
match, for example, is to be filmed in entirety.
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Next, Dick gambles on getting an old poker-playing

friend, the very busy actor Walter Matthau, to put in an
appearance at the tournament. Attired in a sporty yellow
sweater, Matthau, batting the ball around with Miles, looks
younger than I thought he would (or maybe Ive just got the
image of Kotch, his latest picture, in mind).
Hes pretty good, says a guy next to me.
He should be, says another. Hes been playing for
25 years.
I didnt mean Miles, says the first guy.
Neither did I, says the second guy.
Its ridiculous, says Matthau to his friend Lou Blau,
these guys shouldnt have to play under a wharf. They
Walter Matthau
ought to play in the finest ballroom of the finest city. Cut!
says the Director as everyone nods assent.
Actually Miles still wasnt finished with his promotional chores. The Monday morning
after the tournament, when the last of the players were going home, Dick was leaving the
comforts of his two-floor Harbor Cove apartment to do a TV show in L.A. with young
Galardi. It wasnt any surprise to me, then, that, at tournaments end, Miles was awarded the
Mayors trophy for his promotional work.
But back to the Friday beginning of this Classic weekend, some two months after
Dubin and Shoemaker had those beers. James West, who sells table tennis supplies to any and
all players West of the Rocky Mts., had brought 20 Wood Products tables, and he and
Shoemaker (who himself made and put up all the cardboard barriers) had their hands full
assembling and setting them up. West, for his efforts, was given sole rights to the selling of all
equipment at the tournamentwhich news D-J Lee, arriving with Tim OGrosky and half a
dozen bags of luggage between them, took with all his Asian imperturbability.
O.K., so D-J couldnt sell equipment, maybe
he could have a little table where, in the interest of
fostering goodwill, he could show appreciative
players and spectators How Best To Put New Rubber
On? At any event he would have such an explanatory
article in the May-June, 1972 Topics:
To put new rubber on a bat, I recommend the
following method. First, clean the blade thoroughly
use fingernail polish or lighter fluid to clean all the old
sponge off; and sand it down with sandpaper. Second,
make sure the surface is dry and then glue the outside
of the blade first and move clockwise in toward the
center. A half tube of glue is too muchuse about a
third. Third, fold rubber in half and rub circularwise
D-J Lee shows how to put on new rubber clockwise, then open rubber and continue rubbing.
Fourth, slide off the rubber. Do not put any more glue
on the rubberyou can put more glue on the edge of the blade. Fifth, allow the rubber and
racket to set for 5-10 minutes until any wet spot driesthat way there wont be any bubbles.
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Sixth, put sponge down on

handle end first and shoe it in,
then smooth it down and turn the
racket over. Gently press.
Seventh, cut on the side where
you can see where youre going.
Use a pair of sharp scissors, not
a razor. Eighth, play (12).
The California TTA,
Tournament Referee Doug
Stewart, and USATT Executive
Committeeman Fred Herbst had
articles in the very attractive 28page Sports-lllustrated-size
Program. And other members of
the Tournament Planning
Bard Brenner of the Planning Committee
Committee, particularly Bard
and his good friend Rose Wisner
Brenner, Dieter Huber, John
Horning, and Pacific Coast Regional Director Richard Alden, were on hand to get Friday
nights Junior play going.
It was the first time Id seen these half dozen or so officials in action and I think they
did an extremely good job. On one occasion, for example, they reasonably deferred to the
desires of the better players and allowed partnerships in the Mixed Doubles to be formed,
though many of the players hadnt originally entered the event. Another thing that helped the
tournament run smoothly was an additional Control Desk out in the middle of the large playing
area, near the four Championship arenas.
Ill start my write-up with Junior play, and I must note immediately that the winners of
the U-17, U-15, and U-13 events were to have their way paid to the Long Island Nationals in
March. Thats a combined first.
In the 17s, one boy was beaten 1, 5, 3, another 2, 6, 14, another 3, 6, 10but
somebody got them out there to play, to be a part of it all. Of course there were a number of
intensely competitive matches too. Jaret Hall, up 2-0, had to go 5 to beat Pat Thompson
while immaculately-dressed dad, Russ, in telling me about the old Ozzie and Harriet shows he
and his family were so much a part of, was warming up with his particularly fine brand of
coffee. Don Singer, down 2-0, beat Ken Sheppard deuce in the
3rd, deuce in the 4th, to win in 5.
Sixteen-year-old Ray Guillenwho, though losing in
nd
the 2 round of Junior Doubles had allowed his small-fry
partner Scott Boggan to hit the ball through 5 gameswon
this 17 Singles event over Eric Thom. Understandably, the big
match buzz centered on Thoms 12, -18, -17, 20, 19 semis
win over Paul Raphel.
For two weeks before the tournament, Eric, when he
wasnt going to North Hollywood High, was playing at Milla
Boczars club with the visiting South Korean, the California
Ken Sheppard
250

Open Champ, Joong Gil Park. Doug Stewart speaks of the great atmosphere at Millas
Hollywood club, and of how every conceivable style of play is represented there by the
Wests best players, including of course Park who, says Doug, is a wonderful person, always
willing to practice with anyone. Its the place, Doug thinks, for young players to make great
strides.
I owe everything to Park, says Eric. I used to push the ball. Now any ball thats
long, I spin. And I can spin off topspin too. Raphel had Thom 20-18 match point in the 4th,
then saw a 19-14 lead get away from him in the 5th. I just got loose and couldnt
concentrate, he said. But Erics going to be good. His loop is as good as anybodys in the
country. Hes got more spin on the ball than Cowan. How concerned is Paul about his loss?
Its not losing thats so bad, he says. Its what everybody will say at the club. Then, with
that puckish smile coming on, he added, That makes my record with him 18 and 2.
In one half of the Under 15 Draw, David Laing made the
semis by beating, first, Chris Rosal (in a close 16, 19, 18, 20
match), and then wheelchair wonder, 15-year-old Mike Dempsey
(who I saw play the most fantastic match in Toronto when time and
again, after swinging viciously, he would quick, last-minute-handdown-to-the-floor save himself from falling out of his chair). In the
other half, Jaret Hall beat both Bill Hoffman and Dean Galardi (after
Dean had deuce-in-the-5th barely gotten by Salt Lake Citys Bobby
Okuda, Under 15 winner in next months Colorado-Wyoming-Utah
Closed). Tuscons 14-year-old Mark DaVee, the Arizona Junior
Chris Rosal
Photo by
Champion, turned out to be the U-15 winnerover Hall in 4, then
Keneth Dale Draper
Mickey Kritz in the final. Mickeys parents may live in Boston, but
hes staying in California to play table tennis!
In the U-13s, 10-year-old Scott Boggan (Shut up! he was
yelling in between hits to his father) beat 11-year-old Chris Rosal in
the quarters, 18 in the 5th. Later, I found out that the two boys had
gone exploring, out among the rocks by the ocean, for when Scott
came back into the cold concrete playing area he was soaking wet
and barefoot! Seems hed somehow managed to get into the Pacific.
Dean Galardi was the 13 winner, beating in the semis his
friend and another Dubin protg, Marcy Fernandez, 24-22 in the
4th, and then in the final his arch-rival, the strong lefthander hes
twice lost to this year, Keith Hall, 25-23 in the 4th. Galardi is a Little
League pitcher who had the dubious distinction of pitching a nohitter in an all-star game this summerand losing! Another pitcher
started, gave up 3 runs. Dean came in, fanned 12 out of 18 batters.
In the last inning, Deans team is down 3-2, there are two outs, a
runners on 3rd, and Dean is up. He comes through with a single
and what happens? The kid running home from 3rd falls down and is
out. But this all-star weekend Galardi does just finein addition to
taking the 13s, he wins the Sportsmanship Award. And the most
astonishing thing is, though he now plays at Milla Boczars
Hollywood club sometimes 5 days a week, its only been six months
Dean Galardi
since he first started to play.
Photo by Mal Anderson
251

Monica Rosals been playing quite a whilewhich is

quite apparent when in the Girls U-15s she keeps all her
opponents under 10. Diane Witt survives a 27-25 in the 4th
struggle with lefthander Gina Picerni to finish runner-up.
Whereupon the 14-year-old is faced with an even more
protracted struggletrying to get the 2nd-place trophy due her.
Dianes exasperated mother, after months of being given a polite
brush off by Lou Dubin, finally resorts to writing her saga of
indignation to Topics.
The Under 17 Girls went to Judy Bochenski over
Angelita Rosal in 4with both young women hitting like men.
And, in Judys case, taking hits because of the Northwest flak her
father Lous getting in promoting herand himself. Perhaps
Angie got some measure of revenge by teaming with Thom to
win the Junior Doubles from Judy and Mark DaVee. All this
Monica Rosal
summer Judy had been on the road, playing exhibitions in
Washington, Oregon, and California. Her father, Lou, who (see TTT, Jan.-Feb., 1972, 21; 28)
uses the Northwest Rating System in his Eugene Leagues (best to have both an A and a B
league to make the competition more enjoyable), sent out 200 hundred letters to shopping
malls along the way. Table up on top of car, dont forget the p.a. system, and off theyd go.
Seeing America. Learning. Any challengers? Sure, and every kind of screwy game imaginable.
But so what. Keep hitting. Be spectacular.
Youngster DaVee won the Class B $50 1st prize by beatingI wont say an oldster
(not with that bright red ski cap)Houstons D.G. Van Vooren. Mark had to go 5 against both
Bill Cooper and Tucson clubmate Bob Weich and his troublesome hard-rubber racket. (Weich,
I might add, was stopped in the Cs by lefty spinner Joe Sanchez who went on to defeat Joe
Heesbeen in a deuce in the 4th final.) Van Vooren was repeatedly extended by S.H. Shu (why
not S.H.U. Shu?), by Ed Kelemen, and by determined hardbat chopper (Of course I know
Sido) Alex Gati.
The $100 1st Prize in the As went to girl-on-the-move Judy
Bochenski over Patty Cash in 4. In the quarters, Judy was pressured
by Thom, then in the semis
she stopped ex-Long
Islander Danny Banach
who had won very close
matches against National
Womens Champ Connie
Sweeris and L.A.s Jim
Rob Lange
Bristol. Banach and Thom
won the Class A Doubles, 22 in the 5th, over Terry
and Rob Lange who says hes doing nothing but
playing table tennis. Danny also, with more than a
little help from big John Hanna and his forehands,
TT performer
took home the Senior Doubles trophy for defeating
Bob Ashley
Senior Singles winner Tim Boggan and runner-up
Bob Ashley.
252

Patty (her young pilot husband, Leyrl, is working

his way up through construction) downed in the quarters a
fellow whos used to going the distance, former Crestmont
track star and winner of the U-17As at the Atlanta
Nationals, Richard Terry. Then in the semis Patty-14, 23,
19 edged out Jeff Kurtz, something of my bearded
counterpart in the Northwest, whose wife Liz (reminding
me of an article some years ago by Pauline Robinson
Somael) recently wrote a tongue-in-cheek Womans
World piece. Its theme: how a woman could use a
number of winning strategies to counter the superior
strength of a male opponentfor instance, by stressing
her femininity to cunningly ingratiate herself with the big
lout, then, as he takes a point or two end-game lead, by
looking hurt, unbelievably hurt (TTT, Jan.-Feb., 1972, 20).
Patty and Judy of course played before interested
spectators, but this was not always the case with the better
Womens Strategy Expert Liz Kurtz players. Both Doubles finals were put on after the climactic
Mens Singles matches when most of the spectators had
gone home and many of the players had moved off to the perimeter of the playing area to
receive their trophies and cash prizes. Mens Doubles went to U.S. Champs Lee and Pradit.
They lost only one gameto Miles and Sweeris (who, surprisingly, played them deuce in
another). In the final, D-J and Peter overpowered Cowan and partner Tannehill who played in
a red and white checkerboard shirt.
U.S. Champs Dell and Connie Sweeris won another Mixed Doubles title. But Dell,
playing in striped trousers, was not happy that there wasnt any prize money for the Mixed.
Also, he complained that it was the third or fourth time this year that he and Connie had been
playing an almost meaningless late-hour match. Connie and I arent going to play any more
matches like this, he said, wanting the respect that ought to accompany U.S. Open
titleholders. And speaking of dignity due, George Brathwaite, playing with Patty Cash, didnt
much like it when in the final Sweeris suddenly stops play and goes to the sidelines. Hey,
says Dell to sponsor Shoemaker, I dont believe youve met my wife. Well, perhaps it was
then or never?
In Womens 1st-round matches, Connie wins 1, 1, 2 and Judy wins 2, 1, 2. Never let it
be said then that for these young ladies table tennis is a nice game. Which reminds me:
where was San Franciscos Irene Ogus? Will we ever see her again? In the semis, Patty blocks
out Connie, 24-22 in the 4th, while Wendy Hicks, whod dropped a deuce 1st game to Rosal,
zips Judy away post-haste. Thus the two top seeds are in the final.
In the past, Hicks has been a little flat-footed, but now as the match gets underway,
shes moving very well. Often Wendy will begin by pushing and mildly topping, while Patty,
her balancing left hand up like a birds wing, leans forward and pushes or blocks. Both are
looking to step around and swat a forehand. Down 20-17 in the 1st, Patty stands firm, gets to
19but no further. Shrugging her shoulders she walks around the table and is soon -14, -17
out of the match$300 1st Prize to Wendy. World Team Captain Jack Howard characterizes
Wendy as a player maturingwhich is what ones apt to do as more and more tournaments
offer money prizes?
253

There were some very

good early-round matches in
the $25-entry-fee Mens.
Richard McMillan, down 2-0,
won 19 in the 5th from Bob
Weich; Jafar Fatemi came all
the way from Salt Lake City
and 19-16 down in the 5th to
beat Rob Lange; Seattles
Carl Lehroff got by USTTA
Disciplinary Chair Gene
Wilson and his very small,
treacherous as a derringer,
wooden-cheese-tray of a
racket withsurprise
sponge on the serving side;
Richard Terry, catching a
second wind, beat ubiquitous
Gene Wilson...and friends
young trophy-collector DaVee
in 5; San Diegos Ragnar
Fahlstrom, down 2-1, downed Pomonas Bill Garrett in 5; and Jeff Kurtz, Oregon Champ, came
from behind to knock out Ron Von Schimmelman 19 in the 5thonly to lose in 4 in the next round
after leading 20-13 in the 4th and, match over, having to endure Boggans savage screams.
In one of the biggest upsets up to the 8ths, Englishman Don Berry doing post-doctoral
research on his vicious whirlwind loop at North Texas State, downed Canadian Champ Derek Wall.
In England (Manchester alone, where Im from, has a 1,000 league players, Berry was telling
me), I was brought up playing defensive players. Never mind that Wall was down 17-3 in the 5th
(think of the wins hes had in 25 years of competition), its Berrys suggestion that Dereks not
much different from any of those
1,000 league players in
Manchester that hurts. Why the
bloke was on the Lancashire 2nd
team, said Derek who, Im
afraid, up one game and 16-9 in
the 2nd, didnt take Berry and the
beginnings of his Fu Manchu
moustache seriously enough.
Perhaps the most
startling upset of the tournament
occurred when Paul Raphel beat
John Tannehill, 19 in the 5th.
Perhaps startling, too, is that the
standoffish Erwin Klein, often
bent at this or that tournament
from stopping Pauls advance
Erwin Klein (L)
(see accompanying photo), is
vs. Paul Raphel
254

here his encouraging coach. Keep in a good frame of mind, Erwin had told Raphel before
the matchand Paul, coming from 19-13 down to win the 1st, certainly had the momentum to
do just that. In the 2nd, Tannehill, up 11-2, proves hes much better at countering than Raphel.
So, as they ready themselves for the 3rd, Klein urges Paul to chop some, soften John up, get
him to push the ball; if thats successful, then Paul is to block to Johns forehand and, if he
continues his soft return, move over and loop. This strategy works well and Raphel is up 2-1
and 6-2 in the 4th. Then Paul stops being aggressive and, when John takes over, he just stands
there waiting for him to miss. Only John doesnt miss. He begins a 3rd-ball attack, wins 5 in a
row, and forces the match into the 5th.
Now Raphel seems to realize he has to act. Is up
Paul Raphel
11-7then down 16-14. Is Paul getting stage fright? Is he
Photo by Bill
thinking about the match he lost yesterday to Thom, when
Scheltema
he blew his lines, so to speak? Klein yells at him to start
looping. Raphel, taking the cue, begins moving around his
forehand. Tannehill grows cautiouswhich is probably
natural for a top player playing against a younger
opponent whos not supposed to be able to keep control
at this critical time.
Suddenly, though, Paul is doing everything right.
Hes chopping, blocking, looking for an opening to get his
hit through. His composure is amazing. The California
crowd has been violently pro-Raphel. Now as the last
tense points are being fought for, the players might have
been Shakespearian actors, each trying to murder the
other. Raphel, from 19-all, finishes like a herosmacks
two shots through. And for John, here the villain, the
inner curtain, the one far back inside, slowly, darkly,
comes down, while in full spotlight, smiling, victorious,
Paul bounds before his enthusiastic supporters, the self-conscious, quixotic young prince of
the hour.
Another upset nearly came off when Seattles Tom Ruttinger, with the exception of
Howard perhaps the best player in the Northwest, almost beat U.S. World Team member Errol
Resek. Although Errol had lost to Tom last time theyd played, at the USOTCs a year ago, he
still didnt expect Toms quick block and steady forcing backhand to give him so much trouble.
Down 2-1, Resek has to slow up the game by chopping not to Ruttingers backhand, he can
flick that, but to his forehand where he cant seem to loop or hit hard enough. Errol went on
to blank Cowan, but then lost in straight games himself to California Champ Joong Gil Park.
Though he was born in Nagoya, Japan, Park and D-J Lee were members of the same
club in Koreahe was #1 and D-J was #2. Because Park, whod been working in a bank in
Tokyo, has only been in the U.S. since July 1st, stories were still circulating about his past.
He went 5 games with Ogimura in the 63 Worlds, says one fellow.
Hes ahead of Takahashi, 7 matches to 2, says another.
I remember he won at least one game from Li Fu-jung when Li was really #1 in the
world, says still another.
(Such heresay comments about a player are usually apocryphal? I know, for instance,
that South Korean players didnt participate at the 63 Worlds.)*
255

Park, having come to this

country to join his pretty wife Okhee
(whos being given a lift by the bright
butterfly wing of Milla Boczar), is
planning to remain in the U.S. for the
next 18 months. And what can he do
but play table tennis, for one of the
conditions of his stay is that he cant
take a job away from an American
citizen. Against Park, Resek is just
too slowso that the Korean, with
his varying serves short to the
forehand or very quick and very fast
Once Park joined his pretty wife Okhee, what will he do for
deep to the backhand, followed by a
the next 18 months?
devastating closer, can take full
advantage.
Parks opponent in the semis is Sweeris. I told Dell I was thinking of putting a leading
money winning list in Topics, IRS readers or noand he promptly said, as if hes long had the
same idea, Going into this tournament Im $1,275 for the year. Dell wins the 1st, but cant
average 15 after that. Parks very fast on his feet, seems always in perfect position so that Dell
cant spin with him. Someone says that Dells trouble is he gets too tense when he plays.
Another complains about Gils serve. But Dieter Huber assures everyone that Park is not
contacting the ball over the table line but rather right on it and is then quickly following
through. Yeah, says a regular at Millas club, he practices that every day. The California
crowd obviously favors Park and this irritates some. If Sweeris were in Korea, says one guy,
hed have to kill himself to get a handand look at the creeps we got here.
Pradit, meanwhile, in his quarters match, is up against Howard. Jack tries to prepare
by hurrying halfway across Los Angeles to his favorite Japanese restaurant, a block or two
from where he once lived and where now (Ah, Mr. Howard, so very nice to see you again)
hes given a heros welcome. Pradit, with that marvelous touch of his, that quick drop, soon
has Jack, determined to play defense, running all over the place. Peter has been practicing all
week against choppers and is clearly not as wild against chop as he used to be. Moreover,
what balls Howard gets to hit hard he generally doesnt score with. For a moment, when Jack
wins the 2nd at deuce, it looks as if he might have figured out all the angles, but, no, he can
take just the one game.
In the semis, its 21-year-old Pradit against the 30-year-old Lee. This of course is the
match the aficionados have been waiting for. They remember that, though D-J has never lost a
sanctioned tournament match in the 5 years hes been here (his loss in the 1969 Ohio Team
Tryouts to Tannehill no one was counting), he and Pradit two years ago at the Toronto CNE
were 17-all in the 5th. Further, this year D-J hadnt been playing much, and in his quarters here
had lost the opening game to Klein.
In the beginning it looks like Lees going to keep control over Pradits marvelous
blocking/angling game. Hes up 12-8, unexpectedly loses 6 in a row, then comes back strong
to win at 16. Unknown to him, wife Linda has begun a series of telephone calls (every 10
minutes it seems) to find out how hes doing. Did he beat Klein? He lost the first game? He
won? Won the first game? Against Pradit?
256

In the 2nd, its 19-all. Pradit is pushing Lees serve and blocking or countering his loop.
Ive never seen a cooler player than Pradit, says a guy behind me. They exchange a long
pointPradit maneuvers an angle and Lee spins off. Then Pradit gets a net. Match all even.
But now D-J begins forcing more. And when Peter gets an opportunity he isnt killing hard
enough to stop Lee from counter-driving. D-Js up 10-2, wins the 3rd easily. Looks good,
Lindathats the message relayed.
But in the 4th its 17-all, and the crowd begins to sense there might be an upset in the
making, that they might be witnessing history. I never saw anyone block a loop like Pradit
doeshed have a chance against Hasegawa. Lee, down 18-17, goes for his towel. Lees
tired, somebody says. Look at his mouth. When they start to breathe with their mouth open,
theyre tired. Theyre trying to suck in air. Pradit wins it, 21-18.
Best damn table tennis Ive seen since Fukushima and Takahashi were here, says a
spectator. I wonder if he knows that Pradit was coached not only by World Champion
Ogimura but by that very same Fukushima who in 67 won our San Diego Nationals. As they
change ends, Lee can be seen for a moment at the sidelines talking to Park. Dont serve long.
Loop down the middle. Is that what Gils telling him?
In the 5th, Lee, up 3-1, stops, goes through phantom forehand strokes. Resumes play.
4-1. Its as if he has two opponents, one visible, one invisible, and is taking turns playing them.
He stops, swings, swings again. Easy to beat. Cmon, easy to beat. Is that what hes thinking?
Resumes play. Up 9-4, D-Js tying his shoelaces. Lee needs the money, someone says. Has
to seize the moment. How many tournaments can he go to that offer a $2,500 1st Prize?
Pradit needs it more, says another. Nah, Pradit could live in a tentit wouldnt matter to
him. Up 12-7, Lee is doing calisthenics. Knees and feet back together now. Once. Twice.
Nothing to it. Everythings together now. Just go through the motions. Resumes play. Soon
its 17-7then its all over. Lee is still undefeated.
A woman comes over to Peter after he loses. Is it all right? she says. Yes. He gives
her an autograph. In a few minutes she comes back with some Chinese tea from a thermos.
You get some nice rest, she says. Rest your mind.
And now for the final. Park, who has just come back from running, outside, in the rain,
is introduced, as is Lee. D-J, chewing his gum furiously, begins by whiffing Gils serve. There
are loud cheers. What the hell is this? says a spectator. The Korean Championships?
Nah, says another. Neither one of these guys would make the Korean Team now. Lee wins
the 1st at 15, the 2nd at 7. This match with his old friendits the easiest one hes had the
whole tournament.
Outside the ring of spectators Pradit sits all alone, disinterested. Watching players
helps a little bit, he says, but mostly you have to adapt your game when youre out there at
the table. No, Park has no chance. Its mostly his footwork. After a 6-year layoff, itd take him
3, maybe 4 years to get it backand if hes 30 now, probably he wont be playing much
longer. Peter stops talking. Something is bothering him. He lifts up one then the other of his
shoes. The soles have holes the size of quarters in them. This was a new pair of shoes when I
started.
After Lee wins 21-12 in the 3rd, its an absolutely mad scene. Everybody is there with a
camera or a pen, and everybody has managed to get himself/herself into the picture and
perhaps sign autographs. There are the prize money winners of various events, the Chamber of
Commerce official presenter, and the tavern-owner promoter. And there, too, as background
for it all, caught in everyones camera, is the artists picture.
257

Lee is offered $500 cash for the

Draper painting. And for a moment its
as if he has a vision. If there were
some sort of Table Tennis Hall of Fame
or History Museum, he says, Id
donate this picture to it. But of course
there isnt. Still, he thinks, hes got the
painting, hell keep it. Never can tell
what might happen in the future. Art
and Table Tennisthey just might make
a good combination for a businessminded promoter.
SELECTED NOTES.
*As History is sure to show,
Table Tennis claims by players and
spectators are sometimes just plain
wrong, or subject to debate. Fred
Herbst writes (TTT, Jan.-Feb., 1972,
25) that, on the Monday morning
following the Redondo Beach
tournament, D-J Lee told him that he,
D-J, invented the loop. Heres how
D-J says it happened:
I was playing a friendly game in my
home city of Seoul back in late 1959.
[We saw in Vol. III that D-J had an
unimpressive record in the 1958 Asian Wendy Hicks and D-J Lee: winners of the Redondo Beach
Western Classic. Wendy won $300 and D-J $1000 plus
Games and that he was not on the
Kenneth Dale Drapers Action Painting valued at $1500.
Korean team at the 1959 Worlds.] My
opponent was chopping and I was rolling the ball, ending in the usual salute. By accident, my
arm went straight up on one stroke and the ball bounced twice on the other side of the table
before my friend could reach it. We were both surprised and stopped playing, trying to figure
out what happened. I experimented some more and found out that different swings made the
ball to hop crazy. I did nothing but loop, loop until my shoulder swelled up and got very sore
and I couldnt raise my arm.
Were now to understand that D-Js unquestioned successes at the 1960 Bombay Asian
Games, beginning most notably with his win over Ichiro Ogimura (then World #3) in the Team
event, was the result of his new stroke, his new loop weapon. D-J said that Nobuya
Hoshino, whod won the Japanese Nationals over Ogimura, laughed at Ogi, and said, How
could you lose to him? Soft player! In the Singles that followed, however, not only did D-J
beat Hoshino (World #16) but another strong Japanese player, Teruo Murakami (World #4),
and, were it not for the Japanese coaches who in the final instructed Ogi to lob, would have
been the Champion.
258

So, given D-Js new-found ability to win (in the 1958 Games he was 3-9 in Team play),
it would seem his soft loop was something the Japanese hadnt contended with before. D-J
also tells Herbst he remembers that in 1960 Dick Miles and Norby Van de Walle were touring
for the USO with Bobby Gusikoffs [future] wife as the mistress of ceremonies. They came to
Korea and I played them. When he got home, Miles told Gusikoff, I got wiped out by a little
guy in Korea. The ball looked like an egg coming over the net and every return of mine hit the
ceiling.
Bombays Bomi Amalsadvala, on reading this claim of D-Js, replied (TTT, July-Aug.,
1972, 13) that it was not D-J but Indias Yatin Vyas who first showed international players the
loop stroke. Back in Jan., 1955, when the famous Czech players came to India to play
Indians, Vyas defeated both Ivan Andreadis (World #2), -21, 21, 17, and Vaclav Tereba (World
#11), 19, 20. The stroke that baffled and bewildered these world class players, said Bomi,
was none other than the then called top-spin drive which, believe it or not, was executed by
an ordinary pimpled rubber racket. Bomi says, I understand that Mr. Dick Miles was so
mesmerized with the top-spin play of Mr.Vyas in 1954 at Wembley in practice that he actually
went about the arena drawing the attention of all players to go and see for themselves the
magic being performed by Vyas with his ordinary pimpled racket.
Regarding these rival claims its not easy to be totally convinced by either. Why, if D-J
was so publicly innovative, used such a new weapon at one of the worlds foremost
tournaments, have I not read a word about the sensation he should have caused? And how is it
that he himself has kept totally silent about it all until this whisper to Herbst? As for Vyas, if he
so baffled and bewildered two of the worlds greatest players (in games with exhibition-like
scores), how is it that at the 1956 Worlds he didnt baffle or bewilder, didnt even beat Bukiet
or Harry Hirschkowitz?

259

Chapter Twenty
1971-72: Winter Tournaments-I. 1972: D-J, Violetta Take Easterns.
Coming as it did after the $7,500 Redondo Beach Classic, the Hollywood Winter Open
was disappointing. First, as John Horning tells us (TTT, May-June, 1972, 15), Director Milla
Boczar thought shed try out that idea of Lou Bochenskis Id mentioned before of having, in
addition to Mens and Womens Singles, an Open Singles in which both men and women
would be in the same Draw. This would create grittier matches for the women, yes? Well, no,
because none of them wanted to enter the event. They dont have Rod Laver play Billie Jean
King, do they? said Heather Angelinetta. It would be
ridiculous.
Actually, the Mens and Womens Singles Draws fared
only a little better. The Mens was missing Park, Klein, and
Cowan who wouldnt deign to play for the $35 1st Prize,
and the Womens had only two of the seven women who
won second and third place team awards at the USOTCs.
Heather, who beat Pauline Lepke in the final, was one of
the two; the other was Womens B winner Pat Crowley.
Milla had looked wistfully at the old and weathered sign
(Hollywood Table Tennis Courts) above the door to her
club. A man came by with a real nice electric sign once,
shed told Horning. But it cost three hundred dollars.
Pat Crowley, Womens B Winner
Maybe if shed had it shining this weekend it would have
Photo by Mal Anderson
brought in more players, more spectators?
In the one Mens semis, it was 19-year-old Denis
OConnell over Ray Guillen in 5. Ray, playing with a dried-up
antique of a borrowed bat, had advanced by just slipping by
Richard McMillan deuce in the 5th. In the previous nights Open
Singles, OConnell, before losing to Raphel deuce in the 5th, had
beaten Guillen, 19 in the 4th, and, since CTTA Ranking Chair Dieter
Huber insisted (illegally, said Horning) that automatically the #1
and #4 seeds, the #2 and #3 seeds play, theyd been matched again.
In the other semis, it was Paul Raphel, 3-0, over Eric Thom whod
defeated Wayne Obertone and Howie Grossman.
Horning says that Raphel, who teaches a t.t. class at L.A.s
Westside Jewish Community Center, reminds him of D-J Lee
Clenched fists, flexed knees, and his shoosh, hutzah between
points. The small crowd watching the Paul-Denis final seemed
indifferent as to who won. It was like the dawning of a new age as California TTA Ranking
Chair Dieter Huber
the older generation sat to watch the new, eyeing it with an
Photo by Don Gunn
uncertain curiosity, like the apes eye the obelisk in 2001. Paul,
up 2-1 and 17-13, looks back at father, Leon, and glows. After Paul wins that 4th game
shakily at 19 and pockets the $35, Horning congratulates him, points out that hed gone
through the whole tournamentJuniors, Mens Singles and Mens Doubleswithout losing a
match.
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Hey, yeah, he says, as if he hadnt realized thatthen adds

with a far off puckish lookCool.
Other results: Bs: Doug Hobson over Richard Badger. Cs:
Dale Fenderson over Steve Rehm. Class D: Paul White over Don
Singer. Boys 17: Raphel over Thom whod escaped McMillan 26-24 in
the 3rd. Boys 15: Mickey Kritz over Fenderson. Boys 13: Keith Hall
over Dean Galardi. Seniors: Russ Thompson
over Alex Gati.
The Northern California Closed (played,
like the last one, at Livermore?) had the
following winners. Mens: David Chan over
Jeff Mason. Womens: Yuriko Kirby over
Muriel Edwards. Mens Doubles: Chan/Azmy
Ibrahim over Mason/George Makk. Mixed
Doubles: Jim Naik/Hilda Brautigan over Mike
Greene/Edwards. As: Greene over Peter Yu.
A Doubles: Greene/Yu over Ed Ngai/Kuldip
Richard Badger
Shodhan. Bs: Ngai over Robert Torres. B
Doubles: Shodhan/Jim Naik over Richard
Montgomery/Torres. Seniors: Sam Lima over B. Read. Boys U17s: Steve Slavich over Kent Hasse. Girls U-17s: R. Miller over
Edwards. U-15s: Hasse over Wayne Tieke.
Mike Greene
Oh, oh, heres another Portland Closed. Lou Bochenski,
running in the upcoming USTTA E.C. election, says Washington State players and a Portland,
Oregon Closed arent a match. Lous the repeated target of those who view him as
promoting his daughter, his Eugene club, his equipment sales, and especially himself. But, uh,
why shouldnt he?
Read Jeff Kurtzs
coverage of this Portland
tournament (TTT, May-June,
1972, 14), and youll see that
despite a late January
snowstorm, the first of the
year, Tom Ruttinger, Joe Lee,
and Rob Roberts skidded and
slid their way down from
Seattle to get in on the
action. In the Championship
event, the six preliminary
round robins, with two players
Carl Cole
Paul Chang
From Nov., 1990 Portland Pacific
advancing from each, brought From Dec. 6-7, 1980 Pacific NorthRim Open Program, 9
west Open Program, 19
three upsets: Dave McLain
(courtesy of Bob Viducich)
(Ed. Bob Viducich)
over Jim Scott; Steve Berliner
over Bob Ho; and, creating a spectator buzz, or, rather, a flurry), Paul Chang over Carl Cole.
None of these upset winners advanced to the quarters where, since Roberts
whomped Earl Adams, and Ruttinger comfortably disposed of Kurtz and his Hasegawa
261

style of attack, there were but two contested matches. Cole defeated Danny Mattson in a
match characterized by clumps of pointsCarl rallied in the 1st from 8 points down, only to
lose at deuce; then in the deciding 3rd, leading 15-5, he dropped 7 in a row before going on to
win. Judy Bochenski scored a big upset over the #2 ranked Northwest player, Joe Lee. Jeff
said, Joe failed to utilize his loop to its full potential and tried to hit it out with Judy, but he
was not consistent enough or fast enough to successfully carry out these tactics.
In the one semis, though at first Roberts couldnt keep his forehand and backhand
loops on the table, and so dug himself a two-down hole, he rallied to go 13-7 in the 4th up on
Ruttinger. But then he falteredlosing the momentum and his confidence. In the other
semis, Cole, to the surprise of many, blanked Bochenski. Volleying backhand to backhand,
he kept Judy crowded in her backhand corner. Then Judy began to rush and missed her
drives; and if she tried to take backhand shots with her forehand, Carl would quickly counter
to the far corner. Though this was Coles best tournament match in a year, in the final he
couldnt keep up with Toms accurate, quick hits, and lost in straight games.
Play among the last four pairs in the Championship Doubles saw loopers Lee/Roberts
defeat Ed Ng and Jim Tong, a quick hitting team from Eugene; and Bochenski/Ruttinger
scalp their no-longer-hirsute elders, Cole/Kurtz. In the final, when Joe and Rob had control of
their heavy topspin and moved quickly enough to get into position for their long strokes, they
had the initiative and dominated the game, for then Tom and Judy would lose control of
their blocks. However, if Joe and Rob slacked off, Tom and Judy would seize the
opportunity to get their offense going. Eventually Lee/Roberts won in 5.
In Class A, Ed Ng advanced to the final over Paul Chang,
while Earl Adams stopped, first, Ron Carver, perhaps the most
improved player in Oregon in the last 3 months, and then Ed Chin,
19 in the 3rd. In the match for the title, Eds loops proved superior to
Earls quick hits.
Best in Class
B was Charlie
McLarty over Chin,
23-21 in the 3rd in the
semis, and over
Karen Berliner, 23-21
Ron Carver
in the 3rd in the 3-zip
final, after Karen had
squelched a father-son showdown by upsetting
Jack McLarty.
In one Seniors semi, Earl Adams,
trying to make a dramatic recovery on a deuce
point, slipped and seriously sprained his
Charlie McLarty...plans to get up and win Class B
anklean injury, I presume, that occurred in
the 2nd of the two deuce games he lost to Art Schuff. Bob Ho took the other semi from George
Laszlo, but in the final couldnt get his big loop to go in consistently and went down to Art
19 in the 4th.
As Chair of the USTTA Coaching Committee, Earl is involved (TTT, Jan.-Feb, 1972,
8) in setting up a Coaching Certification Program for those who really want to coach. One
may prove his/her dedication and increased competency through four stages: Temporary
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Associate Coach (has to meet basic requirements, like passing the USTTA Umpires exam),
Associate Coach (after 6 months, has to document his/her activities), Regional Coach (has to
provide coaching programs and guidance for those in whichever of the eight Regions in the
country he/she represents), and National Coach (has to be able to coach, train and/or
manage any U.S. Team abroad).
Adams is also active in his local Salem League (Dave Barbers the Club President).
Halfway through the 1971-72 season, Danny Mattson and his dad Ernie, who every Monday
night make the 120-mile round trip from Vancouver, Washington, have the best records. Dick
Saunders, who gets a group together weekly in a Eugene church, is in 3rd place. Other league
players also enjoy teaching the game. Art Kimble conducts a class at Linfield College, and Jeff
Kurtzs class at the University of Oregon has an enrollment of 32. Lou Bochenski urges his 5th
and 6th grade classes to take up the game. Ken Beebe, one of Lous 12-year-old students, says
if the kids continue to come seriously to Lous club on Wednesday nights (when 12 tables are
in use in the grade school facility that allows play both in the cafeteria and the gym), hell in
due course take them to a tournament to get them more experienced.
Lou wants everyone to be aware of the Community School concept. The job of the
Director of such a school is to promote and coordinate the use of the school for adult
education and re-training. This could mean after-hour educational, recreational, and social
enrichment activities for the young; family education and counseling; civic affairs meetings and
discussions; YMCA, YWCA, Boy Scout, Girl Scout, Big and Little Brother activities, job
counseling and placement, Senior Citizen, and many, many other activities.Including table
tennis? Why not?
No write-up for the Grand Rapids American Classic the last weekend before
Christmas, but John Tannehill defeated George Brathwaite in a deuce-in-the-3rd final of the
Mens Double Elimination event, after The Chief had beaten John earlier. The fact that the
format of play was changed by Director Sweeris as the tournament progressed was
vehemently objected to in a letter to USTTA officials by Brathwaite. Players came back into
the action with two losses, and after George, undefeated, thought hed won the tournament,
he had to play Tannehill again. And when he lost, though both players had one loss, John was
declared the winner. Readers can decide for themselves how
receptive George would be to Tannehills Topics ad (Jan.-Dec.,
1972, 14) that begins Ping Pong Woes? In urging that members
buy hisBeginning strokes, Advanced play, Training
methodscassette tapes ($8.50 each) or, and this is innovative,
his letters answering questions sent him ($7.50 each), John
identifies himself as being coached by former world champion
Ogimura, and trained by present world champion Stellan
Bengtsson.
In the Womens, Sue Hildebrandt upset Connie
Sweeris. Class A winner was Jeff Smart in a 23-21 in the 5th
semis over Jim Davey, and a 23-21 in the 4th final over Pete
Nasvytis whod persevered by Mike Veillette, 19 in the 4th, 19
in the 5th. Bs: Ralph Stadelman over Tom McEvoy. Cs:
Randy Priest over Mike Baber. Novice: Gunter Pawlowski
over C. Clark. Esquires: Max Salisbury and his suitcases of
Ray Hildebrandt
rackets over Elmer Ybema. Seniors: Ray Hildebrandt over
Photo by Mal Anderson
263

Hugh Shorey deuce in the 3rd in the

semis and over Ybema in the final.
U-17s: Veillette over Baber.
The Appalachian Open in
Knoxville, Tennessee drew 90
participants from eight states, with
4 of the 8 events totaling more than
60 entries. The Mens went to
Cincinnatis Graham Gearin the
semis in 5 over Homer Brown, and
in the final in 5 over Hans Dietl
whod been hard-pressed by both
Ted Bassett and Don Gaither. Just
as well there werent any Womens
events at this tournament? The
Championship Doubles didnt go
on until 2 a.m. Winners were
Gaither/Lance Rosemore 18 in the
5th over Brown/Ray Filz whod
survived Deitl/Ralph Kissel 19 in
the 3rd. As went to Ivo
Venturi, an exchange
student at Memphis State
and reportedly the 10th
ranked player in Italy,
over Rosemore. Seniors:
John White over Cyril
Lederman.
So, will H Blair
in covering the Orlando
Winter Open, tell us
Steve Rigo and
about the drawingwho
understanding
won the free admission
wife Sally
Photos by
and two ticket books (10
Marvin New
attractions a book) to the
Walt Disney Magic
Kingdom Theme Park?
Sure he will: Debbie
Scruggs and Hal
Gundersdorf. Congrats to
you both. Hell also tell
us that the Mens Singles
was without Joe Sokoloff
and Peter Praditthough both could be seen out there on court. Joe paired with Richard
McAfee to take the Mens Doubles in 5 from New Jerseys Mitch Sealtiel and his old friend
and former coach Steve Rigo who could be heard praising his wife Sally not merely for
Hugh Shorey

264

helping prepare the Saturday night party but, much more, for being so understanding for so
long about his t.t. addiction. (My sympathies to Sally.)* Steve, bless him, talked the local
Pepsi Cola Co. into sponsoring Sealtiels trip to Florida, and though he didnt win the Mens
Doubles with Mitch, he did take the Mixed with Olga Soltesz from Sokoloff/Bev Hess. Hear
Steve exchange strategy with Olga in Hungarian? Hear him get excited and try to do that with
Mitch? Ridiculous.
Sokoloff, with Joe Newgarden loaning him a
video tape recorder, and Richard McAfee operating it
for him, had given a clinic at the Polamo Trailer Park in
Cocoa, Florida for Spaceport Club juniors a month
earlier, and Randy Hess, for one, appreciated it enough
to write an article on Joe (TTT, Mar.-Apr., 1972, 32).
We learn that hes a bank executive for First Federal
Savings and Loan of Miami, and that hes married to a
beautiful and charming girl, Rita, and is the proud
father of a 12-month-old girl named Denise. We also
learn, if we didnt know it already, that hes an allround athlete, excelling in tennis, pool, horseshoes,
Joe Sokoloff
swimming, jai alai. Some of the instructions he gave
the kids at Cocoa are detailed in Hesss article and
should prove helpful to those seeking guidance on forehand and backhand play, and how to
serve more effectively.
So, Sokoloff wasnt holding a clinic here in
Orlandobut, uh, maybe he and the Big Mac could stage
an exhibition? Richard looks like he can handle a
clipboard. Why, though, if Joe played Doubles, didnt he
play Singles? Because, in Hs opinion,
he wanted to punish us for not letting
him sell equipment at the tournament.
As for Pradit, who paired with Bob
Walker in the Doubles, maybe he didnt
play Singles because he considered
himself too much of a professional, or
because Joe asked him not to.
Mens winner Sealtiel lost a
game to looper Ray Mergliano, but had
an easy final with McAfee who played
the events best match in downing
Homer Brown in the semis, 19, 2 (sic),
-18, 22 (after being down 20-16 only to Richard McAfee...ready to accept all
clipboard challenges
clobber Homer with a succession of
winners). Womens of course went to Olgaer, did I say of course? Bev
Fun at Floridas had her two games down. Seniors went to Sam Hoffner over Walker 23-21
Winter Open:
in the 4th in the semis, and over Eugene Wilson in the final.
Greg Gingold
Other results: As: Greg Gingold over Jerry Thrasher. Bs: Red
Photo by Mal
Wilder
over
Randy Hess. (Red and his boy, Mark, came by cartraveled
Anderson
265

some 500 miles from their home in Jacksonville, Alabama. Now theres a father/son who crave
action.) B Doubles: Gingold/Steve Federico over Wilder/Ted Bassett. Novice: Pat Patterson
over Wayne Daunt, deuce in the 5th. Consolation: Gingold over Walker. Boys 17: Octavio
Pinnell, Jr. over Daunt whod rallied from down 2-0 to oust Phil Pinnell. Girls 17: Hess over
Scruggs. 15s: Hess over John Elliott. 13s: Long Islands Carl Danner (he flew down with dad
Fred; theyd take in Walt Disney World) over Wilder. (Ron Rigo, 8, Steves son, got to play in
this U-13 round robin, his first tournament). Wheelchair: nope, there wasnt such an event, but
that didnt stop Miami attorney Sam Fletcher, whod suffered an injury to his legs in a flying
accident, from competing. Well see more of him later.
Up now to the N.Y.area Metro Open where Alex
Shiroky won the Mens in
straight games over Surasak
whos taken to playing
sparingly these days. Womens
went to Alice Green over Pat
Hildebrand. Pat was named
Sportswoman for 71 by the
sports editors and
commentators of Rediffusion,
one of the biggest radio
stations in Barbados. Mens
Doubles winners were Dave
Philip/Sam Hammond over
Surasak/Frank Dwelly. Best in
Womens Doubles: Muriel
Stern/Hildebrand over
Pat Hildebrand, Sports Woman of the Year
Marguerite Burnett/Terry
Photo by Mal Anderson
Green. Mixed was won by Eric
Phillips/Burnett over
Hammond/Hildebrand.
Other winners: As: Dwelly over Ernst Willer. Bs: Dan Green over Sid Jacobs. Mens
Consolation: 1st, Doon Wong; 2nd, Jack Wiener. Womens Consolation: 1st, Peg Daly; 2nd,
Evelyn Zakarin. Seniors: Marcy Monasterial over Hal Green. U-17s: Gary Adelman over
John McGraw.
The Philadelphia T.T. Club kicked off its new 1972 Invitational Series with its Jan.
William Penn Open. The idea of the Series is to hold six tournamentswith assigned points
based on performance for each Mens event. These, then, will result in a final Invitational for
the leading 16 point-gettersan Invitational that will have prize money for all, including a
$300 1st Prize.
And with that, let me say at once, savagely, that I have smoked the peace pipe in
Philadelphia. In alphabetical order we satAnderson, Boggan, Haring, Vichninround the
circle of this weekend unityas if with feathers in our caps. Blood brothers.
Unlike the last tournament in Philly, this one was spread over two days, and it made all
the difference. As Vichnin, as Herb said, it gave all the people working hard to do things right,
professionally, some much needed slack time, allowed them to be relaxedhuman, er, more
266

human. For the first time there were round robins for the U-13, U-15, U-17 Boys and Girls.
Also, the top players were given special consideration, were not required to play Saturday
matches. And on Sunday it wasnt the usual long day into the Monday morning grind. The
tournament was over by 9 p.m.
Also, there was TV coverage, so that the Philadelphia Club was seen by thousands.
Inevitably those newly interested will check out the play, and Club officials are preparing for
them. New blown-up pictures of the top U.S. players have begun to line the walls. The soda
machine is continually replenished from a refrigerator thats also stocked with (shhh, youre
not supposed to sell it) beer. Highly specific round robin, time-scheduled draw sheets can be
seen by one and all. Trophies sit waiting for winners. League details, ranking lists, rules, up-todate newspaper clippings and photosall kinds of table tennis information is available for any
player who wants it.
Though the tournament desk sits well to the back of the courts, this weekend, Carl
Plotnick brought along a home-built amplifier, and everything came through loud and clear. So
that what I heard and saw this weekend in Philadelphia showed the best kind of control.
Results: Alex Shiroky won the Mens19, 21, 19 over Sam Hammond who in the
quarters had struggled into the 5th with Dave Philip, then in the semis had stopped Bill
Sharpe, winner in 5 over Mark Radom. Kil Ja Lisa Yoon took the Womens from Muriel
Stern. Mens Doubles went to Shiroky and 1970 MIT electrical engineering graduate Lim
Ming Chui over Philip/Hammond in 5; Mixed to Chui/Yoon over Philip/Stern. Best in
Esquires: George Rocker over many-time N.J. Champ Bill Cross; in Seniors, Tim Boggan
over Rocker.
Other winners:
As: Ray Maldonado
over Radom whod
20, 19, 22 withstood
looper Stan
Smolanowiczs
dancing-footstep
swoops and swirls. A
Doubles: Arthur
Nieves/Timmy House
over Radom/Sid
Jacobs, 23-21 in the 3rd.
Bs: Jerry Fleischhacker
over Marty Theil in 5.
Cs: Gordon Gregg
Jerry Fleischhacker
over Fleischhacker.
Consolation: Gregg over Mike Zukerman. Boys 17:
House over Steve Wolf. Junior Doubles: Bruce
Plotnick/Scott McDowell over Mike Stern/Wolf.
Girls 17: Muriel Stern over Orli Himmelweit. Boys
Orli Himmelweit
15: Stern over McDowell, deuce in the 3rd in the
Photo by Mal Anderson
semis, and over Plotnick in 3 in the final. Girls 15:
Stern over T. McDowell. Boys 13: Plotnick over House. Girls 13: Himmelweit over
McDowell.
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D-J, Violetta Take Easterns

Thank the team of Yvonne Kronlage (her New Carrollton, MD Club
that opened in the fall was the 3rd club shed founded), Tournament Chair Bob
Kaminsky, Jim Verta, Larry Folk, Carl Kronlage, Barbara Kaminsky, Bob
Chaimson, Donna Chaimson Newell, and Walter Keim among others for
bringing about the Jan., 1972 Easterns at Riverdale, MD. Of course Yvonne/
Bob and Co. wanted to do things in a big waylike maybe bringing in a foreign star or two
until, as Bob tells us (TTT, Mar.-Apr., 1972), some top U.S. players, to Bobs surprise, nixed
that: We dont want to travel and then lose to some foreigner; hell get the money, the title,
and well get nothing.
Its true that the tournament was offering $1,000 or so in the five major events, but
Bob thought the experience of playing and watching and learning from an outside star would
meet with the top players approval. Still, he knew they could be quirkyhalf of the top 32
seeds hadnt entered by deadline-time and had to be phoned (in some cases, not once but
twice). Indeed, of the 345 participants (20-30 never showed up), 200entered in the last
two days or after the deadline
(which necessarily had to be
extended).
With this large entry assuring
a number of spectators (about 600
came on Saturday, 900 on Sunday),
the organizers tried to get
sponsorsWide World of Sports,
Pepsi Cola, the National Brewing
Co.but to no avail. However, the
newspaper coverage turned out to be
great, and there was both a half-hour
TV show (sparked by interviews with
Ping-Pong Diplomacy players
whod gone to China) and some
ABC, NBC, and Metromedia TV
news stories. Also, Bob and Yvonne,
whod be given an award for her
Front row: D-J Lee, Allen Reich, Deputy Assistant Secretary
New Carrollton recreational work,
of State for Cultural Affairs, George A. Von Peterffy, Deputy
Assistant Secretary of State for International Organizational
were successful in getting several
Affairs, and Bob Kaminsky. Walter Keim, Washington Area
public figures to attend the
USTTA Junior Chairman, is behind D-J.
tournament: Mr. Allen Reich, Deputy
Photo by Mal Anderson
Assistant Secretary of State for
Cultural Affairs, Mr. George A. Von Peterffy, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for
International Organization Affairs, and several Prince Georges County officials, including Mr.
Jordan L. Harding, Mayor of New Carrollton.
O.K., now for my write-up of these Easterns.
As I was about to have a not-so-early Monday morning breakfast at the Sheraton
Motor Inn after the tournament, I reflected on the rather wearying weekend. Like a number of
others, Id done my duty for the media. There was, for example, at the downtown Metromedia
studio, the Maury Povich Show, and out at the Parkdale High gym, in between events, the Voice of
268

Americaagain. But I just did a tape for Voice of America, I said. Yeah, says the guy with
the mike, but hes Korean. Im Canadian. Got 125 outlets. Itll only take a minute or two.
O.K.?
At breakfast I open the first of my Washington papers to see what kind of final day
coverage we got. And there, right away, my eye catches an article on the touring pros. Men
Spice Table Tennis, says the head. Only, unbelievable, its about Clark Graebner and some
other prostennis pros. A year ago, I like to think, this incredible mistake couldnt have
happened. But today it means, maybe, that now weve got more than our covered-up picture
on the Big City sports desks of America. Its like maybe theres suddenly a new key been put
on every clattering typewriter in all those newspaper offices. Perhaps now, poor distracted
editors, hurriedly pounding out last-minute copy-changes, have slowly, unconsciously begun to
get a strong, press-needed-here impression of our fast-growing sport into their heads.
Ah, well, better to dream, rather than to negatively think, as do some circuit regulars,
that every time theres media coverage the matches just arent interesting.
Ask, if you like, whether there was anybody there at the Parkdale gymsay, from the
Washington Postto cover the opening play of the Juniors.No? O.K., then, Ill give it a go
and carry on from there.
Certainly exciting and
unpredictable was the Boys
U-13 final between
Philadelphias Bruce Plotnick
and Omahas Murray Kutler
whom the Easterners hadnt
seen at his best at the Toronto
CNE. In the one semis,
Murray had defeated Carl
Danner. In the other, Bruce
had knocked out #1 seed
Timmy House. They kept me
out too late, wailed the New
Yorker now in his last year of
JuniorsI mean Boys. I
Murray Kutler wins Easterns Boys Under 13 over Bruce Plotnick
Photo by Bill Marlens
only got 3 hours sleep. The
final saw Murray win in 4, and
much of it had to do with the fact that hed just come back from Sweeriss training camp
where, during one session when he wasnt doing push-ups or sit-ups or knee-hops, he took
time out to hit in 2276 consecutive forehands (mgod, does he swing with one hand, click a
counter with the other?). Murray said the circuit training he did made him much more flexible,
helped him to move into the ball much better. Hes also become more competitive by playing
in the Omaha Mon. and Fri. night leagues, and of course by not wanting to cede the spotlight
to his sister Stephanie, Miss Teenage America 1st runner-up.
In the Boys U-15s, Torontos Paul Klevinas downed Michigans Mike Veillette three
straight. But Mikewhos a freshman on his high school varsity tennis team and practically
comes out the door of his house onto the new Rochester Hills Racquet Club courts
recovered to take the U-17s from Klevinas in the semis and Danny Seemiller, 3-0, in the final.
Mike also teamed with Rick Rumble for a win in Junior Doubles over Seemiller/Bill Zatek. D-J
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Lee was telling me how impressed he was by both Klevinas and Veilletteespecially with their
backhand exchanges and loop returns. Before succumbing to Mikes topspins, Danny had
taken out Torontos 17-year-old Yu Jin Pak. Yu Jin (pronounced EugeneCall you Gene?
I say. Call you, You? says another), formerly from Seoul, came to Canada a few seasons ago
after 4 years in Brazil where he didnt play any table tennis at all.
Yu Jin, who upset the #1 seed in the As, Bill Lesner, won the 148-entry Bs over
Trentons Bob Saperstein. The young Korean says his footworks greatly improved since he
began practicing almost every day with Torontos Bill Cheng. A penholder, he plans next year
to switch to shakehands because thats what everybody uses in North America, and the only
way to get better is to copy the better players.

Jim McQueen, Eastern A Winner over Mike Veillette

Si Ratner with the

U.S. Open Womens Singles
trophy he donated

Photo by Mal Anderson

In the As, Veillette had

an early scare with Bob Kaminsky, but prevailed deuce in the 3rd. Bob as Tournament Chair had to
follow a tight schedulebut the time-out minute of prayer for Si Ratner, the finest American
player in his age group in the 1960s, an organizer of clubs in the Washington area, and donor of
the Womens National Championship Trophy, was a class gesture. On advancing to the final,
Veillette lost to North Carolinas Jim McQueen who several months ago got out of the National
Guard and who just last week won a 1-star tournament in Raleigh. Jim, a mechanical engineer into
design and construction, makes his own Balsa wood-center racket, and rubber bands a couple
dozen Popsicle sticks (yes, Popsickle sticks) round the handle to give him, as he says, more
control. Coming back from down 1-0 and 16-19 in the 2nd he began blocking Mikes loop very
effectively and turned the match around. Jim also won the Mens Consolation from Neal Fox. A
Doubles went to Jim Dixon/Jerry Fleischhacker over Plotnick/Radom, 23-21 in the 4th.
The Womens As was won by Yvonne Kronlage over Kil Ja Yoon, while Donna Newell
took the Womens Consolation from Peg Daly. Muriel Stern and Bev Hess split finalsMuriel
winning the Girls U-17, Bev the Girls U-15. Gloria Nesukaitis took the Girls U-13 from Dana
Gvildys, daughter of 1958 Canadian Closed Mens Champion Pranas Gvildys.
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In the Womens round

robin semis, Orlandos Olga
Soltesz played two losing but
exciting 5-game matches against
Violetta Nesukaitis and Alice
Green. Olga just came back from
Japan where Ogimura had her
doing both mental and physical
exercises. You must overcome
yourself, he told her cryptically,
before you can overcome your
opponents. Olga dutifully ran,
jumped rope. No other top U.S.
woman exercises, she said. I
ought to have a big advantage.
Ogi told Olga that she needs
timeso shes not worried now
about losing. Maybe thats why
she could play so well in winning The Nesukaitis sisters win Womens Doubles over Barbara and Olga
Photo by Mal Anderson
the Mixed with John Tannehill
over Errol Caetano and Violettas anti-topspin
junk. Only Olga didnt win the Womens
Doublesshe and Barbara Kaminsky were
beaten in 5 by Violetta and her sister Flora.
Violetta easily defeated Alice to take
the Womens title and the $75 1st Prize. Father/
Coach Hal had urged Alice not to hit a ball, to
push for the Expedite Rule. But it didnt work
out for hershe didnt know where her head
was, said she just didnt think. Violettas
Father/Coach John told me that Violetta had
been having a problem against a heavy loop
had been popping the ball up. So just before
Christmas she got this new anti-topspin racket
from Austria and started playing in the Toronto
Tournament Chair Bob Kaminsky presents the
league against men.
Womens Singles trophy to Violetta Nesukaitis
Violetta was not only interviewed by
Photo by Mal Anderson
a Lithuanian Voice of America reporter but
was also presented with flowers by a group of Lithuanians from the Washington area. Nice,
huhwhat every girl ought to get on winning.
Over in the Mens, in the round robin semis, there was a South African, a Guyanian, a
Thai, and a South Korean.
Derek Wall had gotten there these many years out of the Transvaal by ousting Bukiet
in 5, after Bernie had knocked out Dell Sweeris. Of course Bukiet didnt deign to play in the
Seniors, won by Tim Boggan over Herb Horton, but he did arrange to play Senior Doubles
with Al Nochenson and they came 2nd to Boggan/Mitch Silbert.
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Pradit about to win a squeaker over Wall

Photo by Mal Anderson

Against the young and fast-moving Errol Caetano, the 41-year-old Wall was up 2-0
then said his legs gave out on him. Im going to start playing squash again, he said. Wish I
were a bit younger. Its a bit tough now. Still, Im in pretty good shape. And, as if to prove it,
hes up 10-5 in the 5th against Peter Praditonly to lose it. At 19-all, Wall viciously chopped a
ball in half, as it were, saw it just skim the netand Boom! Pradit put it away. I dont know
how I did it, Peter said later. I win this match, said Wall, I could have come 2nd. Someone
overhearing him asked, Now that youre back from China, why dont you call yourself, The
Great Wall? You know, have it printed on your shirts and stuff.
Never mind such needling. Next week, as National Coach of Canada, and one of the few
men in North America to have made a living at the Sport, Dereks off to put together a table tennis
film in Calgary. The Alberta government is subsidizing it for its schools and universities.
Undeniably Walls three-months coaching this summer helped lefthander Caetano beat
Errol Resek in the quarters. Errol, in the States since 61, was the subject recently of the
celebrity quiz show, Jeopardy, in his native Dominican Republic. Question: Who was the
first Dominican to go to China? First ever? Correct (or at least acceptable) answer: Errol
Resek. Actually, Errol almost didnt make it to the quarters. After losing the first two games,
he was lucky to escape former West African Champ Sam Hammond 24-22 in the 5th. At 19-all
that last game, play stops while Errol calls for the gym door to be closed. Subtle air currents
are wafting in from players and spectators opening and reopening it. The door is closed.
Whereupon Errol near fatally whiffs the first ball given him. Hammond himself was very
fortunate to get by looper Gordon Gregg, formerly from Indiana, now in the D.C. area.
Gordon had Sam 20-17 in the 5th before losing. Ive never seen anyone play under pressure so
beautifully, Gordon said afterwards.
Resek lost in 5 to Caetano after the Canadian International had barely gotten by
Fuarnado Roberts 19 in the 5th. Errolour Erroltried moving the ball from side to side, but
Caetano was always there, forcing with his backhand or fast looping in forehands. Canadas
Errol, however, was just not good enough to exchange with our Pradit. Peter, wearing his
LOVE headband upside down, got to the round robin by playing a tense 5-game match with
Tannehill. Down 2-1 but up 20-16 in the 4th, John dropped 4 in a row before last-minute
hanging on, only to die in the 5th. I dont think I can ever beat Lee. Or maybe Pradit, John
272

said after the match. So if he doesnt think he can.Will he from now on just go through the
motionslike when he and Rich Farrell opened the gym Sunday morning and were jogging all
around the playing areagoing backwards?
The climactic match of the tournament, naturally, is Lee vs. Pradit. After this we drink
beer, Peter says quietly to D-J. The first two games are dull. Lee wins them both, says, You can
exchange with Pradit. Its been a long weekend. D-J has been selling his equipment, answering all
kinds of questions, signing autographs, giving interviews. And Pradit, too, is not up for the match.
Neither native Asian has eaten well. D-J knows from experience that hot dogs and cold cellophane
sandwiches make him sickthat hes got to have fruit, a chocolate bar, honey, waterthen, after
the tournament, eat decently.
Of course, more than most people imagine, D-J feels the pressure. For many players its
relaxing to come to a tournament. For D-J its strictly businessand tiring. Hes always working
overtimehoping, and not hoping, that when the tournament ends, hes still got this match, that
match, with this or that lingering customer wanting the Champs personal recommendation as to
whats best to buy. (Peace balls, perhaps, from this fierce competitor?) Says wife Linda, I dont
look at his face when hes playing a final. When I look at his face, I think why he missed the ball.
Over and over again D-J has felt, When I play a good point I often get no reaction
from the crowd. They like it when I play a bad point. I think maybe I ought to lose a matchif
thats what they want. But then I say, I cant do that, not in something so important as this.
So, as local Star reporter Kiki Levathes writes (Jan. 24), Lee was quite the emotional player,
stamping his foot when he served, yelling when he made an especially strong return and pacing
around the court between serves hitting nervously into the air.

D-J Lee (R) on his way to winning the Easterns, 19 in the fourth, over Peter Pradit
Photo by Mal Anderson

273

Pradit, too, sometimes down on the floor after his follow-through, continued to try his
best. 1st Prize is $150, 2nd Prize is $100the difference to both isnt of primary importance.
Peters behind 2-0 to D-J, but at deuce in the 3rd he holds fast, forces Lee, grown paler, on into
the 4th. Must play. Must play. Cmon, D-Jso the Champ, sotto voce, urges himself on. As
the crowd sounds its delight over some impossible angle shot of Peters, I hear from the guy
next to me, Nothing bothers Pradit. Hes so smooth. Whatever the score, he plays exactly the
same. I think Lees afraid of him. But, again, Pradit doesnt win. Though who could think
that on-the-point-of-extinction 3rd game and then this 19 4th game boring?
SELECTED NOTES.
*Former Historian Miss Ping Neuberger (TTT, Jan.-Feb., 1972 17) quotes a 1965
Letter written to Advice columnist Ann Landors thats apropos here
Lyle and I had always gotten along fine until four months ago when his company
put table tennis in the cafeteria. We havent had dinner on time since Lyle gets off work at
4:30. He used to be home no later than 5:00. Now if he comes home by 7:00 I am surprised.
Theres no point in asking him to be more considerate of me and the children. He says a man
has to have an outlet for his energies and I should consider myself lucky he isnt doing other
things.
Anns advice? Surprise Lyle with a table tennis set [for competitive play on the dining
room table?] and take up the game at once. If you have some friendly neighbors, doubles are
fun, too.
Philadelphia Inquirer, Sept. 22, 1965
To engage in such sportwhy, its addicting. And sometimes, its said, one does go to
extremes. Here (TTT, Mar.-Apr., 1972, 17), from Miss Ping again:
Miss [Eleanor] Latsil was in the arms of her boyfriend under an outside
ping pong table when her frenzied body movements jarred the ball from the table top.
It fell into her opened mouth. Before [Herman] Dapter could do anything to save her,
Eleanor had choked to death.
Miss Lattsil, a sales representative for the Central States Ping Pong
Company[could not be saved by] ambulance men who had rushed to the scene of the
accident.
Herman Dapter made this statement to the MIRROR:
I dont know why we decided to go outside to make love. It really wasnt that
warm, but Eleanor had this strange fascination for ping pong tables and anything
connected with them. Just as we were heading for Cloud Nine, Eleanor seemed to get
more excited than usual, so I looked up. It was terrible. Her eyes were bulging and her
face was almost blue. Then she sort of convulsed and was very still.
New York Daily Mirror, Feb., 1966
Do we know such people?

274

Chapter Twenty-One
1972: Unprecedented E.C. Election: Boggan/Carr Supporters/Detractors Flood
Topics With Comments.
With the average issue of Topics now up from 12 to 32 tabloid-size pages, theres an
opportunity for members to express themselves over a USTTA election like never before, and
they do. The four 1972-74 E.C. positions to be decided on are:
President (Candidates: Incumbent Executive Vice-President Jack Carr; Incumbent
Vice-President Tim Boggan);
Executive Vice-President (Candidates: Incumbent President Graham Steenhoven;
Incumbent Recording Secretary Cyril Lederman);
Vice President (Candidates: Incumbent Jack Howard; former USTTA President Rufford
Harrison; Richard Hicks, Steve Isaacson; Coach Schleff; George Sinclair; Joe Sokoloff);
Recording Secretary (Candidates: Ralph Bender; Lou Bochenski; John White).
Carr and Boggan are the subjects of most of the readers expressed opinions, for of
course the Presidency is by far the most important position to be decided on, and, as the
candidates are quite at odds with one another, Boggan particularly with Carr, supporters of
each publicly want to take sides. Ill summarize the thrust of Jack and Tims Campaign
statements (TTT, Jan.-Feb., 1972, 11), then go on from there.
Jack begins by asking the members to vote
for those who help you, not for those who help
themselves.* He takes a standard, safe position
(which, upon inspection, really isnt that safe),
lists 11 needs of the Association he will foster if
elected: 1. Promote coaching toursand coaching
sessions at tournaments. In short, help the average
player to become a champion. 2. Augment the
International Team Fund so that teams to the World
Championships will be completely funded. 3.
Enhance table tennis as an intercollegiate,
interscholastic, and industrial league competitive
sport.This increased competition will help us
compete more successfully in World
Championships.
Also: 4. Improve communications,
particularly on the Presidents part. 5. Resume
membership drives.We could double our
Jack Carr, 1972 Presidential Candidate
membership if we really tried. 6. Increase the
Photo by Mal Anderson
number of tournaments and tournament
participation. 7. Increase the pride [through better tournament presentation] and
promulgation of the sport [by better direct contact with national television and news
media]. 8. Reactivate the International Team Squad matches (Howards now too
preoccupied with Ratings to concentrate on ITS work). 9. Increase the number of places to
play. 10. Help our clubs more.I have helped increase the number of clubs in Virginia,
Texas, Michigan, California, and Pennsylvania. At present I am working to get others in
275

Illinois, Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. We should be able

to double the number of affiliated clubs. 11. Improve the
performance of the USTTA Executive Committee.
Jack then gives us his background. Hes been in E.C.
office the last eight years. Did most of the present Constitution
and Bylaws, and did most of the work on the present USTTA
Rules Manual (though the Manual is said to be compiled and
edited by Sam Veillette, 1968 USTTA Rules Chair). He also lists
the many and varied committees hes Chaired and served on. He
notes that he donated all royalties to the USTTA from his
Advanced Table Tennis. And he indicates his background as:
referee, umpire, conductor of tournaments, exhibition player, and
coach of champions. He ends by saying hell work for your
benefit.
Boggans approach is far differentrhetorical, and not so
safe. He opens with a quote:
If I should die, said I to myself, I have left no
immortal work behind menothing to make my friends proud of my memorybut I
have loved the principle of beauty in all things and if I had had time I would have made
myself remembered.
John Keats (1795-1821)

276

Well, Tim writes, though his years were short, Keats, as it turned out, did have
enough time.[Reading him,] Im reminded that I, too, still have enough time. Time to use all
the imagination, the energy, the pride and passion I can psychically generateto aim high: to
be not only the greatest of Topics editors but the greatest of USTTA presidents.
To keep trying with a passion, to continue to care in this frustrating world (and in this
little inner circle of itthis t.t. world) is the most important lesson I or I think any parent can
hope to teach his children. So if I wanted to continue to be true to myself, to my best self, and an
example to my boys whose future in the Game might well be so greatly affected by this election, if I
really cared passionately about table tennis in this country, I had no choice but to take a Spirit of St.
Louis sort of leap right into Roberts Rules of Order, foggy as that might sound.
It was the only way, what with Jack Carr running for the Presidency unopposed and on
record that he didnt give a damn about international competition or, in effect, about those
top players, my friends, who continue to exhaust the better part of their lives not parasitically
talking about the Game but playing it.
And Jacks consistently vague talk about the clubsas if the USTTA was organized
for the casual club player. Well, it isnt, its for the sanctioned tournament player.
Tim then goes on to praise Jack Howard for his rating system that will provide more
incentive for the competitive A-B-C player who presently forms the backbone of our
Association. Tim insists that everyone playing in any kind of tournament will have to be a full
paid-up member of the USTTA (with the exception of one who sticks out his
handwelcomed, as they say, to initially test the water). Insists, too, that the Adult
Membership fee has to be raised to at least $10. For a person to want to be practically given a
membership cheapens not only him/her but the Association as well.
One project Tim urges is to get sponsors to hold weekend junior tournaments, where
play is Little League serious, competitive, and where top players, players the kids have
respect for and want to be like, can hold coaching clinics for them.
Tim is furious at Jack for holding up his latest Topics Editors check, not countersigning it because he wants to make sure Tims not spending USTTA money on food and drink
and because he wants to forcibly remind him that the magazine is over-budget. Oh, yes, says
Tim, indeedits gone far beyond the boundaries
that Jack has set for it. Boggan concludes by saying,
if you, the members, vote wrong in this election,
you not only run the risk of losing me as
President, you also run the very great risk of
losing me as Topics Editor. For, under the official
thumb of Mr. Carr, I want it always to be
remembered, at least in these pages, that a Romantic
is always at war with a Petty Bureaucrat.
Here now is my summary of the remaining
Campaign Statements (TTT, Jan.-Feb., 1972, 1214)for Executive Vice-President, Vice-President,
and Recording Secretary.
In his run for Executive Vice-President,
Graham Steenhoven speaks specifically of how he
successfully handled Public Relations with China,
Graham Steenhoven
Photo by Mal Anderson
urged the U.S. Open to be played in various parts of
277

the U.S., and helped the U.S. Team Championships to

grow. He wants the individual to have voting rights,
hopes to introduce t.t. in the schools and so get more
young women players, is pleased with Topics, and
supports Boggan for President.
Cyril Lederman, Grahams opponent, a nice,
caring guy but not an imaginative one, and not one given
to specifics, says our Sport is stagnating and that it
might be necessary to employ an Executive Secretary to
handle the Associations correspondence on a full-time
salaried basis. He endorses Jack Carr, Rufford
Harrison, and Ralph Bender.
Cyril, who got a public endorsement in Topics
from Sol Schiff (hell be a steadying influence on the
Executive Committee), will defeat Graham in a close
Cyril
vote514 to 465.
Lederman
Regarding the 7-man Vice-President race, neither
Dick Hicks nor Steve Isaacson wrote a Campaign Statementwhich couldnt have sat well
with the voters.
Rufford Harrison points out that he wants to make our
Association professional, presentable looking. At the recent Detroit
meeting one candidate in this election (unnamed, but obviously, given the
profanity, Boggan) said, Im going to tear down the god-damned rule
bookand this regardless of his own feverish writing of by-law
changes. What kind of philosophy, what kind of attitude is that? Vote for
Jack Carr. Besides Boggan cant possibly handle both Topics and the
Presidency. (Though in the next issue of Topics, Carr feels its
discouraging that Rufford practically apologizes to Tim for not voting for
him and says if Tim wins hell certainly support him.) Its a plus for Jack
that hell conduct orderly, to-the-point meetings. This, says Rufford,
will leave us plenty of time to
discussother things that we never
seem to get to. Like the future.
Jack Howard says the
Rufford Harrison
Association has too many obsolete
and detrimental rules, useless and/or incompetent committees
and do-nothing officials. He wants to encourage meaningful
dialogue between [the] EC and potential affiliates, as well as
the E.C. and the current membership. Dont criticize, he tells
members, unless you yourself are willing to act to institute
change. To those who talk endlessly about how Table Tennis
should be organized in schools, industry and local clubs, he
asks, What have you done to bring this about? (Contact
Disney, Shirley, Huber, Herbst, et al.). He asks for a vote for
Boggan, and attacks Steenhoven, who he says has been very lax.
Jacks harsh criticism may have cost Graham the election.
Jack Howard
278

Coach Schleff stresses his involvement with

Juniors. Says hes invented a small table for 6-8year-olds. Is urging homes near schools to recycle
glass, says the school will get $.01 a pound and the
money will go to buy table tennis tables. Coach is
planning to organize more tournaments and get more
women players.
George Sinclair, who in his roles as Midwest
Tournament Director and Editor of Topics Ive
commented on earlier, says we must capitalize on the
attention the China trip has brought table tennis
the most played game in America. Says he has
camping grounds ideal for a National Training Camp
where trainees could concentrate, run, swim, fish
and relax, and in their development be able to
match the playing skills of any association in the
(ITTF) world.
Joe Sokoloff,
Coach Schleff
who will write a
series of Coaching
articles (Table Tennis My Way), is running because he
doesnt approve of the way the E.C. runs the organization
not, for instance, when (and this, too, is a knife thrust at
Detroits Steenhoven) 5 members of the 9-member E.C. are
from the same area and one man controls these 5 votes. Nor
does Joe think it right that the very men you run against have
to approve your nomination. He urges a vote for Boggan and
Bender.
Fred Herbst, though he
keeps suggesting everyone
ought not to be combative, will
come at Joe for his Campaign
Fred Herbst
Statement comments, and Joe
will hit back at Fred (TTT, May-June, 1972, 20). In his
Campaign Statement, Joe gave the impression hed been
attending E.C. Meetings rather regularly for the last 7 years,
which wasnt true, though hed always been interested in what
happened there. Joe doesnt like it that when it was discovered
so many people were running for one particular office, and a
mere one or two for another, those in the larger group were
invited (in some cases urged?) to switch. Fred seems not to
Joe Sokoloff
understand Joe was speaking of President Steenhoven and his
former 5 E.C.-members Detroit clique.
Since most E.C. members try to stay in office once they get there, Joe is partially right
in saying that the very men you run against [or inevitably will run against] have to approve
your nomination. Herbst correctly points out that its necessary for only three of the nine E.C.
279

members to approve (but these threesoon to be reduced to twomay be subject to face-toface intimidation around the E.C. Table). And of course, as Fred points out, if the E.C. doesnt
approve of the one seeking office, he can always get up a petition. This is a sore point with
Joe, for last year he wasnt approved and had to go through the hassle of gettingwhat Fred
only said was a required number100 verifiable signatures. Joe objects that a group of
men get together and for their own mutual self-perpetuation decide who may or may not run
against them.
Howard overwhelmingly wins electiongets 603 votes. Of the other six candidates,
next best is Harrisons 147 and Sokoloffs 83.
Three men are running for Recording Secretary. The USTTA, the rather little-known
Ralph Bender says, presents a pattern that shows little promise of change in the immediate
future. Problem areas are: minimal membership, overbearing vested interests, meaningless
tournaments, haphazard rankings, overall low caliber play, poor world championship showing
(for obvious reasons) and hit and miss member and non-member services. How break the
pattern? Both volunteer and professional salaried staff are desperately needed.
Lou Bochenski says Table Tennis is essentially a participant sport not a spectator sport,
and since it can be played all through ones life it should have a tremendous future in the
United States. He ought to knowor hopefor, as he says, I have promoted table tennis all
my life. Hes started several clubs, has been a league director, conducted any number of
coaching clinics, and has been a tournament director on countless occasions. He and his
children have done numerous exhibitionsfrom school assemblies to halftime basketball
exhibitions. In his hometown of Eugene, Oregon hes working hard to make the Sport a
favorite of students and wants to further develop the rating system. Were he on the E.C., he
says, I could better put my ideas and the ideas of others into constructive action.
John White organized what he thinks may be the first club in the South, in 1957 in
Nashville, and for the last 20 months has served as Regional Tournament Director of the
Southern Region. He says hes well qualified to take the Minutes as Recording Secretary, for
hes proficient in shorthand and typewriting. Hell work for Affiliates.
Bochenski wins election, but theres a mistake in Topics and I cant tell how many
votes each of the candidates received.
Im holding off the results for the Presidency, for I first want to summarize the
remaining election articles. These will all deal with the Carr-Boggan Presidency.
Topics Associate Editor Dave Cox, a friend of Boggans, tries to write an objectiveminded Editorial (TTT, Jan.-Feb., 1972, 15) in which he says that in the past the Association
hasnt offered much assistance or incentive to tournament sponsors, affiliated clubs, or the
players themselves. Though the E.C. does perform useful functionssuch as ranking, team
selection, rules, discipline and the likeit is just these functions which are the easiest to
perform routinely and require the least imagination and inspiration. Of course the E.C. meets
so seldom and mostly under such distracting conditions that it is so much easier to vote on
routine matters and defer taking any action on anything at all bold and speculative. In moving
to his Editorial conclusion Cox says:
So, as in any election, voters are faced with a question of priorities, which
far transcend whether someone is able to do two jobs perfectly (or none at all). It is
more of a question of individual philosophies at stake: the difference between walking
on familiar unexciting and predictable groundor alternatively plunging into the
280

unknown. It is a question of who has the ability to weld the powerful and largely
autonomous local organizations into a national unit and set them working towards some
common goals. A question of who can best gain for the sport the financial backing, the
recognition and publicity it so badly needs. A question of who can best recognize and act
upon the needs and aspirations of our most important resourcethe juniors.
Fred Herbst, whose relations with Boggan have soured a bithis California TTA E.C.,
which (TTT, Mar.-Apr., 1972, 8) takes a knock in Topics by a visitor at one of their meetings),
will endorse Carr. Herbst urges (TTT, Jan.-Feb., 1972, 14) all candidates and their supporters
to cool it. Whatever is wrong with the patient [the USTTA], more hot air is not the
prescription. Its Freds opinion that all these anguished outcries emanate from a fearful
sense of frustration as we see the publicity and notoriety [?] from the China trip ebbing slowly
and surely. Face it, he says. No Executive Committee is going to do much more than the
present one. The current nine individuals are as good as you will find, give or take 10%.
Freds conclusion is this:
Do you really think a part-time board can transform table tennis into a
major sport? Weve signed up 30 clubs in the past three months. About a 25% increase
in club affiliates! What will happen to them? I can make a prediction based on past
history which records that 20% of the clubs fail to renew affiliation every year. Thats
the first statistic we have to eliminate.
Sorry folks. Musical chairs on the E.C. wont do it. President Boggan or President
Carr wont do it.Theres only one waythe same way that every successful non-profit
organization does it: a combination of paid staff and volunteers.
Carr, Boggan, and their supporters do not cool it, and in light of that I offer the
following Letter to the Editor, which Id originally received privately, then contacted the
writer to get his permission to publish it (TTT, Mar.-Apr., 1972, 16). Why did I want to
publish it? Because I thought it a balancing point-of view that should be heard. I titled it,
Petty, Nit-Picking Word Volleyers:
To the Editor:
Thanks for sending
the back issues of T.T.T. I
was surprised to see so
much copy in a paper
devoted to a sport I
expected would not yield
enough material for
coverage nor be blessed with
so many ads.
As a long-time editor
and writer, I have some
strong reactions to and
opinions about the contents,
but a letter wouldnt do to
281

express them. Rather, if we ever get a chance to chat.Just one thought: There is so
much old-maidish squabbling going on in those pages! The stodgy conservatives,
particularly the incredibly boorish Ruffordwith their emphasis on patriotism,
appearances, et al do your cause more harm than any good they might accomplish,
simply because they turn off young and old players who wont buy Establishment
values. But then Topics double-faults by printing back-fence counter-attacks, and the
resulting feeling is that the men overseeing U.S. table tennis are petty, nit-picking word
volleyers. That kind of attitude cant help, particularly in a sport thats struggling for
first-class status.
I hope youll keep me on your complimentary list. And good luck with both
Topics and your game. As a 41-year-old latecomer to the sport, I sympathize with your
dreams.
LOUIS SABIN
Articles Editor
Boys Life
Californian Doug Stewart (TTT, Mar.-Apr., 1972, 10) congratulated Jack Carr for
urging that USTTA officers be elected by clubs rather than by individual USTTA members.
To my mind, he says, this is one of the most progressive suggestions put forward over the
last two years. Even better, Doug says, if we could encourage the organization of District
Affiliates [of which there are now 4]and let these be the electing bodies [with, as Doug says
voting power in proportion to the number of USTTA members residing within their
boundaries]. Presently theres no way our Executive Committee can be said to be directly
responsible to the individual members. Doug thinks that, though many an individual expresses
a good idea in Topics, his/her voice isnt heard by the E.C., but that if he (she) were to submit
his idea through his club and District Affiliate, then the E.C. would have to take it seriously.
No one on the E.C., including Carr, will pick up on a good
idea put forward in print by a USTTA member? Is such a member,
as Doug says, a voice in the wilderness? The individual shouldnt
have his individual vote count, but his individual voice should be
heardonly, gee, no one pays any attention to him, except the
Topics Editor and, later, the Historian?
A few weeks before the 1971 USOTCs, Id asked San
Diegos John Horning why his Club wasnt a member of the
CTTA. Heres his answer:
According to the USTTA rules, the SDTTA, being in a
specified geographical area covered by the CTTA, is
automatically affiliated with it. The rules also state, however,
that each affiliated club must be represented on the
committeewe are not nor have we ever been. We do not
voice an opinion in their affairs nor do they require us to abide
by their rules. Our club is mainly composed of recreation (as
opposed to tournament) players who never play in tournaments
outside of San Diego. We feel it would be unfair to subject
them to taxation by the CTTA since most of that
282

John Horning
Photo by Don Gunn

organizations activities are held in the Los Angeles area. The Santa Barbara club felt the same
way when they refused to require CTTA tournament cards of participants in their tournament
held last summer. The CTTA meetings are held on Wednesday nights in Hollywood. It is highly
impractical for a representative from our club to make the two and one half hour drive on a
week night to attend the meetings.
Horning said hes working on a proposal to the CTTA that will be more fair to
affiliated clubs not located near the center of the district.
One Topics Letter writer says, In my opinion, the average player wont even drive
across town to play in a tournament, let alone drive several hundred miles (more or less) to do
the same. Yet this writer wants National support for our local clubs, says we need
coordination of purpose and program. Boggan, with his Topics for the Membership, and
Howard with his Rating System for the Membership, would agree that theyre purposefully
giving the tournament players something for their money. Why would a non-tournament club
player want to join the USTTA?
Yvonne Kronlage and Bob Kaminsky, President a-nd Treasurer, respectively, of the 6table New Carrollton. MD Club (membership of about a hundred), tell us in a four-page
History of Table Tennis in the Washington Area why they insist that all Club members be
USTTA members as well:
We feel very strongly that depending upon the state of supply-and- demand
of available club space, every table tennis player must financially support the USTTA
until the time when this organization will be able to derive the required funds from
other sources. [That may be a long support time.] Also, we feel that quantity in the
USTTA membership is important as an indicator (to equipment manufacturers,
financial donors, tournament sponsors, advertisers, and other financial sources) of
interest in organized sport and power that the USTTA represents. Furthermore, by
forcing some of these people to be USTTA members, one extends involuntarily their
horizons of knowledge of Table Tennis.
Additionally, we feel that once these people are USTTA members, they would
more likely participate in tournaments in order to
derive as much a benefit from their membership as
possible.The large participation in tournaments is
financially and promotionally good for the welfare of
the club, USTTA, and table tennis in general. So far,
very few, if any, people have questioned or were
unhappy about this requirement. We dont know how
the increase to $10.00 annual membership fee would
influence our membership.[Alternative methods of
payment might be considered.]
We believe that [a] forced membership
requirement should be introduced to all affiliated
clubs.
Since Carr is a partisan of the Clubs, former USTTA
President Dick Feuerstein, as longtime Chair of the Affiliates
283

Dick Feuerstein

Committee, sent out a pre-election Feb. 10, 1972 Letter to all the USTTA affiliates (160 at this
time). In it, he asks what does your club think about the USTTA taking away the use of club
cards for One Star events? And what does your club think about returning to the use of the
playing permit? Clearly, he says, the USTTA is out of step with other national organizations.
This is apparentin the USTTAs E.C. having complete control; in the election of officers
by individual members instead of by the local groups; and in the individual clubs [not]
receiving a portion of the money for dues or having a voice in decisions on a national level.
Feuerstein urges that Affiliate members vote for Jack Carr, for Rufford Harrison, and
Cyril Lederman. He says, I feel that our organization would be in a very bad situation if his
[Carrs] opponent Tim Boggan would win the election. From Tim Boggans articles in Topics
it is quite apparent that he has no consideration for the affiliated clubs, or for the hard-working
club officers. His loyalty seems to be only for the top players.
Dick says he thinks he had a somewhat successful [3-year] term of office as President.
This, he says, was greatly due to Jack Carrs assistance, his getting our rules in order, his insisting
that our meetings be conducted properly, his reminding me of things to be done on time, and his
insisting that all Executive Committee members be active. Readers of Vol. IV can judge for
themselves the effectiveness of the E.C. during these 1965-68 years Feuerstein speaks of.
Dick appends a 12-point Yes or No questionnaire for Affiliate members to fill out.
Most of the questions have obvious answers. For example, heres a Yes, yes? Would your
club like to have a USTTA Certified Coach visit your club? And heres a No, no? Does your
club like the slanderous remarks being made in Topics by Boggan? However, some questions
might prompt answers unanticipated by the questionerlike, If the affiliated clubs were to
receive a percentage of the USTTA membership money, would your club make efforts to have
your club members become full USTTA members? Or, Does your club like the criticisms in
Topics?
The officers of the Long Island affiliate about to run the Nationals, in an article by
LITTA President Dave Cox (TTT, March-April, 1972, 11), take very strong exception to the
use of official committee communication for political purposes. Moreover, they disagree with
Feuerstein, say that this is just the time we need a dynamic personality on the scene. (Carr
says he has hypertropic arthritis and his wife is an invalid with multiple sclerosis, so of
course he cant attend many tournaments.) The LITTA endorses Boggan because:
We need someone who can communicate with the top players, for if we do
not have such a man, the USTTA will surely be faced with the same sort of progress
that has split lawn tennis. We need someone who recognizes the need to give the
juniors much more of an incentive. And we need someone who can sell the sport to the
public, the press, and to sponsors. There is no evidence that any of this is Mr. Carrs
bag.
Mr. Carrs proposed change to club rather than individual rule will simply
have the effect of preserving the status quo, and we much prefer the present one manone vote system
Mort Zakarin, one of the seven signers of the Cox article, explained in an adjacent article of
his own that before one can run for President of the U.S.T.T.A. one must first have been a member
of the Executive Committee. So, if one was strongly opposed to Carr as President, who could run
against him, what was the only alternative? Boggan committed to it. His strengths are:
284

As a top player, he
understands the problems, needs, and
desires that go into making a champion.
As a father of two budding
champions he knows and fights for the
needs of our juniors. Because of his
efforts in this area, there are more and
more junior round robins.[Long
Island Junior Carl Danner was an
appreciative and supportive Topics
Letter writer.]
Tim has traveled over most of
our country participating in
tournaments, giving exhibitions,
lecturing, and doing a tremendous job
Tim on the lecture circuit
as goodwill ambassador for table tennis.
He has also done many TV interviews. Though hes for the A.B.C. tournament players,
he knows that to make table tennis a viable and exciting sport for the public the
concentration must be on the champs and the future champs.
Two of Jack Carrs friends, Brooke (Williams) Devore Smith
and Marianne Szalay, naturally come to his defense. Heres Brooke
(TTT, March-April, 1972, 17):

Brooke (Williams)
Devore Smith

To the Editor:
Readers expect a journal to be somewhat tendentious,
especially at election time; of course in an open society they are
supposedly free to protest a papers policy by subscribing to one of
its competitors.
But they are not free to do so when the paper is the sole
journal of a national sport association. When Topics attempts to
control a table tennis election by descending to the paltry tactics of
propagandists, its captive subscribers stop talking about freedom of
the press and start talking about responsible journalism.

Marianne says in a Letter To Mr. Tim Boggan (TTT, MarchApril, 1972, 23) that the basic question she always hears is, Just what does the USTTA really
do for its Clubs and its Members? Give the Topics? They could buy it on a newsstand. Do you
send any top players to their sanctioned tournaments? Do you help them in every possible
way? Do you encourage them with literature?Do they feel you care? She also says, I
dont think if you [Tim] became President you still could keep up with Topics, and Topics at
the present time is our most important communication with the outside world. [Outsiders
read Topics?] Marianne acknowledges shell vote for me as the Editor of Topics and Vice
President, and for Jack Carr for President of the USTTA. She says, Jack Carr always talks
highly about you and your great job with the Topics, and so she wishes we could work
together.
285

I immediately answered her Letter with an Open Reply To Ms. Marianne Szalay:
Dear Marianne:
Aside from the fact (first) that Jack Carr most assuredly does not always talk
highly about meat least to any number of others**and (second) that you seem to
equate (with that unchanging pronoun) just me with the USTTArather than the 8
other EC members, too, including of course Mr. Carr who has been entrenched there
for 8 long years, I agree with what you say.
I mean, really, dont you think I recognize the value to the USTTA of clubs
where people play seriously? Dont you think the top players and juniors feel I care
about them?
Dont you understand, bless you? What has the USTTA done for its clubs, its
members (besides giving them my Topicswhich, no, Marianne, you just cant go out
and buy at any newsstand)? Its obviously the very question Ive been asking. Its the
reason Im running, right? And not for Vice-Presidenta vote for me there would
clearly be wasted. Im running for President because we so desperately need a change.
[Tims running because hes focused on what the USTTA needs to do for clubs? Surely
that needs modification. Tim certainly doesnt focus on the casual club player, the ones
who for so long paid a $.25 membership fee. Hes interested in building up
tournament-centered clubs where the best players and coaches can influence Juniors.]
Rufford Harrison (TTT, March-April, 9) picks up on Boggans Campaign Statement
comment that the USTTA is not organized for the casual club player but for the tournament
player. Club players arent necessarily casual, says Rufford. They like to play in leagues
and those leagues would provide income, and a lot of it, for the USTTA. He says we
shouldnt ignore the masses from whom our future national teams will come. [Huh? What
National Team member was there ever who didnt hone
his/her game in tournaments?]
Dave Cox, in a companion piece, says that the
sanctioned tournament is at present and will be for the
immediate future the main source of membership and
revenue for the USTTA. To be perfectly frank, the
casual club player doesnt give a hoot for the USTTA.
Cox says, if (after all their years in office) Rufford and
Jack havent changed the casual club players attitude,
one can hardly blame Tim for not wanting to focus his
attention to that end. Still, Dave does speak of how Tim
visited with the Huntington Club officers and how
suggestions were made to him about how clubs might be
started by arranging for loans with one of the table tennis
manufacturers, or how clubs would value inter-club play.
Former U.S. World Team Captain John Read (TTT,
March-April, 1972, 12) writes of an impossible dream,
and says that Boggan has the vision, the idealism, and the
necessary zeal to make it come true. John notes that he
John Read
doesnt recognize the names of half the many writers that
Photo by Mal Anderson
286

contribute to Topics, and that this sign of vitality is what the Association needs. Boggan, he says, is
rash, impatient, and at times over-emotional [sometimes immature, you might say], but he is right
in saying that the life blood of our Association is the tournament player.
Carr will later say that Reads excellentarticle on Boggan is hogwashthat Read
supports Boggan because John also wants to be identified with the top players, not because John
wants or professes change. Jack also takes a double dig at John, saying that maybe Johns Topics
critics are rightthat is, he alludes to Carl Danners complaint that Ranking Chair Reads not doing
his job, for last seasons Rankings still arent out, and to Dick Miless blunt suggestion that John, so
long active in the USTTA in various ways, ought to resign from the E. C. because the Association
needs to let some clean air into its stagnant Meeting rooms. Though Read is invariably late with
the Rankings, Jack Howard absolves him in this case by saying, The ranking committee did not
have the complete 70/71 resultsbecause we (the ratings committee) required the results for
processingour efforts having been snagged by E.C. sluggishness. Carr later questioned why a
copy of the results wasnt made, so each committee could have them.
As for Boggan, could what he says be hogwash, could he be accused of being
insincere? Cox certainly doesnt think so (TTT, Jan.-Feb., 1972, 32). Emotional, stubborn,
indefatigable, irascible, loyal, passionate, maybebut insincere, never. And if Tims sharply
critical at times, hes also capable of caring enough to occasionally get more emotionally
involved than he should.
Sol Schiff (TTT, March-April, 1972, 11) points out that we
need as our President a man strong enough to control the
Executive Committee. The public or private statements by
his [Boggans] detractors that he has exhibited too much
emotion, stemming from one or two isolated cases [well,
maybe more], means absolutely nothing. In fact, its far better
for a person to have that much interest in table tennis and to
exhibit his love for the gameit shows a plus to his character
not a minus. Vote for Boggan.
Regarding this question of emotion, I refer readers back
to my Introduction in which I posit two Letters to the
Editor that are quite apropos here.
O.K., enoughor almost enough. This is the most
talked about, written about election in the near 40-year
history of the USTTA. As very subjectively involved
Historian Ive tried as objectively as I can to make
everyones position clear to you.
In the pre-election issue of Topics (March-April, 1972,
Sol Schiff
27), the Boggan/Howard top-player partisans took out a fullPhoto by Bob Green
page ad aimed to retire the old guard who for so many years
have been strangling the sport. The heart of their statement read:
We are tired of their [the old guards] petty attitudes. We are tired of their
self-perpetuating rules which keep good men out and poor men in. Most of all, we are
tired of their lack of accomplishment.
We need a real Executive Committee. A new type. We need men and women of
imagination. We need people of ACTION.
287

This ad was signed by: Tim Boggan, George Brathwaite, Bernie Bukiet, Patty
Martinez Cash, Glenn Cowan, Bob Gusikoff, Wendy Hicks, Jack Howard, Dal-Joon Lee, Dick
Miles, Peter Pradit, Marty Reisman, Errol Resek, Fuarnado Roberts, Sol Schiff, Connie
Sweeris, Dell Sweeris, and John Tannehill.
The result of the Presidential election? Boggan 773 votesCarr 264 votes.
SELECTED NOTES.
*In some measure, all the candidates are helping themselves. This is an indirect slap at
Boggan (unnamed by Jack) who, as I explained in Vol. V, had his way paid to the Nagoya Worlds
in return for: money saved by combining two issues of Topics, acting as USTTA Delegate to the
ITTF Biennial General Meeting, and writing a lengthy article on the tournament. At first, in a
Feb.10, 1971 letter to Tim, Jack said, Well, I just cant believe that you would ask this. Knowing
how unselfish you are, obviously I misunderstood you completely.
Then, a week later in a letter to Graham Steenhoven, Jack writes:
We have both the best Topics and best editor we have ever had. He wants to
save us some money and get something for himself also. You cant really question that.
Sopossibly Ill consider changing my vote.The more I think about it the more I
like the idea. Yet I cant help but think about the consequences in some circles [how
players and national level officials will react to this].
Then, a month later in a letter to Leah Neuberger, Jack writes:
Well, if you havent heard, Tim Boggan is being given $750 to attend the
Worlds. Isnt this great! Dont give the players anything, yet give the Topics editor a
free three week vacation in Japan. This was a mail vote, and I doubt if youll ever see
anything in Topics about it. Voting for: Herbst, Lederman, and BOGGAN; against:
Muehlenbein, Anderson and Carr; abstaining: Read and Buben. To break the tie
Graham voted FOR, ho, hum. If the players were angry before, I can just imagine how
they feel about it now.
**Nave Marianne should have seen the Nov. 19, 1971 letter Jack sent me. He wanted
me to give back the $750 for my ticket to the Worldssaid that I didnt perform my duties as
delegate conscientiously, and that, of all the articles Ive written, my Worlds article was the
poorest Ive ever done. He said other things that showed his ignorance and hypocrisyand
of course the terrible hurt he felt:
Perhaps I wont win the forthcoming popularity contest, since I prefer
efficiency, taking an honest stand, and contributing FREELY to the USTTA and table
tennis.
Perhaps you think you can get more money for your lecture tours if you are a
Presidential candidate, and feel this will help you with your college position.
Yet, I feel that if you are elected, you will make an excellent President, since
youll figure out some way to be paid in a non-paid position while the rest of us
contribute voluntarily. If you become President, I feel youll do quite well (for Tim
Boggan; I have my doubts for the USTTA).
288

I wonder if the members will elect an inexperienced egoistical mercenary or an

experienced dedicated worker who devotes 20-30 hours a week to the promotion of
table tennis.
Tim, please accept this in the tone it was meant, as friendly complaints.
Nor Im sure did Marianne read the three-page single-spaced Help your ClubVote
for Jack Carr all-points attack Jack launched later that was criticized not only by Tims friend
Dick Evans but by California TTA President Fred Herbst whose E.C. voted for Jack as
President over Tim. Here are some examples: Tim doesnt have much regard for spending
USTTA money (or even personal money for that matterat the last meeting he stated that
even his personal credit cards were overdrawn).Tim throwing his racket in a Baltimore
tournament. Tim having a fist fight.[The] main reason that he went to the Worlds was
to play in the Jubilee Cup.At one E.C. session an E.C. members wife left when Tim
started using choice Topics words. (I wont repeat them since I dont use profanity.)I have
never known him tohold a tournament, or even umpire any matches.Im afraid he may
be somewhat two-faced. I doubt if hed be nearly as good [a Topics editor] without
pay.[He] has written in Topics, and told me as much, that he is not really running for
President; he is running against me. That is not the type of person we want as President.

289

Chapter Twenty-Two
1972: Tournaments Prior to the Long Island U.S. Open. 1972: Update On World Play
Since Nagoya Worlds.
Tournaments preceding the U.S. Open were held in Toronto and London, Ontario, and
the major players there, it comes as no surprise, were those whod been selected by the CTTA
to receive 75% travel assistance to Long Island. Both at the Jan. Toronto Open and the Feb.
Ontario Open in London, the Womens winner was Violetta Nesukaitis, and both times in
straight games over Helen Simerl who in Toronto had been forced into the 5th by just-turnedteenager Mariann Domonkos, a lock for the Girls Singles over Midget Singles Champ Biruta
Plucas. At both tournaments, though, Simerl paired with Marie Kerr to take the Womens
Doubles from Violetta and sister Flora whose games still hadnt meshed together as hoped.
Also, at both tournaments Errol Caetano was the
Mens winnerfirst over Derek Wall whod had to go 5
to get by Jim Dixon, then 18 in the 5th over Peter Gonda.
Errol and Violetta were, as expected, unchallenged in the
Mixed, and Caetano and his regular Mens Doubles
partner, Gonda, won easily at Toronto, but lost to
Modris Zulps/Guy Germain at London. In Juniors/Boys,
Paul Klevinas and Steve Feldstein split. In Seniors,
Zulps had to 15, 14, 28, 22 fight tenaciously to down
Max Marinko, then found 4-game relief in London
against John Nesukaitis who was about to hold a three-day
coaching clinic at Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.
Meanwhile, a
number of U. S. affiliates
Canadian Coach John Nesukaitis
Photo by Mal Anderson
within driving distance of
Long Island began
gearing up for the Open by holding a
tournament or two of their own. At the
Feb. Rochester, N.Y. Open, Andy
Anvelt not only won the 17s but the
Mens as wellin the semis over
penholder Neal Fox and in the final over
Morris Meyers whod advanced in 5
when Jim Shoots ran out of bullets. Not
a woman or girl was reported to be
playing Singles or Doubles in this
tournament. Maybe not one was even
Andy Anvelt
watching? This while professional
Photo by Mal Anderson
photographer Neal Fox was at the ready
to snap photos that USTTA members
could buy for $10 eacha fundraiser, not for Neal whod donate his
Neal Fox:
services, but for the International Team Fund and the University of
$10 bucks a photo
Buffalo Table-Buying Fund. Mens Doubles went to Charlie Burroughs/ Photo by Mal Anderson
290

Shoots over Gary Carter/Don Coluzzi. Class A winner: Fox over Dave Berard. Class A
Doubles: Meyers/Dave Harrison over Father/Son combo Bob/Tom Brickell, 19 in the 4th. Class
B: Dave Griffin over Berard in 5. Seniors: Burroughs over Meyers, also in 5. Senior Doubles:
Walt Stephens/ Bill Hunt over Tom Shirley/John Kazak.
At the one-star Suffolk County (Long Island) Open, Jim Dixon and Fuarnado Roberts
entered but didnt show, and Sam Hammond entered too late and wasnt allowed to play.
(Those planning to enter the Nationals take heed, dont delay!) George Brathwaite won the
Mensin straight games over Southern New England Champ Lim Ming Chui and finalist
Errol Resek who lamented later to Topics that, though the Nationals Program stated that he
was sponsored by Chemical Bank, he, like his employer, the Bank, wanted to give credit only
where credit was dueand, since the Bank hadnt been helping him to his satisfaction, he
needed another sponsor. Meanwhile, there was the occasional gigas when in early Jan. Errol
and George were invited to a York, Pennsylvania Sports Night bash. There they went playfully
to bat against Vida Blue and Jim Palmer.

Harvey Gutman: $35 winner

Photo by Mal Anderson

Hammond/Alex Shiroky won the Mens Doubles from

Chui/Resek.
Womens winner was Alice Green over Shazzi
Eric Phillips
Photo by Bill Marlens
Felstein, 3-zip. Womens Doubles went to Muriel Stern/J.
Fishler over Peg Daly/Evelyn Zakarin; Mixed to Chui/Green
over Hammond/Felstein. Class A: Harvey Gutman ($35) over Joe Ching ($25). A Doubles:
Gutman/Mal Anderson over Ray Chen/Mohan Rao. Class B: Eric Phillips. Class C (almost 90
entries): Scrabble/Backgammon star Mike Senkiewicz. Seniors: Henry Deutsch over, first,
Boggan, then Marcy Monasterial. Juniors (at least 40 entries): R.R. 1. Tim House (whod
earlier upset John McGraw and been down two match points to Carl Danner). 2. Gary
Adelman. 3. Scott McDowell. 4. Rick Rumble.
Sixteen teamswith four A-B-C-D group winnersparticipated in the Feb.
Pennsylvania Team tournament. As: 1st: Pittsburgh: Dan Seemiller (12-0), Joe Rokop (10-1),
291

and Bill Zatek

(8-1). 2nd:
Philadelphia:
Bill Sharpe
(11-2), Hank
McCoullum,
George
Rocker, and
Stan
Smolanowicz.
Bs: 1st:
Lancaster I:
Bob Fritsch
(12-0), Bob
Pennsylvania teammates: Dave Dickson and Joe Scheno
Cogley, Joe
Hertz, and Bill Winger (8-4). Cs: 1st: Berwick: Ellis Alley, Dave Dickson, and Joe Scheno (11-2)
who about this time, downing Karl Szakacs, had started his string of Lehigh Valley Open wins.
The Mar. 4-5 Pennsylvania Open, played at the Philly Club, proved a great warm-up
for the Nationals, and a chance for Herb Vichnin, who was providing Topics coverage, to
exclaim that this weekend onlookers were treated to probably the most exciting series of
matches ever seen at a table tennis tournament (May-June, 1972, 24-25). Ill start with the
Singles resultsthough, as well see, its the Doubles play Herbs most ecstatic about. Sam
Hammond took the Mens from Mitch Sealtiel, 23-21 in the 5th, after Mitch had won the 3rd at
19 to stay in the match. Up 21-20 in the 5th, Sealtiel missed his favorite put away shot on a
high lob from Hammond! $50 for one shot! In earlier matches, both finalists rallied after
being down 2-0Hammond to Danny Seemiller; Sealtiel to Tim Boggan. Mitch also was
behind 1-0 and at deuce in the 2nd before 19-in-the-4th downing Resek whod survived Peter
Stephens, 19 in the 4th.
In the Womens Singles, when Alice Green didnt
show, Hilary Cohen, after eliminating Juanita Santana 17 in
the 3rd, outlasted Girls U-17 winner Muriel Stern in the final
in 5. In the Mixed, Herb tells us that since Boggan/Evelyn
Zakarin were inadvertently left out of the event, its a good
thing he, not Tim, is doing the write-up; and that when the
Boggan/Zakarin team, inserted into the draw, right away met
Sealtiel/Stern it was a break for the whole Philly Club that
Tim and Evelyn won. The final, however, saw Stephens/Pat
Hildebrand beat the Long Islanders in 5.
Best in Class A: Vic Landau over Danny Seemiller in
5. Bs: Timmy House over Hugh Ching. Cs: Mike
Senkiewicz, winning a key 3rd 23-21, in 4 over Bruce
Pennsylvania Open Champ
Hilary Cohen
Plotnick. Esquires went to George Rocker over Bob Green.
Photo
by Mal Anderson
Seniors to Rocker over Boggan. Under 17s: Joe Rokop
rd
won the 3 28-26 to take a 2-1 lead over Seemiller but
couldnt contest the 4th and 5th. Under 15s: Joe Scheno over Scott McDowell, 19 in the 5th.
Under 13s: House over Mike Stern.
292

Herbs article
centers on the Doubles
play of Danny
Seemiller/Joe Rokop.
First they sweep
through their Junior
Doublesdowning
Plotnick/Jeff Zakarin in
the final. Then, in the A
Doubles, after finishing
off House/Arthur
Nieves, theyre in the
Doubles partners Bill Sharpe (L) and Herb Vichnin
final against Sharpe and
Photos by Mal Anderson
Vichnin. We know
their consistent blocking games, says Herb. Have to loop short against them. Heavy and real
short. But neither Herbs not Bills loop is consistent enough and they lose the 1st at 19to
two kids. They should never beat us, mutters Sharpe. Come on, lets play (meaning me,
says Herb). Sharpe/Vichnin win the 2nd by pushing, but are looped down in the 3rd. Behind 8-1
in the 4th, they push to a 21-11 win, then lead 10-5 in the 5thhave scored 30 of the last 38
points.
So how does this match end? Heres Herb:
We switch sides. 10-all! Sharpe yells, You gotta topspin! I push. He
yells. I yell. Deuce! Our ad. I miss. Our ad. I miss a serve. Our ad. Sharpe misses a
serve. Our ad. Jesus Christ! Deuce! 24-all. Their ad! Oh, no. Theyre just kids!
How embarrassing! Rokop serves. I push. Seemiller loops. Sharpe hits it! Rokop
counters it! I lob it (dumb!). Seemiller crushes a forehand which hits Sharpe in the
worst possible place: his bat! 26-24! Sharpe and I scream at each other for a while
(who the hell are these kids) and then stomp away mad. We (meaning me) blew
it, Sharpe says.
The kids have to catch a bus back to Pittsburgh, says Herb: Please, they plead, let
us play our Mens Doubles quarter-final so we can go home. Butwhats this? They walk
through the third-seeded team of Errol Resek (current #3 nationally) and David Philip.
Please let us play our Mens Doubles semi-final match so we can go home.
O.K.play. After two games vs. Bukiet/Sealtiel, the match is tied 1-1. But in the 3rd,
its Seemiller/Rokop again. Can this really be happening? says Herb. Fourth game to Bukiet/
Sealtiel. Class begins to tell? Fifth game: at the turn, the Juniors are up 10-5. Now they shift
sides and the order changeswith this result:
Rokop, receiving from Sealtiel, must now serve to Sealtiel. Whats this? says
Bukiet, as if he never played doubles before. He just served! He has to receive?
Thats right, says Erich Haring, tournament referee. Well, this little trick really rattles
the kids. Sealtiel to serve, 9-11! What is this! screams Bukiet. Now hes serving
again? (As if he didnt know.) Rattle, kids, rattle. Argue with him! Take your mind off
the game! 11-14, Seemiller to serve. #@%&$!! screams Seemiller [doing a little
293

rattling of his own], as the crowd breaks up.Rokop [up 18-17], serves. Sealtiel
pushes. Seemiller hits a heavy topspin to Bukiet. Bukiet pops it up! Rokop (who has a
devastating forehand kill) kills it to Sealtiels backhand. But wait! Hes left-handed!
Thats his forehand! Wham! Seemiller doesnt even move, 18-all.
Now, says Herb, when Sealtiel whacks another forehand but misses, and the Seemiller/
Rokop pair go up 19-18, the Philly club members are all abuzz and start rooting for the kids
out loud. Seemiller kills his first shot of the matchunder the table!and theyre at 19-all.
Herb excitedly continues:
Rokop serves. Sealtiel pushes. Seemiller pops it up.Bukiet hits a blazing
forehand which passes Rokops ear on the fly! 20-19. Rokopserves. Sealtiel pushes
(no mistakes now). Seemiller loops. Bukiet pops it up.Wham! Rokop kills it to
Sealtiels backhand. (Thats right, this time it is his backhand.) 21-19, SeemillerRokop!
Please let us play our Mens Doubles final so we can go home.
Sharpes leaving, but hes not going home. I gotta go back to work, he says. Herb
points out that Bills a cop who worked all day at the tournament on Saturday, went on the
12-8 shift on Saturday night, came back to the tournament on Sunday morning, and is back to
work again at night. And hes 40 years old!
Vichnin notes Sharpes comments to him on the way out. Boy, says Bill, I thought
we (meaning me) were playing bad, but I guess that we (meaning me) were playing over our
heads! We (meaning him, I think) shouldnt get so emotional!
O.K., so whos playing the kids in the final? Sam Hammond and Alex Shiroky,
thats who. Though they certainly were lucky to get therehaving been down in the
semis to George Brathwaite/Peter Stephens, 14-4 and 20-15 in the 5th! Alex, Vichnin
calls out,if you win this, well give you the Junior Doubles trophies! Uh-huh. But
Bukiet feels the need to counsel Shiroky: Dont be afraid, he cautions. But that first
game all Alex does is soft topspin. Seemiller/Rokop win it 21-13. Vichnin is thinking what
everyone else is: Hit the goddamn ball, Shiroky!Sam and Alex win the 2nd, and are up
20-19 in the 3rd when Hammond hits the ball on the edge of his bat. But, oh, oh! It hits
the edge of the table! 21-19, Shiroky/Hammond. Play fair! But the kids tie it up and go
into the fifth:
Only now they have a bad-luck start: an edge for Shiroky; then, out of position, Alex
swipes at the ball in desperation, and, though it sails over the table, it hits Dannys racket;
then Hammond/Shiroky get another edgeand Seemiller, down 6-3, talks to the wall, the
lights, the other tables. But the leaders are conservatively back to the soft topspin, and have
to keep moving just to keep the ball in play, since it comes back as fast as they put it over.
Up 12-11, Hammond topspins into Seemillers backhand. Wham! Its gone, as Seemiller takes
it just off the bounce with his ridiculous backhand.Shiroky looks around. Sealtiel says,
Dont feel bad. The crowd roars.
On they go: 15-all18-all.Down 19-20 match point, Hammond topspins to
Seemillers backhandand, oh, that ridiculous flick! 21-19! Pandemonium! Everybodys
jumping and waving and screamingexcept of course Hammond and Shiroky (and maybe a
few silent sympathizers).
294

Wow, what a
tournament, says
Herb:
Out
of the ten 3out-of-5
finals
matches, 8
of them
along with
both semis
of the Mens
Doubles
(and a
couple of
other Mens
Singles
matches),
went to five
games, with
six of them
finishing at
deuce in the
fifth! In
these
matches
alone, there
was a total
of thirty
deuce
games!

Danny Seemiller/Joe Rokop vs. Alex Shiroky/Sam Hammond

Photo by Mal Anderson

Next up: a
Baltimore
Invitational. The
USTTA E.C. would
shortly adopt rules
for Invitational
tournaments. Two
of them were:
Can you tell who won?
more than half of
Photo by Mal Anderson
the invited
participants had to be USTTA members, and the basis for selecting players to be
invitedmust be approved in writing by the Regional Tournament Director. A few
outsiders did play in this Invitational.
295

The Mens went to Tim

Boggan in a 28, 17, 20, 17 final
over Mark Radom, the current
and 8-time Baltimore City
Champion; the Womens to
Barbara Kaminsky over Yvonne
Kronlage. Boggan/Tibor Hazi
took the Mens Doubles from
Lem Kuusk/Bob Kaminsky.
Womens Doubles winners were
Kaminsky/Kronlage over
Margaret Brennan and Eleanor
Pritchett. Brennan is the
Baltimore Mixed Champ with
Mort Greenberg who for three
straight years has also been the
Tim Boggan:
City Mens Doubles Champ with Mark Radom: Baltimore
Baltimore Invitational Winner
Invitational Runner-up
Radom. Pritchett presently holds
Photo by Mal Anderson
Photo by Mal Anderson
the 1972 Womens Doubles title
with City Singles Champ Xuan Ferguson. Mixed went to Radom and Juanita Santana, the #1
ranked Woman/Junior Girl in Baltimore, over Boggan and Shellie Gainsburg, Girls U-13 winner
over Sandy Bengtson. Boys U-13 winner: Scott Boggan over Mark Swerdlin.
Other results: As: Dr. Carl Gundersdorf (Baltimore # 4) over Bob Berkebile (#5). Bs:
Bob Harris over Mike Feldman, deuce in the 5th (a reversal
of their City A final). Best Baltimore Closed Esquire: Gus
Sempeles; best Baltimore Closed Senior: Don Marston.
Best Baltimore Closed Junior: Pat Lawlor.
At the March Buckeye Open in Columbus, John
Tannehill won the Mens from Tim OGrosky; Joanne Pickett
the Womens from
Mary Ann Burdick,
Junior Girls winner
over Kathy
DeMent. Mens
Doubles Champs
were Holloway/
OGrosky over
Tannehill/Bill
Hodge in the semis
and Don Lyons/Jim
Dr. Carl Gundersdorf,
Supensky in the
Baltimore Invitational A Winner
final, both in 5.
Mixed went to Tannehill/Burdick over John Temple/Barb
Mark Wampler
Photo by Mal Anderson
Smith. As: Supensky over Dick Evans in 5. Bs: Bruce
Abrams over C winner Little whod ousted wheelchair whiz Mike Dempsey. A Doubles: Supensky/
Holloway over Henry and Mark Wampler, voted Outstanding Player at the 1970 Ohio
296

Intercities. Seniors: Lou Radzeli over Holloway who, against Ron DeMent, had rallied (from
a 21-3 2nd game that put him down 2-0) to a 21-19 win in the 5th. U-17s: Dave Goin over
Hank Coulter in 5. U-15s: Burdick over Dempsey. Under 13s: Greg Schuer over Jeff
Williams.
The Feb. Winter Carnival, the first tournament at the spacious new Magoos, was
written up for the Mar. 10, 1972 Minnesota Table Tennis News by Vince Koloski and also,
confusingly, for Topics by several young Magoo writers. (Koloski, in an adjacent Topics
article, Mar.-Apr, 1972, 24; 28, detailed the formation of the Minnesota High School Leagues,
made up of 14 teams with over 30 schools on the waiting list).
Play for the Carnivals 130 entrants was on 12 tables, and as the first-time format
required that all semis and finals in all events be held the second day of the tournament,
spectators on Sunday repeatedly got to see significant matches. The weekend was a success,
though not exactly a merrymaking one because the glossy finish on our 12 new Detroiters
made for a glare. Severe eye strain was a common complaint and the choice of side became
an important factor in the matches. Since this Carnival write-up centered on the Class B,
Class A, and Mens, Ill get to those in a moment, but, first, here are the results of the other
events.
Womens: Connie Disney over Colleen Mosio. Womens As: Mary Ann Engelhart over
Judy Nielson. This 10-entry event was very popular: Pretty good play and very good girl
watching. Mixed Doubles: Bob Henze/Jo Rollins over the favored pair of Charlie/Connie
Disney. Mens Doubles: Doug Maday/Wayne Richter over #1 seeds, Disney/Alan Goldstein.
Also: Novice Doubles: Stu Sinykin/Jerry Taylor
over Chuck Hagner/Vern Mondloh, an experienced pair
with an unorthodox style. Jerrys the Chair of
Advertising and Leagues for the Minneapolis TTA, and,
after establishing a league of 80 players at his General
Mills Company he wrote an article for Topics (Sept.Oct., 1971, 28) showing how a league can be established
at any large company. Class C: Alan Hasham over Ed
Hogshead in 5. Class C Consolation: Lindquist over Jerry
Soderberg. Class D: Steve Steblay over John Soderberg.
Mens Consolation: Gus Kennedy over Ed Ells. Midgets:
John Soderberg over Greg Mosio. Boys: John Soderberg
in an upset over Steblay. Juniors: Rich Sinykin over Rick
Cogswell. (In return for some exhibitions in which theyll
wear Munsingwear clothes, Rich and his friend Don
Larson found four sponsors to pay their way ($450) to
the Nationals.)
John Soderberg
The A, B, and Mens Open events were
dominated by H.C. Chang, a 26-year-old college student
from Madison, Wisconsin, who came into the tournament a virtual unknown and left with
everything but the tables. In the As, Chang lost his opening game, 25-23, to Minnesota
Junior Champ Sinykin, but then steadied to win convincingly. And he only practices once a
month, said someone in the crowd. Nor did Chang have the slightest trouble, as some
thought he would, with Wisconsins Paul Wong. His final victim was Randy Priest whod won
a gutsy 19, 22, 15 semis over Jack Jensen.
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In Class B, Chang crushed both Mohan Rao and Shu Fun Lee, which caused a rumor
to start circulating that, He was the Under 13 champ of Taiwan! On getting by David Barnes
and then Dennis Priest who seemed helpless to return those tricky pen-holder serves, Chang
moved to the final where Cogswell, whose hitting was off, had no chance.
The Mens format had five players advancing from Saturday night round robin play:
Charlie Disney, Wayne Richter, Alan Goldstein, Paul Chang, and Doug Maday. Doug had had
a shot at beating Paulhed lost the 1st at 18, but jumped off to a 7-0 lead in the 2nd, only to
10-all lose his advantage, then drop the game from 19-all. But then hed gone on to 20, 15
down Goldstein. Alan, game for his 11:30 p.m. match, had scored an easy 10, 14 victory over
Paul whod looked exhausted.
New rumors could be heard circulating about Chang: He hasnt improved since he
was 12. Hes a strategy and tactics genius. In the final round robin Sunday, Disney
opened against Chang, and his heavy topspin defense helped him to win the 1st 23-21. But in
the 2nd at 18-all a couple of his loops didnt go in, and, failing to win that game, he lost
momentum. Still from 9-2 down in the 3rd, he fought backto 8-12but couldnt close the
gap. At 16-19 he missed a loop. For Christs sake, he muttered as he walked in circles
behind the table. Then, returning to play, his togetherness complete, he dizzily served off.
After Chang stopped Richter, so did Alan and Doug. That left Charlie and Alan to play the last
match, and when Charlie won two straight, Chang was declared the winner, with Maday 2nd.
Had Goldstein beaten Disney in straight games, he would have been the Carnival
Champion. So what could he do now but champion Charlie as Empire Builder, Promoter
Extraordinaire (TTT, May-June, 1972, 21). He quotes Disney, whos often not overly modest,
as saying, Soon the MTTA will have as many members as the USTTA. Charlie, says Alan,
has 10 member clubs around the state and sends out a bi-monthly magazine to 1,300
interested people and organizations. Hes gotten sports writers from the Minneapolis Tribune
to write-up our Club activities, promoted Magoo TV interviews, interested gym teachers in
the Sport and convinced the Athletic Director for the Minneapolis Public Schools to give
teaching credits for teaching table tennis. Because Charlies dream is to make table tennis a
prestige sport comparable to tennis or golf, hes available to go to your city to show you
how to organize table tennis or give coaching clinics. But you neednt ask Charlie himself
how hes been so successful, Alan is acolyte enough:
How does he do it?
Salesmanship, creative ideas, and an
ability to motivate people. The new
Magoos club has a special team
spirit, probably best exemplified by
the pioneer spirit and communal
feeling in an Israeli kibutz.
Everyone must work for the club, including
the top players. For example, I am the #1 player in the
state but I was slow in painting a small room as my
contribution to the new club. After a few warnings from
Charlie I suddenly found that no one in the club would play
with me. I painted the room in a hurry.

298

Charlie Disney:
Empire Builder

On Mar. 11, Dirk Petersen tells us, Wisner, Nebraska, a little town of 1,300 people,
held its first sanctioned tournament, a Closed, and drew 82 participants. Not badthough the
organizers are aiming high. Wisner is known as the beef center of America. We would like to
see it as one of the countrys table tennis centers. Both the Mens and the As was won by
Kiichi Sato of Japan, now a University of Nebraska student. Finalists Tom Walsh in the Mens
and Scott Ichkoff in the As fell victim to Satos quickness and ability to loop. In Mens
Doubles, however, Sato and his partner Kenzo Itoh were upset by Charles Polson and Jon
Deuchlerwith Polson working to set the ball up for Deuchlers great forehand smash.
Only, Polson/Deuchler didnt win either, but came 2nd to Walsh/Jerry Malec. Diana Myers of
course won the Womens and Senior Girls (over Kathy Moeller) and the Mixed with Dick
Ichkoff (over Scott Petersen/Risch).
According to Tom Walsh, the Nebraska Open unexpectedly drew so many entries
that the tournament lingered until past one in the morningwhich meant that all the
spectators had gone home, that some of the best matches of the night went unnoticed. Junior
Murray Kutler, poor guy, was sick and couldnt play in the tournament. As for Omahas other
Junior star, Scott Ichkoff, Walsh sees him as a mirror image of himself. Hes the only
accomplished junior who plays with a pimpled rubber batlike his father, Richard Ichkoff,
years ago a ranked Chicago player.Scott has the knack of blocking well off the
backhandand countering sharply from the forehand.
The Mens Championship was Double
Elimination. On one side of the Draw, David Barnes
edged Harry Sandner, 19 in the 3rd. On the other,
perennial Omaha Champion, Steve Flansburg, in an
early match was having great difficulty with nets and
edges against a surprisingly strong Charles Polson of
the South Omaha Boys Club; while Walsh, misadvised
to play Marcus Ngs no-rubber/plain-wood backhand,
gave that up and began chopping and pick-hitting to
Ngs forehand just in time. After which, Flansburg,
Steve Fox Flansburg
moaning about his lack of practice and inability to
Photo by Tom Walsh
loop, dropped the 1st game to Walsh, but then
successfully kept putting the ball to his forehand where Tom perversely kept picking the wrong
balls to hit.
In the Winners Bracket, Flansburg won the 1st from Barnes at 19, then, on rallying
from 6-16 down to 19-all, couldnt close and the match was tied. In the 3rd game, their pattern
of play was push-push-push-loop for Steve, return, smashin or out. When Davids return
didnt bring a high ball that Steve could smash, his second loop wasnt so effective.
Occasionally David would pick-hit hard, not easy to do against the wily-fox spin-changer
Flansburg. The match finally went to Barnes, 28-26, on a net ball.
In the Losers Bracket, Walsh said he was able to beat Sandner from the mid-game 3rd
because he had an inspiration: I decided to play to Harrys strong forehand.I served
everything to the forehand and chopped until he tried to drop me; then I moved in and
smashed for an easy win. Against Flansburg, Walsh was down 1-0 and at 18-all in the 2nd
at which point, said Tom, I hit one of my best forehand kills toward mid-table, but Steve
was there to chop one of those unreturnable chops: it hit the net stiffly, dipped to my side, and
before I could reach it, it jumped back to his side of the tablehis point because I hadnt
299

returned it. Eventually Tom lost this 3rd game at deuce. In the match for the Championship,
Steve was near exhaustionhe hadnt much left. Barnes again finished his win with a net.
Other winners: Mens Doubles: Barnes/Scott Grafton over Walsh/Dick Ichkoff, 26-24
in the 3rd in the semis, and over Sandner/David Ho in the final. Womens: Diana Myers over
Kathy Moeller. Mixed: Sandner/Myers over Walsh/Debbie Denenberg. As: Bob Gellner
(hitting the ball seemingly at the last second it can be hit) 29-27 in the 3rd over Marcus Ng
whose disconcerting habit of pushing and blocking with the wood side of his bat produces
such a difference in spin and trajectory that its sometimes paralyzing for opponents. A
Consolation: Leo Kurdika over Physics Professor Jim Craig, 19 in the 3rd. Class B: Jon
Deuchler in the semis over Omaha Club Secretary Lee Larson, and in the final over tricky
penhold server Francis Mah. Class C: Craig over Scott Ichkoff.
At the Mississippi State University Open, Topics reporter Richard Kissel was
astonished at the straight-game ease with which 15-year-old John Quick went through two of
the Souths best playerssemifinalist Homer Brown and finalist Don Gaither. We were just a
little embarrassed that the large group of spectators who came out didnt see the thrills we
promised. However, said Richard, local spectators did enjoy watching the hard rubber match
between MSU history professor, Cliff Anderson, who has recently come out of table tennis
retirement and Atlanta Closed Senior Champ Cyril Lederman. Cliff, with his almostimpossible-to-get-through chop defense that once made him a nationally ranked player, was
more than a match for Cyril and his backhand picks.
Other results: Mens Doubles: Gaither/Brown over Ralph Kissel/
Bill Edwards. Class A: Ted Bassett over Ray Filz in 5. Class B: Hugh Lax
over Richard Coffmanbut Hughs toughest match was with Larry Fisher,
after Larry had eliminated Wendell Dillon, a name well hear quite a bit of
in the next 30-some years. Under 17s: Quick over Bill Edwards.
For the 20th Annual Arizona Open
conducted on ten Brinktun tables in the
spacious Cortz High Gymnasium in Phoenix,
Club President Forrest Barr was happy to
announce that the entry total of 105 from five
states was the largest ever in Arizona.
Californias Howard Grossman was a triple
winner. Displaying artistic defensive skills,
mixed with occasional offensive outbursts from
either wing, Howie won a 5-game Mens final
from former Arizona Champ, Mark Adelman of
San Diego, after Mark had 19-in-the-5th barely
survived his semis with El Pasos Mac Horn.
Wendell Dillon
Howie also took both Doublesthe Mens with
Photo by Mal
Phoenix Club President
Mark over Senior winner Dan Banach/Eric
Anderson
Forrest Barr
Thom, and the Mixed with Heather Angelinetta
over Mark DaVee/Angelita Rosal. Womens went to 15-year-old Angelita whos now much
too good for Heather.
Other winners: As: DaVee, also 15, over Salt Lake Citys Brian Sykes. A Doubles: Bill
Guerin/John Harrington over Roger Yee/Dan Yu. Bs: Angie Rosal over Russ Singer. B
Doubles: Dan and Andy Yu over Si and Bill Kenig. Cs: Jack Simontab of Salt Lake City over
300

Harry Leong of Tucson. Wheelchair Singles (a new event): Mike Dempsey, now playing out of
Corpus Christi, Texas, over Jerry Swanson of Phoenix.
The 25th Annual Pacific Coast Open, held a week before St. Paddys Day in Dublin, up
near San Francisco, offered Californians their last chance to warm-up for the Mar. 17-19 Long
Island Nationals (38 from California are entered there). Dieter Fuss, in his Topics coverage
(May-June, 1972, 14) sets the Bay Area scene for us:
Friday afternoon the new Dublin High School gym became a large table tennis
center. Friday evening the D Singles and doubles served as a dress rehearsal for the
next two days, and by Saturday morning the gym overflowed with organized
madnessplayers battling for their lives on 16 tablesthe scoring table crew of Harry
Nelson, Brian Zimmerman, and Bron Nelson announcing another match for the third
timeLou Bochenski selling everything from shoes to rule books50 people standing
around the registration desk asking for the draw sheets and information that was sent
to them with their entry formdozens of empty soft-drink cans clanking their way
down the bleachersand a few people enjoying it all.
Well, maybe more than a few, because from Bard Brenner we hear how so many
Dublin Club families put up out-of-towners in their homeswith Dieters family
accommodating nine houseguests.
Winners: Championship (open to men
and women): Erwin Klein ($200) over Glenn
Cowan ($100) who was down 2-1 to Denis
OConnell who was down 2-1 to Vancouvers
Philip Cheng. Womens: Angelita Rosal ($50)
19 in the 5th in the semis over Patty Cash
($20), and 19 in the 4th in the final over Judy
Bochenski ($30) whod escaped Wendy Hicks
($20), 18 in the 5th. Mens Doubles: Mark
Adelman/Eric Thom over George Makk/Jeff
Mason.
Jerald Jerry Crumley
Womens
Doubles: Cash/
Bochenski over Rosal/Heather Angelinetta. Mixed Doubles:
Zoltan Pataky/Bochenski over Thom/Rosal. As: Cash over
Richard Terry in 5. A Doubles: Bolar Naik/Kwan Wong over
Greg Sherman/Jerald Jerry Crumley.
Also: Esquires: Allan Herskovich over Russ
Thompson. Seniors Herskovich over Dan Banach. Senior
Doubles: Thompson/Richard Badger (after being down 2-0)
over Monico Rosal/Banach. Boys U-17: Paul Raphel over
Thom. Boys U-15: Mike Dempsey over Calvin Chow, 17, 25, 19, 19. Boys U-13: Galardi over Chick Chui. Girls U-17:
California
Bochenski over Rosal. Girls U-15: B.C.s Leslie Ward over
Senior
Star
Monica Rosal. Junior Doubles: Raphel/Bochenski (from down
Russ Thompson
rd
2-0 and at deuce in the 3 ) over Thom/Rosal.
301

Update On World Play Since Nagoya Worlds

In an article bordering the one on
the Pacific Coast tournament, Greg
Sawin* tells us how he and fellow San
Francisco Club members Les Madden and
Richard Terry went into San Franciscos
Chinatown district to see a professionally
made film of the World Championships in
Nagoya. The cinematographers were
from Hong Kong, so not surprisingly the
film was reportedly shown to capacity
crowds there. Of course in Swaythling
Cup footage, one couldnt miss Hong
Kongs 5-1 victory over the U.S. Greg
noted that the film played at San
Franciscos Sun Sing Theater for about a
week and that on the Friday, Feb. 4th
night he and his friends watched, the
theater was about full. The film was
in black- and-white with English narration
and English and Chinese sub-titles. The
sounds of the ball and the audience
reaction were dubbed in.
A wide variety of play in all events was offeredand, though Greg would have liked
the filmmakers to have included such East-West matches as Hasegawa vs. Bengtsson, Li
Ching-kuang vs. Johansson or Orlowski, and Pak Sin Il vs. Secretin, he was pleased to see Li
Ching-Kuang against Beleznai. All in all, he felt the two-hour selection provided a nice
summary of the Worlds. I might also add that one of those finals he watched had to be Mens
Doubles with Champs Jonyer and Klampar. Fun cartoon, Greg.
Im sure the Chinese had their cameras ready for the
Friendship First, Competition Second Afro-Asian Invitational in
Peking in early Nov., 1971. Fifty-one Associations were present, and
no doubt there were many players from emerging nations thrilled to be
playing outside their country for the first time. Such goodwill the
Chinese were generatingtheyd also entertained five South American
countries, and next year were going to invite Latin American
Associations as well. Why, itd be a little World Championships. Right
now there were titles for everyone: Mens Teams: 1. Japan. 2. North
Korea. 3. China. Womens Teams: 1. China. 2. North Korea. 3. Japan. Mens Singles: Japans
Hasegawa over Kohno in 5. Womens Singles: Chinas Chen Huai-ying over North Koreas
Pak Yeung Ok in 5. Mens Doubles: Chinas Li Ching-kuang/Tiao Wen-yuan over His En-ting/
Liang Ko-liang, 19 in the 5th. Womens Doubles: Japans Ohzeki/Konno over Kawamorita/
Onuma in 5. Mixed: North Koreas Pak Sin Il/Pak Yeung Ok over Japans Kohno/Fukuno.
East met West when, after the Afro-Asian Invitational, the Chinese Team took a unique
13-day Tour of Matches in Manchester, Birmingham, and London, as well as in Cardiff,
Edinburgh, and Dublin. Philip Reid remarked that the Chinese won or lost Matches in kindly
302

fashion. One player in particular Phil

Liang Ko-liang:
couldnt praise enoughLiang Ko-liang.
his play has a
His defense was almost impenetrable, his
moonbeam
attack came from either wing and nobody
quality
have I seen in recent years who could kill
the ball off service like he could with his
backhand. His play had a sort of moonbeam
quality about it which was lacking in every
other player.
While Im at itor rather
now that Phil is at it (TTT,
Jan.-Feb., 1972, 6, and
March-April, 1972, 4;14)
here are the results of three
big English tournaments prior
to the English Open in early March. The
first of these, the 3-star Midland Open,
occurred in Dec. while the Chinese were still
on their Tour of the British Isles. The Mens
went to speedy Nicky Jarvis over Tony
Clayton whod downed Barry Meisel in the
semis. Jarvis, in his semis, stopped his
clubmate Denis Neale, 21, 19, by looping
as much as possible and keeping Denis, bothered by a sore shoulder, off the attack.
Womens winner was Judy Heaps over Linda Howard, after Judy had upset Karenza Mathews.
Derek Schofield won the Over 40s from Terry
Donlon.
At the Jan., 1972 English Closed,
Chester Barnes withdrew on medical grounds,
while Alan Hydes, who lost to Sweeris in the
semis of the Sept. CNE, was upset by Alan
Ransomea shock of some magnitude. In the
one semis, Ransome lost to 14-year-old David
Alderson who was beaten in the English Junior
Closed by Birminghams Des Douglas, a lefthander of immense promise. However, Des
then fell to Peter Taylor (Trevors brother) who
in turn was stopped by the winner, Simon
Heaps. (With the help of Coca-Cola Bottlers,
Ltd., Peter, Simon, and Ian Horsham, with
Simon Heaps,
1972 English Junior Closed Winner
Bryan Merrit as their Manager, would later be
Photo by Mal Anderson
sent to train and compete in Sweden.) In the
other Mens semis, played really for the
Championship since Alderson wasnt good enough to challenge for the title, Trevor Taylor
defeated Denis Neale, 19 in the 5th. When Trevor won, he, untypically, said Reid, leapt in the
air, kicked down the barriers, and raced round the table.
303

Think that loss will hurt the sale of Neales The

Way to the Top? Although our Topics reviewer, Don
Gunn, can be waspishThere is also a new book by the
seventeen-year cicada of table tennis, Jack Carrington. It
would be better if he times his books to the cycle of
Halleys comethe lets Neale off easy:
Neale believes in the full arsenal of
strokes; he takes himself and life seriously.
Unfortunately, table tennis books are too often just
peas from the same pod. They become interesting
only when they reveal those aspects of table tennis
which most of us can never see: World
Championships, team training, behind-the-scenes
politics, and just plain back-biting. What the
Dennis Neale: at the top
authors say about themselves can seldom be taken
seriously.
Its not that they deliberately lie, though this too may occur, but self-analysis is
quite difficult not to mention dangerous.Like other author-champions[Neale]
advocates long and rigorous training periods. He claims to have started without
coaching, and not to have read a table tennis book. Perhaps that is the whole answer to
success (TTT, March-April, 1972, 4).
At the Middlesex Open, Les Haslam, ranked #1 in the Caribbean (George Brathwaite
and Fuarnado Roberts are respectively #2 and #3) was upset early; the Scottish #1 Malcolm
Sugden, who lost to D-J Lee 25-23 in the deciding 3rd at the 69 Dortmund Worlds, went
down to a hard rubber player, Henry Buist (tried sandwich but couldnt feel the ball); and
English Nationals Tony Clayton and Nicky Jarvis were also ousted early. Winner was Chester
Barnes over Trevor Taylor. In Mens Doubles, Haslam/Mike Johns knocked out Barnes/Taylor,
but lost in the final to Clayton/Laurie Landry whod also won the Doubles at the Midland
Open. Womens went to Shelagh Hession over Karenza Mathews in the semis and a muchimproved Linda Howard in the final.
East met West again, as writer/historian Zdenko Uzorinac, a former Yugoslav
International, tells us (TTT, Jan.-Feb., 1972, 3, and March-April, 1972, 3)first, when World
#1 China, no doubt considering that the 1973 Worlds will be in Sarajevo, invited Yugoslavia,
World #3, to play matches in Peking, Canton, and Shanghai. In Peking, the best Chinese and
the best Yugoslavs split tieswhile more than 400,000,000 people watched them play on TV.
China then sent Mens and Womens Teams to three European Opens in Nov., 1971.
First they went to the Yugoslav Open at Novi Sad, but, alas, if Li Fu-jung did come as
scheduled, he did not make an auspicious debut as trainer/coach. France beat the Chinese men;
Russia the Chinese women. Swedens World Champion Bengtsson won the Mens over
Frances World #18 Secretin; Romanias World #8 Alexandru the Womens over Hungarys
World #23 Kishazi, winner earlier of the European Unions Ranking Tournament. However, at
the French Open in Paris, China won the Mens and Womens Teams. But Bengtsson again
beat Secretin to take the Mens, while in the all-China Womens final Chou Pao-chin defeated
Chang Li in 5.
304

The Scandinavian Open saw Sweden shut out the Chinese in the Mens Teams, and
Kjell Johansson win the Mens title. It was much to Johanssons credit that, despite having
been out of training for more than a month (hed had some kind of jaundice but fortunately
recovered from it very soon), he rallied in the semis from 0-2 and 19-20 down to Germanys
Ebby Schoeler, and in the final from 0-2 down to Chinas Tiao Wen-yuan. Bengtsson was
upset by Hungarys relatively inexperienced Gabor Gergely. World semifinalist His En-ting
went down to Englands Neale. Chinas Li Ching-kuang was beaten by Yugoslavias Korpa.
Best in Womens was Swedens own Birgitta Radberg who, though not ranked in the top 15
in Europe, defeated Hungarys Judit Magos in the semis and Chinas Cheng Huai-ying in the
final.
China played their best menLi Ching-kuang, His En-ting, and Liang Ko-liang at the
Jan. 23-25, 1972 Roumanian Open in Bucharestbut the Yugoslavs beat them in the Teams.
Also, Karakasevic, whod won the Bulgarian Open in Dec., was the Mens winner over his
teammate Stipancic. The Chinese women took the Teams, but lost the Singles when
Alexandru downed Hu Yu-lan.
Hungarys World #10 Jonyer had won this summers European Unions Ranking
Tournament, but at the Oct. Hungarian Open, his teammate Klampar had beaten him, 19 in the
5th after being down 2-0. In the Womens, Germanys World #20 Agnes Simon had stopped
Russias European Champion Rudnova.** Now at the late Jan. Czech Open in Bratislova,
Uzorinac calls attention to the fantastic, extraordinary final, won in 5 by Johansson over
Jonyer. Counter-attacks from long distances and from all positions! The 1500 people in the
audience applauded for 10 minutes! Hungarian penholder Magos, World #27, kept up a
relentless attack to defeat defender Kishazi whose game she must know well and feel very
comfortable playing.
At the West German Open, however, both Kishazi and Magos lost to Rudnova (Magos
in the final of the Singles too) as the Russians won the Womens Teams from Hungary. The
Swedes beat the Hungarians in the Mens Teams, and in the Singles Johansson stopped
Bengtsson in a straight-game final.
How prominent
Yugoslavia is in
European table tennis!
Where is the official
competition for the best
Europeans, the Top 12
tournament, being
played? Zagreb. And
who will win the Mens
and the $450 1st prize? Zagrebs 22-year-old Anton
Tova Stipancic, whose 8-2 (18-6) record just beat
out Bengtssons 8-2 (16-9). Swedens Johansson
couldnt finish, came down with pneumonia, but, as
hed beaten all 4 top-ranked Yugoslavs in the field, a
local paper awarded him a special prize. The great
German player Schoeler finished last with a 2-8
record, worth $50. Lorenz Jacobsen, who was at the
1972 Europe Top 12 Winner Anton Stipancic
West German Open, and likes to keep readers
Photo from Europes 1972 Program
305

abreast of what rackets the world-class players are using (TTT, May-June, 1972, 24) said that
this season Schoeler put 1 mm L-Sriver on his forehand side [in place of 1.2 mm Allround]
and his defense has yet to adjust if it ever does.
Uzorinac gives us some recent background on the Mens Champion:
Stipancic underwent a crisis at the beginning of the season. He lost in early
rounds in each international tournament.He gained 10 kg. And a real belt around
his stomach, was very slow at the table, and just didnt seem to be willing to
work.And then he realized that what he was doing was wrong, and he started to
train two times a day (!). He became thin like a mannequin, and with continued hard
work came into his best form.
Hungarys Beatrix Kishazi won the Womens Top 12
and $250 with an astounding 11-0 record. Alexandru (8-3)
was 2nd. Kishazi has soft rubber on her forehand side, and the
so-called anti-topspin rubber on her backhand, and she very
wisely neutralizes her opponents attacks, causing great
problems to all with different kinds of ball rotation. Her
coach, former European Champion Zoltan Berczik, says she
practices a lot with the Stiga robot. So people call her the
Hungarian machine.
Such an appellation might well have been Victor
Barnas. Sad to report the great 5-time World Champion,
whose career Ive followed in earlier volumes, died of heart
failure Feb. 27 in the intensive care unit of a Lima, Peru
hospital.
1972 Europe Top 12 Winner

SELECTED NOTES.
Beatrix Kishazi
Photo by Mal Anderson
*As his friend Yim Gee tells us in a remembrance (USA
Table Tennis, July, 2004, 28), Greg Sawin was born a
hemophiliacbut that didnt stop him from playing sports. One day he was playing catch
with another kid, the rubber ball accidentally hit his left eye, and vision was lost in that eye for
life. But he loved Table Tennis, and would be one of those Californians who came crosscountry to Long Island for the 1972 U.S. Open. There, however, more bad luck for the now
22-year-olda dose of contaminated Factor 8 he took to stop bleeding[made him] come
down with Hepatitis C, a disease of the liver. Still, he went on to a successful career as a
writer and editor, and would be active in our Sport for the next 30 years. When the Chinese
Team came to the U.S. following the 72 U.S. Open, Mike Greene (whod shot rolls of film at
the Nagoya Worlds, then duplicated and sold them) took films of them playing their last
exhibition matches at Stanford, and these too were duplicated and soldwith Sawin handling
the orders for Mike.
** I know, from a Nov. 13, 1971 letter Doug Cartland wrote to a past or present
girlfriend of Reismans, that he attended this Hungarian Open with his savvy friend Alex
Ehrlich, the famous International player/coach. Much of the letter has to do with Doug
rejecting out of hand a Word Contest at which hes a master (millions of combinationsit is
no good), and of trying to get inside information about another. He and Ehrlich are also
306

maneuvering to buy, as cheaply as possible Stiga bats, rubber, balls, and to serve as an
intermediary in the purchase of a robot. Reisman is given greetings from world-famous
champions Sido and Andreadis, and sympathetically chastised for not practicing and so losing
to Alex Shirokys brother Connie in I presume the racquet gamesee Alan Bells The
Racket Game Racket (TTT, Feb., 1981, 15)a variation of play in which each server tries to
win the point, and so keep serving, by hitting the handle of a tabled front-and-center placed
racquet of his opponent, thus making a return almost impossible. After telling of Klampars
win over Jonyer, Doug makes these observations:
Schoeler lost to some Hungarian junior after being ahead 13-8 in the fifth. He
looked tired and nervous and made errors while losing. I think he is finished now. [Not
quite finished, but the 1971 and 9-time German Closed Champion is never again to win
the National title.] Bengtssonwas behind 2 to nothing to a Hungarian chopper
(Borszai) but played very well to win. Then the next match he played Gomozkov from
Russia and I gave two to one on the match, thinking the Russian, who is not too good,
had no chance. Imagine my surprise to find that the Russian won 21-10, 21-10, 21-9
and every time he hit his backhand it went through Bengtsson. How lucky he [Stellan]
was to win the Worlds. This is the last tournament he has won.[The] best woman
player, the one Ehrlich says can beat Marty and Miles, the Russian Rudnova, lost to a
German girl, Agnes Simon, whom I can beat easily [Doug is 58].

Agnes Simon vs. Doug Cartland (R)...Who do you like?

From Europes 1972 Top 12 Program
Drawing of Doug Cartland by Artist/Professor Jack McLarty

Doug in Fantasy Land?

307

Chapter Twenty-Three
1972: D-J Lee/Wendy Hicks U.S. Open Champs.
Prior to the 1972
U.S. Open, Freddie
Borges, whom Ive
spoken of in earlier
volumes as a friend of
Dick Miles and a
habitu of Lawrences
Broadway Courts,
responded to a Bill
Marlens article (TTT,
July-Aug., 1971, 28) in
which Marlens had
emphasized that the
Famed Artist Gus Rehberger
Sport freaked when
looking at his U.S. Open
it changed from
Program cover
elegant hard rubber
play to vulgar-speedy-spinny sponge. Table Tennis,
according to Bill, went from being a Sport for the people to now being a short-rally Sport for
the fierce athlete, and so became anti-social. Freddie agreedand pointed out that an
evil consequence of the sponge was that it eliminated strategy and maneuvering for position.
He said that with the ball spinning excessively it is very hard to keep the ball in play, so it
becomes necessary to play recklessly to score. [Another way of putting it is that if you play a
shot passively, your opponent will have the attacking advantage, and so you must play
aggressively even if you risk losing the point.]
Two other readers,
responding on the same
Topics page as Freddie
(Nov.-Dec., 1971, 14),
agreed that, as one of them
put it, A lot has been taken
out of the game. Manny
Moskowitz, 1934 U.S. Open
Doubles Champ with Sol
Schiff, wondered what will
happen to the Sport next
an enlarged table, a ball with
For a discussion on striped balls, see USATT Magazine, April/May, 2003, 65
stripes? He says, I will
continue playing with my 40year-old Barna bat (re-covered with new rubber) and achieve what satisfaction I can. Jack
Buddy Melamed says, I think that sponge has made a mockery of the gamethe superduper, spinny-winny bat is ridiculous. The day of having that all-around skill is gone. Today
its wham-bam, the point is over.
308

Former U.S. International Pauline Somael says, I have never been able to understand
the people who, remembering how it WAS, still insist that NOW is better. It isnt. And she
adds rather discouragingly (TTT, Jan,-Feb., 1972, 30):
What the game needs, and always has needed, is money tournaments. What
it also needs, and has not had since World War II, is spectators, which it is unlikely to
get. It was tough enough to get them before sponge, but now it is practically
impossible. Table tennis has hardly ever been a spectator sport in this country. There
are too many things for people to do here. The only people who turned out for the
Big Vanderbilt match were the same hundred or so who have been showing up for
the last twenty or thirty yearsthe real diehards. No one else. If all the news about TT
and China couldnt bring out people right at the time it happened, what chance do you
think there is to get spectators?
I say forget it. This is a players sport. So cater to the players and get more of
them by giving them moresuch as $$$$. Where the money is to come from is, again,
a problem. A problem we didnt solve in my day when it was a good game, so how is it
to be solved now.
For two decades, the hard rubber vs. sponge argument has been raised and re-raised,
and it will be again. Heres Charles Ballard (TTT, Mar.-Apr., 1972, 8) with his slightly different
take on the controversy:
The anti-sponge forces are forever talking of the glamour and grace of the
old-style game, but I dont think this is what they are really missing. What they miss is
that special something, that charisma, which was perhaps part of the personalities of a
greater percentage of the old timers. I admit the unfortunate tendency of todays
players to become grim technicians, but that is a tendency which should be checked
within each players heart, and which cannot be controlled merely by longing for a
return to an outdated style of play.
Mal Russell, whom readers of Vol. IV will remember for doing those wonderful
caricatures of the denizens of Bobby Gusikoffs New York Club, in an Open Letter to Borges
(TTT, March-April, 1972, 8), felt that Marlens Speedy Spinny applies to todays Table
Tennisand more. It seems to Mal that our entire world has gone Speedy Spinny, and that
Marlens protest is that of the reflective mans struggle against a sort of endless technical selfindulgence that has destroyed the game we [Borges and Russell] both loved and is now
destroying society.
Rufford Harrison will later write that Englands International Club (membership is
limited to those who have represented England) held a hard-rubber tournamentwon by
Denis Neale over Stan Jacobson whom we imported in 1963 to show us how to loop. Thus,
adds Rufford, strokes with one type of surface evidently dont ruin those with the othera
conclusion thats a harbinger of the mixed racket play to come in the new millennium when
even some top players might on the same day play in both sponge and hardbat events. This
thought brings me back to Borges and the 1972 U.S. Open.
309

Says Freddie:
Today, at any major tournament, one finds a
multitude of events. Sometimes its ridiculousnot only
separate events for seniors, juniors, boys and girls of all ages,
various kinds of doubles, but also Class A, Class B, Class C,
Class D, and Novice events.
Cant they spare one little event for those who would
like to play the great game of (rubber) table tennis?
The 1972 U.S. Open, held Mar. 17-19 at Hofstra
University, Hempstead, Long Island (Topics write-ups begin on
May-June, 1972, Section 1 cover), featured 38 events, including
a new Veterans for those 70 and over. No, Freddie, theres no
Hardbat eventyet. (Itll be a while.) But I suppose you and
how many others did take advantage of Reismans ad in Topics
urging one and all to come to his Broadway and 96th St. place
Freddie Borges wants a Hardbat
before the Nationals: $1.25 per hour per player. Workout
event at the 1972 U.S. Open
Sessions With Marty Reisman, Coaching Available.
Play at the Universitys Physical Fitness Center was on Detroiter A tables (the LITTA
bought 40 of them at a delivered cost of $55.73 a table), and hopefully by tourneys end these
would have been sold (for $60 apiece). Sol Schiff provided Hanno balls. Big expenses were
$2,250 in prize moneyit was the first time prize money had ever been given out at a U.S.
Openand $1,000 for trophies. Among other expenses was the need for a limited number of
hotel rooms, and for 2,000 (not the 5,000 printed) U.S. Open Programs. (This Program,
edited by Danny Ganz, was very well done, and would be a collectors item, particularly for its
drawings by Gustav Rehberger. Gus, on making a Sunday evening appearance with a few
thousand other fans, was given a standing ovation.)
The LITTA paid $1,500 to rent the Hofstra Venue and another $2995.38 for Venue
Services (the largest item being the $1359.50 for Security). Entry fees were said to bring in
about $10,000. (There were 2148 combined entries that at $.50 each totaled $1,074 for the
USATT International Team Fund.) The Gate Sale (Mort Zakarin/Jules Rabin did a good job on
Public Relations) was reportedly about $5,000, but, according to the contract, Hofstra was
entitled to 15% of the revenue the LITTA received above $3500 so long as the rental fee and
expenses didnt exceed $4300 (some
percentage modification was therefore
necessary). All in all, what with a Finals
ticket selling for $5 (youd soon be able
to see the touring Chinese at Cobo Hall
for $3), the LITTA would have a net
profit from the tournament of about
$800this, despite the USTTA tax or
Sanction Fee, less a $200 party
allowance, that amounted to a whopping
$1,949.88. The party, by the way, will
Nightclub act: Magician Danny Ganz and daughter Sandy
turn out to be greatthe live band
Photo by Mal Anderson
310

inducing/seducing couples to dance (Bill Sharpe was such a

classy dancer he was awarded a bottle of champagne?), and
Danny Ganz taking a well-deserved bow for hosting a fun variety
floorshow.
Any of the near 700
players listed in the Program
(720 actually showed?) could
enter as many as 6 events, but,
if so, they were asked to list
their events in preferential order
in case Tournament Chair Dave
Cox, Tournament Director Dr.
Mitch Silbert, and LITTA V-P
Chris Schlotterhausen faced too
huge an entry, and had to cut
back on the original allotment
of events. Seeded players could
Nightclub act: Fuarnado
Robertss Fire Dance
enter A Doubles, but only with
a Junior and only if they
wouldnt have been seeded or placed in Open Doubles. There
Tournament Director
were separate Class A events for men and women, but Class
Dr. Mitch Silbert
B was open to either sex. (Though players wanted more
alphabetical classes down the line, there wouldnt be a Class C in the U.S. Open until 1974
when world-class Internationals began coming from abroad.) Age limits: as of July 1st. Each
player had to pay an umpires fee ($1 for each Singles event, $.50 for each Doubles event). If
you lost a match, you stayed at the table to umpire, else you forfeited your umpires fee to a
volunteer. All players received match-schedule cards for Singles play (showing playing times
and table numbers at least to the quarters), and, as these matches wouldnt be called over a
loudspeaker, if you didnt show up on time, youd be defaulted.
Ready?
The players are, and continue to be. But, as Fred Danner describes it (TTT, May-June,
1972, 28; 30), Operations Floor Managers will run into trouble Saturday when long 3-out-of-5
matches are playing havoc with the time schedules, thus causing an increasing number of
matches to be blocked outthough not from various players consciousness. Danner
dramatically describes the control system breaking down and table capacity gradually
plummeting to 30%. Ah, but with the acquiescence of Referee Cyril Lederman, a bailout
procedure will work, essentially by shortening, at least to the semis, a good many doubles
matches from the requisite 3-out-of-5 to 2-out-of-3 games. Sorry, but you can see what a big
difference this makes even in one event when you consider there are 84 pairs in Mens
Doubles, 118 pairs in A Doubles, and 138 pairs in B Doubles!
Alright, action!
Womens/Girls
Unhappily for the spectators (they paid $10 for an all-session ticket), there was
scarcely an interesting Womens match. In the eighths, Violetta Nesukaitis lost a game to
Shazzi Felstein, and Alice Green, down 12-20 in the 3rd to Olga Soltesz, came all the way back
311

Wendy wins U.S. Open

from Violetta
Photo by Mal Anderson

Photo by Bill Scheltema

Photo by Bill Scheltema

Wendy embraces supporter Bobby Gusikoff

to win it, and, as Kathy Scheltema said in her write-up, came off court with a flying leap into
her dads arms. Of course it wasnt that exciting because Green had been up 2-0. Still, since,
according to columnist Leonard Lyons in the N.Y. Post, filmmaker John Cassavetes wants a
Ping Pong scene in his new film and has cast Alice for it, maybe she was practicing being
wildly exuberant? But, after advancing over Olga, best Alice could do was show some slight
elation on winning just the one game from Wendy Hicks.
The Womens results show that in the last 15 matches, 13 of them were won 3-0 and
the other two 3-1. Patty Cash, who 10, 19, 15 convincingly stopped Defending Champ Connie
Sweeriss threat, could contest only the 2nd game against Wendy, and Angelita Rosal and Judy
Bochenski managed but an embarrassing 29 and 32 points, respectively, against Nesukaitis
(Angie trying quite futilely to get in the Expedite Rule).
Violetta had won this Womens Championship in 1966, 68, and, 70so it was her
turn to win again, was it? Wendy, though, had lost that killer deuce-in-the-5th final to Sweeris
last year and, and given another opportunity, was primed to seize the day. Wendy chopped,
then looped and topped, then smashed the right ones, said reporter Scheltema. Violetta of
course consistently chopped the ball back with her anti-topspin-on-one-side racket and
occasionally contributed a smash of her own. Many crowd-pleasing points resulted when
312

Wendy managed returns of these smashes, then executed a sudden counter and forced Violetta
back to defense.
It wasnt much of a match for the audience to remember, though, because Wendy, up
21-15, 21-16, and 20-16 in the 5th, gave us only one tingly momentwhen in that last game at
match point she missed a smash and Violetta got an edge. Whereupon, up 20-18, Wendy
opted for a ploy shed used beforeshe took a step from the table and undid her ponytail.
Hadnt Dell Sweeris during a strategy session at one of his clinics said, If you ever feel
yourself losing unnecessary points, go to your towel, wipe off the table, tie your shoeanything
that will give you a chance to collect your thoughts and prepare yourself to come out fighting
again. So Wendy retied her hair, served, Violetta chopped a returnand Wendy topped in an edge
ball. Oh, boy, smiles, kisses, a gigantic silver cupand $500 for winning the Championship!
Other Womens matches: Womens Doubles (20 pairs): Nesukaitis/Mariann Domonkos
17, 21 in the semis over Defending Champs Hicks/Sweeris, and 18 in the 4th in the final over
Cash/Bochenski. Mixed Doubles: Errol Caetano/Nesukaitis 19-in-the-4th over D-J Lee/Pat
Hildebrand whod ousted Defending Champs Dell and Connie Sweeris, 20, 19. In earlier
matches of note, Tim Boggan/Cash defeated Joong Gil Park/Bochenski, 18 in the 3rd, and
Fuarnado Roberts/Green defeated Glenn Cowan/Barbara Kaminsky, 19 in the 3rd. Womens
Consolation: Cindy Cooper over Peg Daly. Womens As: Shazzi Felstein over Elsie Spinning,
in 4, after winning a swing 23-21 game. Mixed A Doubles: Danny Seemiller/Sue Hildebrand
over Peter Stephens/Marguerite Burnett.

Womens Consolation
Winner Cindy Cooper

Womens A Winner
Shazzi Felstein

Most Promising Junior

Girl Diana Myers
Photo by Mal Anderson

Photo by Mal Anderson

Girls matches: U-17s (22 entries): Bochenski over Bev Hess

(whod rallied from 2-0 down to beat Spinning), then, in the final,
Zowie! Purple mini-dress
over Angie Rosal whom Scheltema said was zowing the guys with
and hot pants.
her purple minidress and hot pants. U-17 Girls Doubles: Cooper/
Photo by Mal Anderson
Spinning (in their only match) over Bochenski/Jean Varker. U-15:
Quebecs Domonkos over Diana Myers, deuce in the 4th. Girls U-13. Torontos Biruta Plucas
over Myers. (Two disappointing losses for Diana, but her 5-game win in the Womens over
Hildebrand helped her to receive the Most Promising Junior Award and $20.)
313

Juniors/Boys
Ready for Ron Shirleys account of the Juniors/Boys play? In the U-13s, Mike
Stern, already the U-11 winner over Phil Pinnell, knocked off Murray Kutler and Robert
Nochenson, then prevailed over top-seeded Timmy House in the final in 5.
Only one Canadian in the 37-year history of the U.S. Open Boys U-14/15 event,
Montreals Bernie Silicoff in 1949, had won the title. But Torontos 14-year-old Paul Klevinas,
after taking the key 3rd at deuce, downed Rick Rumble in 5 in the semis, then, winning rather
easily in 4, again denied #1 seed Mike Veillette, last years runner-up to John Quick, the
Championship.
In the U-17s, Quick lost early in 5 (dropping 2 of 3 deuce games) to Pittsburghs Bill
Zatek who then went down docilely in the quarters to the #1 seed, Californian Ray Guillen
(This tournament, Ray tells a Long Island reporter, will determine whether I will continue
to play. If I win, Ill be the U.S. Junior Champ. If youre #2 you cant go anywhere.) Both in
the sixteenths and the eighths, Ray had been mightily pressed. First, Montreals Jacques
Bobet drew 16-17 perilously close to him in the 5th, then Jeff Jarvela had him down 1-0 and at
deuce in the 2nd before the match turnedJeff putting a backhand into the net, then nervously
pushing one long. Rays wins brought him to Danny Seemiller who in the 1st started shakily:
served 3 times off the end and had considerable difficulty blocking Guillens loops. But then
the momentum shifted, Seemiller won the 2nd and 3rd games, and though Ray rallied in the 4th
from 1-7 down to 11-14, he then missed 3 straight serve returns and that was the end of
him.
Klevinas, looking to become the first
Canadian ever to win the U.S. Open Juniors,
had to work to reach the final. In the quarters
he was down 2-0 to Rumble before coming
back to win a 19-in-the-5th thriller; and in the
semis, he grittily 19, -18, 20, 13 got the better
of Veillette. Shirley writes that Paul always
appears to play a game of consistencyjust
waiting patiently for his opponent to miss. He
covers the table extremely well and rarely has a
ball hit through him. Unique, too, is his habit
of using the serve to just put the ball into
playnot to win pointsor so it seems.
However, one shouldnt get the idea
that Klevinas cant mix it up aggressively. In
his final with Seemiller, Paul was up 1-0 and at
19-all when the players exchanged 12 drives
each before Klevinas forced an error. Then,
after Danny looped one in to deuce it, the boys
Paul Klevinas (L), U.S. U-15, U-17 Champion
played what Ron called probably the longest
with U-17 Runner-up Danny Seemiller
topspin point of the U.S. Open. It took
Photo by Mal Anderson
Seemiller no less than 19 counter-drives to win
the point! Finally, Danny smashed one, Pauls lobbed return went long, and the match was
tied. But not for long. Danny wasnt in it in the 3rd, and, though he was up 10-6 in the 4th, he
suddenly couldnt buy a point, and, once having lost the leadnever was to regain it.
314

Scott Boggan, Under 13 Doubles Champ

Parent/Child Doubles Winners Lenny and Gary Adelman

Photo by Mal Anderson

Photo by Mal Anderson

Junior Mixed Doubles Winners, L-R: Judy Bochenski/Ray Guillen and

Runner-ups Mike Veillette/Bev Hess
Photo by Bill Scheltema

Rod Young, Junior

Results of other Juniors/Boys events: Boys U-17 Doubles:

Consolation Winner
Photo
by Mal Anderson
Guillen/Eric Thom over Andy Anvelt and Yu Jin Pak (who next
month, when the Chinese Ping-Pong Diplomacy Team arrived in
Montreal, would receive the Most Improved Junior Awardwith the presenter being
Chuang Tse-tung himself). U-17 Mixed Doubles: Guillen/Judy Bochenskiin the semis over
Quick/Elsie Spinning,-19, 19, 7, and in the final Veillette/Bev Hess (after being down 2-1 and
winning the 4th and 5th games at 19). Boys U-15 Doubles: Veillette/Rumble over Maurice
Hunter/Jeff Jarvela. Boys U-13 Doubles: House/Scott Boggan over Stern/Nochenson. Junior
Consolation: Rod Young over Jacques Bobet. Parent-Child Doubles (50 pairs): Lenny/Gary
Adelman over Tim/Scott Boggan.
As/Wheelchair/Other Events
Ill of course get to the Mens matches, but, first, the as yet unreported on other events,
particularly the Mens As and the Wheelchair play (TTT, May-June, 1972, 3). Vic Landau, who did
the A coverage, notes that, with over 200 players, it had to be the strongest U.S. A tournament
315

ever contested. And, surprise, an unknown to most,

Zoltan Pataky, a recent emigrant to Vancouver, Canada,
won it. Although unseeded and unplaced, and, from
what the Topics editor tells me, unphotographed, he
proved to be the class of the fieldwhich is not, after all,
that surprising when you find out hed been on the
Hungarian Junior Team, along with Jonyer and Klampar.
In the top half of the Draw, #1 seed Dave Philip
lost in the quarters in 4 to Vic Landau whod won the
key opening games 25-23 and 23-21. Vic then went on to
Pataky, split the first two uncontested games with him,
then moved into the mid-game 3rd:

Vic Landau
Photo by
Steve Kazak

Landau had adjusted pretty well to Patakys Klampar-like (sidespin loop)

style. And now there were many long counter-drive rallies, interspersed with various
loop drives and long lob returns.
The third game was dead-even at 15-all when Landau using his loop to its full
potential, forced Pataky back to the barrier. At which point the New Yorker killed one
after another. But Pataky, diving from left to right, made several sensational lob returns
and Landau blew the point.
It would seem that after the next point was a carbon
copy of the previous one, and Pataky then ran the game to 2015, Landau was lost. But he rallied to 20-19before Zoltan
whirled in one of his super loops. In the 4th, after playing dead
even up through the middle game, Pataky finished with a series
of great retrieves and won the day.
In the bottom half of the Draw, Bill Lesner defeated Alan
Bell 14, -16, 19, -26, 12, while ex-Estonian Lem Kuusk came back
from two games down to eliminate Montreals Rod Young. Lesner
Lem Kuusk
then stopped Kuusk, 17, 18, -24, 21. Meanwhile, Danny Seemiller,
Photo by Mal Anderson
whod been down 2-1 to Marcy Monasterial, advanced past Howie
Grossman to win a bruising semis 17, -19, -15, 23, 16 from Lesner. For a time the big looper and
hitter crashed through Seemillers steady block and push game, but then he began to rush and
overhit his shots.
In the final, Pataky
20, 16, 19 twice put down
Seemillers challenge and
so, in all, hell go back to
B.C. a worthy winner.
However, no doubt we in
the States will see him
again, and, as Vic says,
next time, at least well
have some kind of picture
Zoltan Pataky (L) enroute to winning the As from Danny Seemiller
of him.
Photo by Mal Anderson
316

As many of the 23 Wheelchair players entered were also unknown, Dave Levy in his
Topics write-up did his best to acquaint us with them and what class they usually competed in:
Class III is the least disabled category, Class II mid range (typical post polio), Class I is high
paraplegia with no abdominal muscles; Class IA and IB are quadriplegic athletes (muscle
weakness in arms and legs). However, aside from a Quadriplegic Singles, and a Class A (for
unseeded players), there were no restrictions on who played in Open Mens and Womens
Singles and Doubles.
Results of the round robin Wheelchair Womens Open: 1. Ruth Broemmer (Manhassat,
Long Island). 2. Barbara Velardi (Norristown, PA). 3. Marian Desmond (Rocky Hill, CT). 4.
Roberta Waites (Kew Gardens, NY).
In the
Wheelchair
Mens Open, on
one side of the
Draw, Mike
Dempsey, III,
easily reached
the finals. He
beat Rolling
Roumanian
Stef Florescu,
then
Pennsylvanias
4th seed Jim
Petit (II) whod U.S. Open Wheelchair Champion
U.S. Open Wheelchair Class A Winner
had to go 5 to
Mike Dempsey
Sam Fletcher
get by Miami
Photo by Mal Anderson
Photo by Bill Marlens
attorney Sam
Fletcher. Sam, its said, practices at times with Peter Pradit and manages, since apparently
Peter doesnt play in a chair himself, to get a few points every game. Hence, earlier, he was
able to displace that swimmer, philosopher, master watchmaker of the Bronx, Dave Vincent.
On the other side of the Draw, John Gray (I) advanced to the final with successive winsover
Mike LoRusso; then Irvington, NYs tough Ty Kaus (17, -21, 19, 21) who was a quad until
someone found a couple of extra muscles; and then finally mod stockbroker Bill Reis. Gray,
as wed seen before, had been Dempseys mentorbut now the pupil had so progressed that
everything John hit at Mike came back harder. The lessons, the Stiga robot in Mikes house,
and the great reflexes intensified by hours of practice resulted in a three-game sweep.
In the Wheelchair Class A (15 entries), top seed Kaus, whos written many
[advertising] articles and has an upcoming book on copywriting, was upset by Fletcher. Sam
then went on to win the eventover Bernard Bart McNichol (IB), Bronx playboy and
computer programmer, and in the final over his fellow natty dresser Reis. In the round
robin Quadriplegics, McNichol, whos competed for the U.S. W/C team all over the world,
came first; Florescu, second. Stef was abetted by his trainer, wife Caroline, often ready to do
battle herselfthough not on a Hofstra court, where she was said to have had unprintable
results, but in a courtroom, as a criminal lawyer. Doubles went to Dempsey/Gray over Serge
Jelenevsky (III), and Kaus.
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Results in other U.S. Open events: Class B (275 entries): Richard McAfee over Gary
Adelman whod stopped Joe Rokop, after Joes deuce in the 5th win over Pete Nasvytis.
Veterans (2 entries): Abe Rudick over Paul Jackson. Senior Esquires (8 entries): Laszlo
Bellak over Sandor Glancz. Esquires (58 entries): Max Marinko overlook whos back,
Chuck Burns, who survived Bellak in 5 (but in the Seniors lost deuce in the 5th to Frank
Dwelly). Seniors: Derek Wall over Tim Boggan. Senior Consolation: Bill Meszaros over Al
Wasserman. Senior As: George Rocker over Al Nochenson. A Doubles: Errol Resek/Jeff
Zakarin over Howie Grossman/Mark Radom. B Doubles: Dan Green/John McGraw (after
falling behind 2-0) over Marty Theil/Doon Wong. Senior Doubles: Bernie Bukiet/Meszaros
over Dwelly/Benny Hull. Senior A Doubles: Nat Stokes/Al Nochenson over Tibor Back/Rich
Puls in 5.
Since there were so many events in this tournament, it would have been best, as Manny
Moskowitz pointed out in Topics, to have given the winners and runner-ups their awards
immediately after theyd played their final. As it was, how many people, not just the spectators
but the winning players too, wanted to sit through, would sit through, a lengthy Awards
Ceremony? (Oh, alright, Kao Liang leading a U.N. Delegation of Chinese would? To get an
idea of what the upcoming U.S.-China Matches might be like?)
Mens
There, as N.Y. Times reporter Gerald Eskenazi tells us, was D-J Lee manning his
equipment booth and handing out flyers advertising not his presence here at this Open but his
availability to go elsewhere. Lee will pack these tricks, skills the brochure began. Among
his tricks, for a $300 appearance fee, are: Between-the-leg shots, playing with a scrub
brush, and forehead returns. As a necessary distraction, D-J did win his 5th consecutive U.S.
Open Mens Championship and the $1,000 1st Prize by defeating 13th seed Jack Howard ($500) in
the final. Lee lost only one game en routeto fellow Ohioan John Tannehill in the semis.
Howards sustained play proved something of a surprise considering hed been
devoting much of his considerable energy to the USTTA Rating System; to running for the
USTTA E.C.; and to his role as U.S. Team Captain during the forthcoming reciprocal PingPong Diplomacy Tour of the U.S. by the Chinese. Moreover, as he was in the process of
moving from Seattle back to Los Angeles, he hadnt been practicing much. Yet get to the final
he did, and here, often in his own words, is how he did it.
Against former U.S. Junior Champ Mitch Sealtiel in the 16ths (4 games): We were
both nervous. In the first game, I tried to force and made too many errors. In all following
games I pushed quite a bit to his backhand. This nullified his good backhand block shot against
my loop and gave me time to get in position for the offense. My backhand started going in.
Against Ghanas Sam Hammond in the 8ths (4 Games): Both of us were
uncomfortable with the others spin. For a while I had trouble with some of his soft returns
and couldnt hit his spin balls. My handling of service and 3rd ball attack was slightly better
than his, though (he was weak on short serves), and this made the difference. My attack was
better than it had been against Sealtiel and my confidence was building.
Hammond, I need add, had upset Dell Sweeris in the 16ths in 5. He won the big 3rd
game at deuce, largely because Dell couldnt handle Sams backhand loop, would block it off
the table. Someone said that Sam and Dell, by European standards, play too far back from the
table. To do that, they need to spin out long, curving topspin shots like Jonyer and Klampar.
Dell should have moved in, have tried to get Sam running by angling the ball.
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Against 4-time U.S. Champ Erwin Klein in the quarters (5 games), Jack said:
I had a shaky first game [won it 27-25], but I could feel myself getting hot and
coming on. Gradually the match took on a dream-like quality as all my inhibitions
about hitting in winners were forgotten. I dont mean I took blind, exhilarating swipes,
but planned, measured bazooka shots. My backhand was absolutely unbelievable. I was
able to hit winners off serves, pushes, counter-drives, loops, and even Erwins kill
shots with astonishing ease. In spite of my spectacular play, though, the match went 5
games since Erwin was playing exceptionally well. I won the 5th game leading all the
way. I consider this to be the best match I have ever played.
Klein had beaten Bernie Bukiet very easily in the 8thsthough hed gotten off to a bad
start. Hed been spinning the ball hard to Bernies backhand until, down 17-12, he wised up.
Erwins strength is that hes never had an inflexible, regimented game. Further, as one
psychology professor and table tennis buff put it in Topics, I know of only one American
player who has continued to learn about the game, and also use it in his own gameand
thats Klein. Consequently, Erwins always open to the Sports changing technology, and is
able to strategically adapt to any opponents game. Now he begins spinning hard into Bernies
forehand and lobbing to his backhand. And, poor Bukiet, he can only absorb the pace, cant
put any zip into his backhand. He loses 9 straightand the first 6 of the 2nd game. Thats 15
points in a row! I play Li Fu-jung in the Worlds and he never do this to me, says Bernie.
Actually, Bukiet almost didnt get to play Klein. At one point he was defaulted form
the tournament for preferring to watch the Pradit-Reisman match (on which he had a bet?)
rather than start play against young, agreeable-to-wait Tim OGrosky. He wasnt aware, as
play was coming to a close for the evening, that Tournament Director Dave Cox had issued an
either/or ultimatumplay or be defaulted. Even after a friendly drink or two, Dave wouldnt
budge, just reiterated his closed-door position. It took an act of the USTTA Executive
Committee to break it down.
But if Bernie had a bad feeling about losing to his old Doubles partner Klein (theyd
won the U.S. Open in 63, 64, and 65; were runner-ups in 66), with his new Doubles
partner, Sweeris, he was still managing to do all right (they were runner-ups in 70 and 71).
Indeed, he and Dell got by the formidable Canadians, Peter Gonda and Errol Caetano (upset
3-0 in the Singles by Rory Brassington), and so advanced to the semis. There they found
themselves going into the 5th with Resek/Chui whod stopped Howard/Boggan after Jack and
Tim had eliminated Tannehill/Cowan. During the 1st point of that game, Errol looped a ball that
dropped crazily and almost died. Sweeris, annoyed at this, threw his racket at the netor
under itand it caromed off and got Errol right in the groin. Whichyou can imagine
brought Errols wife Jairie out to the table in a big hurry. No, Errol and Lim Ming didnt win
this semis match. And, no, Dell and Bernie didnt upset Defending Champions Lee and Peter
Pradit in the final.
Howard, meanwhile, had reached the Mens semis to advance over Pradit (4 games).
Jack says that Bong-Mo Lee, whom many players feel is the best U.S. Coach, gave him advice
as to where to serve, what type of service spin to use, where to chop, where to loop, and it all
worked out marvelously well! I felt in control of the match all the way, even after losing a
game. For Jack, the basic pattern was this: Id chop the first ball to his forehand! Then
smash a high or slow roll. If he tried to force, Id use deceptionthat is, Id vary my chops
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and topspins. On my serve Id play the 3rd ball attack against a weak return; otherwise Id go
back to the pattern above. My backhand was still excellent, my forehand O.K.
Pradit, the #2 seed, had a succession of exciting matches on his way to Howard
against Reisman, Shiroky, and Chui.
Reisman comes on with all his special magic. Hes wearing a sort of fairytale blue cap
(literally, a Kangol English peak-cap), and its hard to tell whether, grown up as he is, he looks
slightly ridiculous or not. Doug Cartland tells me Marty hasnt practiced at all, not for this
tournament, not seriously for yearsand that he hasnt even lifted a racket once in the last
week. Reisman, I think, is like one of those actors on the TV show Story Theaterno, not
one of the actors, one of the storybook people the actors become. He walks out on stage and
though you know its Reisman you wonder where he came from or what hes going to do. And
somehow, right away, you begin to believe in him. And hope. Yes, the cap is a magic capyou
feel it gives him strength, luck.
Of course since Pradit is thought by many to be the #2 player in the country, Marty,
despite all his charisma, is still the underdog. This is implicit in the $170 to $100 odds being
offered and taken by Marer, never mindsomeone. All other bets downquietly? Reisman
stops chatting with the audience, stops smiling and tapping the ball on his racketand before
you can say Rumplestiltskin he and his magic cap are up 7-1. Only to lose the game.
In the 2nd, Reisman is staying up close and with that marvelous rubber-racket control is
half-blocking, half-chopping the ball dead, making Pradit get his own spin back and moving
him around the table. But, talk jauntily to the audience in between points as Martys been
doing, he cant hit his forehand very well, cant have confidence in that. In some ways, its as if
hes playing on instinct. Still, its soon obvious that Pradit is no longer the odds-on favorite
that he wasis maybe not the favorite at all. Reisman, with his little touch shots dropping
here, there, and everywhere, is up 2-1 and 16-14 in the 4th. Only he cant win this game, close
out the match.
And suddenly he might as well take off the cap. Its lost its
magic.After his 5-game loss, the crowds a buzz with what
perhaps Marty all along has been gambling on. How, with so little
practice, and with such apparent casualness, can he play so well?
What must he have been like almost a quarter of a century ago?
What could he still be like?
Of course Reisman wants to play an exhibition match or
two when the Chinese come for their reciprocal tour of the U.S. in
a few weeks, but, as he hasnt competed enough, he hasnt earned
that honor. Faced with the Associations refusal to consider him,
Marty tells Andy Soltis of the N. Y. Post (Apr. 4, 1972, 34), They
dont want people like me who attract a lot of attention. They
want quiet boys wholl do what they want.
Pradit, if you can believe it, has never heard of Reisman.
You mean, I asked him after hed finished his match with Marty,
you didnt know Reisman had won the English Open, had gotten
to the semis of the Worlds?
No, says Pradit.
Peter Pradit: never, ever
Would it have made any difference if you knew? I asked him.
scared of an opponent
No, says Pradit. If youre scared, you cant play.
Photo by Mal Anderson
320

Cant you ever remember a time when you were scared?

No, says Pradit. I never remember one time.
Peters next opponent is Alex Shiroky. But though Bong-Mo has told Alex to keep his
body straight, to serve short topspin serves to Pradit, to keep pushing with him until he can
counter to his forehand, its all to no avail.
Too bad Alex has to run into Pradit whos faster than he is, says one observerhe
could have made it to the semis. Miles, however, thinks differently. Alex is too wild. He
jumps up and down too muchthinks more about disturbing his opponent than he does about
winning the point.
Against Chui,
whod eliminated Peter
Gonda in a 5-gamer,
Pradit was lucky to win.
Peters wearing a family
Buddhist ring (its
traditionally given to the
older brother but,
because Peter was
leaving Thailand and
going to be traveling a
lot, his father gave it to
him). The ring promises
good luck. Yeah? In the
Peter Pradit wins a close one from Lim Ming Chui
5th, Peter is up 17-15,
Photo by Mal Anderson
down 19-17. Yeah,
because Chui, trying to finish him off, rushes, rushes, and cant stop. Down 20-19, Ming takes
a wild backhand swing and its all over.
On the other side of the Draw, in the top half, theres a fight to the death between
Brathwaite and Roberts whos also wearing a ringon his thumb. Before play begins, George
says, There are four Roberts in the Program, and none can beat me. Sure enough, The Chief
wins the first two and is up 16-13 on the Roberts in the purple beret. And then, by chance,
Robbies pen falls from his pocket in mid-point onto the table. The umpire calls a let, but
George feels he should be awarded the point. The pen is an extension of Robbies person, isnt
it? And Robbie shouldnt be touching, not to say bouncing or rolling on the table, right?
Referee Cyril Lederman is called in. And after maybe 10 minutes he still cant find any way for
Brathwaite to win the point. After this break, George makes repeated errors and Roberts is
still alive.
In the first two games, says Robbie later, I wasnt moving, was sleeping. I didnt
sleep much last night. I forgot my things for the party (Robbie did a spectacular fire dance)
and had to go back to the City for them. In the 4th, at 18-all, as Roberts is about to serve, the
Expedite Rule comes in. Brathwaite is given the serve. Whats this? He doesnt want it? But
the Rule specifically states that if the allotted time runs out between points (as opposed to
during a rally) then the opposition must serve. George, serving two of the next three points,
cant win any of them.
In the 5th, George tells me later, he gets Robbie to bring the ball back high, but it
doesnt bounce up from the table as he thought it would. Robbies take was that when he
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realized George couldnt hit heavy spin it was alright to give him a high ball: He couldnt hit
through me.
The only way to beat Lee is with a soft game, says Roberts, and begins his quarters
match with D-J by using his green bat with its modified anti-topspinthen switches to his
faster black one. But either way he just cant make points.
In the other quarter of this top half, Tannehill is the player to followthough for a
week before this Open, he hadnt played. He was disappointed at his bad showing in Chicago
(I presume at the Mar. 11-12th unreported Pro Nationals), where hed lost to U.S. Junior
Champ Bill Lesner. Here, though, John killed Bill; instead of playing passively he turned
around and hit his forehand.
Then, no problem, he knocked off #3 seed Resek, 3-0. Someone was telling mea
friend of Johns, I thinkthat Errol gets freaked out with Johns exercises. From arm swings
to squat thruststhey get Errol stoned up, totally paralyzed. Also, says my informant, it freaks
Errol out that Bong-Mo is coaching Johnapparently with sound advice. Resek doesnt like a
player like Tannehill who stands at the table and is fast. He doesnt want to be forced. This
throws his timing off and he cant get around to stroke the ball on his forehand. Also, hes
bothered by Johns service motions and some of his servesparticularly a long sidespin one to
the forehand, which time and again Errol returns off.
If Tannehill is to get to Lee he must beat the other Korean, Joong Gil Park. Just before
the match, USTTA International Chair Rufford Harrison announces the selection of the
American Team to play the Chinese on their two-week visit here. Good timing, huh? The news
ought to psych Tannehill up for Park. ButJohn, surprisingly, is not among those chosen
hes not complied with certain red tape regulations. Selection Chair John Read reported that
Tannehill did not reply to two letters and one phone call. How then could he follow the
subtle shades of Chinese-American protocol? Why, as someone put it, hes liable to hijack
the Chinese plane, try to take it to Taiwan. Miles called Tannehill the most abused man in
United States table tennis; but, as readers of Vol. V have seen, John at this stage in his life is
more unpredictable kid than mature man. Those heading the Association dont like me, says
Johnbut self-awareness is not his strong point.
In the 1st, John, up 20-17, wins at deuce. In the 2nd, Park, up 20-16, wins at deuce.
Park, its pointed out, plays better than D-J when back from the table, but hes not as good on
the first volley. A telling difference in the two Koreans has to do with service. D-J often serves
short, often quickly ends the point. Whereas, against Tannehill, Park keeps serving longa
mistake. Tannehill leads 2-1 in games.
During the break, D-J coaches Park; and Bong-Mo coaches Tannehill. John says that
Bong-Mo is the greatest coach in the world. Christer Johansson (Kjells brother), the Swedish
Coach, and Ogimura may know more, but Bong makes you feel you cant lose. He offers you
not so much technical as emotional strength. Hes good strategically, though. So, if your
strokes are right, youll play fantastic. In the 4th, John wins the first 5 points off his serve
and after that is never in trouble.
Against D-J in the semis, John goes out over-confident. After his showing against
Park, he really feels he cant loseis ready to blast balls with the intent of playing the
best match of his life. And in the very beginning it looks, with that 3rd-ball attack of his, as
if hes in control.But then: John ought to force D-J into that backhand corner, says
one observerhes weak over there.D-J wins the 1st handily. He serves short and
loops to Johns middle.
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In the 2nd, John is

ahead 15-11. At 15-13,
according to John, D-J
picks up the ball and
throws it into his racket,
gives John a super chop
serve. Then looks at him:
as if questioning, Arent
you going to say
something? Then he
starts with the same
serve again. This time
umpire Bill Scheltema
warns him.Lee goes
for his towel. Starts
with the same serve
again.Goes for his
towel.John loses this
game at deuce. And
since he wins the 3rd, but
not the 4th, that 2nd game
made a big difference.
Larry Sherman
of the Long Island Press
(Mar. 20, 1972) has this
to say of the Lee/
Tannehill controversy:
Tannehill loses
big second game says D-J cheated

Tannehill was
livid after his defeat and
Photos by Mal Anderson
charged D-J with
cheating on his serve.
Tannheill claimed that Lee was hitting the ball on the
way up rather than the legal procedure of waiting for
it to come down.
The referee was blind, Tannehill claimed. I
dont blame him. He was busy keeping score. Id put
up my hands until Lee stopped it, then hed start
again. Lee will do anything to win. If he doesnt win,
he doesnt eat. Once he loses hes out of the money.
Lee laughed off the charge of serving illegally.
Some people when they lose will say anything, D-J
declared. This service is nothing compared to what
they do in the world championships. And the
Chinesethey are so fast. How are you going to
complain? he asked.
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Scheltema with his background in the Game, Id expect not to be intimidated by D-J.
However, it would come as no surprise to someone in the know that, as Bob Barns remarks in
Topics, so many players at this tournament, including top players, werent serving legally.
Perhaps out of ignorance, or because, though they knew better, they felt, umpire or no umpire,
they could just serve any way they wanted to. Manny Moskowitz, who was in charge of
getting volunteer umpires, offered (TTT, May-June, 1972, 6) one of the few criticisms heard
about this tournament:
many volunteers were non-players and young juniors who were more
interested in collecting the $1.00 umpiring fee, and who lacked interest in a match as
well as a knowledge of the playing rules, as evidenced by the number of incidents
where players complained and requested changes of umpires. Also evidenced were
incidents where individuals (anxious for the $1.00 fee) would go out on the floor and
occupy a vacant umpires chair and wait for the next match to begin, thereby depriving
someone [presumably on Mannys wait-for-your-turn volunteer list] of his right to
umpire. The large number of tables and huge playing area made this difficult to
control.
So here we are then, in the final, with Lee and Howard (whos playfully asked Bong-Mo,
D-Js cousin, to coach him, and of course was good-naturedly refused). After gambling wildly,
losing in just 23 minutes in straight games (I didnt think like a winner, so I didnt win.).

Poor Jack, he looks like hes there to carry D-Js trophy

Photo by Bill Scheltema

Jack, dejected, comments on his play:

Under the pressure of Lees 3rd-ball attack, my confidence and timing start to
wane. I cannot solve the short service to the forehand. And what seems to me to be
short or low returns are hard looped by D-J at all angles. More than the fact of losing
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(18, 9, 14), I am sick about the poor quality of play being presented to 4,000
spectators.On paper Ive had a great tournament, but the lackluster quality of the
final ruins it for me. After the match, Gusikoff, Klein, and Cowan try to offer me some
consolation. I dont want to hear it! I say, and storm off to reflect in dreary self-pity.
The Press insists on talking to me. I can only mutter dejectedly, Too good,
hes just too good for me. Ironic, isnt it? I fight my way to the final of the Nationals
and yet at that instant when I should feel super high I feel as low as Ive ever felt in
what I consider a happy and rewarding table tennis career.
A boy shyly comes over to me. Embarrassingly, I cant think of his name,
though Ive seen him play many times. He asks me to autograph a ball. I think, feel, as
I look at this boy and take pen in hand to sign, Have I really made a name for myself
in table tennis?

325

L-R: Governor General and Mrs. Michener, Ambassador Yao Kuang,

CTTA President Art Barran, and Chuang Tse-tung
From CTTA News, July, 1972, cover

Chapter Twenty-Four
1972: Chinas Ping-Pong Diplomacy Team Visits Canada. 1972: A Departing Look
Into Graham Steenhovens Life. 1972: English Open. 1972: European Championships.
Since I devoted a great deal of Vol. V to the Chinese Teams two-week reciprocal visit
to the U.S., beginning with their April 12th arrival in Detroit a few weeks after the U.S. Open,
Ill not repeat myself here, but just add a few extra touches. As reporter Steve Cady tells us in
articles in the N.Y. Times and the Canadian TTA News (June, 1972, 12), the 28 Chinese (15
players, 13 others) had come to Detroit from playing a series of Matches in various Canadian
cities (Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver), beginning in Ottawa at the Opera House located in
the $48-million National Arts Centre. The U.N. Chinese delegation who in March had
attended the Long Island U.S. Open, mindful of the imminent arrival of their Ping-Pong
Diplomacy Team, had, with the cooperation of the LITTA organizing Committee, deliberately
kept a low profiledeclining to have the Chinese anthem played in their honor, and as quickly
as possible terminating an informal news conference. The scene in Ottawa was a bit different.
The night before the Touring Chinese were to put on their performance, the Opera House did
a little upstaging, for one could go there and enjoy Ping, Pang, and Pong, characters in
Puccinis melodic but gory [opera] Turandot, set in ancient Peking.
As expected, the Canada vs. China pre-Match ceremonies were ritualistic with a great
deal of decorum and dignity. There were speeches in English and Chinese, exchanges of gifts
326

among the players, presentations of roses and playing of the Chinese and Canadian anthems.
Amid the red seats, red carpets and gold lights, the friendship competition at the single
playing table in the center of the huge stage started off just right when the Canadian #1 Derek
Wall was allowed to win for O Canada, edging out Liang Ko-liang, 24-22, 21-19. Getting the
most applause (since Walls was the only match won by Canada) was 3-time World Champion
and V-P of the Chinese TTA, Chuang Tse-tungintroduced to the hockey-minded Canadians
as the Bobby Hull of Chinawho defeated his usual exhibition partner Chang Hsieh-lin in
usual 22-20 fashion.
Fanfare there was then, with Canadian TTA President Art Barron accompanying the
Chinese, while appropriate Royal Box respect was shown Canadas Governor General, Roland
Michener, his wife, and Chinese Ambassador Yao Kuang. As for the fans, those who were
there were enthusiastic, but there werent enough of them
Unfortunately, Canadas 297,000-citizen capital didnt snap up the $1, $2,
and $3 tickets as hungrily as might have been expected. The crowd totaled about
1,400, slightly less than two-thirds of the houses 2,240 capacity.
Lack of promotion hurt the production. It didnt get a single line in the local
papers yesterday, and the papers didnt publish today in observance of Good
Friday.
Of course President Barrons earlier Message to the Membership (CTTA News, Oct.,
1971, 3) had been as upbeat as in general he could make it:
We now have the golden opportunity to accelerate the progress of table
tennis in Canada.We are planning a program of progress and development.To
succeed will require co-operation, clear thinking and hard work. Much of the work
must come from individual members who should not be overloaded lest they become
disheartened. Their duties must be made as attractive and rewarding as possible.
Please, my fellow volunteers, realize that without your help, our enterprise will falter,
whereas with your help we can all enjoy the environment created by success.I am
confident.
He doesnt sound so confident. But at least hes offering as much respectful reciprocity
to the Chinese as he can. As in the U.S., so in Canada, the Chinese would be taken to places of
interest and wined and dined (see June, 1972 CTTA News articles put together by Editor Jose
Tomkins). In Ottawa theyd see the Parliament Buildings, and, along with the Canadians,
enjoy a glittering reception in the ballroom of the Skyline Hotel. In Montreal, theyd visit the
Chateauguay Club for the finals of the First National Junior Championships. At Montreals
Loyola College, the Chinese drew 1600 spectators while another 300 watched the matches on
closed circuit TV. Adham Sharara and Liang Ke-liang amused the crowd with their play, and
Chuang accepted a hockey stick with the same smiling aplomb Id see him one day autograph
an orange. At Niagara Falls, Chuang, interviewed, said, no, he wasnt idolized by young
people in China; said, Im just a very ordinary man, no different from anyone else. Oh,
surejust plain ordinary.*
Back in Sept.-Oct., 1971, two Chinese coaches, 28-year-old Ms. Lin Hsi-Meng,
reportedly Chinese National Womans Doubles Champion, and 37-year-old Chuang Chia-Fu of
327

the All China Sports Federation, accompanied by

interpreter Wang Chia-tung (whod interacted with the
American Ping-Pong Diplomacy Team that spring)
had given clinics in various parts of Canada. Theyd
also been invited to non-table tennis sites, one of
which had been Gravenhurst.
Now in 1972, at Gravenhurst, 115 miles north
of Toronto, the Chinese Team visited the birthplace of
Dr. Norman Bethune who died in Chinas Hopei
province in 1939 while serving as surgeon to Chairman
Mao Tse-tungs Eighth Route Army. Bethune set up
scores of hospitals, organized dozens of mobile
medical teams and trained hundreds of doctors for
Maos armies. At Gravenhurst, the Chinese uncrated
a most intricate and beautifully embroidered portrait
Portrait of Dr. Norman Bethune,
of Dr. Bethune and presented it as a gift in the hope
surgeon to Mao Tse-tung
that the Bethune home might become an historical site.
From CTTA News, July, 1972, 19
Next day, the University of Torontos Varsity Arena
resounded with cheers from the more than 4,000 spectators who turned out for the Tour
matches that the Chinese split 3-3.
Another audience of 4,000, Chandra Madosingh tells us, awaited the Chinese at the
Vancouver Agrodome. Off court there was the de rigueur sightseeingthe famed Aquarium
(595 different species, including the she-killer whale Skana who eats 120 pounds of fish per
day), and the scary swinging Capilan Canyon Bridgewhich almost 30 years later my wife
would risk being on, only to be joined unexpectedly by teenagers who enjoyed the fun of
fearlessly jumping up and down on it, just like Chinese Team members Ho Tsu-pin and Hu
Wei-hsin were doing now. Thenwho could doubt the Chinese were in safe hands?up they
went on the aerial tramway skyride to the top of Grouse Mountain. Then down to a safe,
closing Banquet with an appreciative speech by William Yee representing the local Chinese
community.
Back in Ottawa, there were a few exhibitions to give and more sights to seethe
Central Experimental Farm, the Canadian International Paper Companyuntil the U.S.s
Graham Steenhoven arrived to take the Chinese on their Ping-Pong Diplomacy way to the
States.
Insight Into Graham Steenhoven
Steenhoven, of course, as the Leader of the U.S. Team,
received plenty of Free Press attention. Here, for example, are
excerpts from Detroits Maryanne Conheims Apr. 2, 1972 interview
with Graham, a Chrysler employee for almost 44 years, who tells her
he has a sense of whats right:
Steenhoven shunned the limelight for months,
because the whole thing [the negotiating for the Chinese to
come to the U.S.] was so delicate to me. I was afraid I would
jeopardize what was priceless.
328

Graham Steenhoven
Photo by Mal Anderson

He even flew to Washington to see President Nixon under an assumed name

that of his brother-in-law, James Crabb, in order to safeguard the exchange.
But people got to him.
Calls come to Steenhoven even at midnight and when he says hes sorry, that he
cant arrange a game with the Chinese, the callers sometimes scream: Whos really in
charge of this tour anyway?
Steenhoven is, but he sometimes tells the more persistent that he is not at
liberty to tell them whos in charge, because I dont want that person exposed to your
abuse.
[He tells Ms. Conheim]Ill fight for whats right. And if you ever get me into
a fight, I wont go by Marquis of Queensberry rules.
[He doesnt worry] about the Chinese seeing dirt or crime in the streets. It
doesnt embarrass me because thats America.Maybe itll help us clean it up.
Host extraordinaire Steenhoven doesnt intend to show off Americas fancy
cars, clothes and possessions: I wouldnt show what would make their own situations
seem less.
Id like them to see more of the intangibles, like baseball, people enjoying
themselves in the park. I want them to know that America isnt much different from
China in terms of the people.
As Steenhovens long service to the USTTA is coming to an end, he gives details of his
life that most members of the Association have no awareness of:
Steenhoven emigrated with his family from England to the United States
when he was 13 years old. His boyhood idols were Queen Victoria a super human
individual and the Duke of Windsor. I really admired the Duke, but when he left the
throne, he lost me.
Steenhovens father was a steel foundry superintendent in England. I dont
know why he left, Steenhoven said.He was absolutely middle-class England. He
had a car in 1924, when nobody had a car.
Steenhoven dropped out of high school in the 10th grade to care for his ailing
mother and newborn sister. I guess I didnt like school because I was a stranger in this
country, he said. He got a job with Briggs Manufacturing Co. in 1928, as a $50 a
month clerk in the employment office. Chrysler acquired Briggs in 1954.
During the Depression, Steenhoven [who, like other employees got laid off
a lot] shoveled snow, washed windows, cleaned fur coats, and moved around a lot.
His parents became apartment caretakers for free rent. To Steenhovens father, then a
tool and die maker at Briggs, the Depression was definitely a blow. But my father
never cried. He was a tough old bird.
[Steenhoven took many public speaking courses] at Southeastern night
school, the YMCA, Briggs and Chrysler.[Also, he said] I was involved in softball,
bowling, boxing, everything, [for he] managed many of the teams.
Steenhovens old school loyalty is awesome: My underwear has the Chrysler
pentastar on it.
[Graham and his wife Dolores] met in [their Presbyterian] church. He was 19
and she was 17. I absolutely chased her, he said.He proudly recalls that we saved
329

up our first money and spent it all on a mink coat for Dolores, when we were living in
an upper flat, before we even had a car. [Graham and his wife have no children.]
Were completely middle class, he confesses happily, admitting also that he
and Dolores once had a fight. She stopped him cold with the line, Who gives a damn
about you besides me?
Not Glenn Cowannot from the disinterest he showed Graham in China, and the sad
state he was in when the Chinese came to the U.S. But Glenn did hurriedly get out a table
tennis bookwhich of course caught the attention of Topics reviewer Don Gunn. This 80page How To Play book, published by Grosset and Dunlap, has left-handed Glenn illustrating
each point twice, once for the righthanded player, and once for the southpaw. That is, the
photos are flopped, then reprinted in mirror fashion. Gunn is also impressed that this
softbound book, measuring 8 and by 10 and , is on sale for $2.95 at large magazine
racks around the country.
Gunn notes that in Johnny Leachs hardbound Table Tennis for the Seventies (A.S.
Barnes, $6.95) Cowan and Tannehill are taking the brunt of the whirlwind hitting of the
Japanese champions in doubles action. In the two photos shown (from Doubles play at the
Munich Worlds), Hasegawa makes both the kills against the USA pair. But, in the bottom
photo, Glenn and John are no longer visible, for theyve morphed into Nigerias Waidi
Dawodu/Philip Santos. But, hey, who can write a book without an error? And, considering all
the illustrative photos of world-class players, Gunn concludes, Ill write something Ive never
written before about a table tennis bookBUY IT.
Or, sorry, DONT, he saysfor, on reviewing Leachs softbound Table Tennis Made
Easy (Wilshire Book Co., $2), he finds theyre one and the same book! For just a change in
the title and the soft cover, why pay $6.95 when you can get the same book for only $2.
Gunn also reviews Si Wassermans updated Table Tennis, an Athletic Institute Series
book put out a decade ago for young players, and quite correctly cites a major flaw. Poor Si.
Its obvious he had nothing to do with the absurd captions given the action photos of the
Chinese players. As my intention is to sympathize not embarrass, Ill cite only one example.
The photo shows Chuang Tse-tung following through on a forehand hit. The caption reads,
Preparing for a backhand drive, this player has his right side toward the table, his arm ready
to swing forward to strike the ball. Some update. Better you see Dean Johnsons Photo
Sequence of Chuang and read Teh Kaos article (Id summarized in Vol. IV) on the 3-time
World Champion (TTT, July-Aug., 1972, 5).
And while Im on the subject of photos, I must say that Boggan as Editor is not as
careful as he should be about giving proper photo credit to Mal Anderson and Rufford
Harrison. Rufford shows (TTT, July-Aug., 1972, 14) hes got a slick sense of humor when he
praises Mal for the photographic work he did when the Chinese visited us. Mal, he said, is
photopsychicwas able to photograph the same scenes I took. I dont mean that his
pictures were similar to mine. His shots of Disneyland were identical, the very spit and image
of my own. In fact, continues Rufford, Mal is telephotopsychic. As before, says Rufford,
his camera faithfully records what is on the film in another camera, but this time one
separated by thousands of miles. Note the excellent resolution in his photograph of Cheng
Min-chih playing the accordion in the Mondavi Vineyard near San Francisco taken while Mr.
Anderson was in Philadelphia.
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Chuang, Boggan knows from following him round the

U.S. on his Ping-Pong Diplomacy Tour (I end Vol. V, Im
happy to say, with a correctly attributed Harrison photo of
Chuang), is a popular ex-Champion whos being kept busy, at
least for the moment. But hows ex-Champion Hasegawa
doing? He tells us (TTT, May-June, 1972, 10) that he owes a
debt to his parents, and that, despite losses to Stipancic and
Bengtsson at the last two Worlds, he works to stay fit and
upbeat:
Since I graduated [from the Aichi Institute of
Technology], I have come to play table tennis 1) to build up a
healthy body so that I can endure any work, 2) to become a
useful man in society, 3) to show as many people as possible
how splendid table tennis is, 4) to give my audience courage
and confidence [through nourishing my fighting spirit], and
5) to learn from my opponent and to have him learn from
Japans 1967 World Champion me.
Nobuhiko Hasegawa

He thinks now he was too much concerned with

victory in the past, though he still harbors thoughts of wining another World Championship.
Meanwhile, he says:
Study is very important to making good results. My work [at the Tamasu
Company] of editing the magazine [Table Tennis Report, wherein, in Feb., 72, this
article first appeared] urges me to write manuscripts on the drive, how to make a kill
shot, receive tactics, etc. I think of strong players in China and Europe, and I write
from my experience.
English Open
So of course do Editor Boggans
overseas correspondents,
Englands Phil Reid and Yugoslavias Zdenko Uzorinac,
write out of their table tennis experienceand Topics
readers are grateful for their coverage of some of the
Worlds most important tournaments. Thanks to Phil
(May-June, 1972, 20-21), heres what happened at the
45th (1972) English Open, held Mar. 2-4 at Brightons
Dome and Corn Exchange.
Early in the Mens Teams, Czechoslovakia
Milan Orlowski (Europe #12), Jaroslav Kunz (#14), and
Stefan Kollarovits (#16)shut out Yugoslavia # II
Milivoj Karakasevic ((#9) and Istvan Korpa (#11). The
Czechs then barely managed to beat England II, 3-2.
Orlowski, a fast-moving, elegant player, had a narrow
win over Nicky Jarvis who was looping, hitting, and
331

Croatian Historian Zdenko Uzorinac

From Uzorinacs Legends, back cover

moving very well. But Commonwealth Champ

Trevor Taylor tied the tie by besting Kunz who, in
rarely moving from the table, plays a number of
short jabs, pushes and short-arm smashes. Jarvis/
Taylor then took the Doublesand England II was
ahead 2-1. To no avail, however. Orlowski went on
to stop Taylor; and Kunz, Jarvisthe Czech
winning a 22-20 swing game. (Note that Orlowski,
Kunz, and Ilena Vostova with a perfect 6-0 record
came 1st in the First Division European League. And
that a very disappointed France (1-5: 15-27), after
losing its final match, was relegated by the thinnest
of margins to the 2nd Division instead of England (15; 16-26), who won its final match.)
Full of bounce and joviality as usual was
Jim Langan, perhaps the best player Ireland has ever
produced. After the Irish had knocked off Nigeria,
they faced Sweden I, whereupon the lefty Langan
nearly brought off the shock of the season when he
Czechoslovakias Milan Orlowski
led World Champion Stellan Bengtsson 13-8 in the
From the 1973 Sarajevo Worlds Program
third. Nearly, did we hear? Plenty of time
Bengtsson won 21-17. Then Sweden I defeated Czechoslovakia 3-1with Kollarovits
upsetting Kjell Johansson in straight games.
On the other side of the Draw, it was
YugoslaviaDragutin Surbek (World #3) and Anton
Stipancic (World #8)whod advanced 3-0 over
England I, against HungaryMatyas Beleznay and Peter
Rozsas (Jonyer and Klampar didnt attend). Rozsas had
earlier lost to the English Junior Champion Simon
Heaps, but in this tie, in the opening match, the lefty
Hungarian played very well in dropping a tough 19-inthe-3rd match to Stipancic. Next up: the athletic Surbek,
who, as expected, overpowered Beleznay. With the
Yugoslavs up 2-0, the Doubles would end it? Nope.
Peter Rozsas...defeated Surbek
Surbek would close thoughno question. Nope.
From the 1973 Budapest Railways
Rozsas, ranked about 8 in Hungary, proved to be very
Sport Club Information Booklet
light on his feet and with a sure touch downed Surbek,
21-12 in the 3rd. Now if Beleznay could win the decider.But Stipancic never allowed him to
get really dangerous.
In the final, Stipancic opened for Yugoslavia with a much-applauded, close 1st game
win over Johansson, then finished him with a series of crushing forehands. Now, in the 2nd
match
The score nearly became 2-0 when Dragutin Surbekone of the most
entertaining of all playersnearly got home in straight games against Stellan
Bengtsson. The crowd loved his high-lobbed returns, his tremendous speed, and his
332

great agility. If the crowd applauded Surbeks

work-rate, then they certainly appreciated the
class of Bengtsson. At 21-20 up in the second,
Surbek nearly made a return whichat the time
he went for itdidnt look remotely possible.
Had it have gone on I feel sure he would have
won, but it didnt and when Bengtsson won the
second he must have been fairly confident he
would take the third [and did].
The Swedes then won the Doubles
which
set the stage for the Bengtsson-Stipancic
Surbek: can he still win the point?...
From the 1972 Europe Top 12 Program
struggle. It went three games, with the
Yugoslav often defending to win the 2nd and
stay in the match.Then, up 20-16 in the 3rd, Stipancic sent yet another forehand drive
rocketing past Bengtssons outstretched arms to clinch the win. Now, with the tie tied 2-2,
Johansson, making superb placements, was able to prevent Surbek from using his deadly
forehand. So, Mens Team event to the Swedes.
In the Womens Teams, the English players didnt do well. Despite Linda Howards
win over Claude Bergeret, England II fell to France 3-1; and then the inexperienced
Hungarian team of Molnar and Szendy eliminated England I, 3-1. France was ousted, 3-1.
Though Bergeret was able to beat Carmen Crisan, Rumanias Marie Alexandru, known for her
defense, showed she had a powerful attack too dispatched forehand kills to all parts of the
bewildered Brigitte Thiriets court to even things up. As the tie progressed, the French girls
could do nothing to stem[their opponents] flow
of shots.
While, in the one semis, Hungary went
down as if paying homage to Czechoslovakia, in the
other, Rumania was having serious problems with
Sweden. Though Alexandru (World #8) knocked
off Lena Andersson, Sweden more than countered
when Birgitta Radberg beat Carmen Crisan (World
#13 in 1969) and Radberg/Andersson took the
doubles. Then, surprise, Radberg, unranked in
Europe, pick-hitting well, defeated Alexandru in 3.
In the final, young Czech super-star Ilona Vostova
(World #3) could not beat either Swede, so all the
pressure was on Alicia Grofova (World #11) and
she handled it well, just edging out Radberg, deuce
in the 3rd, to give the Czechs the Team title.
Pause now with covering reporter Phil Reid
while he has a drink or two in congenial company,
including that of ITTF President H. Roy Evans
whom the Queen has just rewarded for services
rendered to table tennis. Roy is now an OBE, a
Birgitta Radberg
member of the Order of the British Empire.
From the Swedish Bordtennis, Dec., 1971
333

In Mens Singles play, Reid points out that Englands Trevor Taylor, scoring with longswing loops, played some grand stuff against Bengtssonnearly won three straight (had a
big lead in the first, won the second, and lost the third at 19), then couldnt survive the
fourth. Easy to name the most fiercely contested quarters match: Rozsas almost stopped
Stipancic, dropping a hard-to-forget downer, 22-20 in the 5th. In the semis, Bengtsson beat
Stipancic in straight games, while Johansson got the better of Surbek. How often must these
finalists play one another, even though Kjell lives 110 kilometres away from Stellan. With
both players hitting and counter-hitting, the title went to Bengtsson in 4. The Swedes,
however, did not win the Doublesthey were upset by Beleznay/Rozsas, 22-20 in the 5th. The
Hungarians then lost to Karakasevic/Korpa who fell in the final to fellow Yugoslavs Surbek/
Stipancic. Reid saysYugoslav skipper Dusan Osmanajic stressed Stipancics ability to adapt his
game to many different partners.
In Womens play, Alexandru avenged her loss in the Teams to Radberg, beating her in
the semis 3-1, after losing the 1st, narrowly winning the 2nd, then thrashing her 7 and 10. In the
straight-game final, she proved clearly superior to Vostova, and so won this English Open
Singles title for the third year in a row. She also took both Doublesthe Womens with
Eleonora Vlaicov, the Mixed with Stipancic.
European Championships
Following the English
Open, itll be Uzorinacs
turn to keep us
informedhell cover the
1972 European
Championships, held Apr. 15-22 in
Rotterdam. The Mens Teams were initially
divided into two Groups, A and B. Sweden
won Group Aover Rumania, 5-0; over West
Germany, 5-3 (Schoeler beat Bengtsson, 21!); over Austria 5-1 (Weinmann beat
Johansson 2-1 after Kjell was up 20-17 in the
3rd!); over Denmark, 5-0; and over Hungary 53 (Johansson lost to Jonyer, 2-1; Bengtsson
beat Jonyer 2-0). In close ties, Hungary beat
West Germany 5-4 (with Jonyer winning all
3); and Denmark beat Austria 5-4.
Germanys 1969 World Singles Runner-up
Yugoslavia won Group Bover
Ebby Scholer
Greece and Spain, 5-0; over Czechoslovakia
From the 1973 Sarajevo Worlds Program
5-2 (Surbek beat Orlowski 10 and 5!); over
France, 5-1; over England, 5-1 (Denis Neale beat Stipancic), and over USSR, 5-4 (Gomozkov
beat Surbek, 2-0, Korpa, 2-1, and Stipancic, 2-1, and Anatoly Strokatov beat Stipancic, 2-0).
Czechoslovakia downed USSR, 5-4 (the Czech Jiri Turai, in compiling a 10-0 record, took all
3).
Final: Sweden beat Yugoslavia, 5-1 (Bo Persson lost to Surbek but beat Stipancic!).
As you can see, Stipancic (with 5 losses) had a BAD tournamentso the less said
about that the better since our reporters from Zagreb. However, Zdenko does detail how the
334

Russians dropped two horrific ties: The left-hander from Baku, Sarkhis Sarhojan,
champion of the USSR, was the main offender. Sarkhis won the first set against Orlowski 216 and in the 2nd was leading 20-13and yet incredibly lost the match! And as if this werent
enough, when the Soviets were 4-3 up on Yugoslavia, Sarkhojan was leading Korpa double
match point, but couldnt hold on for the win, and Russia lost.
In the Womens Teams, Hungary won Group Aover East Germany, 3-0; over
USSR, 3-0 (Kishazi beat Fedorova, 2-0; Magos beat Rudnova, 2-0!, and Magos/Lattaler beat
Rudnova/Fedorova, 2-1); over Rumania, 3-2; over Jersey, 3-0; and over Sweden, 3-2 (in the
5th match, Magos beat Lena Andersson deuce in the 3rd!).
West Germany won Group Bover Czechoslovakia, 3-2; over Yugoslavia, 3-0; over
Spain, 3-0; over Bulgaria, 3-2; over England, 3-1.
Final: Hungary over West Germany, 3-0no contest.
There were certainly a few early-round matches to talk about in the Mens Singles
(130 participants from 27 nationsexcept, says Zdenko, Klampar capriciously left his
Hungarian comrades on the spot at the last minute, crying for his injured arm? or for money
from the Association?). Frances Jean-Paul Weber, armed, I presume, with bothersome
antispin, over Karakasevic in 5. Norby Van de Walle, ex- U.S. International whod left the
States 10 years earlier for Belgium, over Orlowski, 3-2 !). Wilfried Lieck, the 1972 and future
5-time German National Champion, over Surbek, 3-1. And Korpa, from down 2-0the only
5-game match in the 8thsover
Johansson, one of the favorites to
win.
It appeared that Bengtsson
too was going to go out of the
tournament, for in the quarters he
had to play Gomozkov, whom
hed lost to the last four times.
But Stellan neutralized
Gomozkovs dangerous backhand
flick, and went on to blitz
Stipancic whod beat him in
Brighton. Jonyer, meanwhile,
advanced with easy matches
against Neale (whod eliminated
Swedens 1971 World Singles Champion Stellan Bengtsson
Lieck) and Korpa. In the final,
Photo by Mike Hoffland
with games 1-1, Jonyer took the
important 3rd, 23-21. In the 4th, the Hungarian was up 18-16, but couldnt win from 19-all. In
the 5th, Bengtsson again won as, even up, they started into the end game. So Stellan, in
addition to being World Champion, was European Champion as well.
In Womens Singles, the only 5-game match in the 8ths saw former English now West
German star, Diane Rowe Schoeler, her past retirement only a memory, come back from two
games down to oust Swedens very attractive and beautiful Birgitta Radberg. In the quarters,
only one contested match: Hungarys Judit Magos, who in training at Budapest, had been playing
as an equal with Borszei and Beleznay, respected men players, had repeatedly been beating
Rumanias Marie Alexandru this season. But this time she lost 3-2 and spilled gallons of bitter
tears. In the semis, while Kishazi finished Vostova in 4, Alexandru was blanked by Rudnova. Nor
335

in the final could Kishazi do any bettershe

too lost 3-0 as Rudnova successfully
defended her Championship.
Mens Doubles went not to World
Champions Jonyer and Klampar, cause no
way was Klampar going to play even if he
wanted to. But, never mind, Jonyer took
Roszas as his partner and proceeded to
gain the final3-2 outlasting both
Englands Alan Hydes/Nicky Jarvis (whod
upset Korpa/Karakasevic in 5) and
Czechoslovakias Orlowski/Turai. And
who did they meet there? Bengtsson/
Johansson of course, whod taken out
Schoeler/Borszei after this defensiveUSSRs Champion Zoya
minded combo had upset Surbek/Stipancic.
Rudnova,
who successfully
So the winners wereto the astonishment
defended her European
th
of all, Jonyer/Rozsas, 23-21 in the 4 .
Championship
In a Womens Doubles semis, the
Photo by Mal Anderson
1969 World Champions, Rudnova and
Svetlana Grinberg Federova, were upset by Englands Jill Hammersley and Hungarys Kishazi
in 5. But in the final, the temperamental Magos, constantly attacking,paired with the very
young Lottaler to down this pick-up pair of strong defenders.
In the Mixed, Magos teamed with Jonyer to get by Rita Pogosova/Sarhojan in 5. But
Bengtsson/Andersson really pulled off some heroics by
3-2 beating both Nagoyas silver medalists Stipancic/
Alexandru and Jonyer/Magosonly to lose to
Gomozkov/Rudnova in the final.
In addition to finalizing all these results, Topics
reporter Uzorinac couldnt resist mentioning one
talked-about incident at these Championships:
Before his match with Kollarovits in the 2nd
round, Johansson postponed play because he couldnt
choose any good Hanno balls. After the Swede
rejected 25, the referee chose one. Then, still unhappy,
Johansson was disqualified.
At which point all the Swedes threatened to go
home! The ETTU Committee then found a solution
worthy of a Solomon: they ruled that the match must
be played with one ball of three chosen by the referee.
This closed the incident. And Kjell went on to beat
Kollarovits 3-1.
Judit Magos:
on a par with Borszei and Beleznay

How nice when players and officials cooperate

bend a little, work out a compromise.
336

SELECTED NOTES.
*More than 30 years later, Californias Howie Grossman and
family on a trip to China visited Zhuang Zedong (formerly Chuang Tsetung). On hearing of the death of Glenn Cowan, Zhuang asked if Glenn
was remembered by the American public. When Howie said, regretfully,
No, Zhuang said, When I die, everyone in China will know.

Zhuang Zedong

337

Chapter Twenty-Five
1972: End of Season TournamentsI (Disneys $8,000
Minnesota Classic).
At this 1972 point in time, you wouldnt expect any
countries, any states, to vie for an International Championship in
the U.S. But at the 150-entry May 5-6 Pacific Northwest Open in
Eugene, OR, a various-events rivalry took place between U.S.
and Canadian players. As Chris Depee, writing up the tournament
for Topics (July-Aug., 1972, 18-19), pointed out, the very
experienced Director, Lou Bochenski, knew exactly how to get
the 16-table action under way and bring it all, finally, to a
conclusion:

Lou Bochenski

Bochenski set up a control desk with a P.A. system outside of the two
gyms. To keep track of all the players, small pieces of magnetic stripping with each
players name were placed on a small-scale reproduction of the playing area. This was
a large piece of heavy-duty paper placed over a sheet of sheet metal. Its very handy
and helped the tournament run smoothly, since you could tell at a glance who was
playing and where.
In Open Singles semis play, its Vancouvers Zoltan Pataky over Judy Bochenski, and
Seattles Rob Roberts over B.C.s Philip Woo Cheng, both in straight games. Depee says that
Judy in getting to 19 that last game shows she could adjust to Patakys Hungarian sidespin
loop. Meanwhile, Roberts strong topspin and vicious forehand putaway prove difficult for
Cheng to block and, though Phils got a lead in the end-game 3rd, Rob finishes him with three
beautiful loops and a kill.
The 12:45 a.m. final (initial round robins in
many of the 18 events delayed play) turns out to be
a back-from-the-table spinners duel. Pataky is
capable of superhuman returns, is very fast on his
feet, and has a superb kill, but Roberts wins the 1st
at 18. In the 2nd, though Pataky thrills the crowd
with some great lobs, and deuces it from 20-17
down, he loses that game too. Zollie, however,
takes the 3rd. And in the 4th hes up 17-13 when he
faltersblocks three of Robs spinners off the table.
Roberts then bangs in back-to-back Pataky serves to
go 18-17 up. Zollie fights back, gets the ad, but
cant close. First Northwest OPEN of the soon-toend 71-72 season to Rob Roberts. Therell follow
wee-hour party-time talk at Ron Vincents home
Rob Roberts, 1972 Pacific Northwest
about how its a good thing for USTTA affiliates
Open Champion
to hold open tournaments and not just closed
Photo by Don Gunn
ones.
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Other results: Womens: Bochenski over

Vancouvers Leslie Ward whod upset Karen
Berliner. Open Doubles: Roberts/Judy Bochenski
over Eddie Lo/Peter Joe, after the two 12-yearolds had stunned Pataky/Phil Cheng and the
whole Northwest. As: Lo over Oregon State
University #1 Steve Berliner, 15, -20, 19. Depee
says Berliner stayed alive at deuce in the 2nd with
a great forehand counter from about 10 feet back,
then backhanded in Los serve. However, in the
After wee-hour party-time talk,
3rd, he had no more end-game heroics. Bs:
Ron begins to look like this
Chopper Charlie McLarty over Ulf Khan, after
Ulf had been down two match points to Victor
Chan. B Doubles: Depee/Ferrians over Boys U-13 winner Tim Jacobson and Mike Bochenski
whod won the Bs from his dad, Lou, at the Portland Regional two weeks earlier. Cs: OSUs
Tim Leong over Ron Ferrians. Ds: Fifth-grader Marty Louthan
over Portlands Beaverton League Director Don Nash. Es:
Vancouvers Zachary Ip (whos been playing for only four
months) over University of Oregon penholder Vincent. Fs (below
1000 Northwest rating points): Ip over Dane Hutchins. Seniors: Art
Ngai over Earl Adams whod knocked out CTTA President Art
Barron, -22, 18, 19. Juniors U-17: Judy Bochenski over Lo, -18,
16, 15. Boys U-15: Lo over Joe, 19, -18, 22.
Rachel Allison tells us there was also huge support (several
hundred players) for the Apr. 29-30 Pacific Northwest
Championships, held under Director Dr. Michael Scott, II. Play was
at Seattle University, home of Scotts Washington State TTA (a
membership of over 100, although not yet a year old). Joe Lee was
Drawmaker for the tournament.
Portlands Beaverton
Results: Open Singles: Tom Ruttinger, whod won the
League Director Don Nash
Oregon Regional the week before over Carl Cole and Rob
Roberts, took the Open here too. And paired with Roberts, he repeated his Doubles win.
Womens: Leslie Ward. As: Walter Dubbelying his name. A Doubles: Peter Joe and 15
& Under winner Eddie Lo. Bs: Michael Scott, II. B Doubles: Scott, II and Michael Scott
III, the previous weeks Oregon Regional C winner. Cs: Greg Eng. Seniors: Earl Adams
over Art Ngai.
The senior Dr. Scott is much opposed to the long debated Racket Rule. So much
sosince usually the ball hits the hand or racket of the holder when its obviously outside or
beyond the tablethat in his Washington Clubs league matches the Rule is not called, and is
only enforced in tournaments because the USTTA mandates that it be. Mal Anderson explains
that the USTTA wont change the Rule because its an ITTF one and our Association, like
those of the Federations other member-countries, plays by ITTF rules. Considering, for
example, we have Canadian TTA members playing in our U.S. Open and other tournaments
(where ITTF rules would have to prevail), it would be confusing were we to play some
tournaments with the Rule and others without it. However, as I noted back in Vol. I, the ITTF
in May, 1993 will rescind this Rule, and four months later so will our Association.
339

Since the USTTA has extended its playing season through June 31,
I report that at both the Hollywood June 10-11 Takyu Open, and the Santa
Barbara June 24-25 Semana Nautica Open Joong Gil Park won the Mens
Singlesfirst over Glenn Cowan, then over Ray Guillen. Santa Barbara
Class A winner Bard Brenner asks, What kind of a player is this Park? And
answers, Hes first-class:
He doesnt play the top players for $5 a set; he doesnt
hustle newcomers for a couple of bucks; and he helps everybody.
The Hollywood Table Tennis courts will never be the same again.
Players who wouldnt dream of playing weaker players are even
getting the hint. So what does Gil do for encores? He wins money
at tournaments and spends it on taking other people to dinner. He
helps set up an Oriental summer training camp for juniors8
weeks of free coaching.

Joong Gil Park

Hawaiiwhats going on there? Jerry Hock, brother to the

better-known bat-maker Bernie Hock, has traveled far from his
Indiana roots. As President of the loosely organized Honolulu
Club (that yet offers playing sessions three times a week), he
gives a brief report on the 1972 Hawaiian Open. Perhaps what he
says (TTT, Sept.-Oct., 1972, 18) will come as a surprise:
Many of the players are accustomed to playing
barefooted and it is not unusual to look across the room and see
half of them without shoes. During our tournaments we have asked
some players to play topless because their sun-darkened skin more
nearly resembles the approved
Jerry Hock, President of background shade than their lighter
the Honolulu Club
shirts (We dont apply this to the girls,
though.)
Only a few players here belong to the USTTA.
Many have family origins in Asian countries and their table
tennis heroes are in that part of the world. It goes without
saying that U.S. players are considered very poor
representatives of the game and do not deserve to be
written up even in Table Tennis Topics!
I guess we get these results, then, because the winners
arent Americans? Thailands Tony Sutivej, whom weve seen
playing in the States, won the Singles and with his Thai partner
Tarungangs the Doubles. Hawaiis Aaron Miraflor (an unseeded
player from a small town on the other side of the mountains) won
trophies in three out of four eventstwo first place ones [in Class
B and Seniors over local players], and a runner-up [in Mens
Singles]. Aaron, who loops with modern sidespin, had never
340

Aaron Miraflor,
Hawaiian Senior Champ
Photo by Warren Roll

played in a tournament before, so had never won a trophy before. This mysterious Miraflor,
seemingly more Island Spirit of the Sport than practiced player, played 15 singles matches in
a six hour period and in doubles, before losing to the Thais, got to the semis with
partnerArt Barran, the Canadian TTA President. (Art had been quietly vacationing in backcountry Hawaii for years and all the while secretly making Miraflor a player?)
I can hardly wait to read what surprises await at an International Table Tennis match
and exhibition in the Honolulu International Center Dec. 6-7. I hope no U.S. players attend.
Whats this? A world-wide Air Force Tournamentin the U.S! And whos doing the
coverage for us? (See TTT, May-June, 1972, 8.) None other than the Singles and Doubles
winner, Ferenc Frank Mercz himself. Plays at Randolph Air Force Base, near San Antonio,
Texas. The conditions at the Recreation Center, however, are terrible. We are to play in the
ballroom, with dim lighting and large windows. In concert with an evening practice session,
Frank and the other qualifiers are not too happy to see the local rock-an-roll band take the
stage for four long, earshattering hours.
Perhaps the USTTA, not to mention the ITTF, has little, if anything, to do with this
tournament? Though Jack Carr (TTT, May-June, 1972, 10) says he conducted qualifying play
at a Tactical Air Command (TAC) base (I presume at Langley AFB, Hampton, VA) and was
given a beautiful award. He adds that he ran this tournament from a wheelchair I borrowed
from my wife since I was suffering from phlebitis at the time.
Mercz estimates that 1,000 players competed in these lower level tournaments, but
that now here at Randolph there are only 22 singles entries to worry about. Oh, oh, Frank sees
two players with letters larger than your head on their warm-up suits: JAPAN, they shout at
me. A small knot forms in my stomach. Frank looks to another table, sees a lanky defensive
player return loop after loop with relative ease. It slowly dawns on me that he is using the by
now not so rare anti-spin rubber. The knot in my stomach tightens! On a third table, he hears
the familiar sound of a piece of wood meeting a celluloid ball. My first thought is that
McEvoy from Grand Rapids enlisted in the Air Force just to give me fits.
Frank, Frank, quit worrying. So youve also found out
that 13 players here are USTTA members and have played in
tournamentsyoure gonna do just fine. Turns out that your
stiffest competition doesnt come from abroad at all. Besides,
theres President LeBlanc of the San Antonio Club to see that
the Double Elimination Singles event is run fairly.
Early-round play pits Bob Burke, 3-times Air Force
Champ, against Larry Kesler, now stationed at Simbach Air
Base, Germany, whod begun playing in Oklahoma City a
decade earlier. Burke got his start at Frank Dwellys club in
Waltham, Massachusetts in 1954. He has already spent a total of
eight years in Japan and has two more to go. Bob is married to a
Japanese girl who also plays table tennis. Kesler was an
attacking player until he joined a club in Germany and got started in
league play. He claims that he is too slow and cannot counter-hit
with the German juniors. So he decided to go to all defense and is
currently using an anti-spin racket. Though Burke wins the 1st
Bob Burke, former Air Force game convincingly and leads 16-14 in the 2nd, Kesler rallies to win
Singles and Doubles Champion
that game at deuce, then takes the 3rd, also at deuce.
Photo by SSgt. Bob Kay
341

Mercz isnt too concerned about playing Kesler, for Franks strongest game is looping
against a chop, thanks to the many hours he spent playing with Lyle Thiem, President of the
Dayton, Ohio Net & Paddle Club. Only the anti-spin is a problem, isnt it? Down 18-11 in the
1st, Mercz experiments with a slow rather than a fast loop, and Keslers chop misses the table
by three feet. Frank rallies to 19-all, but then, as hes ready to serve, Larry casually remarks,
It was a nice comeback. This apparently shakes Mercz and he loses the game. But then in
the 2nd Frank loops his way to an easy win. In the 3rd, he has a 9-4 start. Only what happens?
A big reversalFranks down 16-13.
Now Kesler sets a ball up, then loudly cussesbut hes lucky, wins the point anyway.
Except Mercz requests that he be awarded the point, since one is not supposed to talklet
alone yellduring the point. To his dismay, the umpire cannot find any rule in the USTTA
rulebook dealing with such situations. So he calls the last point a let ball, because Mercz was
distracted by a loud noise. Kesler goes on to win comfortably.
Larry then downs two more opponents to top the Winners
bracket. First he stops Senior J. C. Tenay of the San Antonio Club
a defensive player who favors a Hock pimpled-rubber bat. Then he
beats Dennis Driggs. Like Burke, Driggs is stationed in Japan. But
although Dennis plays six nights a week against Japanese players,
the robotic practice methods of the Japanese did not prepare him
sufficiently, and he suffers his first loss.
In the Losers bracket, Mercz wins every match, including those
against Burke and Driggs, in straight games. So now he again faces
Kesler. Although final play is set for Wednesday, Mercz, playing
well, is afraid he might have a sore arm by then and asks Larry if he
minds moving the match up.
Surprisingly Kesler agrees. This time
Mercz employs a strategy which he
remembers learning from D-J Lee. He
loops to Keslers forehand 5-6 times in a
row, then drives one down the middle or
J.C. Tenay
Photo by Mal Anderson
to the backhand. This works rather well,
since it does not allow the defensive
player to groove in on both wings, andmost importantlyit is
difficult for him to get in position for a backhand chop after
chopping forehands.The strategy pays off and Mercz wins two
straight.
Now each player has one loss, so they must play their
decisive third match. Larry wins the 1st game at 19, but then Frank
rebounds with a 21-10 win in the 2nd. Up 10-9 in the 3rd, Mercz
suddenly breaks free, scores 7 in a row, and becomes the
Champion.
In Doubles play, also Double Elimination, Mercz teams
with 43-year-old Ernie Roberts who became interested in table
tennis only a few years ago. He is stationed at Travis AFB, 50
miles from San Francisco, so he is ideally located, for there are
Ferenc Frank Mercz, 1972
several clubs within driving distance. He plays five nights a week
Air Force Champion
342

Sue and Gene Sargent

Dennis Gresham

Photo by Mal Anderson

Cindy Garza
Photo by Mal Anderson

and has one of the heaviest chops I have ever encountered. But Kesler and partner Paul
Williams are toughespecially when Williams foregoes chopping and wont let Mercz loop. In
their 3rd and deciding match, the Mercz team is up 19-11 in the 1st, barely win at deuce. Up
19-16 in the 2nd, Roberts cant handle Keslers chop, so Frank stops loopingand after a
very lengthy pushing match, Mercz/Roberts eke out a 28-26 win, and so become the Doubles
Champs. Flyin high, Mercz promptly wings his way to another tournament.
At the April 29th San Antonio Team Championships, run by Gene and Sue Sargent,
players sure got their Saturdays worth of competition (12-15 two out of three matches for
everyone). The 11 teams were divided into two Classes, A and B. Winner in Class A: 1. Fort
Worth #1 (5-0): Don Berry (15-0), Richard James (14-1), and John McAdams (8-7). The
week before in Phoenix, Don had won the New Mexico Open Singles (over Jerry Plybon) and
Doubles with James (over Helmuth Vorherr/
Dennis Gresham). Individual honors went to
Berry (1st prize of a warm-up suit) and to James
(2nd prize of 12 dozen balls and a racket case).
Winner in Class B: 1. Houston #2 (4-0):
Bob ONeill (11-1). 2. Fu Liem (9-3), and Ann
Ramsey (4-8). Ann, Paul LeBlanc tells us (TTT,
July-Aug., 1972, 17), was one of four women
who competed. Neither Kasia Dawidowicz nor
Liz Gresham, winner and runner-up respectively
at the New Mexico Open, played, but
hometown heroine Cindy Garza, given moral
support by fellow San Antonioans Norma
LeBlanc and Sue Sargent, won 5 matches.
Disneys $8,000 Minnesota Classic
Yes, thanks to Charlie Disney, his
$8,000 tournament, held June 16-17 at Daytons
department store in downtown Minneapolis,
was a Classicbut more on that later. In the
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L-R: Charlie Disney, Minneapolis Promoter Extraordinaire; Linda Shen, Miss Minnesota Classic; and
Arlen Erdahl, Minnesotas Secretary of State, at the opening of the $8000 Professional Tournament
Photo by Dave Lindquist

Womens, Olga Soltesz had her first test in the semis, and
came through with a 15, -23, 18, 19 win over Angelita
Rosal. Look out for Angie thoughin 6 months shell
surely have a good chance to make the U.S. World Team to
Sarajevo. In the final, Olga met 3-time U.S. Champion
Patty Cash, whod played so marvelously during the recent
Chinese visit, and beat her too, -11, 15, 18, -20, 18.
The difference for Olga in this final was not in the
forehand shes been able to quickly move over and hit, shes
been doing that for some time nowbut in her gradually
acquired poise, her slow-to-find maturity. To lose that 4th
game at deuce to one of Pattys patented, nerve-destroying
Olga Soltesz, Womens Winner
rallies after seeming to have the match won, and then to
From Minnesota Classic Program
shake it off and stay hard and not become little-girl
discouragedwell, its just a question of time and training
before she gets better and better. Yes, Id heardshes soon going to Japan for more
coaching.
In the Mens final, D-J Lee out-muscled visiting strongman Orville Les Haslam
whom hed once played exhibitions with.* Less long reach helped him to loop well, and since
he could kill hard from either side, the straight-game match produced some spectacular shots.
But most of the time a hopped-up Lee sharply beat this Jamaican Champion to the topspin
attack.
Actually, Lee didnt lose so much as a game en route to the title. Indeed, he was
extended to deuce only once, in the quarters, by the Texas-based Englishman with something
344

of a Pancho Villa moustache, Don (Red) Barry.

Red loops and loops and loops from the waist up
like one of those old-time Red Ryder movie cowboys
in saddle, whirling his lasso until ready with a decisive
fling to score. No doubt, though, as Gerald Eskenazi
in a Mar. 21, 1972 N.Y. Times article tells us, D-J
knows how to get the drop on a guy: Lees
Americanization includes playing Cowboys and
Indians with his son, 3 -year-old Jeffrey. D-J
always plays the cowboy, said his wife, and he
always tells Jeffrey, Up your hands. We get a kick
out of his slang.
Remember how the same guy used to turn up
in a double feature? Don, after losing to D-J, rode
madly south by southwest and became The Oklahoma
Kid winning the weekends Open in Oklahoma City.
Lee, meanwhile, in his semis, went out to
face an off-court-oft-smiling Fuarnado Roberts who
Up your hands, Jeffrey!
may or may not have sympathized with
the complaint that three strong black
Up your hands, Jeffrey!
players, Haslam, George Brathwaite,
and Rich Farrell were all on the same
side of the Draw. Maybe Robbie wanted
to be over there too? Fuarnado of
course plays with an anti-spin racket
and has a reputation as a superb pick-hit
defender. Against Lee, though, surprise,
Fuarnado came out
he came out swinging. This was the
swinging
Photo by Mal Anderson
more surprising because word was
going round that most of the defenseminded Europeans were giving up antispin because they couldnt hit well with
it. But if Robbie was trying to prove
them wrong he soon changed his mind
and fell back to chopping. Whereupon
Lee just routinely rolled and dropped,
rolled and dropped until he got the put
away. As U.S. Team Captain Jack
Howard said, Lee always drops the ball
a little shorter, a little quicker than Robbies other class of opponents, and it makes all the
difference.
Follow Howard from the get-go of a tournament and youre bound to learn or at least
hear something interesting. In the very first round Jacks drawn Eddie Ma. So?Ah, but the
whispers begin. This Eddie Mahes #1 in Hong Kong.Has come here to studyat the
University of Wisconsin.He beat D-J and the whole U.S. Team at the Worlds.Some
opening match, huh?
345

Obviously the Seeding Committee had never heard of him. Besides, D-J is recorded by
USTTA Historian Miss Ping Neuberger as having lost in Nagoya to one, Ma Lung Sang, from
Hong Kong. Question: Is this Ma one and the same Sang? May because though hes
nervous, he looks good. But Howard in his bright red shorts plays as if out for blood. (Why
does he keep insisting hes not really a player anymore?) He mixes Ma up with hard, fast
loops, choice, juiced chops, and little touch blocksin short, packs him in 3-0.
Then Jack walks briskly through the open door of another roundto come up abruptly
against a wall. The well-known South African cum Canadian one. Derek, like Robbie, is also
playing with anti-spin. And Jack just cant get the hang of it. His best loops come floating,
spinning back, or are unexpectedly blocked, and, like Pradit before him, hes beaten in 4.
In the semis, Wall played the
match of the tournamentpulling off a
gutsy rally only to lose to Haslam, -14, 18, 18, 19, -19. Someone said that in the
summer, when the players dont compete
as much, the hitters havent their touch and
so the choppers have the advantage. But
what got the crowd so excited in this 19in-the-5th match was Walls chancy clutch
hitting, those dangerous backhand picks at
the end of the 4th and 5th games. Seeing
Walls ever-reddening face and knowing
Derek Wall: played
that he likes a drink or two or three, I
the match of the
thought of Shakespeares middle-aged
tournament with
Antonys
Haslam
great
line to
Cleopatra: how hell Force the wine peep through their
scars. Meaning how hell revel his soldiers into life, into a
battle unto death; how hell raise their spirits, make the
blood course through their veins, whatever wine, whatever
blood is sure to spillagain. At the 19 end, Wall was anything
but red-faced with embarrassment at having lost to his much
younger, stronger opponent. In another time, another place,
waving a Cor du Buy coat of arms, hed been a bloody good
soldier.
Another strong effort was made by Miles in losing to
Dick Miles
Sweeris in 5. Dick had gotten to Minneapolis 3 or 4 days
Photo by
before the tournament proper, had done half a dozen radio
Tom Geiger
and TV shows (Boone and Erickson, Bill Carlsons
Midday), had given a coaching clinic and lessons at the
Magoo Club several nights in a row. (Said one young player,
Gee, wouldnt it be great to have a dad like Miles.
Yeah, said another, or a granddad like Boggan.) Largely
because of Dicks promotional work, table tennis repeatedly
came into the homes of hundreds of thousands of people.
346

Dell says he started out playing Dick as if he, Dell, were an 8th-grader (the kind of boy
whod be coming to one of Dells own clinics at his newly opened Woodland Table Tennis
Center in Grand Rapids). He looped without varying the spin. Wasnt trying to follow up with
a kill. Dick knew all he had to do was steadily get the ball back. After some intense play, Dick
had Dell 20-18 double-match-point in the 4th. But now Dell played four long points very, very
well, was helped by an irretrievable edge, and eventually snatched away the match.
Sweeris then went on to give Haslam some anxious moments before losing in 4. I
made 3 basic mistakes, said Dell.
(1) When I got into a counter-driving situation I instinctively put the first ball to the
backhand, the next one to the forehandand 9 times out of 10 I got one of Less superspins
shot into me. That strategy used to work in the days when I played Kruskie and Sakai, but
now theres too much spin. Ive got to vary the pattern. (2) When Les looped to my backhand,
and I just blocked it back, any halfway decent backhand return would put me immediately at a
disadvantage. I have to learn to block with more force. (3) I have a tendency to retreat
backcourt rather than stay up close. I dont feel comfortable with the fast play an up-close
table-game demands. Actually, against Pradit, Id never go backIve learned how he can
angle you to death. But Haslam, big as he is, as powerful as he is, can also place the ball very
well. And now that I know that, our next match wont be the same.
How many players have said thattheres always a lot more losers than winners.
Which thought allows me, before I finish up with the major Doubles matches and some much
deserved thanks, to give the results of other events: As: Peter Gonda over Danny Seemiller.
Bs: Emile Short, having squeaked by Bard Brenner deuce in the 3rd, downed Paul Lamse in
the semis, and A Consolation winner Jerry Thrasher in the final. Cs: Horace Roberts over
Mike Baber. Novice Doubles: Lamse/Imants Karklis over Laszlo Keves/Tony Poulos. Girls 17:
Rosal over Bev Hess. Boys 17: Seemiller over Rich Sinykin. Boys 15: Baber over John
Soderberg. Boys 13: Soderberg over Shaun Miller.
In the Mens Doubles, Sweeris teamed with his new young partner, Bill Lesner, to put
up a swingin fight against National Champions Lee and Pradit. Lesner, last years National
Junior Champion, is trying hard to make the U.S. Team to the Worlds. He was knocked out of
the As here, though, by Tim Boggan who, down 10-1 at the turn, later hit in 8 straight hard,
flat forehandsthen yelled about it.
The big upset, however, came in
the Doubles final when the attacking
Canadians, Errol Caetano (the o is
silent some purist was telling me) and
Peter Gonda, out-attacked, out-angled
Pradit and Lee! If D-J starts losing more
than a few doubles matches are people
Peter Gonda: he and
gonna think hes less and less invincible
Caetano make a strong team
in singles as well?
Photo by Mal Anderson
Earlier, the Canadians had been
playing a practice game of double
bouncehitting the ball first on ones
own side then on the other, Why are
you doing that? I asked. Turns out its
the way Gonda as a teenager used to
347

practice with Orlowski in Prague in 1964. Thats

one of the ways Europeans practice, Peter says.
For concentration, I think.
In the Mixed Doubles final, Boggan-Cash,
with their matching dead blocks and flat hits, beat
Sweeris and (filling in for Connie) Angelita Rosal.
Dell was constantly at Angies ear, giving her
little signals. In the semis, there was a bit of
controversy after Tim and Patty had gotten by
Haslam/Marguerite Burnett 28-26 in what
everybody thought was the deciding 3rd. When it
was discovered that the match should have been
3 out of 5, what to do? Not what Tournament
Referee Sweeris via Rules Chairman Lederman
decided: to award the $200 match without further
Maybe their signals got crossed?
ado (as time was running short) to Boggan-Cash.
Photo by Dave Lindquist
This did not sit too well with Haslam or his
partner Burnett whom he calls Maggie. Its the
principle of the thing, Les saidand threatened to default from the Mens final. Whereupon the
Tournament Committee quickly re-consideredand the four of us played another game.
We do all have to work together, you know.
In making this tournament the great success that it was, Charlie Disney, at the urging
of Dick Miles, took his cue from the successful $7,500 Redondo Beach tournament and
contacted the many businessmen and corporate leaders of his community to produce a really
civic event. Though his bird-dog work wasnt easy, was sometimes disappointing, Charlie
went out, kept to the scent, and got help from Dain, Kalman, & Quail; Gold Bond Stamps;
First National Bank of Minneapolis; Tonka Toys; Northwestern Bell Telephone; Munsingwear;
Minnegasco; Mikes Pro Shop; G. H. Tennant; Economic Labs; Radisson Hotel; Pepsi Cola;
First Bank of New Brighton; Ronald Jewelers; Detroiter; and Martin Kilpatrick. Impressive,
huh? So Id said in this write-up that we all ought to be indebted to Charlie for his hustle, and
that I hoped his special promotional talents would be asked for all over the country.
Special thanks, too, to so manyto Doug Maday who headed the Tournament
Committee, and who, along with Charlie and newly-wedded Alan Goldstein, arranged to have
a private lounge for the players and so made them feel wanted, important; to Jerry Taylor who
arranged the tournament scheduling; to Harry Kitselman and Gus Kennedy who helped set up
the playing area and assisted behind the tournament desks; to Tony Skjold who headed the Ads
and Ticket Committee; to Dave Lindquist who edited the professional-looking Program (Full
page ad, $700); to Larry Jensen who was a liaison agent with the Radisson Hotel and so
provided us with an absolutely perfect room to hold our E.C. Meeting in; to Rich Sinykin and
Don Larson who, helping to promote the event, gave exhibitions and saw to it that Miles and I
got to those interview shows.
One sponsor, Pepsi Cola, in a post-tournament July 5th letter of congratulations to
Disney written by Dave Patchett, emphasized Charlies staff organization and unity, the
athleticism of the players, and the participants pleasure at player/official cooperation. But
though Patchett made clear Pepsis desire to renew their sponsorship in 1973, he did point out
one area that he thought needed improvement:
348

Even though I was impressed with the tourney, some of

the professional players tend to create a bit of shabbiness, certainly
not in ability, but in their attire. Some of the players displayed nice
looking warm-up suits and good-looking shoes. Then, when the
match was to begin, off came the good-looking warm-up suits. Talk
about a total change! This was probably the one thing that stands
out in my mind as an area where class needs to be added.
Certainly you couldnt fault the tournament officials and their staff in this regardall
were dressed identically but casually in country club Munsingwear sport shirts and slacks. The
dress-up Players Party, too, was class. There was a spacious, softly-lit room with a bar and a
marvelous hot and cold smorgasbord supper (a veritable banquet) and large round tables
where people could sit and eat and toast one another and laugh and talk about their triumphs,
or, consoled by good food, good drink, and good company at least listen with an indulgent
smile. They could also watch slight-of-hand expert Scott Farr, who went from table to table on
a sort of little pro circuit of his own, up, finally, to a larger stage, where, as artist-magician, he
continued to surprise everyone with the far-reaching power, the pull, of his illusions.
No difficulty for me, then, in saying, inspirationally, that this was the nicest tournament
Ive ever been to.
SELECTED NOTES.
*D-J told Washington Post reporter Paul Attner (Jan. 21, 1972) that he took his
exhibitions very seriously. They helped my play, he said. You had to make sure you didnt
mess up even routine shots or it would make you look bad. Thus you learned to be sharp in all
phases of the game.

D-J Lee and Les Haslam

congratulating one
another and us, the
appreciative audience, on
a successful exhibition

349

Chapter Twenty-Six
1972: End of Season TournamentsII (Dixon Wins
First National Association of College UnionsInternational
Tournament).
Although the ACU-I had conducted Intercollegiate table
tennis tournaments in its 15 Regions throughout the country
before, this is the first NATIONAL one. It was held in early
April, 1972 at Wisconsin State University in Whitewater, home
court for Danny Sullivan, Chair of the ACU-Is Recreation
Committee. Richard Gage of the University of Houston
headed the Table Tennis section wherein play was limited to
Mens and Womens Singles and Mens and Womens Doubles.
USTTA Intercollegiate Chair Doug Stewart, who
replaced Stuart Lassar when Stu left the country to work
abroad, explained how the competitors were chosen (TTT,
May-June, 1972, 7). Colleges wanting to be represented in the
qualifying Regional competition were allowed to send two
players in each singles event and one pair in each doubles
1972 Intercollegiate Champion event. Usually these players were chosen through competitive
Jim Dixon
play at their own schools. The 15 Regional winners plus one
Photo by Mal Anderson
additional entry representing the host college would then be
eligible for this National competition. Stewart was encouraged
by the Qualifying turnoutfor example, in the New York City/Philadelphia Region, this years
74 entries tripled last years. Doug hopes that in 1973 a U.S. collegiate team can be sent to the
World University Games. No mention was made of the Regional Womens winners, and so I
assume they were absent from this Nationals (though I dont know why). Twenty-year-old
Alice Greens most recent trophy was engraved, Columbia Mens Champion. Their
University Team [none of whom competed here] is coed: six to nine men and her.
Michigans Jeff Smart (Oakland University) reportedly didnt win his Region but was
able to take Ohioan Jim Supenskys place, and, in an article adjacent to Stewarts, covered the
tournament for Topics. How glad Jeff was to be part of it all. We were treated like celebrities,
and it seemed like a miniature Worlds: welcoming ceremonies, banquets, gifts, allotted
practice times, and even shirts with our names and schools on the back (that includes
Surasak Koakiettaveechai, North Adams State). Tournament Director Gage was a nice guy
with a sense of humor that allowed him to make up nicknames for the players (Surasak, last
years unofficial Champion, was Sugar Baby). However, Richard didnt attempt to seed any
playerswith the result that the two 8-man round robin groups were bizarrely uneven: all the
7 players in Group A, Jeff felt, could beat all the 7 players in Group B.
In Group A, Jim Dixon (7-0) finished 1stover runner-up Surasak (5-2) and Mitch
Sealtiel (5-2). Surasak beat Sealtiel, but lost to Steve Kaufmann (3-4), the No. 5 finisher
behind Smart (4-3). Kaufmann, originally from England, says hes beaten the strong English
players Jarvis and Walker. In Group B, Texan Brad Fountain (7-0) was 1stover Southern
Illinois runner-up Mohammed Afzal Hussain (nicknamed Mohammed Ali), reportedly #3 in
Pakistan. Mohammed (6-1) advanced over, among others, Ode Hilsaca (Brigham Young),
350

reportedly a 2-time Palestinian Champion. Kam (King Kong) Kong from Hong Kong and
Washington State was 3rd.
In the crossover semis matches, the B finishers had no chancewhich left Dixon and
Surasak to play a re-match for the Championship. Hard to say whod win. Surasak, though
out of practice and out of shape, has a very good close-to-the-table block and counter
game somewhat like Pradits. But he was able to beat Sealtiel and Smart not by hitting but by
pushing! That is, he scored often with at-the-bounce angle pushesor short jabsthat
varied in spin and table depth. In earlier round robin play it looked as if hed beat Dixon in the
3rd, but lost from about 14-5 up. In the final, Jim totally dominated by smashing both
backhands and forehands from all over the court to win handily.
There were attempts in not just Minnesota but in various parts of the country to start
high school inter-school or inter-club play (Delaware, for example, sustained a four-school
league this season). But, as George Buben tells us (TTT, July-Aug., 1972, 22), Michigan high
school players were given at least a momentary boost when Allied Youth of Michigans Dr.
Audrey Kirkland, feeling that, after the U.S. Teams China trip, there was a new interest in
Table Tennis, decided to put on a tournament open to any 11th or 12th grader in any public,
private, or parochial school. This idea was a natural, for Allied Youths aim was to unite
youth in competitive sports for the development of personal character, social responsibility,
and the support of American democracy; it also wanted to teach the folly of Alcohol and
Drug Abuse.
Though, surprisingly or not, several schools didnt
want to participate, there was a good turnout: over 40 schools
had their play-offs, with one of them having 62 players vying
for the local prize of a Dictionary and the opportunity to play
in the June 17 Finals at Cobo Hall. The Final prizes were
exceptional. First Prize$1,000 Bondwent to Don Brazell.
Second Prize$500 Bondto Sue Hildebrandt. Third prize
$200 Bondto Robert Pickney whod been playing only a
year.
Dick Miles got a Letter (TTT, July-Aug., 1972, 9) from
an 18-year-old who only got interested in playing about 9
months ago and then got pumped up by reading Dicks book.
Here are some excerpts from this not-so-young dreamers pen:
I started getting interested because I
Don Brazell - a $1000 bond
worked in our school as a janitor, and I would sneak
AND a Dictionary
into the field house and watch some kids and teachers
batting the ball around.
I had played table tennis before about ten times (with my mother and brother
and they always demolished my pure backhand stroke). I never played after I was
twelve because I was always embarrassed to be beaten by my mother.
One day (about one month after purchasing your book) I finished work early
and rushed to play ping-pong. Everyone had left. I sadly walked away, determined to
beat anyone who challenged me.
That night I practiced for the first time. I didnt enjoy the practice but it helped.
My technique now included a forehand block.
351

I then took approximately one day off from work each week. My boss didnt
like that. But I didnt care. I began to love ping-pong. I kept practicing and playing and
skipping work. My boss threatened to fire me. Work or ping-pong, he said.
Then, only three weeks after I stopped, the school phys-ed people said no
more ping-pong.
As a radical, I decided to fight for us players. (As for me possibly being an exping-ponger? Forget it!) We finally got them to move the tables into the schools
lobbyunder the stairs. But that didnt last long. They took the tables once more.
January, February, March. Theyre going to give them back! We get our own
room! Two tables! Great! So I play one more week and quit the caf and Carl.
I play ping-pong every day, every period of school I can and after school.
Ping-Pong turns into Table Tennis. Rules, legal rackets, good balls come into play. The
month of May I changed from being the best penholder (there were only three of them
anyway) to a medium shakehands player. I dont like being beat, but now Im as good
as I was. Ive beat everyone except one teacher in the school (theyve beat me too). He
psyches me out because he makes me believe Ill never beat him.
I plan to become great. I think I have the determination to learn the game
and win.
I want to play in the Worlds next year. I want to win the U.S. Open next year.
I think it possible and also impossible.
Maybe Ill never make it.Who knows? But isnt it that crazy love for the game
that makes you win? I joined the Marines (would you believe it?) to mainly have a good
paying future while taking
advantage of their sports program.
They say if I have the desire they
will help me learn and win.
Who knows, maybe, just
maybe, I will win the U.S. Open
next year and then the Worlds. If
I dont this time Ill keep trying
until I die. This isnt the last time
youll hear from me, Dick Miles.
Who knows, maybe youll be my
coach.
RICH FENGLER
221 Catalpa Rd.
Wilton, Conn.
06897
Maybe Dick will be his coach?
Dick called young Mr. Fengler to
welcome him to the Game, and on Richs
first leave the two are going to hit some,
perhaps have a coaching session with the
robot waiting to meet this new pupil at
Dicks apartment.
352
Dick says, Want to give your game a lift?
Practice with the robot

So he drives a hearse; Coach Schleff himself brings a busload of life to his tournament

Jeff Williams
Photo by Mal Anderson

Indianas
Coach Schleff
(TTT, Jan.-Feb,
Angelo Dimalanta (L), age 5, playing brother
1973, 24) held his
Eric, age 6, for the 1971 U.S. Athletic Association Age 6 Championships at the William
2nd Annual
Wirt High School in Gary, Indiana, with
National
Coach Schleff as umpire
Interscholastic
tournament May 45 in Gary for players aged 6 to 18. Coach says, There were
225 boys and girls from 50 cities and 12 states entered
though, alas, when his basement was flooded he lost most of
the school results. The 6-7-8-year-olds played on the only
25-inch table in the world! Perhaps the most promising
youngsters were Jeff Williams, 9, and Mary Lou Piatek, 10.
Coach isnt the only one wanting little tots to learn
how to loop or hit. Dr. Ray Chen epoxied a string onto a
table tennis ball and hung it from a ceiling at his home.
Heres his youngling swatting the ball. And while I think of
Early swinger
it, Topicswhat a catch-all it is!has taken to publishing
12-year-old kids ping-pong poetry and prose, and getting a Thank You for it from their
teacher, Ms. Leslie Williams. (The kids are very excited and anxious to see their work in
print.)
353

Cheerful samples:
I am a little ping-pong ball.
I cry and cry.
People slap me up and down,
They slap me until I die.
I really like being a ping-pong ball because I like flying and I like the view.
But there are disadvantages like being slammed too hard and being mistreated by
humans and animals. I never get to see my mother because she was shipped to China to
play in a tournament. My father was lost in the garden of the Smith home and never
was found.

Nigerias Waidi Dawodu

Photo by Dave Lindquist

Daughter/Mother combo Barbara/Dorothy Taschner

Norm Schless can play with anything

Photo by Mal Anderson

Photo by Mal Anderson

Coach also held his U.S. Athletic Association Open May 4-5 in Gary. Waidi Dawodu,
the former Nigerian International, won the Mens, followed by runner-up Jim Lazarus, and
semifinalists Arni Muzumdar and Tom McEvoy. Womens went to Barbara Taschner over her
mother Dorothy. Mens Doubles winners: Muzumdar/Alan Goldstein over Dawodu/Elijah
Ositelu. Mixed: Jeff Smart/Barb Taschner over Muzumdar/Mary Lou Piatek Aside from the
usual events, Coach offered some specials. Hard Rubber: Bruce Ackerman over Norm
Schless, deuce in the 3rd. Wood Only: McEvoy over Bruce McGhee, after Bruce had edged
Schless 23-21 in the 3rd. Use Anything But A Paddle: Schless over Mark Graham whod had
the balls to oust Coach, 19 in the 3rd.
Other results: Mens As: McEvoy over Emmanuel King. Womens As: Piatek over
Lorma Bauer. Bs: McEvoy over Ositelu (from down 2-1), and over Laszlo Keves (from down
2-0). Cs: Mike Menzer in the semis in 5 over Alex Laufer, and in the final, 18 in the 4th, over
Robert Irvin whod finish the season on the top rung of President Robert Gatess Illinois
Ladder Tournament. Esquires: Frank Tharaldson over Bill Hornyak. Seniors: Tharldson over
Ackerman whod eliminated Schless in 5.
Dawodu also won the Illinois Open over Richard Mazurek; the Illinois Spring Open
over Jim Davey; the Woodland Open over Dell Sweeris, was runner-up to John Tannehill at
the Fort Dearborn Open. At the Lincoln State Open, Jerry Karbulka was best in Singles (over
Junior winner Mike Veillette) and in Doubles with Steve Isaacson (over Leonard McNeece/
Davey). In Womens play, Barb Taschner defeated Darlene Friedman to win the Illinois Spring
354

Open, the Fort Dearborn Open, and later the Windy City
Open. At the Woodland, Deb Foster was best in Womens
and Junior Girls, while Mike Baber won the U-17s and
15s and Perry Schwartzberg the U-13s. Four Class A titles
in this cluster of tournaments went to Alan Goldstein; Joe
Bujalski, win or lose, was also a several-time finalistin
Seniors and
Class B/C play.
At the
21st Columbus,
Ohio Midwest
tournament,
Mary Ann
Deb Foster, Woodland Winner
Photo by Mal Anderson
Burdick outdid
John Tannehill,
winning 4 events to his 3. Mary Ann won the
Womens round robin over runner-up Anne Fish
and Kathy Dement; the Girls 17 over Kathy; the
Womens Doubles with Kathy; and the Mixed with
Tannehill. Runner-up in the Mens Singles to John
was Danny Seemiller whod ousted Graham Gear
and Tim OGrosky, after Tim had been down 2-1
to Dick Hicks. Tannehill also won the Class AA
Mary Ann Burdick - won four events
over Bill Sharpe, though John was earlier forced
into the 5th with Lesner. In Mens Doubles, Tannehill/Bill Hodge might have won in straight
games but were beaten in 5 by Lesner/Smart who defeated Seemiller/Joe Rokop in the final.
Bs went to newly elected Ohio TTA President John Spencer over Rokop in 5. Esquires to
Bill Rapp over Ed Bacon. Seniors to Rapp over George Rocker. Boys 17: Seemiller over
Rokop. Boys 15: Baber over Rick Seemiller.
Hugh Babb reports (TTT, July-Aug., 1972, 21) that Kingsport, Tennessees Volunteer
Open, held May 13-14 at the Civic Auditorium, offered prize money for the first timeover
$300 worth. In Championship Singles, after semifinal round robin play, Clay Whitelaw was the
$100 winnerover Hans Dietl in the semis, and Don Gaither in the final. Down 2-1, Gaither
opened the 4th by smoking in four backhands, only to be quickly subdued by Whitelaws
fabulous play.Up 18-7, Clay killed a kill and let out a whoop of joyaccompanied by an
I cant miss!
In his semis, Don had a win over John Tannehill. And just how did that happen?
Turns out John and Bill Hodge didnt show on time for their Sunday morning doubles semi
and were defaulted. Then, feeling they were wronged, they leftmeaning that John never
did play his round robin matches. Doubles winners were Hou-Min Chang/Gaither over Homer
Brown/Dietl, also by default. Babb said he didnt want to go into details, but he thought
Tournament Chair Mickey Greer was courageous and correct in his calls.
Other winners: Womens: 1. Betsy Bradley. 2. Jean Poston. 3. Carol Cook (19, but
playing only a few months). Mixed Doubles: Chang and wife Anne over John White/Cook in
5. Seniors: Sol Lewis over White, 25-23 in the 5th. Babb said that Sol descended on us from
out of the blueflew down from Virginia Beach in his own plane, whipped out his anti355

topspin, and soared back home again a winner. Hugh also said that the requirement of being
a full USTTA member accounted for less than expected local entries. So, realizing that the $5
membership fee plus entry fees made playing costs a bit steep if you werent real serious,
Hugh thought that perhaps the USTTA should consider reinstating the Playing Permit. (Hugh
wont like it that the Membership fee is going up to $10, but he will presumably approve of
the $2 Adult/$1 Junior Playing Permit.)
Duke Stogner says that at his Arkansas Razorback Open,
when our trophy supplier failed to receive the table tennis figures in
time for our tournament he decided it would be appropriate to use the
Razorback Pig as a figure. A great idea, said many of the playersa
pig on a trophy, something different, something to show everyone. It
wasnt good, though, that the air-conditioning wasnt working for a
while. A few players were getting sick from the heatSid Maynard
from Texas had to go back to his hotel. Several other players
couldnt even stand up because of the accumulation of moisture on
the playing floor. Just one of those days when everything went
wrong.
Strengthened by his wind-her-up-and-let-her-go loops, Don
Berry, soon to return to England, was the Mens $50 prize winner
Duke Stogner: a pig on a
over 14-year-old Oklahoma Champ Steve Hammond ($25), whod
trophy? Why not?
earlier gone 5 with Paul LeBlanc. Don Gaither was 3rd ($15); Dennis
Crawford, murder on barriers, 4th ($10). Biggest upset? Russ Finley over Cecil Kost. Peggy
Shaha (5-0) won the round robin Womens. Shirley Woo was 2nd; Norma LeBlanc 3rd. Mens
Doubles went to Berry/Kost over Hammond/Crawford; Mixed to Kost/Woo over Berry/
LeBlanc.
Ray Filz reports (TTT, July-Aug., 1972, 24) that, at
their mid-May Classic, Atlanta organizers had their first
cash award competition, with a total of $340 being given
away. The Championship Singles produced an all-Florida
final: 1972 National B Singles winner Richard McAfee
($100) defeated his fellow Orlando practice partner Steve
Rigo ($75) for the title. Mac, whos now won three straight
Atlanta tournaments, went 5 with Steve, but was almost
eliminated earlier when Ralph Kissel had him doublematch-point down in the 5th. Rigo had lost, 3-0, to Clay
Whitelaw at the Kingston tournament, but got revenge
here, rallying from 2-1 down. Semifinalist Don Gaither
($50) won Third Place over Whitelaw ($25) with a coin flip
when both were eager to leave for home. In the Double
Elimination Womens event, Betsy Bradley and her twosided plain wooden racket upset Bev Hess in their initial
match, but then Bev came back to defeat Betsy twice and
win the $25 1st Prize.
Other results: Championship Doubles: Gaither/Jerry
Atlanta Classic Champion
Thrasher over McAfee/Rigo, 19 in the 5th in the semis, and
Richard McAfee
over Whitelaw/Bill Edwards, 19 in the 4th in the final.
Photo by Mal Anderson
356

Mixed Doubles: McAfee/Bev Hess over Greg Gingold/Theresa Miller. Class A: Pete May
($30) over Bob Walker whod stopped Gingold in 5. Class A Doubles: Carl Golden/Jim
Altenbach over Hess/Wayne Daunt. Class B: Randy Hess ($25) over Jim Thompson just
returning now from a two-year stint in the Army. Seniors: Bob Walker ($10) over Cyril
Lederman. Juniors: Edwards, calm and cool, says reporter Filz, even with hair in his eyes,
over Octavio Pinnell in 5 in the semis and over Daunt three-zip in the final. Filz said he and his
friends wanted to shove three dozen Hannos down every sportswriters throat, when, after
theyd provided an Atlanta paper with 15 minutes worth of results and information, they got
only an inch and a half coverage.
The Baton Rouge Club held its annual City Closed with 36 men vying for the two
Championships. Singles went to Larry Fisher, an extremely steady and fast player, over
Hugh Baxley, 1971 National Class C Champion.
Randy Hess tells us that H Brown, after 10 years of service to the Orlando Club,
resigned as President, citing additional job responsibilities with Martin-Marietta and the
desire for a rest. H organized the first [USTTA] affiliated Club in Florida and held
Floridas first [USTTA] sanctioned tournament. The new President of the Orlando Club is
Richard McAfee whos supported by 1st V-P Ray Mergliano, 2nd V-P Randy Hess, Secretary
Olga Soltesz, and Treasurer Steve Rigo.
In his write-up of the 2nd Annual Orlando Spring Open (the Orlando Clubs 32nd
sanctioned tournament) Randy didnt have to point out that Club officials and trophy winners
were one and the same. In Championship Singles, in the one semi, Rigo, after falling two
games behind, rallied to triumph over McAfee 23-21 in the 5th. In the other, Merglianos loop/
smash sponge play was too much for hard rubber chopper/pick hitter Marv Leff who, like Ray,
was a former Florida Closed Champion. The final proved to be no contest as Ray blasted
through Steve.
Womens winner Soltesz was thought to be 5 points better since her trips to Japan and
China. Runner-up Bev Hess downed attractive, petite Caron Leff, playing again after an
absence of four yearsbut Bev didnt knock Caron out like the hospital she just got out of
did. While there shed contracted Mesin diseasewas found to be highly allergic to a drug
she was taking for bronchitis.
Randy made much of a B Doubles pair74year-old Tom Wisman and 71-year-old Paul Jackson.
Tom was born in Amsterdam, Holland, moved to Canada
when he was 30 or so, and now spends half a year in
Toronto, half a year in Deltona, Florida. An amateur
wrestler, he, at 37, wrestled Frank Hart who went on to
win the World professional title. Tom was the U.S.
Esquire Champion in 1963 and 64, and his daughter,
Diane, won the 1957 CNE Womens Open. Paul, from
Logansport, Indiana, moved to Rhode Island when he
was in his early forties, and after WW II played in almost
every single Nationals, winning the Over 50s in 1950. A
few years after retiring from the steel equipment business
in 1958 he moved to Florida.
At the fun Players Party, eight-year-old Ronnie
Ron Rigo: bubble gum balls?
Rigo and Leslie Soltesz made the drawings for the two
Photo by Greg Carpenter
357

Walt Disney World ticket books. What! The winners, Jack Speir and Pat Patterson, were
playing chess together when their names were called. Sorry to interrupt, come celebrate. Why
not? If ever they were happy with a draw, this had to be it.
The Maryland/Washington. D.C. Closed, held Memorial Day weekend at Riverdale,
MDs Parkdale Senior High, brought out 130 entries, more than for the Easterns. Tournament
Committee Chair Bob Kaminsky (TTT, July-Aug., 1972, 26) said the New Carrollton Club
sponsors felt that from this large entry the Sport was on the rise, and they were also
encouraged by the media response. Though only 30 paid spectators showed, even here Hope
prevailed. Kaminsky looked for possible reasons why the outside attendance was low:
First of all, it was a warm Memorial weekend and many people might have
been out of town or swimming; next, we had to compete with the Transpo Exposition
which drew hundreds of thousands of people that day; third, we had no big names;
and, finally, our advertising was insufficientwe had no posters or TV.
The New Carrollton Mayor was supposed to present the trophies, but he got his dates
mixed up, and a local photographer whod come twice that evening to take the Honorables
picture with the winners never did get the shot. There were winners though:
Mens: Mark Radom over Lem Kuusk. Marks toughest match was with Carl Kronlage; Lems
with Herb Horton. Womens: Barbara Kaminsky over Xuan Ferguson. Mens Doubles:
Radom/Larry Folk over Kaminsky/Peter Deme. Mixed Doubles: Radom/Kaminsky over Carl/
Yvonne Kronlage.
Mens Class A: Deme over Dick Stakes in 5. Womens Class A: Kronlage over Donna
Newell. Class B (57 entries): Ray Chen over David Hodges.
Seniors: Horton over Tibor Hazi whod won a tight 23-21-inthe-5th Mens match from Kaminsky. Boys Under 17: Bryan Due
(from down 2-0) over Jerry Schnick. Under 17 Doubles: Lawlor/
Bob Harris over Due/Bob Fries. Under 15s: Pat Lawlor over
Due. Under 13s: Alan Evenson over Shellie Gainsburg. Under
11s: Kurt Kronlage over Bob Sussman.
Yvonne Kronlage
would be named Woman
of the Month in the JulyAug., 1972 Topics. She and
her husband Carl, members
of the USTTA for 15 years,
have a son Curt, winner of
Yvonne congratuthe U-11s in that Memorial
lates son Curt on
Day Closed, and a daughter
winning the
Yvette. Yvonne, who in the
Championship
last 10 years has opened
Photos by Mal
Anderson
four successful t.t. clubs in
suburban Maryland, and is
currently the President of
the New Carrollton Club,
has just been named the
358

new USTTA Womens Chair. In

addition to urging that tournament
organizers pay as much attention to
staging Womens Matches as Mens,
and that the Editor of Topics give
more coverage to women, Yvonne
was also lobbying for a woman on
the USTTA Executive Committee, a
babysitting service at tournaments,
and local tournament families to offer
hospitality to visiting families.
Donna Chaimson Newell
would be named Woman of the
Month for the Nov.-Dec., 1972
Topics. Back in competition after a 6- Donna Chaimson Newell, Nov.-Dec. Woman of the Month
Photo by Mal Anderson
year retirement, Donna, Barbara
Kaminskys sister, was ranked U.S.
#2 in 1964, and has twice been named MVP at the U.S. Open Team Championships. Married
with two daughters, 5-year-old Michelle and 1-year-old Jennifer, she lives in New Carrollton
and works as a Supervisor for a telephone company. Shes pleased that money is coming into
the game and hopes that table tennis will be televised more.
At the Apr. Delaware Closed, held at the Arden YWCA, the Newark Clubs Dick
Organist defeated Defending Mens and Senior Champion Ken Woods to take both titles. Walt
Guyer/Joel Reisman (after theyd been down 2-0) won the Mens Doubles from Senior
Doubles Champs Organist/Woods. The As went to Al Allen; runner-up was Wako Yokoyama,
the B winner over Mike Hammer. Esquires: Hammer in 5 over former State titleholder Jim
Dike. Juniors: John Traynor over Kevin Giles. Strange that a tournament held at the YWCA
had no women playersthe more strange because at one school 16 girls showed interest in
playing in a high school league.
At the Philadelphia Clubs Ben Franklin Open (130 entries), Herb Vichnin points out
(TTT, July-Aug., 1972, 29) the emphasis being given to improving average and weaker
players by developing Class B, C, and D events. And if the large entries in these events
prevent the Club from doing what Herb says it would like to dohave round robin events for
the juniors, seniors, and womenhey, the large entries for the Class events (Herb says in the
future they might even hold a Class E event) should certainly help the Club prosper.
Mens went to Sam Hammond, -13, -18, 15, 9, 15, over runner-up Lim Ming Chui who, as
Herb says, hadnt lost a game until he dropped those last three. Back in the quarters, Sam had just
eked out a deuce-in-the-5th win over Peter Stephens whod advanced when the seeded Errol Resek
hurt his hand. In his 5-game semis with Mitch Sealtiel, Sam, though he looked like he was fooling
around, continued to find the heat unbearable, worse than in his native Ghana. Credit him then
with downing salt pills and Gatorade through most of the day. Herb says that Sam, whos been in
the finals of three Philly tournaments and has won two of them, leads in the Invitational series
which for those eligible will climax in a pot of prize money. Jerry Fleischhacker, in 7th place, scored
quite an upset in the Mens: when he beat Jim Dixon, everybody went crazy.
Timmy House, tied for 10th, almost, 19, -21, -19, upset Bill Sharpe (he lost that 2nd
game on an edge ball). Timmys left-handed loops counteracted Bills left-hand attack.
359

Semis play in the 10-entry Womens (depending on the entries maybe a cash prize or
two next time), saw Pat Hildebrand 19, 21, 23 stubbornly stop Hilary Cohen, and Muriel Stern
prevail over Xuan Ferguson in 5. Pat then won the final, 3-0. Marguerite Burnett took the As
from Cohen. In Mens Doubles, Vichnin/Johnny Ou had a nice win over the top Rochester
team of Dixon/Emile Short, then took Sealtiel/Dave Philip to 5. Mitch and Dave went on to
win the event, downing Hammond and Alex Shiroky, 19 in the 5th, in the semis, and George
Brathwaite/Stephens in 4 in the final. Mixed winners were Chui/Stern over Brathwaite/
Hildebrand, 19 in the 5th.
Other results: As: Stan Smolanowicz (whod been
down 1-0 and at deuce in the 2nd with House) used his
steady blasting forehand to overpower chopper Marty
Theil. A Doubles: Stephens/Short over Fleischhacker/Horace
Roberts, 19 in the 5th, in the semis, and over Vichnin/Sharpe,
20, 20, -19, 19 in the final. Bs (60 entries): Peter Holder
(recent arrival from the Islands and a member of the United
Nations Team) over House whod ousted Fleischhacker, 20, 18, 20, 17. Cs (60 entries): Hank McCoullum (he moved
from Philly to State College, Pa. right after the tournament)
over 16-year-old Sam Winslow whos been playing seriously
for about six months..
On an adjacent Topics page, Vichnin also covered the
Pennsylvania
Closed. Bill
Sharpe, 40,
was the
Mens
winner
Peter Holder
complaining
of the United Nations Team
that, round
Photo by Mal Anderson
by round, he
had to play all the top juniorsJoey Scheno,
Bill Zatek, Joshua Joe Rokop, and in the
final Danny Seemiller. Herb said Bill beat
Danny, 19, -19, 20, 17, at his own game
out-blocking him! Earlier, Defending Champ
Seemiller had been startled to find himself 1-0
and 14-7 down to Vichnin. Herb didnt win
that one, but, paired with Stanley
Smolanowicz, he did score a big upset in the
semis of the Mens Doubles when in the endMarilyn, Michelle and Herb Vichnin
Photo by Mal Anderson
game 5th Stanley finished off Seemiller/Rokop
with two crushers. But having gotten to the
final, they couldnt beat Sharpe/Theil who won their 6th consecutive Closed Doubles title.
Mixed went to Smolanowicz/Debbie Wong over Vic and wife Marilyn.
As: Smolanowicz over Vichnin whod gotten by Rocker in a 28-minute 2-game
match, 25, 28. In winning the final over Vic, 19 in the 4th, Stanley came back from 19-11
360

down in that closing game to win 10 straight points on 10 of the most amazing forehand
smashes youve ever seen. Bs: Marty Theil over Bruce Plotnick. (In the Mens, Marty and
his Hock bat chopped down Dave Gaskill, 2-time State Champion.) Cs: Scheno over Karl
Szakacs. Esquires: Rocker over Kaercher. Seniors: Rocker over Bill Trump. Senior Doubles:
Esquire/Senior winner Rocker/Robinson over Kaercher/Dave Dickson. Boys Under 15s:
Plotnick in a thriller over Danny Seemillers brother Ricky, 25-23 in the 5th. Boys U-13s:
Plotnick over Bill Sharpe, Jr. Girls Under 15s: Kathy Kaercher over Debbie Wong. Girls
Under 13s: Wong over Beth Van Zandt.
There wasnt any Womens or Girls U-17 play because, Vic said, aside from Pat
Hildebrand, there werent any Women, young or old, playing in Pennsylvania tournaments.
Which is surely something for Womens Chair Yvonne Kronlage to look into, yes? Pat,
however, may not have been at Vichnins Club, but she wasnt idle. As Jairie Resek tells us in
one of her popular Jairie Says: Its Whats Happening gossip columns, Hildebrand held a
clinic this summer for fourteen underprivileged children. Thirteen girls and one boy! I think
Womens Lib got to the youth of Philly! Sponsor of this clinic was Pats telephone employer,
and, as an added feature, Barbara Kaminsky came over from Maryland to give an exhibition
with Pat.
In covering the New Jersey Open, Ray McDowell starts us off (TTT, July-Aug., 1972,
27) with talk of upsets. In the 1st round of the Mens, George Brathwaite goes down to Stan
Smolanowicz in 5 as Stan drives Brathwaite back from the table point after point and angles
his hard forehands right past George for winners. Next, Alex Shiroky, up 2-0 against
Fuarnado Roberts, holds on to win in 5, so Robbie is out.
Then heres Rory Brassington, a
defensive player who is really great to watch,
says Ray, because he gets to so many shots
that seem like winners and disguises his chop so
well. He beats Sam Hammond in straight
games. Next up for Rory: Errol Resek. Into the
5th they go, and its close all the wayErrol
misses so many high nothing balls, he cant
believe it.At 20-all, Resek hits in a forehand
that draws a too loud Good! from Errols
wife, Jairie. Brassington, however, has gotten
to the ball at the same time and is distracted by
the cheer. His return misses the table and hes
disgusted. Im sorry, says Jairie. Will her
mistake cost Rory his chance for $100? No,
because it seems like Resek is more upset than
Brassington. Rory takes the next three points
to advanceand Errol becomes the third U.S.
Rory Brassington: great to watch
Photo by Mal Anderson
player whos toured with the visiting Chinese to
go down. . Meanwhile, Sealtiel has reached the
final with wins over Smolanowicz and Shiroky. Ray doesnt think Mitch gets the recognition
he deserves, and perhaps thats true, for he beats Brassington in 4 for the $100 1st Prize.
Other results: Mens Doubles: Sealtiel/Philip over Brathwaite/Resek. Womens: Muriel
Stern over Karen (Toni) Miller. Mixed Doubles: Philip/Stern over Sealtiel/Miller. As: Sharpe
361

over Thiel, then in the final over Smolanowicz, both in 5. A

Doubles: Sharpe/Theil over Vichnin/Smolanowicz. Bs:
Horace Roberts over Hugh Ching. Consolation: Sharpe over
Brathwaite. Seniors: George Rocker over Manny
Moskowitz. Under 17: Scott McDowell over Mike Stern,
deuce in the 4th. Under 15: McDowell over Howie Korman
who, said Ray, kept his temper under control and so
knocked out not himself but Stern.
The Syracuse, N.Y. TTA, thanks
to Bill McGimpsey (TTT, July-Aug.,
1972, 30), now not only has an
Industrial League going, but the last
weekend in April held its first Open.
Mens: Derek Wall over Jim Dixon
whod eliminated not only Emile Short,
20, -21, 19, but Toronto Physical Fitness
Club instructor Peter Gonda in 5. Mens
Doubles: Wall/Gonda over Dixon/Short.
Womens: Peg Daly over Helgi Mepham
and Helen Weiner. Mixed Doubles: Short/
Daly. As: Ricky Rumble over Neal Fox.
Bs: Steve Kazak over Dave Berard. Cs:
Bill McGimpsey
Cosmo Graham over Mark Trapnell.
Seniors: Jim Perry over Gene Wonderlin.
Juniors: Rumble over Andy Anvelt, 18 in the 3rd.
Heres a word or two on McGimpsey, a 28-year-old
Irishman who emigrated to Canada in 1965, then to the U.S. in
1969, and is now a Sanitary Engineer in Syracuse:

Hugh Ching

[Bill] was born in Northern Ireland. His club

in Newtownards N. Ireland, called Glenford, was the
Steve Kazak
top club in the country, so he quickly became exposed
to the best competition.
However, Bill soon found he was better at teaching people how to play than
playing himself and so began serious coaching. By 1964 he was coaching Irelands top
players. Among them were Jack Cash and Margaret Finley who became the National
Junior Champions, and Cliff Thompson who within two years of proper coaching
became the National Mens Champion.
The LITTA ran its first Junior Open Championships Sunday, May 14 at the Rockville
Centre Rec Building. Early notice of the tournament said that on Saturday, May 13 cots would
be provided both upstairs and downstairs for kids who wanted to sleep over. There was talk of
roller skating, a game room where you can play pool, work with arts and crafts, see a judo
exhibition, have fun square dancing, watch films of U.S. Table Tennis players in China. Danny
Ganz said that 50 kids from 5 states showed, and that his wife Beverlee (gleefully? well, fully)
fed them all.
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Carl Danner covered the Huntington, Long Island

Dept. of Recreation and Parks Tournament for Topics (JulyAug., 1972, 30). Carls dad, Fred, the Tournament Director,
wanted to bring out the basement players, so entry fees
were kept to a minimum, and USTTA membership was not
required. Of the 115 entrants, 60 had never played in a
tournament before. Mens: Dan Green over Sid Jacobs.
Mens Township Singles: Green over Fred Danner.
Womens: Peg Daly over Dans wife, Terry Green. Womens
Township Singles: Green over Ruth Rocke. Doubles: Dan
Green/Gunther Behnke over Gary Wittner and new LITTA
President Chris Schlotterhausen. Consolation: Peter Dunn
over Paul Cohen. Wheelchair: Ty Kaus over Cliff Sessions.
Under 17: Cosmo Graham. Under 17 (Township): Danner
over Marc Landman. Under 15: Danner over David
Rubenstein. Under 15 (Township): Danner over Dave
Durham.
Danny Green
Lim Ming Chui won the New England Closed over
Photo by Mal Anderson
Surasak and was of course ranked #1 in the area, while
Surasak, for reasons unknown to me, was #8. Frank Dwelly, Ed Raky, Dave Sakai, Benny
Hull, and former New England Junior Champ and now its
Ranking Chair, Bill Dean, followed in that order. Bob
Monahan in his article At The Waltham Club (TTT,
Sept.-Oct., 1972, 17) quotes Hull as saying, Back in the
early 50s we [Frank Dwelly and I] hired a hall in
Waltham [MA] a couple of nights a week, got some tables
and we had a pretty good-sized group playing right away.
Now, 20 years later, Hull and Dwelly have each won the
New England Doubles Championship 10 times, and their
6-table Waltham Club has 70 active players.
Monahan quotes Hull as saying, When I was 18 I
had polio pretty bad.
Needed the braces and
crutches to get around.
Benny Hull
Then I started to play table
tennis. I started out by holding on to the table while playing, and
after a while I started to get balance. Just kept at it, loved it, and
now I get around without any help.Sure I still have a slight
limp, but I can play. Indeed he cansome nights till 2 a.m. in
the yawning.
In the July-Aug., 1972 issue of Topics, Chui, the Hong
Kong High School Champion before emigrating at 17 to the
U.S., got a few things off his chest, or, hopefully, his back. In
the table tennis world, he said, hed been a victim of racism.
Whether this was true or not, Ming certainly felt that hed not
Lim Ming Chui: victim of racism?
been treated fairly, particularly by some tournament directors
Photo by Mal Anderson
363

(30). Fellow New Englander Bill Dean also thought Chui might have been the victim of
prejudice, and was sure that there were occasions when Ming let himself be disturbed or
irritated at a tournament to the point where it affected his play.
I myself recall a Long Island tournament where several of us were making the Mens
Draw and didnt know what to do with this new player Surasak whom we knew was good but
who had Insufficient Data. We had no clear-cut basis for his seeding vis-a- vis another couple
of players. So we rationalizedand put him in the quarters gainst D-J Lee. Being young and
new to the scene he wouldnt object as some circuit regular we knew probably would, so we
took an easy out. In doing this, we were showing cowardice, favoritism, and prejudicewe
should have insisted on flipping. That is the only instance I can recall where I was privy to
making a Draw I wasnt comfortable with. So, though I dont know whether Ming was a
victim of prejudice, I certainly believe
Drawmakers havent always been objective.
In his Gunn Shots column in the Sept.Oct. issue of Topics, Don Gunn fired back a few
rounds at Chui, saying that he should stop the
whining. The equality guaranteed by the
Constitution is equality before the law, not in the
eyes of ones fellow men. The Revolution only set
the American Dream into motion, it did not bring
it to fruition. Chui, Gunn thinks, expects too
much. Americas only a place, its citizens are
merely human. That there is prejudice against
Orientals goes without saying. Why not? Whites
cant get along with other Whites. But to say
that anyone in America bothers to harass an
Oriental by assigning him to a poor table is a
notion which attributes to us an un-American
thoroughness. Chui plays on the same tables as
his opponents do. Gunn makes the
From Don Gunns perspective theres not
much prejudice in table tennis
generalization that most of the Orientals who
From 1969 U.S. Open Program, 23
play in the United States conduct themselves far
better than do their non-Oriental counterparts,
with one exception. I have never seen one who was not a table hog (19). All things
considered, says Gunn, Chui would be hard-pressed to find a sport with as little prejudice as
table tennis (19).
These comments drew the wrath of Bert Jacobs (TTT, Nov.-Dec., 1972,) who calls
Gunn a facist, though perhaps an unconscious one. Jacobs says, The discrimination against
non-whites has reached such proportions that it can occur without thought on the part of the
racist. He lambasts Gunn for having forgotten that America is more than a place, it is a
belief, an experiment in freedom, justice and equality. Gunns pessimism about America and
the American Dream, as expressed in that Why not? acknowledgement of racism, is a
killer. God help us all if those feelings infiltrate the country. Jacobs likens Gunns table hog
generalization of Orientals to generalizations made by Ku Klux Klanners about whites or antisemites about Jews. He urges Chui to keep whining about racism, inhumanity, inequality, and
anything else which tries to make this country weak (4).
364

On reading Don and Bert, fellow Ohioan Andy Gad pens a poem:
There is a man called Don Gunn
Who plays for sport and writes for fun.
There is also a boy named Bert
Whose greatest attribute is throwing dirt.
Gunn himself responds (TTT, Jan.-Feb., 1973), says that when Gunn was young, he
fought in a big war against fascists; at that time fascists were people who sent guys like Bert
Jacobs right up the chimney. Now a fascist is just someone with whom Bert disagrees. You
must admit thats quite an improvement (29). In his Gunn Shots in this same issue, having
established a context hes interested in, he unabashedly fires another salvo: Have you ever
met a recent immigrant who did not claim to have been a champion in his homeland? That is
the first claim for every one of them. After they have lost a few [times] comes the second
claim, of not having played for a long time (18).
These lines in turn prompt a very indignant Letter to Topics from an IMMIGRANT. I
demand, says New Englands Chuck Chan, an apology from Mr. D. Gunn and the editorial
staff of the USTTAs Topics for the very distasteful lines.

365

Chapter Twenty-Seven
1972: E.C. Preoccupations.
The new Administration coming in July 1st brought
changes to the USATT leadership. Boggan, Lederman,
Bochenski, Howard, and Zakarin were inSteenhoven,
Carr, and Herbst were out. Changes in Tournament
Directors would occur: Walt Stephens in place of Dick
Hicks as National Tournament Director; Herb Vichnin in
place of Stephens in the Eastern Region; and Tom McEvoy
in place of Myron Mike Edgerton in the Midwest Region.
Some Committeemen were also changed: Advertising:
Zakarin replaced Herbst; Affiliates: Feuerstein was now CoChair with Chris Schlotterhausen; Disciplinary: Jack Carr
replaced Gene Wilson; Intercollegiate: Steve Arnold replaced
Walt Stephens
Doug Stewart whod returned to his native New Zealand;
Photo by Mal Anderson
International: Bob Kaminsky replaced Rufford Harrison; Public
Relations: Herbst was now co-Chair with Charlie Disney;
Ranking: Bard Brenner replaced John Read; Selection: Dick Miles replaced Read (but Brenner had
an immediate role as Acting Selection Chair); Womens: Yvonne Kronlage replaced Betty Hibner.
New Committees established (immediately or as the season progressed): Fund Raising
with Boggan as Chair; Junior Development with Fred Danner as Chair; Rating with Howard as
Chair; Patrons with Herbst as Chair.
Treasurer Sweeris had earlier presented a USTTA Balance Sheet for the 9 Months
ending Feb. 29, 1972. At that point, Income for those months totaled $24,576.53 (with a net
$7, 325.75 coming in from Membership), while Expense totaled $22,347.56 (with a net
$9,816.10 going out for Topics). The Net Worth of the Association was $19,311.35.
At the June 18th E.C. Meeting, Dell estimated a current USTTA cash to the good
value of $13,000.
A tried and true way of bringing in money was through Equipment Chair Jack Carrs
USTTA Racket Approval program. After August 1, 1973, the manufacturers shall pay to the
USTTA 5c per racket[or a lump sum] for all USTTA approved rackets manufactured in or
shipped to the U.S.A. Also, either the manufacturer or the distributor of these approved rackets
will be required to have an ad in Topics. Further, any racket
a player plays with in a USTTA-sanctioned Regional or
National tournament must meet ITTF specifications.
Beginning with the 1972 U.S. Open Team Championships,
a player participating in a three-or-four-star tournament
must play with a USTTA-approved racket. If he doesnt, he
has to pay a $1 fee to the [tournament] sponsor.
One USTTA member from California, Jim
Goodwin, was upset enough to write to Topics. A
racket is a very personal thing, he said. If I make my
own racket, or buy one when I visit Japan, I have to pay
a buck to play with it? Bullshit! He argues that the
366

manufacturers dont pay the nickel to the USTTA, the player does, for the rule just gives the
manufacturers an excuse to jack the prices up higher. Sarcastically, he says, If the USTTA
is so hard up, Ill send an extra damn nickel with my dues, even a nickel for Jack Carr, if hell
get off the equipment committeeand capping this little outburst he encloses with his article
a Jefferson-head E Pluribus Unum nickel. In God We trust, it says, and Liberty.
Jack responds that if the USTTA wants to forego several thousand dollars income
each year, thats stupid. To which many would surely agree. Indeed, with more members
reading more of the enlarged Topics, the Editor wants to raise the magazines advertising
rates. But why does the player have to pay a $1? Because, says Carr, the manufacturers
require a method of policing. Jack says to Jim, You can still use your tinker-toy special, but
it may cost you one or two dollars a year. If thats what youre going to use, in all probability
you shouldnt be playing in a 3-Star in the first place. Its discouraging, to say the least, to see
beginners make fools of themselves by playing in our national championships.
Gus Kennedy felt that a way of bringing in money, perhaps specifically for the U.S.
Team, was to have a Sponsors Corner in Topics where members could see the contributions
that were made and be moved to buy that sponsors product and tell him so with a Thank You
letter. At the Aug. 5-6, 1972 E.C. Meeting a Motion was passed, with Mort Zakarins help, to
allow Marketing Mix as our agent to contact Dr. Pepper and/or other possible sponsors with
the purpose of developing the 1973 World Team sponsorship [commitment to be made within
six weeks]. John Reads Motion that the E.C. investigate possibilities of financial subsidy
from the Federal Government for any U.S. team or activity was passed 5-2-1 with Howard
and Zakarin voting No and Sweeris Abstaining.
Meanwhile, President Boggan would appeal to the generosity of the membership in
general, and his appointee Fred Herbst would explore possibilities with his Patrons
Committee. Anyone could become a Patron by donating $500 annually to some specific
USTTA area (Junior Development, say, or the International Team Fund). Membership would
bring you various perkslike free entry in and special seating privileges at any USTTAsanctioned tournament, or access to a Patrons lounge/bar at major tournaments. By the Sept.Oct., 1972 Topics, there were nine Charter members of this Board of Patrons: Charlie Disney
((Dain, Kalman,& Quail), Joe Newgarden, Michael Pascucci, Dr. Isaac Sanders, Steve
Shoemaker, Lester Spitzley, Graham Steenhoven, Marianne Szalay, and Bob Walker. I
myself cant recall ever having a drink in such a lounge, if ever there was one, and this
Board of Patrons will not, as one USTTA member feared, become an elite, de facto
USTTA Board.
The International Team Fund (ITF) had added $1,913.67 (Senior $1,334; Junior
$579.67) to its May 31, 1971 Balance of $4,203.48, making a total ITF Fund as of Feb. 29,
1972 of $6,117.15. Dick Lesner, Industry-experienced in Product Development and
Promotion fields, had put forward (TTT, Mar.-Apr., 1972, 20) a many-faceted, extremely
ambitious one-to-three-year Fund-Raising plan. His aim was to raise as quickly as possible
$10,000 for the U.S. World Team, and, having set up a corporation and issued 100,000 shares
of stock, go on from there. The E.C. had approved his immediate interest in selling USTTA
decals at $1 apiece (an idea that had worked before), but nixed his plan to start a separate
company and, apparently from Dicks point of view, wasnt sufficiently receptive to his efforts.
Boggan, the titular head of Fund-Raising, would later write a letter to Dick, explaining that,
while greatly appreciating his contributions, the USTTA also wanted to pursue other avenues
of Fund-Raising.
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Dicks son, Bill, sharing his dads ambitions, wanting to work in complementary
fashion with him, hoped to stage Ping-pong-athons. To raise funds for players, including
Juniors, to travel to World tournaments in 1973, he wanted in 10 major cities to initiate kickoff Mall exhibitions, then hold contests there. He thought that, with the ploy of allowing
anyone repeated entries (compete again and again, guys, as many times as you want; get
better, win), youngsters would bug their parents to bring them to the malls when they go
shopping, and from this theyd get donations. Bill would test out the idea in the Detroit/
Pontiac area, and report the outcome in Topics (but no such Report ever appeared.)
Marv Shaffer noted in his June 18th Membership Report:
Membership increased in dollar value from $6,000 (approximately) in the period
July, 1970-May, 1971 to
$14,700 in the period
July, 1971-May, 1972.
This increase is 140%
dollarwise, but does not
reflect doubling of the
membership because of
the different rates
involved. Literature sales
during the above
respective periods of 70/
71 and 71/72 rose from
$400.00 to $800.00
(approximately) and the
sales from decals and
emblems from $110.00
to $350.00.
Strangely, for more
than two years, from the time
I began editing my first (JulyAug., 1970) Topics, I cant find
Marv ever reporting, or being
asked to report, at any time, just
how many members the USTTA
had. Finally, after Fred Danner
(TTT, May-June, 1972, 11)
estimated that we had between
3000 & 5000 members (that
was the closest the USTTA could
come to an accurate figure?),
Marv reported in the Jan.-Feb,
1973 Topics that the Association
had 3,990 Adult members and
1,225 Junior members.
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Danner said that 10 years ago when he was USTTA Membership Chair, there were
2000 adult USTTA members plus or minus 400 (at $2/yr) depending on what month of the
year it was, and a certain number of junior members at 25c each per yearthe fewer the
better since each one represented a financial loss to the USTTA. Back then, the Membership
Chair got nothing (but aggravation) for working a minimum of 24 hours a week, and today,
even with the computer automation available to Shaffer (who himself has the problem of
limited volunteer time), the job is still the toughest in Table Tennis.
Whats needed to breathe new life into U.S. Table Tennis is a whole new
restructuring. Here are Freds suggestions on how to expand the Membership. First, raise the
Adult membership fee to at least $10/year [this has been done] and the junior fee to at least $5/
year [junior fee remains at $2]. Second, pay the National Membership Chairman $1
commission for each membership received. He can keep the $1 for each membership he
directly processes but will refund 50c to a regional director who sold a membership and
processed it.
Third, set up regional chairmen. The apportionment of membership regions would be
under the direct control of the National Membership Chair who is not only appointed by the E.C.
but becomes an E.C. Vice-President with voting privileges. However, the E.C. must approve the
regional directors, and of course has the power to replace the Membership Chair if he isnt doing
his job. Fourth, dont force first time players to become [USTTA] members; allow them to
participate in a USTTA Open tournament by purchasing a $2 playing permit [this has been
done]. Fifth, let closed intrastate tournaments be run without requirements for any permits or
membership fees (just sanction and fighting fund fees). Use the small tournaments as get
acquainted events. Sixth, allow Juniors to voteitll help keep them in the Sport.
Fred points out that it has often been said that the USTTA cannot afford a full time
Secretarythough in the next year who should
suddenly want to subscribe to our magazine but Bill
Haid, Topics Editor from 1949-52, who in 1978 will
become the USATTs first modern-era Executive
Director. Fred believes that the use of a commission
fee for selling a membership would build up to the
point where the National Membership Chairman
could virtually earn his living at this. Analogously,
he notes how the $1 per match umpires fee caused
the umpires problem to disappear in large
tournaments.
Fred thinks, and has the interest and guts to
draw conclusions and make strong statements; hes
therefore very helpful to the Association, even if one
disagrees with him. I dont see why, with this
proposed restructuring, people will buy memberships
when they arent buying them now. To put 50c in a
Bill Haid, appointed
regional directors pocket? And kids, often with
USTTA
Executive Director, 1978
limited knowledge, rushing out there to umpire
matches when their only concern is making a buck,
has that solved the umpire problem? Freds goal of 50,000 USTTA members seems quite
illusory to me, and, in any case, his restructuring idea was never followed up on.
369

Danner of course is serious about his job as USTTA Director of

Junior Development. To attract new young players, he wants to
implement (TTT, July-Aug., 16/Sept.-Oct., 12), with the help of a
network of USTTA State Junior Chairmen supported by hundreds
of volunteer helpers, a three-fold Program. He needs: a) People to
run it (& coach); b) Money to support it; c) Places for Juniors to
play. Since a manual has to be put together describing how to
organize & run Junior Table Tennis Leagues & how to introduce
Table Tennis into the public school system, the E.C. at their Aug.
Meeting will authorize Fred to prepare a junior table tennis league
handbook. Leagues and Varsity Team Matches would help sustain
interest and provide a high school/college connection. Also, more
interest could be sustained if Topics had a special Junior section.
Fred says theres a good chance of setting up a Junior Table
Tennis Foundationwhich would permit contributions to be tax
deductible. Theres the need for a free place for the Juniors to
Fred Danner
play, with decent conditions, and in a setting where parents feel their
children are safe. (Fred believes that, if the Junior Programs to
succeed, the Sport must ultimately become a family activity.) Junior Development to be
successful will have to make it in our public school system as a regular curricular sport. When
this happens there is no limit to U.S. table tennis expansion.
Fred did a computer run (July 8, 1972) and used some 1970 census facts to come up
with A Statistical Look At U.S.T.T.A. Junior memberships. States with the most USTTA
Juniors were (1) New York, 221; (2) California, 145; and (3) Maryland, 143. But on
considering the number of Juniors in relation to the overall Junior population in a state, the
leaders changed: (1) Nebraska, 91 out of 295,000; (2) Maryland, 143 out of 765,000; and
Oregon, 36 out of 414,000New York was 7th; California 13th. I dont know what this
proves, however, because everyones aware its certain pocket areas that provide whats
necessary for Junior development (a good place to play, friendly peers, coaching, and strong
competitive activity). One of the states with no USTTA Junior membersand this came as a
surprise to mewas Delaware where theres long been tournament play. (Later, Delawares
Rufford Harrison will chastise Fred for not acknowledging that some Juniors there do have
USTTA Club memberships.)
Leading pocket areas for USTTA Juniors were (1) Long Island, 122 (though all of
Eastern Suffolk County couldnt have added many members); Omaha, 75 (another surprise);
Baltimore, 73; and Atlanta, 44. (Any other pocket had less than 30 Junior members.) The
question Fred asks is, Why are some pockets more successful than others? Eugene, Oregon
has a population of only 42,000, but it has 29 USTTA Juniors. What are Lou Bochenski and
others doing right? (Do they insist, like Kronlage and Kaminsky at their New Carrollton, MD
Club, that Club members, including Juniors, be full USTTA members? Or do they have special
secrets that make the kids want to be coached, play competitively, engage in organized fun?)
How important is it that the Census tells us theres a large pool of 9-18-year-olds living
in one state area? Is size of such significance? Chinas a huge country, yes, but why is sparsely
populated Sweden also so powerful in world table tennis when other, larger countries are not?
Long ago, Dick Miles, for one, explained why Lawrences N.Y.C. Club turned out so many
U.S. World Team membersstrong players beget a cluster of other strong players.
370

Danner, as he considers the decades-long problems of the USTTA and tries to come up
with what he hopes are solutions, offers more suggestions (TTT, July-Aug., 1972, 11). Lets
Modernize Our Tournament Policies, he says. Maybe hes been listening to fellow Long
Islander Vinnie Cavaleri? Vinnie, tired of being clobbered by C players who are ringers that
can hold their own in Class B, or even Class A, says that if the less skilled players are given
chances to win matches through the establishment of Class D, Class E, Class F events, out
from their basements, cellars, and dens they would comeand you would find them joining
[the USTTA] in droves.
Fred certainly wants more USTTA players and to that end is primed for a number of
policy changeshe wants to combat negative methods and practices for conducting
sanctioned USTTA tournaments[that] if continued will kill any chance for table tennis
expansion in the United States. He sees 10 problem areas.
First ProblemUSTTA Sanctioning Methods. Regional Directors too often hold
back their sanctioning approvals of tournamentssometimes because theyre not sure whether
they might conflict with tournaments elsewhere in the Region. This restrictive attitude was
defended on the grounds that tournament promoters could lose money on fewer entries and
would not attract top players if more than one tournament were held in the region. But this
approach, says Fred, is quite absurd.
Last year, we had only about 100 Open tournaments in the whole country. Dont we
want more? On the one hand, why shouldnt top players be able to choose where it best
behooves them to play? And on the other, with this restrictive sanctioning policy promoters are
being asked to ignore the average Class-event player who wants to play in tournaments. Arent
their entry-fee dollars helpful to the USTTA, to our World Team Fighting Fund? Dont worry
if the wrong player wins a tournament. Worry more if prospective players cant find a
tournament to play in. Only for the weekend of the Nationals and the one Regional Open of
the season should regional play be restricted. All other weekends any club with adequate
facilities should be allowed to run a tournamentOPEN or CLOSED.
Second ProblemNeed for a Buffer-Type Tournament. Fred urges an approved
tournament where the USTTA gives promotional effort & holds down expenses for novice and
first time players. The USTTA has to do grass-roots work with local recreation groups &
others such as the YMCA, Boy Scouts, Fireman groups, etc. We should provide them with
equipment, and then, foregoing any USTTA sanctioning procedure or fee (except to cover
expenses), we should, with our expertise, volunteer to run their events. In return we would get
new members, good local publicity, and maybe free facilities to hold tournaments at, and
perhaps even large contributions to the USTTA. Table Tennis cannot be a peoples
participation sport without people. Bottom-line question, though, is: How many of these
people we try to helpfor example, Boys Club players and officialswill really care to join
the USTTA? They havent in the past.
Third ProblemHow to Make a Profit on the Basic OPEN tournament. The
Association needs to revise the tournament manual to incorporate, with examples, proven
money-making techniques. The Long Island TTA in running their Nationals made a profit of
$800but they had a huge entry and also charged $5 for a Finals Night ticket. Is it proven
that they could get such an entry, and, for that kind of money, such an audience again?
Fourth ProblemWe Need Spectators & Big Money for Top Players and Top
Promoters. Fred says that the spectator who buys a ticket controls the destiny of Table
Tennis. And yet, he says, were not catering to his/her needs, not even sending out a
371

promotional flyer. Spectators need comfortable seats, good food to eat WHILE they
watch matches that are continually exciting, electric scoreboards to follow the action, good
player information, & appropriate ceremonies. Any spectator has to be allowed to root &
cheer without someone chastising him on the public address system. The USTTA has to
define sanction requirements & policy for the running of invitational top player events. If the
USTTA does its job of promotion, there wont be the need or opportunity for non-TT groups
[like the U.S.-China Committee] to interfere. Did they interfere?
Fifth ProblemWhy Cant Players Join the Association, Enter Events at the
Tournament? Fred believes a data-processing expert could make this possible. We could
devise a computer scheduling program to set up the matches [allowing for a last-minute
increase in players] & print out individual player schedules a few hours before the start of the
tournament. Pre-scheduled player routing paths would be key.
Sixth ProblemGood Umpires for Tournaments. Require that registered umpires
be given preference over all others to earn that $1 Umpires Fee charge when the player
forfeits it. Eventually we can even require proper dress for these umpires. But were a
qualified umpire to put inwhat?six hours a day on court, what would be his total
remuneration? What would make him want to do the work?
Seventh ProblemThe Star Rating System. Stars should increase according to the
number of players in the tournament. All OPEN tournaments are ONE STAR up to 100
players. Over 100 players, TWO STARS; over 200 players, THREE STARS. Regionals start
not with ONE STAR but TWO STARS for the first 100 players. The Nationals starts with
THREE STARS and, since every additional 100 block of players adds another STAR, a
Nationals like the 72 Hofstra, with its 720 entries, would be worth 10 STARS. Wow, 10
STARS, an important tournament, yesbut, since its a Nationals, we already knew that, so
do the STARS mean anything else? It used to be that tournament stars were important
indicators of participation points for World Team consideration, but not any more.
Eighth ProblemTournaments Dont Get Results In On Time. Who wants to do all
the busy, thankless paperwork involved in running a tournament with a good many players?
Solution: pay a qualified person (say, 25c a player? is that enough?) to fill out all the required
forms, send in the results and an article to Topics, and get the money to the USTTA thats due.
Ninth ProblemNeed to Reorient USTTA Revenues to Benefit Players
[Appropriately]. In order to allow each USTTA member to feel that he benefits directly from
the money he spends, returns from junior events ought to go to help juniors; returns from
average player activities ought to go to help average players; and returns from top player
revenue sources ought to go to help top players. We have been using nearly all the
discretionary USTTA funds derived from average players and juniors to fund trips to the
World Tournament by the top players. It is time for the top players to do their part. Which is
what exactly? Other than of course to go here and there, working at keeping up their games so
that they might bring honor to themselves and pleasure to those who watch them. How about
exhibitions, media appearances and interviews? Fred says that if the USTTA fails to promote
top player activities which raise revenue for the Association, we will lose all chance to make
table tennis a major U.S. sport.
Tenth ProblemFinancial Incentives For Workers. We need to financially compensate
those who promote and run tournaments. Since Fred asked for ideas about how to reward
workers, Lou Bochenskis suggestion to the E.C. seemed apropos: that the USTTA supply a
lending fund for those interested in starting table tennis clubs who do not have adequate
372

funding to purchase tables. The club would make a down payment with the balance supplied
by the USTTA. The idea wasnt pursued. President Boggan, in looking for help from the
members, had a Promote the USTTA Questionnaire in the July-Aug. Topics composed of
two sections. In the first, What Is Your Interest? he had 28 boxes for members to check
(Working to get a full-time Executive SecretaryHelping to find a USTTA headquarters)
and in the second, What Have You Especially To Offer? he had 10 boxes for them to check
(Do you have a Watts line or a business telephone free?Do you have political
contacts?). Nothing much came of this either.
At their Aug. 5-6 Meeting, the E.C. authorized Danner to Chair a special committee
to study the entire star-rating system and sanctioning fees for tournaments as well as closed
and buffer tournaments and review their compatibility with our ranking requirements. Also at
that Meeting, Boggan appointed Jack Howard as special tournament services for tournament
sponsors coordinator. This means Jack will provide for the sponsor, say, highly particularized
draw sheets, rating lists, a report write-up simplification, and various other things, including a
procedure check listall to assist him in doing his necessary dogwork.
To avoid future dogfights with Geza Gazdag (hed somehow gotten the idea that he
had a contractual right to exclusive promotional rights for the 100 mile area surrounding New
York City), Mort Zakarin moved that a real contact needed to be worked out between Geza
and the USTTA, represented by Boggan, Dave Cox, and Zakarin and lawyers from both
sides. Sanction fees are to be paid in advance. All international players must be under written
contract.
Long Island TTA President Dave Cox was quite put out
when Bengtsson
and Johansson
didnt show on
Saturday May 13
for Danny Ganzs
May Rockville
Centre weekend
for Juniors.
Boggan and
LITTA President Dave Cox Zakarin thought
that, at an Apr. 28
Meeting they attended, spokespersons for the
Swedes had made a commitment. Rufford
Harrison was irritated when, though the USTTAsanctioned Long Island Closed was being held
the May 19-21 weekend, Stiga had sponsored a
conflicting Fri., May 19 Bengtsson/Johansson
exhibition and a purported U.S. vs. Sweden
Match at Madison Square Gardens Felt Forum.
The N.Y. Times fancied a shot of Johansson
returning the ball while standing on the table,
which Cox in a Letter to the Times Editor said
Kjell Johansson at a Stiga Exhibition match in
had about as much relevance as Arnold Palmer
Madison Square Gardens Felt Forum
suddenly producing an umbrella to play a chip shot.
From New York Times/Donald F. Holway
373

The U.S. players were Errol Resek and Fuarnado Roberts whod somehow managed to get
into the action. Rufford wrote a letter of warning to Errol and Robbie and to the Swedish
Association complaining about Stigas attitude that what they were sponsoring at the Garden
was no business of the USTTA.
The CNE U.S.-Canada Matches would be coming up soon, so naturally the Selection
Committee had to commit itself. The Mens Team: as Captain, Bob Kaminsky; the players (when
D-J Lee and Peter Pradit indicated they wouldnt be going to Toronto): Dell Sweeris, John
Tannehill, and Errol Resek, with George Brathwaite as 1st Alternate. The Womens Team: as
Captain, Yvonne Kronlage; the players (when Hicks declined): Judy Bochenski, Patty Cash, and
Alice Green, with Olga Soltesz as 1st Alternate. The Junior Team: as Captain, Lou Dubin; the
players: Girl: Angelita Rosal, with Bev Hess as 1st Alternate and Muriel Stern as 2nd Alternate; Boys:
Paul Raphel and Mike Veillette, with John Quick as 1st Alternate and Rick Rumble as 2nd Alternate.
Should any of the three Captains need to be replaced, Fred Danner would be the Alternate. Bong
Mo Lee was named U.S. Team Coach for these Matches for a fee of $250 (expenses included).
Talk of U.S. representation at the Sarajevo Worlds brought three Motions from Mal
Anderson: to allow Harrison, Boggan, and Read to be considered for ITTF Committees. There
were no negative votes. Read made a Motion that Graham Steenhoven also be considered, but
this was defeated: 0-6-2.
Miles, as head of the Selection Committee, abetted by Committeeman Vic Landau,
outlined (TTT, Sept.-Oct., 1972, 16) the new procedure for deciding what players will
represent us at the 1973 Sarajevo Worlds:
(1) The Selection will be based on a record compiled in one given
tournament onlythe final U.S. World Tryouts that will be played in Chicago, Dec.
15-17 [or, more specifically, thanks to John Read, at the nearby Wheeling, Illinois High
School under the sponsorship of the Mount Prospect JCs]. As we presently visualize
it, 24 men and 12 women will be eligible to compete in these trials. For both men and
women some modified form of Swiss System round robin will be used to select the
team [Landau has been testing Swiss systems and round robins]. The five best men
players and the 4 best women players will be chosen solely on their record in the
tournament. There will be no exceptions, and no previous record will count. If a player
should miss this trial, regardless of the reason, he/she cannot make the team [this
includes National Champions D-J Lee and Wendy Hicks].
(2) The eligibility of the players for this final U.S. Team Tryout will depend
onone Regional Tryout in each of the following Regions: East, West, and Central [using
much the same format as for the Final Tryout].There will not be the same number of final
qualifiers from each Region. The number of places given each Region will depend on the
overall U.S. rating and/or ranking list [and here Ranking Chair Bard Brenner will be
helpful]. [Just who will be allowed to tryout in each Region hasnt been decided yet.]
Dick argues that fairness is all-important, so his first job as Selection Chair was in a
sense to take away the power of the Selection Committee, and instead make the choices
automatic. No subjective alternate ways of being put on, or excluded from, the Team, as
readers of my previous volumes know occurred in the past, are now possible. This time, too,
players cant rest on their laurels, go soft, but must work to peak. Dick also argues that the
Selection Committee, together with the Executive Committee, pick three or four or more
candidates for captains and then let each team select the one they favor.
374

Chapter Twenty-Eight
1972: Northwest Problems.
1972: Summer Tournaments.
How to select the U.S. World
Team was not the only Team matter
that the USTTA was faced with. In
1972, a Seattle businessman named
Windsor Olson was trying to form a
National Table Tennis League with an
eye toward a Professional Circuit. Hed
established two teamsthe Seattle
Sockeyes, managed by Olson, and the
Portland Penguins, managed by Ernie
Mattson. When the first match between
Tom Ruttinger: beat Tannehill
these two teams took place in May in
Photo by Mal Anderson
Vancouver, Seattles Tom Ruttinger,
Rob Roberts, and Joe Lee 5-2 defeated Portlands Danny Mattson (Ernies son) and Steve
Berliner, and guest player John Tannehill who was a surprise loser to Ruttinger.
Canadian TTA President Art Barron, in a May 29, 1972 letter to USTTA International
Chair Rufford Harrison, said hed attended this match, held at the QE Playhouse in Vancouver,
and that it was well staged and well received by a small audience. On questioning a player
privately about financial arrangements, he found that they appear to be legitimate. So, no
problemexcept Olson doesnt want just U.S. players, he wants the Taiwanese.
Back in Sept./Oct., 1971, the Rev. Carl McIntyre had brought a group of Christian
Republic of China players to the States and hoped to play a match with locals at Portlands
Madison High. However, it was made clear then that, because Taiwan was not a member of
the ITTF, ITTF-member-countries, recognizing The Peoples Republic of China as the
representative of China, were not allowed to play against the Taiwanese, else have their ITTF
status endangered. Now, when I, as USTTA President, heard that Olson wanted to bill his 3man Seattle-based team as the U.S. vs. the Republic of China in a world championship
match, I issued a warning in the Sept.-Oct., 1972 Topics that if U.S. players agreed to play in
such a match, they risked immediate suspension (18).
On that same Topics page, Chris Depee and Ron Vincent reported on a second Olson/
Mattson-promoted match played July 8 in the spacious exhibition hall of the Portland
Memorial Coliseum. This time against Seattle, Portland fielded Mattson and Carl Cole, and
guest player Erwin Klein. The format was best 5 of 9 matches, but, because spectators might
not want prolonged play, the winner of each match was decided by one gamenot to 21 but
to 31. Again the attendance was disappointing. Blocker/hitter Ruttinger blasted through Cole,
and Lee took Mattson. But Roberts, the best looper in the Northwest, fell victim to Kleins
smooth, seemingly slow strokes which yet allowed him to take the offense at the first
opportunity. That made the tie: Sockeyes 2, Penguins 1.
Ruttinger then downed Mattson, and, surprise, Klein just got by Lee 32-30. When
Cole upset Roberts by hitting serves, and instead of blocking loops off the end, stroked them
through nicely, the tie was tied 3-3. There followed the looked-forward-to Ruttinger-Klein
match, which was close all the way. Heres the coverage:
375

At 20-all, Tom hit a forehand which hit the net and trickled over. Klein, rushing in,
tossed his paddle, which hit the ball and got it over the net. As Erwin was desperately grabbing
for his paddle, Tom pushed into the net. [Surely this point should not have been given to
Erwin, for the racket had to be in his hand. The end-game, too, continued to be close.] With
Klein down by one, 29-30, Tom hit one of his angled backhand flicks and Klein was obliged to
lunge desperately at the ball in order to chop it back. With Erwin far out of position, Tom once
again pushed into the net. Erwin quickly collected the next two points.
That put Portland up 4-3. And soon it was 5-3, for against Lee, Cole, who had earlier
in the day won $300 in a pro-am golf tournament, could do no wrong.
Olson, hoping to boost attendance, did play his Sockeyes against a Taiwan team, and I,
in consultation with others, and, after again warning the players not to play whether they had a
contract or not, did immediately suspend Ruttinger, Roberts and Lee. This action (TTT, Nov.Dec., 1972, 16) drew sharp criticism from local player Carl Lehrhoff:
To the Editor:
Tim Boggan and Companys handling of the free China teams tour in the U.S. sets
a new high in small-minded short-sightedness which is staggering even when placed against
the background of the obtuse do-nothingness traditionally displayed by USTTA officials.
[Finally] someone else goes out on a limb to promote the sport. He gains the
backing of community and business leaders in the interests of table tennis. He tries to form
teams in different parts of the country. He brings players from abroad. [Who?] He puts on
well-advertised matches. How does the U.S. assist in this endeavor? By immediately
suspending the U.S. players involved and suggesting a boycott of the matches.
They werent given a reprimand or some token disciplinary action, but were
suspended. And suspended during the critical period of the world team tryouts and the U.S.
team championships.
If this letter sounds a trifle bitter, its because I was dumb enough to have believed
Boggan et. al. when they claimed that things
would be different when they got into office. No
more pettiness and factional squabbling.
Everybody would work together and do
something to promote the sport. Well, by God,
they finally did something.

Dr. Michael Scott II:

couldnt be more reputable
Photo by Mal Anderson

Meanwhile, Seattles independent-minded

Dr. Michael Scott ran the 12-table Aug. 5-6
Seattle Seafair tournament at the Seattle
University Athletic Complex. Topics coverage
was by Rachel Allison, Secretary of Dr.
Scotts Washington State TTA, whod earlier
hurled barbs at Lou Bochenski. One thing that
had to have bothered Ms. Allison was that
Lou took to task sponsors of sanctioned
tournaments who didnt require entries to
have full USTTA memberships and so allowed
376

players with club memberships to play. She hoped the Association

wouldnt change the rules, presumably because a great many in her
100-strong club were club members only. Canadian President Barron
checked out newcomer Scott (a reputable dermatologist*), and in
his letter to Harrison says that theres static between Lou and
Michael because Dr. Scott scheduled an event which, Lou felt, would
detract entries from his Pacific Northwest Open. Both, says Barron,
now seem to favor mutual cooperation.
I must add that only recently Tyra Parkins, who long ago was
privy to this Northwest static, told me that year after year a few
individuals associated not with Bochenskis Eugene Club but with a
Portland-based table tennis club tried to undermine our [Seattle
Washington State] tournaments. Tyra said theyd find out our dates
and routinely schedule tournaments on the same date. Fair warfare?
Tyra Parkins
Yes, and no?
Seafair results: Open: Shin Yoshida (Kobe, Japan)
out-attacked Ruttinger to win the Mens. Womens:
Vancouvers Leslie Ward over Lieselotte Oefner, reportedly
a former member of the West German Team. Seniors:
Scott, with his quick reflexes and close-to-the-table-play
over Vancouvers Frank Karika, 19 in the 5th. Michael, as
Director, replaced the usually vague A, B, C, etc.
classifications with ones based on Jeff Kurtzs established
Northwest Ratings. Class I (1950 and below): Peter Joe
over Art Schuff. Class II (1750 and below): Japans Yuki
Peter Joe
Yamada over Seattles Charlie Ling. Class III (1500 and
Photo by Bill
below): Gordon Favelle over George Stefanissin.
Marlens
Bard Brenner, reporting on the Aug. 19-20 Santa
Monica Sports and Arts Festival Tournament (TTT, Nov.Dec., 1972, 17), quickly points out that this year theres a shower room, though hopefully not
all 150 entrants will use it. Joong Gil Park had won the earlier summer tournaments at Santa
Barbara and Huntington Beach. Now he took this one as wellover Thom, Raphel, Guillen.
Best matches were in the quarters: Bill Ukapatayasakul, a former
member of the Thai National Team, their ex-National Doubles
Champion, and once a Singles finalist, hit through Jack Howard, hit in
even some of Jacks super-loops, to win in 5; and Paul Raphel, also a
winner in the 5th, downed Denis OConnell whom Bard says hitchhiked from Los Angeles to Minneapolis [for the June Disney Classic]
to upset the Nigerian #1, Waidi Dawodu, and win $100.
Other winners: Womens: Karen Berliner, whod twice lost to
Heather Angelinetta in those earlier summer tournaments, won here in
Santa Monica, but it was a pyrrhic victory, for Priscilla Parker
defaulted the final. Mens Doubles: Jeff Mason/Richard Terry over
Park/Ichiro Hashimoto, 19 in the 5th in the semis and Mintsiveris/
Karen Berliner,
Ukapatayasakul in 5 in the final. Mixed Doubles: Raphel/Karen
Santa Monica Winner
Berliner over Guillen/Pat Crowley, -11, 15, -14, 22, 19. Mens As:
Photo by Don Gunn
377

South African transplant Jonathan Dorfan over Bill Garrett.

Womens As: Muriel Edwards over Joe Newgardens sister
Peggy in the semis and Jack Howards close friend, Bonnie
Johnson in the final. Bs: Teraishi over Marhefka. Cs:
Wilson Wu over Mike Templeton in 5. A Doubles: Mark
DaVee/Joe Sanchez over Richard McMillan//Doug
Hobson. B Doubles: Sanchez/Steve Rehm over Kawamoto/
Teraishi. C/D Doubles: Dean Galardi/Sandy Lechtick over
John Horning/Rehm when in the 4th Horning walked off
court. Seniors: Danny Banach over Russ Thompson in 5.
Under 17: Raphel over Thom, 19 in the 5th. Under 15:
Barish over Dean Galardi. Under 13/Under 11: 9-year-old
Joe Napoles over Terry Absher.
It was
the coldest
Sandy Lechtick:
Labor Day
doubles winner at Santa Monica
weekend in
Amarillo, Texas since 190956 degrees. But of
course their Clubs first 6-man Team Tournament
wasnt being played outdoors. San Antonio (John
Tomlinson, Joe Cummings, Paul LeBlanc, Tommy
Vaello, J.C. Tenay, and Don Weems) took 1st Place
in the Asover 2nd Place Dallas (John McAdams,
Dan Rodriguez, R.C. Watkins, Catrins Adome,
Ray Johnson, and Alan Puls). Outstanding A
player: Tomlinson, 14-1 (loss to Dan Rodriguez).
Runner-up: John McAdams (with one loss to
Tomlinson). Outstanding B player: LeBlanc (no
John Tomlinson
losses). Runner-up: Cummings. Outstanding C
From TT Unlimited (Courtesy of Sue Sargent)
player: Tenay (no losses). Runner-up: Weems (one
loss to Clark Nicholl). A Doubles: Tomlinson/
Cummings over McAdams/Rodriguez. B Doubles: New Mexicos Longmire/Reynolds over
Valleo/LeBlanc.
Vince Koloski gives us coverage (TTT, Sept.-Oct., 1972, 22) of the Minneapolis Twin
City Open where in the 32-entry Mens (their largest draw ever) play centered on two 4-man
round robins. In round robin #1, Ted Gliske was the only unexpected advancer. Though he
hadnt played in about 18 months, he used his 7-year-old Johnny Leach bat (with the original
rubber no less) and quick hands to upset #7 seed Ray Mosio. Three-time Iranian National
Champion Houshang Bozorgzadeh easily came 1st in the Group, and Minnesota State Champ
Doug Maday took the other crossover spot from Gliske and Don Larson.
Houshang, whod been a quarterfinalist in the 1965 U.S. Open, had just returned to the
States after an obligatory 6-year contract with the Iranian government. Since his earlier studies
in the U.S. were to have benefited his native country, hed returned to teach phys. ed. at the
Teheran American School, to be Technical Advisor to the Iranian Minister of Physical
Education and Culture, and, as weve seen, to continue as Player/Coach of the Iranian
National Table Tennis Team.
378

Just what Houshang demanded of his

charges in the way of eye, hand, and foot
exercises no doubt depended on their relative
skill level, but he once told me about coaches
hed known whod urged their win-hungry
players to keep throwing peanuts or little pieces
of candy up in the air. The idea, of course, was
for the player to catch them coming down, in his/
her mouthfor hand/eye coordination. One
Iranian, said Houshang with a twinkle, was so
goodhonestlyhe was like a dog. He could
even catch an apple in his mouth. Here
Houshang took a little jump, looked up and
growled. Every American would lose to him,
he said as I started to laugh. You try to catch an
apple and youd seeyoud break your nose.
There was also a two-step, or a four-step
exercise that one did on a stairway. Up with the
left foot, then down with the left while up with
the right, then up or down left, up or down right,
backwards and forwardsyeah, I havent got it
quite right here, but it doesnt matter so long as
you believe, as Houshang and I do, that nobody
could keep this up for more than 10 minutes
his legs just wouldnt move after a while.
In round robin #2, Akihito Nakamura
st
came 1 , with Charlie Disney taking the
crossover spot from Alan Goldstein and Wayne
Richter. Koloski says Aki was in the U.S. on a
long business trip with Univac, hadnt played
Candy? Peanuts?
since his college days when the team he played
Houshang says popcorn will do for Olga
th
on came in 10 in Tokyo. He used to play
Photo by Mal Anderson
shakehands defense but switched to penholder
attack because he said he was too slow. He has excellent servesgood footwork and speed,
and can attack just about any ball.
In crossover matches, Bozorgzadeh stopped Disney, and Aki did the same to Maday
who came 3rd. Koloski speaks of Houshangs game as being just too strong for Nakamura,
and reminds us of the Iranians highly individual style. Houshang uses a hard Barna bat and
plays a close to the table chop-block game with an occasional forehand flick or counter. He is
very quick and is able to vary and disguise his spins quite well.
Though Colleen Mosio, the #1 Womens seed, hadnt played for three months, she was
able to straight-game take the title from former Minnesota Junior Girls Champion Debby Holle
whod eliminated hard bat player Janet Jameison, 15, 20. The final was an all out hitting and
counterdriving match that pitted challenger Debbys close to the table hit and block game
against Colleens off the table counters and killswith the veteran winning out. Open Doubles
went to Nakamura/Larson (Don blasting ball after ball) over State Champs Disney/Goldstein.
379

Mixed winners were

Stu Sinykin/Jameison
over Doug/Pam Maday
whod gotten by
Larson/Holle deuce in
the 3rd when Pam
killed a high chop
return of one of Dougs
loops (while Doug
yelled Push it!).
Novice (?) Doubles:
John Soderberg/ Steve
Steblay over Jerry
Soderberg/Pete
Stu Sinykin
Pete Tellegen
Tellegen.
Photo by Richard Olsen
Other results: As: Stu
Sinykin with his very hard, very flat
forehand kill, won out, 19 in the 4th,
over brother Rich who recently changed
from being a super-spin attacking player
to an anti-topspin defender. Womens
Novice: Holle over Sheila ODougherty.
Bs: Jerry Soderberg, playing with a
pimpled Tempest paddle, knocked out
his brother John in a tough 3-game
semis match, then won an easy final
from Steblay who, after being upset in
the Juniors by Jeff Fisker, had broken
his $10.00 racket. Cs: Steve Strausss
serve, loop and swear game prevailed,
perhaps on the strength of his
invocations to the deity. First he beat V.
Mohan who, down 15-20 in the 3rd,
came back to 19-20, only to lose to a
timely edge; then in the final he proved
Jerry Soderberg
Sheila ODougherty
Photo by Gary Elwell too strong for Tellegens push, block
Photo by Mal Anderson
and hit game. Ds: Horst Knura, after
taking a 27-25 in the 3rd semis from Scott Colesworthy, downed Greg Running in the final.
Es: Mike Norgelas, on returning from a June 5-10 Dell Sweeris training camp, had too much
for Chuck Becker. (To attend Dells Woodland Center camp in Grand Rapids, Mike paid
$55which entitled him to motel, 6 daily hours of coaching, and entry to corresponding
tournament. Want to sign up? Theres an August one.)
Still other results: Seniors: Goldstein in a debut win over John Hinde. Junior Boys:
John Soderberg over Tellegen whos been playing only 8 months. Junior Girls: ODougherty
over Judy Heichart. (Sheilas been playing 5 months now, practices 2 and sometimes 3 nights
a week.) Junior Doubles: Steblay/John Soderberg over their younger brothers, Nick Steblay/
380

Jeff Soderberg. Under 15s: John Soderberg over Shaun Miller who at home in Fargo has only
a robot to practice with. Under 13: Herb Heichartwith upset wins over the two seeds, Jeff
Soderberg and Greg Mosio.
The $3,000 Three Rivers Festival, played July 8-9 at Fort Wayne, IN, was run on 20
tables by the Sweerises with local help. Covering writer Jeff Smart (TTT, July-Aug., 1972, 1;
23) pointed out that all Mens 1/8ths matches were played INDIVIDUALLY in the center
arena. However, 6 of the 8 lacked drama: Derek Wall over Jim Dixon, 3-1; Pradit over
Bukiet, 3-0; Resek over Lim Ming Chui, 3-0, D-J Lee over Bill Lesner, 3-0; Les Haslam
over Canadas Peter Gonda, 3-0; Sweeris over Larry Su, 3-0.
Smart apparently didnt see Caetanos 3-1 (22, -18,
20, 19) win over Tannehill. But he does report on
Brathwaites match against Eddie Ma whom Jeff views as
the Hong Kong Champion and that same Ma Lung Sang who
beat D-J in Swaythling Cup play at Nagoya. George came
from 2-1 down to lead 19-9, 20-14 in the 5th. But Ma put on a
super-rally to deuce it. Only to go ad down, ad down, ad
down and out when George ticked the net to force a slightly
weak return and followed by putting the ball [away] for the
match.
The 8 remaining players were divided into two round
robins. In one were Lee, Sweeris, Brathwaite and Wall.
Against The Chief, Dell, despite being down 20-14 in the 1st,
almost won 3 straight; he lost that first game at 19, then won
two games at 19. In the 4th, Dell tried to continue to move
George out to his extreme forehand, then counter to his
backhand, but George managed to get an attack going, led
12-4, and on they went into the 5th. Several times Dell saved
points with fantastic lobs and smashes from the barriers, but
George stayed 12-14 close by killing the ball rather than
spinning it. Then Dell pulled away, was up 18-14, but George
closed to 18-17; then Dell pulled away again to lead 20-17
triple-match-point, but George closed to deuce. Now Dell
Eddie Ma - alias Ma Lung Sang?
serves too deep, blocks Georges loop high, and George
Photo by Dan Arnold
coming in to kill ticks the net and just misses the edge. Then,
following a long exchange of counters, Brathwaites backhand goes long. George is a good
sport, comes round and gives Dell a congratulatory hug.
Later, though George will lose three straight to D-J, he ends up in another deuce in the
5th matchthis time with Wall, and this time hes victorious. However, Walls ever-changing
spins from his anti-topspin racket does in Dell. Smart in his write-up notes that Lee blitzes
both Brathwaite and Sweeris, and it may be that Wall doesnt even play D-J. At any event, as
Lee moves to the final, each of his opponents has a 1-2 record, and Jeff says the 2nd, 3rd, and
4th players in each round robin decided to split their prizes rather than play off.
In the other round robin were Haslam, Pradit, Caetano, and Resek. The Caetano-Pradit
match is something of a surprise because, though for the first two games Peters super quick
blocks and hits prevent Errol from using his powerful loops and kills from both wings, its
Caetano wholl win this match in 5. In the 3rd, Pretending to joke and play less seriously,
381

Errol subtly changes the game, begins to feed Peter a well varied mixture of chops, loops, and
counters, and begins a comeback. In the 4th, mixing dummy loops with the real thing, Errol
wins a 19 squeaker. Smart says, Errol, believe it or not, has begun to out-hit and out-angle
Peter. Moreover, looping slow nothing loops low over the net, Errol makes Peter block
too many into the net.
Haslam, with his backhand loop and leaping outside forehand kill also prevailed,
deuce in the 4th, over Pradit.
Reseks wife Jairie noted hed had continuous injuries for the last two months, and
might have had more if he hadnt been slowed down by a speeding ticket for going 108 mph.
Since Errol lost all three of his round robin matches, that left Caetano to play Haslam to see
whod advance to the final. But the smooth-moving Canadian is nowhere in this match.
However, the two Errols and their friend Dave Philip did have outside compensations. They
enjoyed the indoor-outdoor pool with the adjacent whirlpool bath at the Fort Wayne Marriott
Inn, played basketball at night on the Inns court, and were invited to participate in the Rivers
Festival parade. Jairie said, They sat on the back seat of a Buick convertible for three hours
throwing table tennis balls and waving to the crowdjust as if they had conquered outer
space or performed some other heroic deed. David enjoyed it so much (all those pretty drum
majorettes) he defaulted in the As.
In the final against Lee, Haslam, getting off some
marvelously angled pushes and blocks to Lees outside
backhand is up 12-8 in the 1st, but cant win it. In the 2nd,
Lee goes plunging ahead with 8 straight points as twice Les
catches only air against D-Js super sidespin-topspin loops.
Up 2-0, Lee leads 9-0 in the 3rd. Hes totally mastered his
giant opponent, making his long reach useless, as he forces
relentlessly to Haslams inside backhand. Jairie Resek notes
that D-Js wife Linda was seen walking around the playing
area, every once in a while glancing at a piece of paper that
said: Linda Lee, Temper! Dont talk back!Just shut
up! But Jairie doesnt say who wrote this advice. Linda to
self? D-J? Or someone else?
In the Womens, the West Coasts Patty Cash and
Angie Rosal dont show, so the $250 1st-Prize finals
between Connie Sweeris and Sue Hildebrandt. Sue loses the
opener badly, but, gaining confidence with Connies back-toback mis-serves, she follows her backhand kills with mopup forehands and evens the match. Then, down 2-1, Sue,
has a crucial 15-all point where she lets fly 3 all-out
Courtesy of Ron Schull
murder[ous] shots to Connies backhand but cant win the
point. After that she seems broken and can hang on no longer.
In the Doubles, Sweeris/Lesner reach the final by upsetting National Champs Lee/
Pradit in 5. With the match 1-1, and Lesner handling Lees serves with great control and
power, the 3rd game is pivotal. Sweeris/Lee have gone up 19-16, then, no sweat, Bill
backhand kills through Leeand now Lee serves to the wrong court! In the 5th, the
surprising underdogs are up 20-14 match point when Bill misses 3 rushed put aways in a row.
Then uses his head, drops in a perfect dead push off Lees serve and Peter misses. Haslam/
382

Brathwaite also make the final, but have to go 5 with

Ron
Chui/Ma when Haslam has trouble returning Mings
DeMent
serves, and Ma is able to whack in balls. In the final, the
muscular Haslam/Brathwaite win is, from Less modest
viewpoint, a formality.
The Sept.-Oct., 1972 Topics cited the Newark,
Ohio Moundbuilders Club (named after the Indians who
built the local earth works) as Club of the Month.
Interest in Newark was initiated by Ron and Sylvia
DeMent, and after John Temple and Bill Hodge put on an
exhibition there, Sylvia tells us a club started at the
YWCA where she worked. This eventually led to a 1971
fall league, and to the new Club they moved into in March
of 72. Sylvia says, We now have 3 Detroiter tables with
plans to get 2 more. Members have a key, and can play
anytime they want. In addition, the Club runs two
leagues a week and is planning coaching clinics (23).
The July 29-30 Independence Open, #4 in the
Philly Invitational Series, saw Lim Ming Chui win the
triple crown. In the Mens final, Ming downed Errol Resek who back in the quarters had been
down double match point to Alex Shiroky. For the first time there was prize money for the
Women, and, reports Tournament Director Herb Vichnin (TTT, Sept.-Oct., 1972, 25), To
show their appreciation we had the smallest turnout of women since we started our
Invitational Series. Barbara Kaminsky rallied from down 2-0 to beat Alice Green. In the
Mixed, Chui paired with Green to beat Boggan/Kaminsky.
In Mens Doubles, the #1 seeds, Mitch Sealtiel/Dave Philip, were upset by Bill Sharpe/
Stan Smolanowicz who then lost a tough 5-game semis to Boggan/Eric Phillips. However,
Eric hurt his arm and couldnt play the final. Which meant that the other semis between Chui/
Resek and Sam Hammond/Shiroky would determine the winner. This was the best doubles
match Ive ever seen, said Vichnin, who was thrilled by the greatest shot of the tournament.
With Hammond/Shiroky up 2-1 in games, and Resek serving to Hammond, heres what
happened:
Hammond blocked, Chui killed a forehand. Shiroky dove at the ball and
miraculously hit it back. Resek crushed a forehand way over to Hammonds forehand.
Hammond lunged at it, sending it back to the table, while running into and falling over
the arena-setup barriers. Chui mangled the next one that Alex again saved, on a high
pop up. Resek dropped it over to the other side. Hammond, from atop his pile of
barriers, flew across the arena and killed one of the most unbelievable backhands you
ever saw. The angle was such that a spectator sitting just behind the umpire got hit by
the ball! Amazing! The crowd went crazy.
But Chui/Resek pulled out the 4th, 26-24, when Resek picked a winner off Alexs
serve, after which he and Ming won the 5th rather easily.
Other results: Mens As: Dan Seemiller over Peter Holderwith #1 seed Sharpe
losing early to hardbat chopper Neil Shilkret, winner of both the Cs and Ds. Womens As:
383

Muriel Stern over Louise Chotras. Bs:

Jerry Fleischhacker in a 75-minute fivegame match over Horace Roberts.
(Earlier, Al Schwartz. killed Phillips whod
stopped Bukiet in an early Mens round.
Al announced in the Sept.-Oct. Topics the
120-member N. J. Clubs move from
Irvington to Westfield.) Esquires: George
Rocker over Bill Cross. Seniors: Sharpe
over Cross, 19, 19. Under 17s: Joe
Rokop over Mike Stern, after Mike had
edged John McGraw, -12, 22, 14. Under
15s: Mike Baber over Stern. (In the 17s,
Mike had ousted Timmy House, 21, 23.)
Under 13s: Bruce Plotnick over Stern.
Ray Filz reports that a record 17
teams playedplayed for the first time for
prize moneyin the Annual Southeastern
Muriel Stern
Team tournament, held July 15-16 in
Photo by Mal Anderson
Atlantas air-conditioned Municipal
Auditorium. Orlando (John Quick, Richard McAfee, Ray Mergliano, Steve Rigo) won the
$204 1st prizethough they suffered a loss (their only loss) to Miami (John Tannehill, Jerry
Thrasher, Greg Gingold) when Tannehill took all 3, Thrasher downed Rigo, and hardbat hitter
Gingold surprised Mergliano. Word was that maybe Orlando should have fielded Quickwho,
undefeated, in a close 27-26 vote, won the MVP
Award over K.S Chung. North Carolina (Chung,
Hou-Min Chang, Skip Walker) won the 2nd Prize
of $102, beating Miami twice (Chung split
matches with Tannehill) and losing only to
Orlando.
O.K., next tournamentand I kid you not.
My wife Sally and I and our boys Scott and Eric
had been honored to receive plane tickets on
behalf of the Miami TTC and in particular Bob
Walker, President of First Federal Savings and
Loan, to come on down and play in the Tim
Boggan [I almost said Memorial] Gold Coast
Open. It was Bobs idea to call it that.
Walker, a man in his 50s, who keeps himself
in good shape and plays table tennis with almost
puritanical intensity, has a Miami Shores garage-like
table tennis room open to any player day or night,
especially if, like Greg Gingold or Wayne Daunt, or
Cornelius Harrison or Pat Patterson, hes signed the
Guest Book and/or gotten his name on The
Bob Walker
Blackboard among the Regulars or Greats.
Courtesy of the Miami Herald
384

Jardo Stanek, who I heard

teaches (Socialist) Economics in
Prague, was down there in Miami
(though he wouldnt be for long
because his Czech government
wouldnt let his wife come over with
him), and of course Peter Pradit was
there too, busy figuring out computer
angles at First Federal. Stanekcalled
Jerry in Miamiwas a 3-week
houseguest of Walkers.
Actually I didnt see too much
of Bob because hed retreated off to the
Bahamas and didnt come back until the
weekend. But that was all right because
we were being put up at the home of
Sam and Helen Fletcher who made our
Jaroslav Jardo Stanek
stay very casual and enjoyable. Helen,
unfortunately, had eaten something very disagreeable from a Chinese restaurant and had not
been feeling very well for daysbut she suffered us with no nonsense. While Sam, a former
city councilman, turned out to be the straightest-talking politician Id ever met or imagined.
In the 1971 Florida Wheelchair Games Sam set the wheels in motion. This year hes
rollin along so well that in the National Wheelchair Games on Long Island he took a game
from U.S. #1 Mike Dempsey. Soon well follow his and Mikes progress at the Paralympics in
Heidelberg. In the Wheelchair event here, however, Sam sat outand John Ebert beat Frank
Cepede for the title.
When my boys and I werent playing table tennis at the Fletchers or lounging about
their pool, or Bard Brenners pool, we were out on the nearby par 3 golf course with Stanek.
Are there many courses in Czechoslovakia? I asked him. Just a few, he said, mostly for
tourists or diplomats or the well-to-do.
It was my boys first time on a golf course anywhere and Jardo played along with them
for 9 holes. Then we got down to serious business. I gave him
3 strokes a side, made a 60-yard hole-in-one, then watched
helplessly as he had a stretch of 3 birdies in 4 holes. In short,
we played 54 holes and I won a nine once, I guess because he
was being a diplomat.
Bob Walker and his wife Barbara hosted a dinner for us
and some of the tournament workers at an Italian restaurant,
and I met Herb Chubby Aronson, formerly a top U.S. player,
whom Ive written about in earlier volumes. Herb and Joe
Sokoloff advertise for First Federal, playing exhibitions to
interest retirees in condominiums. Theyre at Walkers North
Miami branch, where in a special upstairs practice room twice
a week an 80-member table tennis club meets.
Perhaps the most exciting event turned out to be the
Herb Chubby Aronson
Mens
Doubles. In the one semis, Stanek/Walker downed
Photo by Don Browning
385

Bellak and me, 19 in the 5th (after wed won two deuce
games); in the other, Richard McAfee/Ray Mergliano came
back to defeat Joe Sokoloff/Marv Leff. Richard and Ray
then took the final in 5. McAfee, paired with Bev Hess,
also won the Mixedfrom Greg Gingold/Theresa Miller.
Sokoloff did well in this tournamentthat is, in our 4game semis he beat me twice when twice up, 13-9 and 10-3,
I thought I had him, and beat everybody else with his clever
spin gameexcept of course Stanek who says hes still #1 in
Czechoslovakia. Jardo lost a game in his semis to young John
Quick, and, since John had gotten off to a bad 11-0 start in
one of the other games, this helped to balance things out and
keep everybody happyespecially Bill Quick, Johns dad.
In the elevator of the hotel, Bill, a Conservative
Republican who teasingly said hed probably vote for
Nixon, was wearing red socks, flared slacks, a striped shirt,
Bill Quick, Hippie
and a LOVE headband. This drew from someone a
Photo by Don Gunn
disapproving stare and the exit line, See, thats whats
wrong with this country. These damn hippies!
Earlier Bill thought maybe hed jinxed John in the upset-ridden 17s. Beverlyn Hess,
whos been a guest at Joe Newgardens house playing 4 hours a day and taking lessons from
many-time Japanese Champion Norikazu Fujii. (Hes got me hitting more topspin, says Bev,
is moving me better, too, so Ill get in position for a backhand kill.) Bev caught John off
guard, eliminated him in an early match.
Bev won the
Womensover
Theresa Miller who
took the Novice
Womens from Joes
daughter Nancy. With
her fine forehand,
Nancy could be a very
good player
Nancy Newgarden
especially if she had a
place to train, develop
her game. Ergo, Joe and Nori (back now
Bruce Plotnick
from his long tour with the
Photo by
Mal Anderson
Globetrotters) are about to open up a
club in Miami called Fujiis and will field
some good junior playersperhaps even
teams for the Canadians and the
USOTCs.
In another 17 and Under match,
12-year-old Bruce Plotnick, voted the
Most Promising Junior at this years
U.S. Open, lost a tough 5-game match
386

to 11-year-old Phil Pinnell. What have you learned from this? Carl, Bruces dad, was asking
him after the boy had settled down a bit. You werent tough enough. You have to keep up the
pressure. You had a psychological let down after winning the 1st, 21-10.
Bruce accepted an invitation from Ron Shirley to go out to the Oklahoma Open,
stayed there in Oklahoma City a couple of weeks, played some good matches with Steve
Hammond, the State Champ, then flew to Atlanta to join his family (who were driving down to
Miami). Bruce not only got revenge against Phil in the Under 13 final, rallying from 2-1 down,
but he also won the 15sin 5 over John Elliott. Better yet, he took the Bsover Mens
Consolation winner Greg Gingold and in the final over Pat Patterson. In the As, however,
Bruce was stopped by Cyril Lederman, runner-up to Bard Brenner and his frenetic forehand
and backhand loop attacks.
Little Pinnell has had no one outside his family to play with up there in Northern
Florida, but now that theyre all moving to Texas, watch out. Phil won the Novice hereover
his father, Octavio, Sr. And while his mother, Ruth, was runner-up in the Novice Consolation
to Phil Gibbs, Octavio, Sr. took the Novice Seniors over Joe Newgarden.
In the 17s, with Quick and Plotnick out, that left Octavio Pinnell, Jr., Under 17
Doubles winner with Quick, the
favorite. Whos going to beat him?
Surely not Scott Boggan, just turned
Eric Boggan
11? For though Scotts done well to
Photo by Bill
win a game, hes 19-11 down in the
Marlens
deciding 3rd.
But then as Im
concentrating on my little 8-year-old
Eric, whos surprisingly won the 1st
game from Phil Pinnell, I suddenly

Scott Boggan
Photo by Rufford
Harrison

Tim Boggan
Photo by Raul Rodriguez

hear shouts and a Cmon, you can

still win! from Scottand I was and
still am shamelessly enraptured at
Scott hitting in all those shots,
387

especially unhesitatingly at the end when I was practically holding my breath as well as my
tongue, afraid to break the magic spell. Yes, he won 10 straight points and when he came back
and sat down and looked at me with that look in his eyes, well.Surprise, thoughfor when
I asked Fujii which one of my boys showed the most promise, I thought sure hed say Scott
who, with his effective forehand, won the B Doubles with me and the 15 Doubles with
Plotnick. But Nori watched them and, despite Erics highly criticized grip and his almost
exclusive blocking game, he said, Eric.
Who then won the 17s? Why the fellow who all along expected to14-year-old John
Elliott. John has always thought very highly of his gameso highly, in fact, that he just went
walking about the streets of Miami, going into who knows what doors where, until he got a
sponsor.
Which sort of reminds me of Bellak. I am the
Greatest, he says. And, bgod, he almost had me
believing it. Id had enough trouble in the semis of the
Seniors going two deuce games with that fine but
ferocious sport Sam Hoffner. But Bellak in winning
those first two final games from me (but not the next
three), angled shots I couldnt begin to get my racket
on.
With the tournament coming to a close, and flash
bulbs poppingthe 4-day Miami Herald coverage was
sensationala reporter found Bellak. On being
interviewed, Laszlo said that as a young man he could
have gone in seriously for many sportsswimming,
for example. But he went into table tennis. Why?
Because, he said, there were better trophies. It was,
after all, a sport the wealthy could play.
Then and now.
SELECTED NOTES.
*As well see in the decades to come, USATT
Photo by Mal Anderson
Hall of Famer Dr. Scott will continue to be thought
reputable, indeed, more and more reputableand also more and more of a great storyteller.
Consider this tale (perhaps a shade disreputable?) of an experience he once had as an intern at
St. Vincents Hospital in New York City.
One day, back in the 1940s, Michael and this nurse at St. Vincents were off duty,
relaxing for a few moments with nothing pressing to do. Seeing that the nurse had picked up
this Hypnotism Made Easy book that had been left by a former patient, Scott thought it would
be fun if hed pretend to be the hypnotist and the nurse his subject. So to that end he began
reading passages, and imaginatively improvising, to the nurse whod seated herself in a chair
opposite him.
Of course neither of them believed there was any hypnotic reality to their play and
(Now, Nurse, youre starting to get stuck in that chair) were soon giggling. Each thought
the books suggestionthat some sort of Magnetism was undeniably a factorquite
ridiculous. Now the glues hardening. Such bullshit, they said. And as Scott read on, their
giggling turned to laughter.
Laszlo Bellak - a sport the wealthy
could play: that was for him

388

Then as Chance would have it, precisely at this moment, an accident victim was rushed
into their rooman emergency. Turns out hes a jeweler who, hearing a commotion going on
outside his shop, had come out to investigate and was caught in a cops and robber crossfire.
He was shot in the mouth, and when brought to Scott is near death. Blood is spurting out of
him and onto Scott leaning over him.
Quick, get me a hemostat! Michael yells to his nurse. But, unbelievable, she reacts in
a grimly humorous manneras if she cant get up from her chair.
The carotid arteries are shot! yells Michael. Get me a clamp!
The nurse, grabbing hold of the chair, gets up, and as if a hunchback with a burden
begins waddling her way across the roomwith the chair stuck to her behind.
Jesus! Scott yells. This is no time to joke. The mans dying. You want to get us both
fired!
Michael again bends his increasingly blood-stained smock over the mans last breaths
and, as the poor guy is trying to speak, lends his ear to the outpouring.
SSue is the mans next kin? Wife? Daughter?
The sound over the gurgle is very faint. Michael, watching the flow of blood, realizing
theres nothing left of the arteries to clamp, tries to give the last rites of a moments comfort.
He bends his face down over the other, hears
Sue.Can I sue?
Michael, taken aback, is silent for a moment, then replies, You have an excellent
case.
And the guy dies with a smile on his face.
The nurse of course has to be re-read to out of Hypnotism Made Easy. The glue is
melting now.Its lost its sticky substance.Youre free.
When later Scott goes to turn in his uniform, the woman at the hospital laundry says,
Wow, how long have you used it?
Michael, with his customary dryness, says, One case.
After which life goes on at New Yorks St, Vincents, which has seen just about
everything and where Dr. Scott now begins to acquire an increasing reputation as a seriousminded, if no longer practicing, hypnotist.

389

Chapter Twenty-Nine
1972: Dempsey/Fletcher Medal
Winners in Heidelberg Paralympics.
1971-72: U.S. Juniors in Sweden. 1972:
French Surprise at European Youth
Championships.

Sam Fletcher (L)/

Mike Dempsey,
medal winners
at Pan Ams

Three weeks after hed played

host to my family and me in Miami, 49year-old Sam Fletcher was in Heidelberg
playing in his first World Paralympic
Championships. It was a great
experience for him. The playing
conditions were the best I have ever
seen or heard about, he said
excellent lighting, all new tables, good officiating. All electric scoring machines for all
matches, excellent barriers, etc. Sam didnt do well in the 62-player Singles, but his Doubles
partner, 15-year-old Mike Dempsey, sure did. Indeed, with Sams encouragement and
coaching, Mike went through two of Englands best and reached the final, which would be
played after the Teams.
As Sam tells us in his write-up (TTT, Sept.-Oct., 1972, 8; 21), he was struck by the
serious preparations so many of their opponents had made:
the top countries had professional coaches (Sweden, Germany, South
Korea, and Japan had two or more non-playing coaches). The coaches warmed-up
their players during practice and before all matches, gave instructions between games
and sometimes while a game was in progress! It was like playing two different players
in one match. After the first game, the player would come back to the table with a
completely different game. Coaches can make the difference. Also, I found out in
speaking to many of the players that their country held a training session for from two
to six weeks prior to the games. Mike and I were going to play team matches without
ever having played a single game of doubles together and I had only played 3 or 4
wheelchair doubles games in my life.
Remarkably, however, as Team play progressed, the Americans made it out of their
four-team round robin without losing so much as a game and reached the semis. Here,
however, they met the Swedes whod just beaten Israel in the quarters with Swedens
Johansson winning a big match from the current world champion, Hagaithe player Dempsey
would face in his Singles final. Mike killed Johansson 12, 8, but Sam, bothered by bursitis,
couldnt help enough, and so Sweden won 3-2. While the U.S. received a Bronze medal, the
Swedes had to settle for Silver, for they lost the Gold to South Korea.
The 2/3 Singles final was a beginning nightmare for Dempseyhe was down 10-0 in
the 1st! Intimidated by The Champ perhaps? But, if so, he quickly adjustedmaybe even
outplayed the Israeli the rest of the game. The 2nd went to deucebut our guy didnt win.
Still, World runner-up. Thats not bad.
390

U.S. Juniors in Sweden

Back in 1971, Oregons Elsie
Spinning went to Sweden for half a
year or so to train, and, on
returning, spent a couple of days
as a Boggan houseguest and
talked to my wife and me about her
experiences. In the summer of 1972,
other Juniors went for training in
Sweden, at Kolboda, under the direction of
Headmaster/Coach Johan Messa, and wrote articles (TTT,
Sept.-Oct., 1972, 9+) which Ill take note of here. First,
however, I include an article, grouped with the others,
entitled Elsie, Do You Really Think You Can Make It? in
which I tried to show, from Elsies I point of view, what
she was thinking and feeling while in Sweden:

Headmaster Johann Messa

[Id] committed myself not only to a 3-week training camp in Solvesborg but
to live for close to 6 months with a Swedish family in Gothenburg.
During this sometimes trying time, I was no longer sweet sixteenwas
spending my 17th birthday in Sweden.
I remember they woke me up at midnight, and to try and raise my spirits
presented me with a gala, multi-colored party cake that was so soggy that secretly
nobody liked it.
Still, just being away from home has got to do anybody some good. And it did
me.
The training camp was hard. We lived in a hotelall 20 of us, 19 Swedes and
meand slept on ballroom cots. Breakfast would be at 8 a.m. and promptly at 9 wed
begin our daily rounds. Those who were late did a little extra running round the gym. I
was never late.
Repeatedly wed stretch ourselves outknee-high exercises, legs thrust Up!
Down! I could have been a ballerina.
Out at the table, controlled practicemechanical forehands and backhands. A
two-hour routine of serving, looping, killing. Followed by footwork practice.
Afterwards, more circuit training: push-ups, jumping jackswhile our coach, Eva
Johansson [whom Patty Martinez had beaten at the 69 Worlds] kept time to a stop
watch.
Then out to run on a fieldsprint 15-20 seconds, then rest for 15
secondstime after time.
Eva would occasionally say, Im getting in a rut, lets get out of here. When
youve been practicing hard for a long time you fall into a kind of depression. If you
cant go out there and think, Kill! Kill! Kill! you just dont have the mentality to be a
winner. Then you need a rest.
Of course in Sweden you have to look 16 to relax with a beer. Yes, girls in
training can visit pubsit was agreed that one beer wouldnt hurt. In fact, one of the
best Swedish boys at the camp drank like a fish.
391

The kids I met seemed a little afraid of grass. But

they used snuzwhich was something like tobacco
powder (snuff?). They roll it into a ball and put it under
their top lip. Its supposed to calm your nerves. They say
it may or may not cause cancer. Anyway, it burns, and
makes you a little dizzy. You dont see the girls using this
muchbut occasionally theyll try it in training camps
just for fun.

Afraid of the grass? Not this Elsie

Photo by Mal Anderson

Naturally the Swedish boys are like boys anywhere.

They loved James Bond. Also, all the kids told me, Elsie
youve got to go to a pornographic movie. After whatever
movie wed seewe had to be in bed at 10:30 p.m.there
was always the out-of-school test question, Can I come up
to your hotel room?
After my three rigorous weeks in Solvesborg I went
to live with a family in Gothenburg named Mellgren. Their
daughter Elizabeth was about my age and a good player
we got along pretty well. I did the dishes, cleaned my
room, and helped to tidy up the house when we were going
to have company.
I went to a Swedish school that stressed languages
French, German, English, Swedishand other liberal arts
courses.Classes were from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The teachers
were serious, demanding, but they didnt expect too much of
me because I didnt speak the language very well.
For a while I was always thinking of going home.
Id fantasize with myself, I could sneak out of the house
Elsie sometimes needed her
and be home in a day or so. But then Id think, Ive only
spirits raised
got 4 months left. If I just keep going Ill make it.
Photo by Mal Anderson
392

Sometimes Id be playing bad table tennis.And sometimes my schoolwork would

be getting me down.
Still, I wanted to do my best.
My dad was spending money for me to come here. My mother had said, Elsie,
youll get homesick. Do you really think you can make it? And so it became a matter of
pride to stick it out.
Once I got sick, really sick. Had a very bad coldcouldnt breathe. Polyp trouble. I
looked it up in an American dictionaryit had to do with a branching tumor of the nasal
passage. Christ, I just about died.
Then I hurt my leg. Got the muscle somehow separated from the bone. Bled inside.
Couldnt hop on my right footand overdid it trying. And I had terrible cramps at night.
But of course I could just as easily have gotten sick in Oregon, couldnt I? It was
just in the beginning I felt so lonely.
Still there were good times, too. Once my table tennis friends and I rented a bus (it
was paid for by our table tennis clubs) and we went to Stockholm and saw the Swedish
Junior Championships and stayed in the same hotel as the players. That was fun.
I certainly dont want to paint too black a picture about those months in Sweden.
After all, I did acclimate to Swedish life, did stay, often not unhappily, the 6 months Id
agreed to
Only it was all just a little strange and wearying. Like coming home, I was caught in
a storm over the English Channel, and when I finally got off the plane back in the U.S. I
was so tired, I felt I was going to faint.
Jeff Smart, who I as Association President will later appoint USTTA Coaching Chair, was
given $200 by retired businessman and player Lester Spitzley to help cover his $350 round trip
travel expenses to attend a camp in Sweden. The price of the actual camp, Jeff hastens to say, is
unbelievable. For 3 meals per day (all you can eat), fine coaching and training, 2 small rooms with
a couch, table, 2 chairs, sink, bunk bed, 2 swimming pools, badminton and volleyball courts, sauna,
ocean swimming, and maybe even some pretty Swedish girls$50 a week!
And in a sense Jeff was a celebrity. A group of 12-year-old Swedes were at the training
camp and came to visit him each night. They displayed overwhelming enthusiasm towards
America, and clamored for my autograph, my address, and took photographs of me.They
loved an autographed ball, a Mad magazine, and a piggy-back ride. Even at the age of 12 they
spoke fair English, and all of them were energetic and bright.
Jeffs closest friends while he was at the camp were two German players, Manfried and
Vernor, both of whom loved to learn modern expressions like Give me 5, Time to go
beddy-by, Burp! and Youre a chicken. He also said, [I] made very good friends with the
4 best players from Iceland: Peter (with whom I spoke French), Hjalmar (the most dedicated
player and the national champ of Iceland), Frieman, and Tommy.
Jeff stressed that the Swedish coaches do not strive to build machines or mold styles;
they seek to develop the most flexible, studious athletes in the Game. For example:
Unlike the Japanese, the Swedes only go for maximum muscle stretchingnot
speed and sweat. Never do any[warm-up exercises] fast.For frequent or daily routines,
change the exercises each time to avoid a bored or lax attitude toward their
execution.[There] must be exercises in 7 categories[and there are over 50 variations].
393

The Swedes do a form of circuit training, and adhere to 6 training exercises: (1)
alternate knee-hop and high leap; (2) push-ups; (3) sit-ups; (4) squat thrusts; (5) jumps
as high as possible (bringing knees high and heels touching your derriere); and (6) arms up,
tiptoe stretches, the tautness then relaxed. Interval sprint running has replaced distance
running as the main form of endurance and conditioning training. And control practice no
longer means trying to hit 1000 forehands back and forth across the same diagonal. Swedes
learn to concentrate and perfect their strokes by changing the diagonals and patterns without
warning, thus building thinking players not machines. Add to this footwork practice, and as for
power and spin play, Jeff said he learned and practiced many loop, kill, and block drills.
Smart really didnt have much absorbing time, for he was only at the camp for a week.
But he was especially interested in technical points regarding, for example, accelerating wrist
action, and short stroke play. Heres his take on that:
For both forehand and backhand countering, the wrist action makes a very
short stroke possible, about 6 inches on the backhand and possibly a slight bit more on
the forehand. To kill to either side, dont let the racket pass the center of the body (like
the old salute style) and dont finish above the shoulders. To backhand kill, simply
extend the elbow further in front of the body and, using wrist and forearm, whip the
arm straight into the ball. At the start, the racket is almost touching the hip and at the
finish it points right at the target. In all, not more than about 18 inches! And no kill is
ever finished until the racket is immediately pulled into the ready position again.
Jeff closes by saying that he really wants to coach in the U.S.,
and hopes to return to Sweden next summer where hes tentatively
been offered an apprentice coaching and training position. The
reason for this offer, he says, is that I trained very hard before leaving
for Sweden and impressed them there so much with my stamina and
willingness to lead every drill thatwell, theyd never seen such crazy
Yankee enthusiasm before!
The Yankees Messa did see, hell later write to Rufford
Harrison, needed footwork practice. So perhaps those aspiring to go to
Herr Messas Kolboda Camp next year should be reading Joe
Sokoloffs My Way coaching articles appearing regularly in Topics
especially one entitled Footwork
(TTT, Mar.-Apr., 1973, 4).
Meanwhile, Smart will have a long How To Prepare For A
Training Camp article in Topics (Jan.-Feb., 1973, 8). Jeff
emphasizes that going to a training camp (where of course you
need to be in good physical condition) is a lot different from going
to a coaching clinic.
Long Islands Cosmo Graham lets us understand that this
Messa-run training camp in Kolboda is a sort of holiday
resortwith table tennis as one of the main pursuits. Cosmo says
its a good place to get in shape and get your game together. He
was there for three weeks. The 1st week kills you, he says, the
Cosmo Graham
2nd isnt so bad, and the 3rd (comparatively speaking) is easy.
Jeff Smart:
crazy Yankee
enthusiasm

394

Two other Long

Islanders, Jeff Zakarin
and Carl Danner, were
also at this Karlboda
clinic for three weeks.
Like Smart, they did the
same warm-up exercises
for the seven important
parts of the body
wrists, neck, shoulders,
waist, knees, thighs, and
feet. When they were
out at the table, the
Carl Danner
Jeff Zakarin
coaches stressed that
you hit five firm shots on the table, rather than five hundred soft ones, since this would be more like
a real match. The coaches would get on your back, reminding you to Hit the ball hard!
The boys wrote of an exhausting footwork drill: you started from the backhand
side, killed an imaginary ball, ran to the forehand side, killed another imaginary ball, scampered
back to the backhand side, hit in another imaginary forehandthis went on for sixty seconds.
Finally it was overuh, not quite. Repeat two more times. Then of course there were other
drillsfor instance, serve and 3rd-ball, serve and 5th-ball attack practice.
Meals, what were they like? Breakfast: inedible oatmeal, plenty of bread and butter,
jam, and a large supply of milk. Lunch and dinner: potatoes (always boiled), and different
meats, but never hamburgers.
Late in the afternoon, we went to the track for about a half hour of running, or a game of
soccer (called football). We sometimes ran on a path through the woods. At first this was very
hard, as we would trip and slide all over the rocks and bushes, but we got used to it
Big difference, though, being in Sweden a week, three weeksand six months, right, Elsie?
French Surprise at European Youth Championships
In telling us about world-class Juniors our youth arent playing against (TTT, Sept.-Oct.,
6+), Phil Reid, Topics European correspondent, covers the European Youth Championships held
near the city of Vejle in Denmark. In Cadet (under 14) Team play, among the Girls Hungary was an
easy winner over Rumania. However, the Boys final went into the 5th and last match of the tie, then,
prolonging the suspense, to deuce in the 3rd before Russia edged West Germany. Phil thinks young
teens shouldnt be exposed to such Team pressure. Yeah, at 20-20 in the decisive game, one
mistake could cost your country the title. But hey, I say, Get real, get tough early.
And speaking of advice, Phil says:
Every team will have at least a captain and almost certainly a trainer watching
every other opponent and planning the tactics accordingly. In the final of the Junior
Girls Singles there were no less than FOUR Czechs advising their player [Hana
Riedlova] on what to do! (But she still lost.) Any weakness is certain to be attacked
relentlessly. At these particular championships there was more advice being given than
I have ever seen anywhere. On occasions players blatantly walked from the table to
heed advice being offered!
395

The Junior Boys and Girls Team events were staged simultaneously but not with equal
importance. The Boys match was being televised and chairs were placed all around the
arena.The Girls final, meanwhile, was being staged in a corner of the hall with few people,
other than those immediately connected with the match, taking any interest. Russia beat
Hungary 3-1.
Prior to their Junior Boys Team final, France
had shown great improvement in beating Sweden and
West Germany, both of whom had downed England
whose best prospect was the Jamaica-born Desmond
Douglas. Frances Czech opponents, coached by
Vaclav Ostravicky, whom Id eliminated in the semis
of the Jubilee Cup in Nagoya, were slightly favored for
theyd dethroned the Russian holders.
Frances team, all lefthanders, was headed
by a supreme defender, Christian Martin, whom
Reid thought was the outstanding player of the
Championships. He had the most elegant
footwork, moving in with such speed that any
attempt at a drop shot was suicide if the drop shot
Desmond Douglas,
were the least bit up. Martin would move in without
Englands best Junior prospect
hesitation and kill unerringly, usually with his
powerful backhand.
With the tie 3-all, the players whod been judged their countrys best metwith the
Czech Pavel Ovcarik defeating Frances J.D. Constant. But then Martin, seeking a perfect
Team record, came through with a big win over Josef Cermak whod beaten all the Russians,
and the tie was 4-4. Up comes the French banner: ALLEZ FRANCE, for there are many
French supporters, and France has yet to win such a major Championship.
The deciding match is between Philippe Molodzoff (France) and Alexander Mucka
(Czechoslovakia). In the 1st game, Molodzoff, up 20-19, surprises Mucka with a fast serve to
his forehand, and France takes the lead. In the 2nd, Muckas down 13-9 and toweling off every
point. Soon hes down match point 20-15. Then, with France one point away from the title,
the unthinkable happens. Its not Mucka who mucks it up, but Molodzoffunbelievably he
loses the game! And the Czechs are still alive. But not for long; Molodzoffs got him four
match points next game, andthe din is unbearablethats enough.
Molodzoff is grabbed by about a dozen or more elated Frenchmen and chaired round
the room. Then the team is carried from the hall and thrown in the pool! Now they are all
back. Who are they looking for? Its Charles Roesch, their coach. Hes thrown in too.
The Cadet Girls Singles went to Russias Tatjana Ferdmann (Womens World #5 by
1975) who powered her way over unseeded Yugoslavian penholder Dubravka Fabri. The
Cadet Boys Singles to Russias Bagrat Burnazjan over West Germanys Engelbert Huging who
years later, at the 1983 U.S. Open, will play a losing deuce in the 5th final with my younger son
Eric.
The Junior Girls was won by Rumanias unseeded Lidia Elie over Czechloslovakias
Hana Riedlova (Womens World Top 20 in 1973). But the Girls Doubles went to a Hungarian
pair, which Reid thought odd after Russia had beaten Hungary in the Girls Team final. Odder
still when the winners turned out to be the weaker of the two Hungarian teams. The #1
396

Hungarian pair, Katalyn Szendy/Anna Molnar, had been ousted by

Eva Johansson and Ann-Christin Hellman wholl be the losing
finalist in the Womens Singles at the1975 U.S. Open. The Swedes
were then beaten in the semis by the Hungarian Cadets, Ivasko/
Ruzsensky, advancers over the #1 seeded English duo of Linda
Howard/Janet Hellaby. The #2 Hungarian pair, Csik/Kuchar, earlier
winners over Russias Antonjan/Batyrova, then took the final.
Russias Anatoly Strokatov was the best bet to win the
Junior Boyshe came 1st in the Junior Doubles with Victor Fursov,
and the Mixed with Elmira Antonjan (Womens World #15 after the
Sarajevo Championships). Also, when in the Singles semis he 20,
11 got by West Germanys fleet-footed Heinz Gunter Hoffman, and
still hadnt lost a game the whole tournament, who was going to
stop him? Answer: the Yugoslav Miran Savnik, whod knocked out
Martin in the quarters, and then, after losing the 1st game at 8,
Swedens Ann-Christin
Ovcarik in the semis.
Hellman
No, none of
Photo by Mal Anderson
our U.S. players are
regularly contending against any of these youthful
stars, but one day soon they will be (Savnik/Fabri
will blank D-J/Patty Cash in Sarajevo), for, as
youre beginning to see, theres now interest,
movement, not only in having the world stars
come to us, but in us going to them.

Miran Savnik, European Youth Champion,

shown here at an upcoming U.S. Open
with Angie Rosal
Photo by Mal Anderson

397

Chapter Thirty
1972: Ontario Teams,
Errol Caetano, and Violetta
Nesukaitis are Canadian Closed
Winners. U.S. Vs. Canadians in
CNE Team Championships;
Swedens Bernhardt Wins Mens;
Canadas Nesukaitis the Womens.
The Canadian Closed
Championships used to be played
at the CNE, but the CTTA wants to
Nora and Larry Lee
move the venue around, so last
Photo by Bill Marlens
year they held it in Halifax, this
year in Edmonton, again in May. Assistant CTTA News Editor Ralph Spratt tells us (Jan.-Feb.,
1973, 3-5; 8-9) that in the Mens Teams, with all 12 Provinces represented, B.C., playing
without recently married Waterloo University student Larry Lee, but with Zoltan Pataky, Phil
Cheng, and anti-spin defender Paul Albrecht (Vancouver City Champ over Eric Calveley), beat
Quebec, 5-2. Leading the Quebec contingent was anti-spin attacker Mike Behan (whod been
a triple winner at the July Eastern Canada Open in Chateauguay, winning the Mens over his
Doubles partner Adham Sharara whod downed teammate Guy Germain in the semis). Best
matches in this B.C.-Quebec tie were Germain over Cheng, and Pataky over Sharara, both 19
in the 3rd. Ontario, however, was much too strong for any contender. Ditto the
Ontario womenthough Quebecs Shirley Gero upset Helen Simerl.
In the 100-entry Mens Singles, Lee pulls the upset of the tournament,
knocking out Defending Champion Derek Wall (Oct. Chateauguay winner over
Paul Klevinas). Then, in the one semi, Lee downs Cheng, 19 in the 4th, while, in
the other, Caetano eliminates Ontario Closed Champion Peter Gonda in 5. Last
year, Errol lost 19 in the 5th to Wall; this year he loses 19 in the 5th to Lee. However, Errol
does win both the Mens Doubles with Gonda (over Lee/Wall
whod beaten them last year) and the Mixed with Violetta
(over Lee/Flora Nesukaitis).
The 46-entry Womens sees Mariann Domonkos (Oct.
Chateauguay winner over Joyce Hecht) gain the Closed final for
the first time with a 5-game win over Helen Simerl. A very
exciting matchwith Mariann looping, rolling, and pickhitting, and Helen making fantastic defensive returns and
occasional counter-hits. Violetta, however, is never in danger
wins her 7th Womens Championshipand shes still only 21.
Though Assistant Editor Spratt did most of this Closed write-up,
Editor Jose Tomkins gave him an assist or two. In July, Jose, who
with husband John has two daughters, Christine, 16, and Susan,
14, became the Executive Director of the CTTA, and thus is the
Jose Tomkins: appointed
first woman appointed to a Canadian Executive position at the
Executive Director of the CTTA
Sports Administrative Centre in Ottawa.
From the 1972 CNE Program
398

Earlier Jose had been Secretary of the Ontario Association, so was well aware of the
complaints shed heard each Labor Day weekend about the Toronto CNE venue. And, indeed,
Thursday morning, Aug. 31st there at the X, in the Sheep and Swine building, it all came back
again into my nostrils. The old hay fever. Oh, it was really awful. You sufferers, you
understandin between the nose blowings, the sneezes and all that spittle, tears streaming
from my eyes, I had to try carefully to watch my step, work my little puddle of a way past stall
after stall, past the indifferent cows and their puddles.
As I walked the concrete into the swept-up dust of the extreme eastern part of the
Coliseum and paused to catch my breath, the first thing I was able to make out was something
that looked like a fog horn, or a megaphone, or an old Your Masters Voice speaker
something that suggested Authority. And then, behold, spraying forth from it, out into the
arena, out into the stands beyond, was surely the most definitive of toxic substances. For when
shortly I ventured out into that sort of no-mans land to help set up the tables, it was thumbs
downand all the flies, gassed, had dropped. So that now if one wanted to practice, he had
only to take out his crumpled handkerchief and wipe them dead away.
Such was the venue that year after year continued to attract international playershah,
hah, hah, like dying flies to the carrion of Canadian table tennis. Or so one might say if he
cared to get a little hysterical about it.
I, however, since, withal, I enjoyed my yearly adventures here, didnt want to be nasty to
the Expo officials, didnt want to rave or rant at the joint high-level meeting held at the Ex between
the Canadians and the Americans. Indeed, I was properly polite. I really did want to foster
goodwill. But as USTTA President I felt a duty to urge, really urge, the Canadians to find a new
venueelse I might even go so far as to suggest to the USTTA Executive Committee that we
formally urge U.S. players not to return to this now something less than prestige tournament.
The Canadians rather publicly agreed that a change of location was in order. And there
was talk that the CNE was promising a new sports complex in the near future. But privately,
Im afraid, they thought I was way out of line, was in fact trying to sabotage the security of
their never-say-die venue. So, they thought it best that I mind my own USTTA business and let
them there in Toronto, in time, work out a change that would be as satisfactory as possible.
So, o.k., enough, I wasnt looking for a dead horse.
But to my surprise CTTA President Art Barran would write a Letter to Topics (Nov.Dec., 1972, 15) regarding my CNE write-up, in which he said my ribald literary style and the
caricature ridiculing our Canadian flagcreates resentment and invites retaliation. I didnt
know what he meant by the caricature of the flag logo Id attached to the article, but when I
looked at it again, I saw that the maple leaf was disfigured. So, oh, oh, I wrote him an apology
and affixed a very proper logo when I printed his Letter (though I should also have appended
an apologetic Ed.s Note, but didnt).
To open the Aug. 31-Sept. 3, 1972 CNE Championships, Pittsburgh (Joe Rokop, Rick
Seemiller, and Bruce Plotnick) won the all day and much too far into the night, 16-team
modified round robin Junior Team event.
In the final 4-team round robin, in a tie-breaker (three teams had 2-1 records),
Pittsburgh edged both runner-up Michigan (Mike Veillette, Mike Baber, and New Yorker Eric
Boggan) and New York #1 (John McGraw, Jeff Zakarin, and New Jerseys Mike Stern). The
4th team (the now Toronto-based Timmy House, Greg Plastrik, and Scott Boggan)
complicated matters a bit when they defaulted, partly because of the late hour and partly
because House and Plastrik felt, Why play? We cant win.
399

Actually the Michigan team might have come 1st

were it not for two tough matches they lost to the N.Y. #1
team. McGraw outlasted Baber 31-29 in the nail-biting 3rd.
And Jeff Zakarin, just returned from that training camp in
Sweden, had a very big win over U.S. Junior Team
member Mike Veillette. (I managed to contain him, said
young Jeff with newly acquired European aplomb.)
George Jovanov, President of the Ontario
Association, who organized these matches and saw to it
with great flexibility that every boy or girl who wanted to
play could, deserves to be commended. As for the players
themselves, Coach Bong Mo Lee, looking them over, said,
These young people have good fighting qualities butI
have to say itbadly need to learn some strokes if ever
John McGraw
they are going to be world class competitors.
Photo by Mal Anderson
In the Junior International Match, Canada (Capt.
Jovanov, Paul Klevinas, Steve Feldstein, and Biruta
Plucas) defeated the U.S. (Capt. Lou Dubin, Paul Raphel, Mike Veillette, and Angelita Rosal)
4-3. In Singles play, Paul won two, Mike lost two, and Angelita beat Biruta. So it was in close
Doubles play that the U.S. falteredKlevinas/Feldstein beat our guys, 22-20, 26-24, and
Klevinas/Plucas surprised Paul/Angelita in the deciding 7th match, -17, 18, 17.
In the
Womens
International
Match, Canada
(Capt. Jenny
Marinko, Violetta
Nesukaitis, Helen
Simerl, and
Mariann
Domonkos) blitzed
the U.S. (Capt.
Yvonne Kronlage,
Judy Bochenski,
Alice Green, Olga
Soltesz, and
Barbara
Kaminsky).
Recognize the CNE scene?
Though praising
Canadian and U.S. teams at attention for national anthems
Photo by Neal Fox
the more formal
attention given to the evenings Opening Ceremonies, Yvonne was critical of the march-in
musicnew tapes were needed. And although both countries looked to be well-dressed, our
women complained privately that they were extremely uncomfortable in their playing
outfitswhich meant new ones would have to be ordered.
Judy opened against Helen, and lost 11, 20. Team Capt. Yvonne, who was doing the
coverage for Topics, quoted Judy as saying, I was scared being the first one to play. Scared!
400

Though bothered by Helens steady chop and push play, had Judy won that 2nd game at
deuce.In the 2nd match, trying to outpush and outchop Violetta, Alice failed miserably, as
anyone would expect her toshe got 7 and 8. Yvonne played Olga and Barbara in the
Doubles, but they had no 15, -8 chance against Marianns loops and Violettas chops. And to
think this team had had an afternoon practice session in which Bong Mo Lee was said to have
helped them.
In the Mens International Match, the U.S. (Capt. Bob Kaminsky, George Brathwaite,
Errol Resek, and Dell Sweeris) redeemed itself by blanking Canada (Capt. Max Marinko,
Larry Lee, Derek Wall, and Errol Caetano). However, none of the five matches were walk
through wins. Heres Bong Mos summary:
Brathwaite vs. Lee. I told
George to serve 3 short to Lees
forehand and 2 fast to his
backhand. Mix up the patterns of
course. The idea is to draw Larry
in, get him to have to block on his
backhand. He just doesnt block
very wellgoes up on his tip-toes,
thrusts out stiff. George ought to
be able to hit such returns. Actually,
I thought George was spinning too
much, didnt step in and hit
enough. But hes like Joe Frazier
boxing, keeps applying the
pressure.He forces errors, wears
U.S. Coach Bong-Mo Lee talking it over with
you down.
George Brathwaite
Resek vs.Wall. Wall, of
Photo by Neal Fox
course, keeps favoring his
backhand chop. Errol is to always loop to Dereks forehand. When the ball comes up
high enough, hes to hit it hard. Errol, up 19-17 one game, goes 21-20 down. Then hits
in a serve to deuce it. Then serves off. Though he won, can this be the way to play the
game?
Sweeris vs. Caetano. Sweeris, who was having trouble with his footing on the
hot cement floor, ought to move Caetano, who has bad footwork. Let Errol swing with
the forehand if he wants to. Hes wild, wild, wild. He doesnt know what hes doing. If
a guy knows how to place the ball steadily, then Caetano has no chance.[I think
Bong Mo, though he admits Caetano is very good at angling the ball, quite
underestimates himhell dominate Canadian table tennis throughout the decade.]
Sweeris is to use 3 different serves: a fast topspin, a moderately paced nothing ball that
looks like a chop, and a sidespin top. These serves will prevent Caetano from looping
and will allow Dell to move in.
Brathwaite vs.Wall. George isto loop to the forehand. If Wall wants to pick a
backhand, let him. Hell hit some in, but hell miss more. And, after all, George has a
good retrieving defense. Sure, itll be a long match, but Wall likely will be more
affected [than George] by the adverse conditionsthe lack of oxygen, for example.
401

Sweeris vs. Lee. Dells best serve against Larry is a short one to the forehand
followed by a topspin backhand that will enable him to take the offense. Dell is not
supposed to loop against Lee, but he does. Naturally its not easy to change the habits
in ones game.
International goodwill is what the Canadians in their own way certainly want. They
brought over 26-year-old Carl Johan Bernhardt, Swedens #4, to run a training camp for
talented juniors. When it came time for Bernhardt to see the Expo playing site, he told
Ontarios Jovanov, You cant be serious. I dont play here.
Naturally hed been forewarned of the conditions and was only teasing. After all, he loved
animals, didnt he? At least horses. Having gone often enough to the track with his great Swedish
teammate Alser, he was certainly at home here with beastly sights and smells. Indeed, there was
much joking about sending back to Sweden a picture of Bernhardt posing with his favorite bull.
The Canadians also footed the bill for Les Haslam who, manning a booth, had Sports
Ontario duties, such as demonstrating the robot and coaching interested youngsters. Later, it
was undignified to see these two top seeds, players of stature, professionals who were
expected to be the gates top attraction, umpiring. Of course there was no gate, no admittance
fee to watch, and, with 259 players entered, maybe 300 spectators for the Sunday night finals.
I counted almost 160 players from the Statesand some, Jairie Resek wrote in her Topics
column, would have a bad experience, though through no fault of the Ontario organizers:
Lim
Ming [Chui] was
out eighty dollars
and David [Philip]
a fresh one
hundred dollar bill.
And they say the
streets of New
York are unsafe.
Arthur
Nieves, Louise
Chotras (daughter
A suspicious-looking twosome? Arthur Nieves and Louise Chotras
of ex-U.S.
Photos by Mal Anderson
Champion Bernice
Chotras), Ron Tiekert, and Bob Wallace of N.Y. had a slight border skirmish coming
back to the U.S. They searched the inside of Arthurs car, including the airconditioning vents, fuse box, and trunk. Louise was wrapped in a quilt that one border
inspector took, laid out flat, and fingered every square inch. Theythe inspectors
even called for help. And Arthur doesnt even look suspicious.
Another International veteran, a member of Indias 1963 World Team and Captain of
the Tata Sports Club in Bombay, was Ratish Chachad whod come to Toronto to visit his
sister. After being asked to appear at 9 a.m. for his first Singles match, Ratish, some 13 hours
later, had played his second and, as he would wait no longerhis last. It was a poor show,
he said, so I gave the walkout to Wall.
402

Still another International with a word or two to say about the conditions was the
affable Iranian star Houshang Bozorgzadeh. Hed first played here 14 years ago, when
improvements certainly needed to be made. Today nothing had changedvenue improvements
still hadnt been made. It wasnt right, he said, not to have showers available for the players; if
he wanted to go back to his hotel to shower, it wasnt only the inconvenience, he had to pay a
two-way taxi fare, even had to buy another ticket to get back into the Fairgrounds. And the
arena set-up, it was awful. The 7 tables should be reduced to 6, the courts barriered; there
ought to be small tables for the umpires; lights should be strung up, the windows curtained to
keep out the glare. Barriered-off practice tables should be set up where one didnt have to
chase the ball into animal droppings; and a player ought not to be threatened with default
when the matches arent time-scheduled and, like Humpty-Dumpty, he/shes sitting on edge,
unable to hear his name called clearly over the loudspeaker.
The Americans and Canadians had tried in the International Matches to give the thing
some class. But it was wholly our initiative that brought about change. Bob Kaminsky, U.S.
Mens Team Captain, pushed for the parallel marching-in of the red and blue uniformed
players, the head-of-the-line flag bearers (though both boys were unaccountably Canadian),
the exchange of pennants and gifts, the pictures snapped by the hurrying photographers; the
special up-front reserved seating section for the teams.
But when we in the audience rose for the playing of our national Anthem, and it came
through, like the marching-in music, so cracked and dissonant, I personally was very much
moved, and felt like looking at our flag, and thought, Well, the dream is there, the effort has
been made to at least start a change. And though the surroundings were so inimical as to
make one shake his head at the incongruity of it all, it really wasnt comic to me but poignant,
human.
There was color among the men at the tournament, but, in the beginning, not much
drama. One could pick out Rory Brassington with his green-tinted poker visor (hed had
trouble with his eyes all weekend, kept poking in some solution); or John Tannehill, in his
overalls, just come up to watch cause he said he couldnt get into playing ping-pong 5 hours a
day anymore; or Curtis McNear in a black cowboy outfit,
to be mistaken perhaps for a dressed-up cowhand in the
adjacent Corral Restaurant.
Through the first 82 matches of the Mens, aside
from one big upset, there were only two matches worth
commenting on. Ray Mack, whod been playing in
California, was back in Rochester, N.Y. and scored a taut
19-in-the-5th win over former Trinidad stalwart Frank
Watson; while Chicagos Jim Davey almost took away
Mitch Sealtiels golf glove in 5. To set everyone straight
on the one big upset, its not true, as somebody said of
the old log-chopper, that Bukiet lost to John Quick
because he didnt want to play Chui again, didnt want to
hear the sound of that wood.
John, whos 16, is from New Orleans, but he
spent the summer in Florida. As first alternate on the U.S.
Junior Team hed been training for this tournament
reading science fictionIt makes you wonder, makes
Norikazu Fujii
403

Photo by
Mal Anderson

Caron Leff...minding the store for Nori

John Quick upsets Bernie Bukiet

you dreamand practicing regularly at Norikazu Fujiis new Joe Newgarden-sponsored club
in Miami. Nori, former Japanese great, had kept telling Quick he had to get faster, quicker
that he couldnt keep hitting the ball behind him. Here in Toronto, John, who wants to be a
surgeon, moved Bernie from corner to corner, kept dissecting the old mans strategy by
flashing balls at him that were always difficult to block, were never right at him. Compared to
Fujiis counter, said John, Bernies was awfully slow.
Against Chui, one of our top players, Quick again went 5 games. And though he didnt
win, there isnt any 16-year-old we have who, against this difficult-to-play lefty penholder,
could have done better.
Lim Ming, in turn, won a very, very close match over Caetano to get to the quarters. Chui
stays alive by winning the 3rd, 25-23. Then, beginning to use the dreaded wooden side of his racket,
picks up momentum by taking the 4th. Into the end-game 5th they go, and its anybodys match. Up
18-17, Chui, serving, anticipates beautifully Caetanos readiness to try to take the offense: as Errol
moves fast to one side, Ming puts it where he aintputs it in fact off the table! 18-all. Thenyou
never saw two more nervous playersErrol fails to return service. After which Chui serves and
misses Errols return. 19-all. Then its Ming up 20-19, match point, with again his serve. And what
clever thing do you think he does with it? Thats righthe serves off. Again. 20-all.
And now Errol loops one in, yells, raises his hands high; but Chui holds fast. Then
Ming has the ad, serves. Wait! Caetano isnt readyafter all, hes missed a couple along the
way, doesnt want to do it now. He puts his racket behind his back, whirls and catches the ball,
his back to the table. Houshang will later excitedly say to me, Thats just how Jonyer lost his
match to Li Fu-jung in Nagoyadidnt put up his hand and caught the ball. But were not in
Nagoya, and no ones trying to take advantage of another.
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O.k., Errols ready. Loops in 3 in a row, finishes with an-around-the-world whirl. Deuce.
And deuce againto 26-all.Until up, up, up spirals Caetanos racketits all over for him, hes lost.
Ming has a much easier time in the quarters against Houshang whod knocked out
Glenn Cowan in 4. Such a happy-hearted little spoiler this Iranian, but today, with his twofingered grip, his hard bat, his often marvelously placed chop-blocks, hands balanced at all
angles, hiscuckoo!clock-spring forehand, he cant time it all right, and when Chui wins
the 3rd game at 19, the clock stops.
Chui, too, though, is destined to be beaten 3 straight, is stopped short of the finals by
the pre-tournament favorite, Bernhardt.
On the Swedes side of the draw, back in the 16ths, there are two very good matches.
In the first of these, Resek vs. Shiroky, Errol, after being up 20-14 in the 1st, drops 8 straight
points, walks around the table a loser. But then, he says later, he got mad. He also began
getting a headache and then a backache from trying to spin the ball harder and faster against
Alex. At the break, Mort Zakarin, USTTA Corresponding Secretary, is pressed into service as
a masseur. He talks to Errol, soothingly, demandingly. Types up on his vertebrae a firm, yet relaxed
letter of advice. Then sends him offsort of air mail special delivery. And what with Shiroky
hopelessly trying to smack 3rd-ball backhands in off Reseks short spin return of serve, the 4-game
match is soon over. So, sure enough, Errol is delivered into the box of the next round. Thats
against Canadas 4-time Champion Larry Lee, and Errol again loses the 1st, again wins in 4.
In the quarters, Resek meets Bernhardt, 20, -21, 15, 13 conqueror of Canadas Peter
Gonda. But he just cant handle the Swedes wide variety of serves. He served so quickly
too, said Errol. Id miss it, hed pick the ball up and quickly serve again. He didnt even give
the umpire a chance to score the game. Resek also lost points by serving shortprompting
the ball to come back with some heavy sidespin he couldnt read. Finally it became clear to the
challenger that he was to topspin the serve deep, then loop to Bernhardts forehand
whereupon the ball would float back high with nothing on it and Errol could murder it. Well, it
worked for one game anyway.

The match that had them all talking:

Raphels near-win over Bernhardt
Photo by Mal Anderson

Rivaling the Chui/Caetano match was the Bernhardt-Raphel one that had the crowd
wild with excitement. Paul says he spends 5 hours or so most days at Milla Boczars
405

Hollywood Club2 hours playing, 3 hours watching TV (No, I dont do any calisthenics,
dont train, though I once ran a mile 2 days in a row). In the last year or so, hes come up
with a Zorro-like whip of a loop that surely never showed to better advantage than in his 2games-to-1- up, 19-all-in-the-4th match with the brooding Bernhardt.
There seems to be no junior around dressed with Pauls bright red flower of an
imagination. Whered you get that long, put-away follow through? I asked him.
The sequence shots in Topicsyou know, of Klamparthey inspired me, he said
with a puckish grin.
But out there with Bernhardt he was all black-jump-suited seriouspushing,
countering a few, then looping to the forehand, cracking one after another away.
What was going through your head at 19-all in the 4th? I wanted to know.
That if I win this match Ill train every day for the rest of my life.
Well, what can you say to that? He didnt win. But hes the closest thing weve had to
a crazy, charismatic Reisman since, well, Reisman. He just might become our greatest player of
the 70s.
Meanwhile, over on Haslams side of the draw there was an early, unexpected
development. Fuarnado Roberts had gotten match-point-cornered in the 3rd, and had barely
escaped, at least temporarily, with one of his bewhiskered lives. Who was giving him all this
trouble? Who had him 2-1 down?
Saunoris?Whos he?
Algis Saunoris is a surgeon in Vilnius, Lithuania,
whos come over here for a short time to visit his mother
in nearby Hamilton. He is also, it turns out, many-time
Lithuanian Champ and even the USSR Champ back in
61. In 1960, in fact, in the European Championships, hed
gotten to the final of the Doubles. Now he plays primarily
for relaxation. Lose a ping-pong game, thats one thing,
says the doctor, but lose a life, thats anothertheres no
next time.
It may well be that Saunoris has not been playing
muchfor to get to Robbies anti-topspin game, hed had
early to go 5 withRobbies anti-topspin game. Huh? Oh!
Horace Roberts. It may also be that all that practice
against the first Robbie prepared him to so well handle the
Algis Saunoris - reportedly the
second.
1961 USSR Champion
At any event, Fuarnado couldnt concentrate
Photo by Mal Anderson
wellwas bothered by one of the Tournament Diectors
stationing himself at the rear of the playing area (have to keep a close eye on things, you
know, wouldnt want anything to go wrong), and by the close tables restricting his range and
the balls from them interrupting his play. During the long pushing exchanges, the match was
once stopped 7 times before a particular point could be played to completion. So Robbie,
making error after error, didnt escape after all.
Saunoris, in turn, was beaten 3 straight by Vancouvers Zoltan Pataky whom some may
remember having won the As at the 72 Nationals. Zollie, who was a member, along with
Gergely and Klampar, of the 69-70 Hungarian Junior Team coached by World Champion
Ference Sido, left Budapest in the summer of 1970 and went 6 months to Italy. After which he
406

had a choiceeither to go to Canada or

the U.S. He chose Canada because hed
heard that the pace wasnt so hectic there.
Although he spoke no English last
fall, Pataky studied 6 hours a day for 4
months, now can make himself easily
understood. Following a program of
School first, Table Tennis second, hes
studying at the B.C. School of Technology.
He was loaned the standby airfare to come
to Toronto by a Roman Catholic
International Aid Society that helps
Eastern European immigrants.

Zoltan Zollie Pataky

Photo by Mal Anderson

Earlier Zollie had gotten by 17-year-old

Robert Earle from Barbados. (In the July
Caribbean Championships at Port of Spain,
Trinidad, Earle had beaten Brathwaite, then lost,
18 in the 4th in the final, to Caetano whod also
defeated Fuarnado Roberts and Peter Gordon
Stephens. Caetano/Brathwaite had won the mens
Doubles there, while Roberts had teamed with
Womens winner Monica DeSouza to take the
Barbados star Robert Earle
Photo by Mal Anderson
Mixed from Stephens/Maggie Burnett.) In the
quarters here in Toronto, however, Pataky
couldnt get more than 13 from Sweeris, fast approaching his playing peak before meeting
Haslam in the semis.
Les, meanwhile (Dont think I was being arrogant out there, I heard him say to one
of his opponents), wasnt having much trouble with anybody. Once, in the middle of a point,
driven back to retrieve a ball at the barriers, he was overheard singing to himself. Another
time, different point, same place, while waiting for a smash to get to him, he was heard to say,
quite casually, to the roving Tournament Director inside the arena, Would you mind moving,
please? Then he smacked a mighty counter all the way back onto the table and won the point.
Haslam beats the finger-snapping, double-wing looper Sam Hammond, 3-0, in the 8ths,
after Sam managed to survive a marvelous 16, -13, -13, 24, 19 match with a very disappointed
Danny Seemiller. With what a wonderful light touch Danny smothers Sams would-be
trampoline hops. Les, who often looks bored to death on court, then stops Brathwaite whod
knocked out Derek Wall.
Defending Champion Sweeris was quite irritated to have received nothing more than a
mechanically-inserted entry blank in the mailaddressed to Miss Dell Sweeris. He thought
he deserved much betterfelt he was being taken for granted, that it didnt really matter to
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the sponsors whether he played or not. He sent in his entry along with a note suggesting that
he would take it kindly, it would be a nice gesture, if the Tournament Committee would pay
his traveling expensesthat is, for 800 miles at $.10 a mile, $80or at least provide him with
free hospitality, or at the very least compliment him with free entries into the tournament.
Comes back a letter from Ontario TTA President George Jovanov. A policy letter. We
have thought of paying our Defending Champions expensesbut we have winners from
Japan, Czechoslovakia, Englandfrom all over the world. It would be too expensive were we
to establish the precedent of providing transportation costs for our winners. And, besides, we
have many events and so would have to pay costs for each champion, would we not?
Sweeris thought not. Wasnt there a big difference between not being able to afford
$80and $350? Wouldnt some first step be better than none at all? Oh, what cheap,
disgraceful trophies were offered in the International Championships. It was enough to make
players want to form a Players Association.
But, anyway, Dell, privately grumbling, came.

Les Haslam on his way to rallying from 13-7 down in the 5th to advance over Dell Sweeris.
Umpire is John Tannehill
Photos by Mal Anderson

408

And almost conquered. In losing, 19 in the 5th, in the semis to Haslam, he played this
year perhaps even better than he did in last years final against Englands Alan Hydes. True, the
Jamaican was sometimes careless. With the match 1-1 and Les holding the ad in the 3rd, he
serves offends up losing this swing game. In the 4th, both players, Haslam particularly, come
through with some marvelous back-from-the-table exchanges and counters, and the match is
even.
In the 5th, Sweeris starts out strong, is up 4-0, and later, sprawled flat, bat out of his
hand, he wins the point to hold steady at 9-5. Down 7-11, Haslam (is he cracking?) takes an
awkward backhand smash, 7-12. Then 7-13. Bong Mo Lee, sitting beside me, is saying,
Think before you serve! Dell serves, tries to loop the return, misses. Again he serves, again
tries to loop the return, misses. And now, a little unnerved, he serves and again misses the
return.
With new life, Haslam pulls to 17-18. After what seems the obligatory towel break, Les
serves, backhands in, hard, Dells return18-allDell scores with a forehand19-all. Now
Les makes an absolutely fantastic counter to go ahead, then
serves, and flamboyantly smacks another hard backhand in.
Haslam in, Sweeris out.
So its finals time.
But, oh, oh, Ive not given you results from the
other events, so first here they are with some brief
commentary.
Womens. Final: Violetta Nesukaitis over Judy
Bochenski, 18, -16, 17, 15. Semis: Nesukaitis, easily, over
Alice Green (whod taken out Angelita Rosal in 4);
Bochenski (whod eliminated Mariannn Domonkos 18 in
the 4th) over Olga Soltesz, 11, -21, -22, 13, 10. Torontos
Biruta Plucas, whod been to two training camps this
summer, had excellent wins over Barbara Kaminsky (-9, 20,
22, -12, 21) and Millie Shahian (12, 15, -19, 18). In her
Mall Tour of America this summer with dad Lou and
brother Mike, Judy offered $25 to any player who could
beat her. Only 13 out of thousands did. In her 5-game
semis with Judy, Olga said her forehand wasnt going in
and that for some reason she didnt want to move over and
hit it better. But win or lose she sure wanted to be on the
move back to Florida to play with that new car she got a
month or so ago.
Mens Doubles. Final: Haslam/Larry Lee over
Caetano/Gonda, 3-0. The Canadians whod outlasted
Resek/Chui in a 19 in the 5th semis, found Haslams
sidespins very difficult to loop. Earlier, Resek/Chui barely
defeated Sweeris/Bill Lesner deuce in the 3rd.
Womens Doubles. Final: Helen Simerl/Marie Kerr
made a great 19, -17, 21, 19, 16 comeback to take the
title from Bochenski/Rosalthe first time Canadians have
Biruta Plucas: training camps help
won the Womens Doubles in 15 years.
Photo by Mal Anderson
409

Mixed Doubles semis:

Boggan/Bochenski (L) lose
to Sealtiel/Soltesz
Photo by Mal Anderson

Mixed Doubles. Final: Caetano/V. Nesukaitis over Mitch Sealtiel/Olga Soltesz. Semis:
Caetano/Nesukaitis over Resek/Rosal, 13, -15, -20, 11, 19 (the second 19 in the 5th Doubles
semis he lost); Sealtiel/Soltesz over Boggan/Bochenski, 19, -19, 14, 21.

Sue Hildebrandt on rallying to beat Canadas Shirley Gero in final of Womens As

Photo by Mal Anderson

Mens As. Final: Eric Phillips over Quick, 18, 20, 15. Womens As. Final: Sue
Hildebrandt over Shirley Gero, -15, 15, 17. Semis: Hildebrandt over Diana Myers, 13, 20;
Gero over a slimmed-down, all-serious-about-table-tennis-again Janice Martin, 3, -19, 19.
Seniors. Final: Wall over Saunoris, 17, -15, 13, 14.
Junior Men. Final: Raphel over Paul Klevinas, 11, 9. Junior Miss. Final: Bochenski
over Domonkos, -17, 16, 12. Semis: Bochenski over Bev Hess, 12, 20; Domonkos over
Rosal, 21, 15.
410

Lillian, Carl and Bruce Plotnick at Bruces Bar Mitzvah - cake on right
Photos by Mal Anderson

Boys. Final: Klevinas over Rick Seemiller, 16, 14. Klevinass (9, -19, 19) toughest
match was with Bruce
Plotnick (and though hes
about to be Bar Mitzvahed,
he still looks like an
appealing little Dickens waif
to me). Girls. Final:
Domonkos over Hess, 16, 18, 10. In the semis,
Mariann won a 28-26 1st
game from Myers.
Midgets. Final:
Eddie Lo over Peter Joe, 20, 13, 19.
There remains then
only the one final Mens
Bruces ballet steps were almost enough to down Klevinas in the Boys
match: Bernhardt over
Photo by Mal Anderson
Haslam, 15, 16, 18. But
what can I say about it? That Haslam is playing with a Bernhardt Stiga racket? Or that as one
observer said of the Exhibition 3rd game, Its much better when Haslam hits to Bernhardt.
Then you see everythingthe balloon defense, the jumps, the leaps, the long thrusts.
But why put on an Exhibition? Especially when both Canada and the U.S.want this
annual CNE tournament to be taken seriously, to be prestigious.
411

Chapter Thirty-One
1972: Fall TournamentsI (Chui Upsets D-J at Houston).
Moving to the other side of Canada, I note that B.C.s Art Barran retained his CTTA
Presidency, and that the annual Hungarian Memorial Open, played in Oct. at Vancouvers
Douglas Park, drew the usual players and local officials. Roberts, Ruttinger, and Joe Lees
suspension wouldnt be lifted until Jan. 31, 1973. But Barran and B.C. didnt want to go
there? Championship Singles: Rob Roberts zipped Zoltan Pataky, 12, 14, 9. (As well as
Patakis been playing, how is such a bad beating possible?) Womens: Leslie Ward over
Hendrickson, 23-21 in the 4th. Championship Doubles: Roberts/Tom Ruttinger over Yuki
Yamada/L.K. Lo. Mixed Doubles: Pataky/Ward over Eric Calveley/Hurwood. As: Bill Dean
(had to be New Englands Bill Dean?) over Seattles Yamada, 24-22 in the 5th. Bs: Leslie Joe
over George Stefanissin. Cs: Dr. Peter Athwal over Woo. Seniors: Frank Karika over Hugh
Ward, -25, 13, -17, 19, 18. Junior Men: Peter Joe over O.S. Athwal. Junior Women: Ward
over Joy Jenkins.
The B.C. Association players, as their Chief Umpire Rolland Bourassa tells us, played
host to a Peruvian team (Ezzio and Giancarlos Scottini, Luis Legarda, Jose Viacaba, Antonio
Gomez, Maritza Chiappo, and Fina Salazar) that included a Nov. 4th International Match
which the visitors won 8-3. B.C. participants were: Peter Joe, Philip Cheng, Paul Albrecht,
Zoltan Pataky, Eric Calveley, Brenda Henricson, Joy Jenkins, Leslie Ward, and Merle BaggooWeekes. Only Joe, Cheng, and Pataky were able to register wins.
Here was Irene Ogus, a week before the Tryouts for the 1973 U.S. World Team,
winning the San Francisco Fall Open. Could she be considering a move to try and make the
Team? Mens winner: Richard Terry over Jeff Mason. (Best Mens match: George Makk over
Azmy Ibrahim in 5.) At the Modesto Closed, Mason won the Masters Singles over Mike
Greene, and Mason/Terry the Doubles over Greene and Mohammed Aghili. As: Greene over
Jim Naik. Bs: Harry Nelson over C winner Peter Groot. Seniors: Nelson over Byng
Forsberg.
The Sept. Hollywood Olympics sounds like it might involve marathon playor that
Brazilian Team game Ray Mack told me they play at the Hollywood Club. Three or four
players make up a team. To begin, two players play a point to see who keeps the table (and the
serve). Games to 50. Players alternate. You lose the point, you sit down, wait for another
chance. Ray says, Theres no time to feel out an opponent. Its tough to play a quality point
after waiting around.
Olympics results: Open Championships: Raphel
over Denis OConnell. Mens: Joong Gil Park over Ray
Guillen (who runs the Club for Milla?). Best matches:
Park in 5 over Bill Ukapatayaskul who rallied from down
2-0 to knock out Raphel, deuce in the 5th. Howie
Grossman over Jack Howard in 5. Womens: Priscilla
Parker over Angie Rosal, 17 in the 4th. Mens Doubles:
Final: Ukapatayaskul/Nick Mintsiveris over Guillen/
Raphel. Semis: Bill U/Nick over Bob Ashley/Ichiro
Hashimoto, 18 in the 5th; Guillen/Raphel over Park/Russ
Denis OConnell
Thompson, 20, -20, 23, -18, 17. Mixed Doubles: Eric
Photo by Mal Anderson
412

Thom/Rosal over Grossman/Heather Angelinetta in 5,

then (from down 2-0) over Guillen/Parker.
The As went to Brenner over B winner
Goodstein who stopped Bill Garrett, 19 in the 3rd. Mack
remembers Garrett, A Doubles winner here with Harold
Kopper, as a strapping 64 athlete who played with a
69-cent paddle, held upside down by the outside of the
blade (he had enormous hands). He was a chopper
chopped and pick-hit with either hand. He was one of
the top perspirers in all of TT history. Top five, at worst!
After playing a game with him, you needed a towel to
clean up the mess.
Over in the Southwest Marianne Szalay
and her Houston Team go off to the mid-Sept. Mexico
City Invitational to play the Mexicans and Guatemalans
in the beautiful Gimnasio Olimpico where TV cameras
would continually film play. In addition to the weekend
table tennis, the players were taken to nearby Pyramids

Howie Grossman
Photo by
Mal Anderson

and visited the Citys Museum of

Anthropology.
The Guatemalans were very
weakHoustons Cecil Kost, D. G.
Van Vooren, and Brad Fountain
beat them 5-0 without losing a
game. But the Mexican Azul
(Blue) team of veterans put up
some fight, went down 5-1. Aurelio
Jano, the Mexican penholder of
Japanese descent, defeated a notfeeling-well Fountain, 2-1. Then the
current Mexico National Champion
from Germany, the hard rubber
player Peper Bernthaler (on winning
the 1st 25-23 and at deuce in the 2nd)
almost finished Van Vooren whod
earlier downed the Mexico City
Champion, the wood blocker Jesus Gil.
However, as Van Vooren reports
(TTT, Jan.-Feb., 1972, 19), the youthful
Mexican Verde (Green) team wasnt as
green as theyd been last year when
the Texans beat them easily. Now they
had a Japanese Coach named Kamata,
and his charges, unleashing 3rd-ball
attacks, forced the winning Houstonians

D.G. Van Vooren

From TT Unlimited
(Courtesy of Sue Sargent)

413

(it was their 1st tie) into the 3rd game of the 9th
match before succumbing. Also, as Van Vooren
told a reporter, the Texans werent as yet
completely accustomed to the bounce of these
fast tables or to the altitude of Mexico City.
Results: Armando Quintero d. Don
Weems, 2-1; Manuel Silva d. Kost (who hadnt
played for a month); Fountain d. Roberto
Otero, 2-1 (a huge swing match, for Brad had
been down triple match-point in the 2nd game
before winning 19 in the 3rd); Kost d. Quintero;
Fountain d. Silva; Otero d. Weems; Fountain d.
Quintero; Silva d. Weems, 2-1; Kost d. Otero,
2-1.
In Mens Singles play, the Texans didnt fare well. Weems lost in 3 (key was a 23-25 1st
game). Bob Mandel went down in 3 (25-27 in the 3rd), then, sick with Montezumas revenge,
left immediately for the hotel. Fountain broke his paddle, played with Rene Rodriguezs, which
he never got the feel of. Rodriguez arrived late, never had a warm-up, lost two straight. Van
Vooren was beaten 25-23, 21-19. Kost got to the quarters, dropped two deuce games.
Winner? Silva over Gil.
The Guatemalans didnt bring any women players, but
Houstons Szalay and Shirley Woo beat the Mexican Womens
team, 3-1. A very nervous Marianne opens to the cameras by
losing in the 3rd to 13-year-old Carmen Villoro. But then Shirley
Woo, counter-driving from 10 feet back, rushing in for picks,
wins 2-0, to tie the tie. Next: the doubleswhich Van Vooren
says might have been the most exciting match of the
tournament. Our girls win in 3 very close games. However, the
most startling play seen by TV viewers is yet to come. After
winning the 1st, Marianne is down 20-13 in the 2nd, but,
determined to go all out hitting, she wins 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9 in a
row to take the match and give the U.S. the tie. With that cap
Shirley
to the weekend, Marianne hopes there can be an International
Woo
like this every year and that teams from other countries will get
involved.
Three weeks later, Houston itself held an ambitious Invitational that drew to the
Fonde Rec Center the top U.S. players. The USTTA had to call it an Invitational, rather than
an Open, because there couldnt be any doubt that the thousands of dollars in prize money
the sponsors were giving out would exceed the ITTF restrictions of so many Swiss francs per
event. (As this ITTF rule is much too restrictive, impedes the progress of the Sport, President
Boggan will write a letter to the ITTF member countries urging it be done away with.) The
sponsors, I was told, were the City of Houston and Holiday Innbut maybe I should just
stress that if anyone were responsible for it all, it had to be Tournament Chair Marianne Szalay.
And despite the help she got from local club membersBob ONeill, for instance, who
expertly time-scheduled all the matchesyoud think, with all the luminaries that came, it was
maybe more than she could handle.And it was, but more of that later.
Bob Mandel Montezuma
took revenge

414

D-J Lee and Lim Ming Chui. Lee wants to get things just right
From Table Tennis Unlimited (Courtesy of Sue Sargent)
Inset photo of Chui by Mal Anderson

Most preeminent of those who came was D-J Lee, driving 29

hours non-stop from Cleveland to Houston, accompanied by his
exhibition partner Richard Farrell who unfortunately cant drive a
car. Theyve been barnstorming round the country. Eugene Kunyo,
who helps Lee sell as much equipment as he can at tournaments, is with
them in the carand he can drive. But D-J will only be relieved for an hour or so
the entire 1300-mile trip. He wants to make sure they all get there on time, for he knows from
experience that if youre not careful slip-ups can occur. Along the way he drives with his nonplaying hand on the steering wheel, and with the other exercises with a dumbbell.
So, o.k., Lee gets to Houston, sets up shop, and is doing just fine. He practices a little
with Farrell, plays two leisurely tournament matchesand then meets Lim Ming Chui. Ming
has heard from Chen Pao-ching, one of his Chinese opponents on the 72 reciprocal PingPong Diplomacy Tour, that a blocker (Chui) should never lose to a looper (Lee)and he
believes it. The pattern of play goes something like this. If Lee loops hard, Chui just blocks,
and D-J, to win the point, has to begin to tire himself by spinning forehand after forehand.
Lee needs so much energy, says Chui, its amazing he can do so well. If Lee doesnt loop
hard, Chui goes all out with what he calls his Chinese block, a hard, angled-off forcing shot
thats almost a drive, that enables himwith both feet off the floor, his singing bird of
happiness medallion flying every which way round his neckto bullet away the return.
First game: Chui 21, Lee 11. Could it be that D-J after 5 years of play in this country.is
about to lose his first sanctioned-tournament match to a U.S. player? Second game: Chui 21,
Lee 16. The crowd is already stunned: Historys in the making? In the third, Ming is winning
4 out of every 5 points on D-Js serve. His-wooden-side-of-the-racket backhand, his nothing
ball, is giving Lee plenty of troubleD.J. cant spin well against it. Soon Lee is down 14-9,
415

waiting now in between points, thinking, or trying to, and taking phantom strokes.Down
17-11, he fails to return serve, and its just about over.
Or is it? 18-12, 18-13, 18-14. Dont let it get to you, somebody yells to Chui. Then
D-J gets a net: 18-15. Its become so quiet a camera whirring somewhere makes a noise like
the wings of birds. 18-16. Now Chui fails to return serve. (Maybe its a special one Lees held
in reserve for just such an occasion? Some in the audience have never seen one just like it.) 1817. Boy, what a fighter D-J is! a guy next to me says.
After losing 6 points in a row, Mings in no hurry to serve. He turns and towels away
from the table. Alex Tam, the former Mainland Chinese, newly arrived in Texas from Chuis
former Hong Kong, shouts, Keep it to his backhand! Keep calm! Lee says, No coaching!
As Chui gets ready to serve, Lee says to the umpire, Wipe the ball. Then D-J misses a
forehand. Then misses again. He throws up his hands. Smiles. All you need is one more
point! someone yells to Chui. And he gets it.
I cant believe D-J is coming away with only $100, says an onlooker. Itll be
interesting to see how he takes this loss. Lee shakes hands, then hurries from the playing area
back to his equipment booth. Hes writing, writing, writing. It must be about where hes gone
wrong. But nobody asks him. Nobody goes over to buy anything.
Later, he calls Linda and she cries. Still later, a couple of nice, commiserating kids from
Dallas named Hundman and Moody bring up a chest full of cold 6-packs to D-Js hotel room
and we all sit around talking and drinking for a while.
So then, strange as it seems, the matches on Sunday are going to take place without DJ. And without Lees Doubles partner, Pradit, too. Peter, having switched to inverted (hes
obviously not used to it), is beaten three straight in the
quarters by this stranger Tam (whom of course readers
of these volumes are familiar with as the former Chinese
International Tan Cho-Lin who with his wife escaped
from China via a daring swim to Hong Kong). John
Tannehill is also gone, done in by Rich Farrell whom
Haslam several months ago was critical of: If only he
concentrated more on the game, instead of living the
high life that he does. But though Farrell would win
only the 1st game from Park, hed certainly had his head
together back at the get-go, rallying as he did on being
down 2-0 to that wily old champion Bukiet.
Another to fall early was Sweeris who, lucky to
escape Miles at this summers Minnesota Classic,
couldnt escape him this timejust seemed unable to
read his spin and too often put the ball up for Miles to
pummel away. Sweeris ought to take off for 6 months
and practice his backhand, says Dick. Both Dick and
Dell, as well as others, were complaining about how the
ball was immediately picking up paint from the tables, how
after each match the ball would be heavier. Miles in
particular was arguing that the balls ought to be changed
after every game (compare tennis)which thought ought
to make any number of ball manufacturers happy.
Miles, 47: good show at Houston
416

In the last quarters match, Miles is up 20-18 in the 1st against Jack Howard, but Jack
spin-serves short and smacks in a bazooka of a backhand; spin-serves short and fires again;
follows with a booming forehand; then spin-serves short again and blasts in the return.
Amazing. Devastating.
In the 2nd, Dicks got Jack 20-171819. But now Jack cant win the point that
would likely let him take the match. At the break, Dick, having played steady defense, having
threatened always to hit in a forehand, is up 2 games to 1. Wheres John Tannehill? he says.
And then to John on being found, No coaching, understand? No coaching. But youre my
coach. And John, smiling, says, Only I would know what he means. And that other John,
tooSomael, Worlds ago. Miles loses the 4th, wins the 5th. Howard ought to take 6 months
off and practice his forehand, says Dick.

Houston Invitational Doubles Finalists John

Tannehill (L) and Dell Sweeris

Houston Invitational Winner Connie Sweeris

Photo by Mal Anderson

Now before I go to the round robin semis, Ill give you the results of the other events.
Womens: Connie Sweeris over Angie Rosal, 18 in the 5th. 3rd Place: Judy Bochenski (from 2-1
down) over Olga Soltesz whod eliminated Alice Green in 5. Mens Doubles: Lee/Pradit 13,
21, 22, -21, 18 over Sweeris/Tannehill. Earlier, Dell and John, after losing the first two games,
had rallied to defeat Park/Howard, 23-21 in the 5th. Womens Doubles: Rosal/Bochenski over
Sweeris/Barbara Kaminsky. Mixed Doubles: Sweeris/Sweeris over Chui/Green in 5.
Other results: As: Richard Ling over Hanumanth Rao, 17 in the 5th. Bs: Alan Nissen
over Mac Baptiste. Cs: Perry Schwartzberg over Rene Rodriguez, deuce in the 5th. A
Doubles: John Tomlinson/Joe Cummings over D.G. Van Vooren/John McAdams. Mens
Consolation: Cummings over Brad Fountain, deuce in the 5th. Womens Consolation: Shirley
Woo over Cindy Garza. Seniors: Bernie Bukiet over Tim Boggan. Under 17: Octavio Pinnell
over Judy Bochenski, 22, -20, 17, 20. Under 15: Bev Hess over Schwartzberg. Under 13: Phil
Pinnell over Murray. Under 17 Doubles: Bochenski/Rosal over Pinnell/Pinnell. Under 15
Doubles: Puls/Finnell over P. Pinnell/Levy, 18 in the 5th.
The Mens semifinal round robin begins with 47-year-old Miles playing 22-year-old
Chui (whos hardly helped his game any by spotting people 18 points in his Waltham Clubs
handicap tournaments). Ming is often trying to sock the ball hard, is not chiseling much off the
wooden side of his racket because Miles isnt bothered by it, can step in and whiplash away a
417

winner. Also, Dick has come up with a quick sort of basement-lob counter of even Chuis
hardest hit. The match goes 5, but, with a 19-13 lead in the 5th, Miles, continuing to show his
stamina, wins comfortably.
Now Park plays the 29-year-old Tam, a University of Texas (at Austin) Phys. Ed.
major, whos just begun taking an intensive English language course there. He of course is the
subject of much speculation. I heard he was 3rd in Red China, says a big Texan with
laminated red, white, and blue star-spangled shoes. Well, says another, I know for sure he
was a world-class player in 61. Hes originally from Canton, says a man, a Mr, Chien, I
believe, who seems to be the spokesman for Tam. But in Peking he was on the equivalent of
the #2 Chinese team. From 1959-65, he was Chuang Tse-tungs sparring partner, lived in the
same dormitory with him.
The Park-Tam match has gone into the 5th. Tam has a marvelous little topspin serve,
says Park. But Gil himself has a very good backhand spin serve that he follows with a looping
forehand. Tam, down 18-12 in the 5th, has pulled up even, has nervously run his hand through
his hair, and is calming himself to serve.
Andwow!what a serve. The ball slides right off Parks paddle, hits the table before
it even gets to the net. Park quickly protests, shows the umpire his racket. There is a little wet
spot there. But the ball is dry. So Tam couldnt have worked the old wet ball trick, could he?
Maybe the wet spot comes from Parks perspiration? Jack Howard, the Tournament Referee is
appealed to. Perhaps he feels, as some spectators, some good players do, that both Park and
Tam have been using illegal servesthat Park serves out of his hand and Tam is hitting the ball
on the way up. Perhaps he know that, by the end of the 5th game, the ball is so green that it can
slide rather than give a true bounce.
Jack rules that the point must be played over. Perhaps Tam is thinking that Park is
Howards doubles partner this tournament, for, unable to speak the language, to argue in his
own behalf, and with a kind of anguish on his face urging an appealthere is, after all, a
$1,000 1st Prizehe calls for Miles, whom he instinctively feels is the fairest person on the
scene. But Dick cant help himonly Tam can help himself. And with the crowd, more and
more convinced of his innocence, wildly cheering him on, he makes three absolutely perfect
kills to take the game and the match.
Now its Miles and Tam, and with Dick primarily chopping and Tam, not used to the
spin, hitting erringly away, no wonder the score is 16-7 Miles. Suddenly, though, Tam reverses
himself, begins chiseling. And hes good at itclimbs to 17-19. But then Miles hits one in and
in a moment the first game is over. They trade off the next two. In the 4th, Miles is down 6-0,
too much to overcome. In the 5th, the grim, lean-faced Tam, catches Dick on two serves and
murders in a low ball that helps him to a 15-11 lead. Since each player scores 6 more points,
Dick comes up short.
Against Chui, Park, with some gorgeous serves, wins the first two games. Ming isnt
getting a chance to crack forehands, but in the 3rd hes starting to swat in some backhands.
And later hes wood-chopping 3 and 4 balls in succession that Park cant seem to get to stay
on his racket. Though Lim has had trouble with Parks different kinds of loops, particularly the
slow ones that hes tried to block and has returned the ball much too high, he turns the match
around and wins convincingly in 5.
Though Miles now loses to Park, 3-0, as he did at Redondo Beach, hes not overly
impressed with Gils game. Park has a big weakness in not having a very good put away, says
Dick. He says he can hit Gils ball, says that it comes back high, but that when it comes down
418

the center he cant see it. Says that the white lines of the table ought to be painted yellow.
Later, hell be a proponent of the orange ball?
The last match is Tam vs. Chui. If Chui wins, theyll each have one loss, and the tie will
be broken via their head-to-head resultsmeaning Ming will take the 1st Prize. Somebody
says, Tams gonna have problems with Chuis dead ball. And in the beginning it looks like
maybe hes right. Tam loses the 1st at deucethrows his racket high into the air. Ive never
seen a Chinese do that, says a veteran aficionado. In the 2nd, Chui seems to be standing too
flat-footed, isnt moving sideways, is holding himself much too upright. Match 1-1. In the 3rd,
Tam gets off to a 9-1 lead. In the 4th, Ming cant get more than 17. The $1,000 is Tams, and
he deserves it.
This Tams a real competitor, I hear a Texan say. Hell
be good for American table tennis.
Tournament Promoter Marianne Szalay had written in
her Program address that hosting a tournament like this is not
just a challengebut sort of a gamble also. Gamble on people,
friends, promises and words.The important thing is that we
keep moving and that we change our situation instead of giving
up and that we must believe in miracles. Maybe before the
tournament started, she knew something we didnt? But if she
gambled, she lost. And there were no miracles.
Marianne couldnt come up with
the prize moneyand Tam, Chui, Park,
and Connie Sweeris and perhaps others
Houston Invitational Winner continued to complain until finally, after
respecting Mariannes wishes to keep the
Alex Tam
From TT Unlimited
matter private, I, as President, finally
(Courtesy of Sue Sargent)
had to take action on what couldnt be
kept quiet any longer, was, indeed
already out in the open. On Dec. 20, 1972, I sent Marianne a letter
making the Associations position clear. Given her service to the Sport
(six weeks earlier, the appreciative President of the Mexican
Federation, Dr. Helios Farrell, had congratulated the USTTA for
having persons like Marianne Szalay), I was as gentle as possible,
perhaps too gentle. Heres an excerpt:
The E.C. feels very strongly that the players in
question must be paid in fullin cashand that ultimately
youre responsible.
The E.C. also has nothing but praise for you
Marianne Szalay:
personallyand all of us feel certain that unusual
ready to make an
announcement
circumstances, which none of us know, must have trapped you
into this embarrassing position. You spoke, for instance, of a
sponsor renegingwhich I gather might be the City of Houston or Holiday Innand
of course if theres anything we can do to exert any pressure, please let us know. Or it
may be that your own wishes, hopes, ideals trapped youas so often they do many
people. At any event, understand that we have nothing but good feelings towards you
419

and that naturally

we want to give
you something of a
free hand in doing
what you think
best.
Here is
what the E.C.
proposes.
That the
USTTA pay the
outstanding $2750
to the players.
That you
yourself sell the
stock you are
offering the players
Bohdan Dawidowicz and his daughter Kasia
and present that
Bohdan
photo by Mal Anderson; Kasia photo by Hank Frankel
money to the
USTTA as a down payment.
That you find ways to pay the remainder back to the USTTAat, say, $25 a
month, if need be.
Please keep in mind that we all want to help you in any way we can, with
exhibitions, clinics, tournaments. Miles, for instance, will be in Houston on Feb.3 in
connection with some big sports show and offers his services freethat is, hes ready
to do a clinic, or exhibition, whatever you want that will help you raise some
money.
Oklahoma, too, had its share of action. Ron Shirley writes (TTT, Nov.-Dec., 1972, 4-5)
that the 5th Annual Oct. Southwestern Open had to be last-minute moved from Oklahoma City
to Bartlesville, a town of only 30,000 but home to Phillips Petroleum. Ron says that after 60
phone calls apprising people of the change (Can you still come?), after some players had to
drive an additional 150 miles or change their plane tickets to arrive in Tulsa rather than
Oklahoma City, 120 entries made the tournament its usual success.
A father/daughter combination caused quite a stir. The father, Bohdan Bob
Dawidowicz, Id learned, was a painter by trade whod only recently come to the States from
Poland where he reportedly was ranked #4. His daughter Kasia was in the 6th grade in her
Aurora school just outside Denver. It was said that last year in Poland, when she was 9 and
smacking in forehands, shed won the National Girls Under 15 Championship. Here in the
States shes being sponsored by Mr. Leo Stopa, and is doing just fine.
Results: Mens: R.R. Semis: 1. Bohdan Dawidowicz. 2. David Bell. 3. Steve
Hammond. 4. John Tomlinson who in the quarters 15, -13, -16, 22, 18 eliminated Jerry
Plybon. Womens: Peggy Shaha over Shirley Woo, deuce in the 4th. Mens Doubles: Plybon/
Dawidowicz over Tomlinson/Joe Cummings. Womens Doubles: Sue Sargent/Kasia
Dawidowicz over Woo/Ann Ramsey. Mixed Doubles: Dawidowicz/Dawidowicz over Don
Weems/Ramsey.
420

Southwestern A Winner: Tommy Vaello

Southwestern Under 13 Champ Perry Schwartzberg

Photo courtesy of Forrest Barr

Photo by Ray Chen

Other winners: As: Tommy Vaello over Tomlinson. Bs: Ed Stein over Perry
Schwartzberg. A Doubles: Vaello/Hibbs over Cummings/Tomlinson. B Doubles: Richard Puls/
Larry Puls over Joe Windham/Larry Knouft, 17 in the 5th. Windham plays out of Kansas City
where a 7-team Handicap League is going strong at the Knouft-managed open-every-day
Club. Seniors: Van Vooren over Al Engel. Boys U-17: Mark DaVee over Steve Hammond
whod won the Mens at the Sept. Central Oklahoma Open. Boys U-15: Hammond over Dale
Donaldson. U-13: Perry Schwartzberg over Kasia Dawidowicz. Junior Doubles: Hammond/
Donaldson over Joe Windham/ Steve Dodgen.

Omaha Early Bird Mens/Junior

Champion Joe Windham

KC club owner Larry Knouft

Photo by Hank Frankel

Wisner father and son, LeRoy

and Todd Petersen

Windham, the winner of both the Mens and the Juniors at the Omaha Early Bird, was
described by Tom Walsh (TTT, Nov.-Dec., 1972, 19) as a powerfully-built, strong young
man whos been well-coached in most respects by Herb Conner over the years, more
recently by Larry Knouft. Hes said to practice four hours every day (double the time of the
421

average avid U.S. player). Here in Omaha he hit through runner-up Scotty Grafton (a former
Nebraska State Champion), Dave Barnes, and Murray Kutler, U-17 finalist. In mid-August, Joe
gave an exhibition at the Kansas State Prison in Lansing that was much appreciated by the inmates.
Also, Bob Campbell reports that the K.C/ Mid-Town Club has started a t.t. show on a restricted
Cable TV station. It includes 15 minutes of instruction, and a King-of-the-Hill match.
Diana Myers of course won the Womens and Girls, but Kathy Moeller upset Girls
runner-up Debbie Denenberg to take 2nd in the Womens. Debbie had her moments, though,
when she and Walsh surprised Grafton/Myers to win the Mixed. Todd Petersen (son of Wisner,
Nebraska promoter Leroy Petersen) was impressivehe won the U-11s over Bill Pardew, the
U-13s over Jeff Moeller, and the Novice over Topics Crossword-Puzzle solver Jim Lynum.
The Kansas City Mid-Town TTA (thats on
the Missouri side) opened Oct. by holding its first
tournament, the $325 Kaw Valley Open. Mens R.R.
semis: 1. Minneapolis student Aki Nakamura
($150). 2. Steve Hammond ($75). 3. Rich Sinykin
($50). 4. Jerry Plybon ($25). Womens: Myers over
Shaha. Mens Doubles: Nakamura/Don Larson over
Jerry Plybon/Gillies. Mixed Doubles: Doug Maday/
Denenberg over Plybon/Myers. As: Maday over
Sinykin. Bs: Plybon over Gus Kennedy. Cs: John
Soderberg over Pat Windham.
Chicago ran a number of fall tournaments
almost all of them involving local players, the
favorites in the various events vying month after
Kaw Valley Winner Aki Nakamura
and Runner-up Steve Hammond
month among themselves for the titles. Spectator
Photo courtesy of Larry Knouft
players, were they so inclined, could get a schedule
of the proposed tournaments, then set up various kinds of Calcuttas for their man in any one
tournament or set of tournaments. Favored combatants in the various events would likely be (in
alphabetical order): Mens and Mixed Doubles: Jim Davey, Waidi Dawodu, Jerry Karlbulka, Jim
Lazarus, Leonard McNeece, and Paul Pashuku. Womens: Darlene Friedman and Barbara
Taschner. As and Bs: Dr. Asokan (whos originally from Ceylon), Davey, Emmanuel King,
McNeece, Mike Menzer, Pashuku, Hugh Shorey, and Karl Will. Cs: Bruce Ackerman, Jerry
Aleknus, Joe Bujalski, Mike Carter, and Laszlo Keves. Seniors: Bujalski, Norm Schless, and Frank
Tharaldson. Juniors: Andy Cieslarski, Don Kindstrand, Wayne Wasielewski, and Robert Wright.
Cieslarski says in a Letter to the Editor
(TTT, Jan.-Feb., 1973, 24) that he goes to
classes at his high school until noon, then
coaches a grammar school basketball team, then
goes to his Chicago club to practice t.t. for 5
Joe Lee - needs
hours or so. To keep paying his club and
help too
Photo by Mal
tournament fees, he needs about $50 a month,
Anderson
and is looking for a patron, so far unsuccessfully.
Can you help him? Aberdeen, Md. Club member
Joe Lee, juggling job, wife, kids, responds
waspishly (TTT, May-June, 1973, 6)says hed
like to give it all up, just practice his table tennis,
422

pursue his dream of being something more than a C player.

But he, too, has financial problems. Can anyone help him out?
The Grand Rapids Furniture City Open came just
before the crucial Dec.Tryouts for the Sarajevo World Team,
and though Danny Seemiller had been training diligently with
Dell Sweeris, one couldnt be sure from the results of this
tournament just how ready Danny was. In the Team event,
though Seemiller/Veillette beat Sweeris/Smart, 3-2, they had
quite a strugglewith Mike defeating Jeff, 27, 18 and Danny/
Mike having to work hard to take the doubles, -19, 18, 19.
Worse, though Danny beat Jeff handily, he 10, -12 wasnt in
the match at all against Sweeris who had to go 3 to beat
Veillette. And yet in the Singles final Danny 17, 12, 17
downed Dell with ease.
Ohios Tim OGrosky won the Nov. 18-19 Gem City
Open at Dayton. In the final, he beat Dick Hicks whod had to
go 5 with Mark Wampler, whod had to go 5 with John
Mike Veillette
Spencer. Womens went to Mary Ann Burdick over Kathy
Photo by Mal Anderson
DeMent. Hicks/Dick Evans won the Mens Doubles over John
Spencer/Wampler in 5, then OGrosky/Lyle Thiem in 4. Best in Mixed: Greg Doud/Burdick
(after being 2-0 down) over Thiem/Diane Turnbull. Girls U-17: Burdick over Jodee Williams.
U-13s: Jodees brother Jeff over Greg Collins. Non-Winner: Marv Pollack, who was very
much disturbed by spectators and players talking loud and continuously while matches were
going on. After he and the Dayton officials had pleaded with the offenders to cool it, and they
didnt, Marv and his son just up and left.
We now come to the mid-Oct. U.S.A. Capital Openplayed, like the well-attended
Jan. Easterns, at the Parkdale Gym in Riverdale, MD. Once Bob Kaminsky gets behind a
tournament, its gonna be a production. So, sure, why not have a U.S. vs. Canada Match to
hype the tournament? And so bring in paying spectators that will help raise money for our 73
U.S. World Team? Why not have an informative Program for those spectators? Capital ideas,
to be sure. Except that, as North Carolina TTC Vice-President Don Greenberg tells us (TTT,
Nov.-Dec., 1972, 1+), the hoped-for audience turned out to be practically non-existent:
It could be the Parkdale football game drew them away on Saturday. After
all, the team was undefeated and playing the 2nd-ranked local team. The World Series
was competing against us that weekend. Also, dont forget professional football on TV.
And would you believe Indian Summer-type weather? The fact that we had any
audience was truly amazing.
As for the U.S. vs. Canada Match, Ive Ping Neubergers Oct. 14 Report on the
Womens play, but nothing from Tibor Hazi on the Mens. Leah said that when our
International Chair Kaminsky called her and asked her to be the Captain of the Womens
Team she got all excited. She thought he meant to the Worlds. Since in the CNE Canada
Match, Alice Green played in the Singles and Barbara Kaminsky in the Doubles, they would
reverse roles herethough, after Alice had expressed a preference for again playing in the
Singles, she didnt show for the Team Match.
423

What would Miss

Ping wear? After some
discussion, she decided on a
royal blue pants suit with red,
white and blue trim on the
collar and the same trim
down the front. To
accompany that, she said, I
wore red, white & blue shoes
and 3 different kinds of red,
white, and blue rings.
So whether her
players were ready or not,
she was. John Nesukaitis was
the Canadian Captain. His
L-R: Violetta and Flora Nesukaitis, winning Americans Barbara
daughter Gloria carried the
Kaminsky and Connie Sweeris, and U.S. Captain Leah Neuberger
Canadian flag; Muriel Stern,
Photo by Mal Anderson
the American flag. Walter
Keim made lengthy player introductions.
Barbara Kaminsky opened against Flora Nesukaitis and won-18, 18, 8. Violetta then
stopped Connie Sweeris, 13, 13. But our U.S. pair prevailed against the Canadians in the
doubles, 18 in the 3rd. Violetta then annihilated Barbara 8, 6. In the 1st game of the deciding
match Connie was down 0-6 to Flora, but went on to win both games 12, 8 easily.
Leah said that the winning American men (they beat Canada 5-0) received watches; the
losing Canadian men medals. Barbara and Connie got beautiful silver trays (donated by the
Landover Mall), and, though Captains to the CNE werent given anything, nor were they
here, since Alice didnt show, they grudgingly gave me the extra silver tray.
Alice did play in the Singles where, after beating
Xuan Ferguson (Womens A winner over Yvonne
Kronlage) and Connie Sweeris in straight games, she
fought gamely to the end, going down deuce in the 3rd to
Violetta. The U.S. women, however, had their
compensations. Barbara and Connie took the Womens
Doubles in 5 from the Nesukaitis sisters, 18 in the 5th.
And Connie teamed with Dell to take the Doubles from
Violetta/Errol Caetano, -21, 20, 20, 16. Miss Ping, too,
was a winneradding, courtesy of Miss Stern, the
Womens Consolation trophy to her seemingly neverending collection.
In the Mens Singles, word of Lees loss to Chui
the week before, raised the question of whether hed be
beaten here. It certainly seemed he might be, for in the
semis hes down 2-0 to Errol Resek. Then, after fighting
backreally fighting, for hes had to have suffered a
Xuan Ferguson, Womens A Winner
severe psychic wound in no longer having an undefeated
Photo by Mal Anderson
record to hold taut toD-Js down 12-9 in the 5th. But
424

now Errol twice mis-serves, and has lost not just the points but apparently his confidence, and
is outscored two to one in what remains of his challenge. In the final, D-J is faced with John
Tannehill, and the law of averages says that sooner or later Johns going to win. And, yes, up
2-1 and 8-2 in the 4th, it looks as if hell be the first native-born player to beat D-J. But then
what happens? An incredible reversalLees suddenly up 10-9, wins it at 14 without a sweat.
Then in the 5th takes an insurmountable 14-617-8 lead. Next time, John?
Other results: Mens Doubles: Caetano/
Gonda over Tannehill/Sweeris. As: Danny
Seemiller over Vic Landau. A Doubles: Dan
Seemiller/Jerry Fleischhacker over Mike Clarke/
Winston Bobby Cousins. Bs: Cousins over
Eugene Kunyo. Esquires: Tibor Hazi over Jim

Seniors Champion Tibor Hazi

Photo by Mal Anderson

Verta. Seniors: Hazi over a condescending

then startled Tim Boggan, deuce in the 5th.
Senior Doubles: Hazi/Bukiet over Boggan/
Mort Zakarin. Boys Under 17: Rick Rumble
over Rick Seemiller. Girls Under 17: Joanna
Santana over Stern. Under 17 Doubles:
Timmy House/Scott Boggan over Scott
McDowell/Jeff Zakarin. Boys Under 15:
House over Jeff Zakarin in 5. Girls Under 15:
Gloria Nesukaitis over Santana. Under 13
Singles: Mike Stern over Scott Boggan. Girls
Under 13: Gloria Nesukaitis over Shellie
Gainsburg. Under 13 Doubles: Scott Boggan/
Stern over Eric Boggan/Chuck Zakarin. Under
11: Gloria Nesukaitis over Curt Kronlage.
Bob Kaminsky and Yvonne Kronlage
ask Mal Anderson to take photos of several
Mal Anderson, looking a bit diabolical
celebrities awarding the trophies, especially
Self-photo by Mal Anderson
their Congressman. While hes at it, Mal
takes one of himself. He thinks it goes well with an article he wrote called Tournaments Are
Fun. Yes, thats a little boabut its very real, and were I to handle it, my breath would
constrict whether it wrapped itself around me or not.
425

Chapter Thirty-Two
1972: Fall TournamentsII (Philadelphia and Westfield Clubs Flourish). 1972: U.S.
Open Team ChampionshipsRichard McAfee becomes the first native-born player to beat D-J.
Reporting on the Oct. 21-22 3-star Southern Open at Atlanta (TTT, Nov.-Dec., 1972,
25+), Tournament Chair Ray Filz was disappointed that he had to share this very early
approved date with a tournament in Bartlesville, OK, and especially with one in Westfield,
New Jersey that drew 200 players, including John Tannehill and the top New York players who
otherwise might have come to Atlanta. But as USTTA Ranking Chair Bard Brenner pointed
out (TTT, Jan.-Feb., 1973, 13), star rating no longer seems to indicate the true importance of
a tournament. Prize money and location are now the prime motivating factors for the top
players. Bummer for Ray. Also, when the caretaker of the Fairgrounds venue was late in opening
the door, the time-scheduled matches had to be abandoned for most of Saturday. Another bummer.

Graham Gear, 1972 Southern Open Champ

The ball, the racket - somethings gonna fly
Photo by David R. Moore

The Mens winner was #2 seed Graham Gear, the former Welsh #1, and while living in
Canada the Quebec Open Champion. Now playing out of Cincinnati, he kept on the attack
with his relentless windmill loop and so dispatched the other round robin semifinalists, Jerry
Thrasher, Richard McAfee, and John Quick. Thrasher, whod defeated Homer Brown and Don
Gaither, found Gears mix of no-spin and lots-of-spin loops difficult to read, and he blocked
many into the net. But Jerrys daily 4-5 hour practice sessions with strong players at Miamis
Fujii Club is paying off, for hes developing a Klampar/Jonyer long-stroke looping style that
gave Graham a 19-in-the-4th scare. Enough to give anyone at least a mild start is this fellows
loop (see accompanying photo). When he comes out of that discus spin, is his paddle gonna
come flyin with the ball?
Quicks 1st match is against longtime friend and practice partner McAfee. Richard goes
up 2-0, then John steps on the ball. On purpose? Whereupon Mac seems surprised and
concernedaffected is more like it, for he loses in 5, then defaults his remaining matches.
426

Southern Open Mens Consolation

Winner Bob Walker

Teresa Miller

Bill Edwards - plays 5-6 hours a day

Photo by Mal Anderson

Photo by Melody Spain

Perhaps Quick, too, is affected, for hes not into it against Gear and is blown away. Then
Thrasher doesnt try for 2nd Place against Quick.
Other results: Womens: Bev Hess over Charlestons Shelby Jordan. Mens Doubles:
McAfee/Quick over Gear/Homer Brown (after being down 2-0 and down 19-16 in the 5th).
Mixed Doubles: Doyle Dye/Jordan over Quick/Hess, 17 in the 5th. Shelby has a consistent
hip-swinging backhand thats very effective. She has her right arm almost stationary and
swings her left side around very swiftly. Mens Consolation: Bob Walker over Hugh Lax, 3-0.
Anyone who defeats Hugh Lax 3 straight will have figured out a weird combination of shots,
for this left-handed pusher has spin that hasnt been spun before. Womens Consolation:
Teresa Miller over Bevs mother, Anna Hess, -20, 19, 17, 12.
Still other results: As: Winston Skip Walker in 4 over Bill Edwards who plays 5-6
hours a day. Skips a chopper with anti on the backhand and Mark V on the forehand. He
chop-blocks well with the anti, the ball fluttering back like a
hippie waltzing through a field of pot. (Flit over that figure of
speech, will you?) A Doubles: Lance Rosemore/Greg Gingold
19 in the 4th over Marv Leff/Tommy Cohen, advancers over
Walker/Alan Nissen, 19 in the 4th. Bs: Wayne Daunt, working
towards being a commercial pilot, but called up here to
engage in an 18-in-the-5th aerial dogfight with much-improved
runner-up, Fujii-coached Bev Hess. B Doubles: Herb
Beckham/Walker over Tom Seay/Frank Webb. Cs: Dye over
Gary Hurst. Seniors: John White, through Double
Elimination, over Cyril Lederman.
Junior Results: Boys Under 17: In the semis, John
Elliott downed the #1 seed John Quick, -16, 19, 18, 16. Filz
Southern Open Junior Champ says there was an attempted psych-out with a ball stepping
John Elliott
incident here toobut who tried to step on who? In the final,
Photo by Mal Anderson
427

Elliott fell behind two games to Bill Edwards, then forced him into
the 5th, but couldnt win. Girls Under 17 and Under 15: Hess over
Miller. Boys Under 15: Elliott over Phil Gibbs, 20, 16, 19. (In an
earlier match, John wins a deuce game, follows that with a 21-0
blitz!) Boys Under 13: Mark Wilder over Ronnie Rigo. Girls Under
13: Kathy Warren over Karen Wilder.
At the North Carolina Fall Open, Tommy Tarrant (TTT, Jan.-Feb,
1973, 25) sings the praises of Mens winner Skip Walker:
[He} attended his first sanctioned event here in
Raleigh about a year and a half ago. He wouldnt have been
seeded or placed in a class D eventbut I could tellhe was
hooked. Skip holds a doctoral degree in Mathematics and
teaches at the University of Wake Forest in Winston-Salem.
Mark Wilder,
Living in the small community of Pfafftown, Skip is
Boys Under 13 Winner
handicapped with respect to being able to practice with other
top players, but he has made up for this by his determination and his analytical
approach to the game. He keeps in shape by a program of jogging and by practicing
against a sheet of plywood.
Results: Mens: Final: Walker over Kuo-San Chung, N.C. #1, in 4. Semis: Walker over
Chuck Michell in 4; Chung over Lance Rosemore, 18 in the 5th. Quarters: Walker over Pete
May, 20, 20, 16, via long defensive rallies; Chung over Danny Dye, 3-0; Michell in 4 over Fred
King whod earlier eliminated N.C. #2 Hou-Ming Chang (Visualize this match by imagining
two Peter Pradits exchanging drives, counter-drives, kills and counter-kills); Rosemore, a
giant among loopers, 3-0, over anti-spin defender Sol Lewis in a brilliant exhibition of overpowering loops and crashing kills. Womens went to Shelby Jordan over Jean Poston. Mens
Doubles to Chung/Chang over Rosemore/Michell in 5. Mixed to Herb Beckham/Jordan over
Tom and Jean Poston. As: May over Mike Clarke, 19 in the 4th. Mens Consolation: Jack Carr
over Bob Baskett, 19 in the 3rd. Seniors: Sol Lewis over Carr. Under 17: Mike Johnson over
Gary Hurst. Under 15: Johnson over Dave Driggers.
The Aberdeen, MD Club put on their Harford County Closed. But though in the six
weeks before the tournament 15 articles about it saw print in local newspapers only 30 people
entered, and not more than half of them from the Aberdeen Club itselfthis despite Beginners
Singles and Doubles and entry fees kept to a minimum. The Clubs Joe Lee won the Open
Singles in 4 from former Hong Konger Pak Tat Yip. Open Doubles winners were the
Edgewood Arsenals Lt. Col. Manmohan Ranadive/Capt. Andy Goldsmith over Dick Olsher/
Yip. Ranadive, a chopper, is also an accomplished badminton, squash, and paddleball player.
The Womens was won by Tyla Gibson over Ellen Ripkin.
Philadelphia Club Flourishes
The Philadelphia Club offered two fall tournaments (TTT, Nov.-Dec., 1972, 28) before
its climactic Invitational. In the first of these, the Liberty Bell Open, Herb Vichnin describes
the new method of umpiring that the Clubs initiated. All aspiring umpires must pass the
USTTA Umpires Exam. Nothings worserecall the Atlanta Nationalsthan having an
umpire who doesnt know what he/shes doing. And, says Herb, youd be surprised at how
428

many people dont know the rules. The written exam is

open-book, the oral part can be administered on the Clubs
premises by Mal Anderson. (Young Debbie Wong passed and
took in $13 umpiring this weekend.) Although players
entering an event are required to pre-pay an umpires fee ($1),
Herb says, To show that we do not want your money, we
allow you to umpire even if youre not qualified. We then
keep a record of each dollar youve earned, and we hold it for
you until you do qualify.
Results: Mens: Final: Lim-Ming Chui (having been warned
in advance about his illegal serves by bankrolling young umpire
Bruce Plotnick) over Errol Resek, 17 in the 5th. Semis: Chui
over Horace Roberts, 3-0, in a bizarre match where Ming was
unable to handle Robbies anti-topspin, and Robbie was unable to
handle Mings wood; Resek over Brathwite in the best match of
the tournament, 20, -18, 17, -13, 18 (with Errol winning 9 in a
row from down 14-6 in the 5th). The Mens draw had huge holes
Debbie Wong - making easy money because a number of top players didnt showFuarnado
Photo by Mal Anderson
Roberts, Rich Farrell, Peter Stephens, Sam Hammond, and Tim
Boggan. Add to that, upsets in the 1st roundHorace Roberts
over Alex Shiroky, and Stan Smolanowicz over Dave Philipand inequities couldnt help but
occur: Bernie Bukiet had to meet Chui in the 8ths, and Sealtiel, playing only one match because of a
double default, got to the quarters where he, too, faced Chui.
Womens: Final: Louise Chotras over Laura Briceno. (Louises famous mother,
Bernice, died about this timeshe was twice U.S. Open Womens Singles Champion, winning
these titles in 1946 and 1963, 17 years apart!) Mens Doubles: Final: Resek/Chui over
Brathwaite/Bukiet, 17 in the 5th. Mixed Doubles: Danny Seemiller/Muriel Stern over Chui/
Briceno. Mens As: Bill Sharpe over Smolanowicz in 5 in the semis and Landau in 4 in the
final. Womens As: Chotras over Stern. A Doubles: Danny/Rick Seemiller over Joe Mimoso/
Philip, 19 in the 4th. Bs: Jeff Zakarin over Hank McCoullum 20, 13. Cs/Ds: Louie Farkas
(who used to play on the Hungarian Junior Team) over Alan Sverdlik.
The Veterans Day Open brought ideas for more improvements to the ever-improving
Philadelphia Club. Herb Vichnin plans better barriered-off courts. The coffee bar is going to be
expanded to add hot dogs, hamburgers, and possibly even milkshakes. Since seeded Singles
players arent permitted to play in the As regardless of the strength of their partner, the Club
has added a new eventthe Adult/Junior Doubles. A problem still remains, however: despite
the continued successful efforts to make the Club classier, there are very, very few women and
girls entered in the tournaments. Any innovative ideas on what to do about that?
Results: Mens: Final: John Tannehill over Fuarnado Roberts, 24, 19, 14. Semis:
Tannehill over Resek, 3-0; Roberts (whod been deuce-in-the-4th pressed in the quarters by
Philip) over George Brathwaite, -18, 17, 20, 18. In swing matches in the Mens, three players
were knocked out of the Dec. Invitational (where all 16 players would receive prize money):
Tim Boggan 19, 16 over Peter Stephens; Bukiet over Horace Roberts in a 18, 19, 23
marathon expedited match; and Resek over Danny Seemiller in a 5-game quarters match.
Mens As: Seemiller over Bill Sharpe, 3-0. Womens: Muriel Stern over Evelyn Zakarin.
Womens As: Darlene McCann over Zakarin whod beaten her in the Womens.
429

Not surprisingly, Evelyn was recently named

Woman of the Month (TTT, Sept-Oct., 1972, 27; see
also Nov.-Dec, 1972, 12). Of course her table tennis
activities with husband Mort, and boys Jeff and Chuck,
take up much of her free time, for not only do they all
play locally at their Huntington, Long Island Club, but
more often are found traveling about as one of the
countrys premier tournament-attending families.
Broadens us all, she says.
Makes her inquisitive too. She wants to know:
(1) if, before a match, she has to designate someone as
her coach; (2) if she can be coached with hand signals
during a game; and (3) if, between games, shes being
timed as to how long she can be coached. She finds an
Evelyn Zakarin, Woman of the Month
ITTF proposal that countries accept the service let as
Photo by Mal Anderson
a good serve interesting because it would eliminate a
decision on the umpires part. Also, why not accept a ball hitting the side edge as a good
one? That makes the umpires job easier too. And the volley rulefor how long have we
been trying to get rid of that? And, please, no junior match should be started after 10 P.M.
(this suggestion the USTTA quickly adopted).
Of course, as Womens Chair Yvonne Kronlage tells us, Evelyn has other interests
than just table tennis. She teaches art, plays bridge and tennis, and just loves to eat. She also
helps her husband with his business by doing bookkeeping and typing.
Marv Plevinsky, PR man
for the Philly Club, says (TTT,
Jan,-Feb, 1973, 26) hes gotten
local TV stations to shoot
newsreels of the Invitational
series of tournaments and, with
the help of Mal Anderson and
Erich Haring, has set up
exhibitions at various places
during basketball games at the
University of Pennsylvanias
Palestra (Big 5), at hospitals,
and at Wanamakers
Department Store. As
expected, Bruce Plotnick and
Debbie Wong invariably steal
the show.
Marv Plevinsky: Phillys helpful PR man
More V-Day Results:
Mens Doubles: Brathwaite/
Danny Seemiller, early, over Smolanowicz/Sharpe, 19 in the 3rd, then over Tannehill/
Boggan and Resek/Landau. Mixed Doubles: Danny Seemiller/Stern over Boggan/Zakarin.
What! says Boggan to umpire Plotnick. Are you suggesting I have an illegal serve?
Bruce, in celebrating his Bar Mitzvah, had some good wins this weekend: he beat ex430

Pennsylvania State Champ Jerry

Grike whod been away from the
Game for 9 years, 16 in the 3rd; beat
Boggan, deuce in the 3rd; and beat
Horace Roberts, 19 in the 3rd in
expedite. Bs: Roberts over Joe
Rokop, 6, 15. Sorry, Horace, says
Vichnin, no more Bs. Seniors:
Sharpe over Boggan. Esquires:
George
Rocker over
Sandor
Glancz.
No
hard feelings:
Ex-Pennsylvania State Champ Jerry Grike
Sandor
Photo by Mal Anderson
promptly did
a Profile of George (TTT, Jan.-Feb., 1973, 27) who it turns out didnt
start playing table tennis until he was 43. Heres an excerpt:
He runs 2 and miles three times a week. The last halfmile is split alternately into 50 meters of walking and 50 meters of
running. He plays table tennis four nights a week from four to five
hours a night.He won the National Senior title [1972 Senior As].
He is an amateur radio operator and an electronic technician
George Rocker - quite a experimenter. But he likes table tennis the best.

player for starting at age 43

Photo by Mal Anderson

The Philadelphia Clubs 16-player $1,000 Invitational was held

Dec. 9, the weekend before the Tryouts that would decide the U.S. Team to the 1973 Sarajevo
Worlds. Prizes were divided as follows: Winner: $300; Runner-up $150; Semifinalists: $75;
Quarterfinalists: $50; Eighthfinalists: $25. Herb Vichnins coverage (TTT, Jan.-Feb., 1973)
gives us first-round matches of most interestnamely, Tim Boggan, 19 in the 5th, over Peter
Stephens whod replaced Sam Hammond suddenly taken ill; and Alex Shiroky, -12, 20, 26, 20
over Stan Smolanowicz, Phillys most promising player. Though Stans capable of hot
streaks where he can kill a succession of Alexs heavy loops, he still needs that special
something which makes a good player great in the clutch.
Quarters: Boggan, rushing around trying to get to a dinner engagement in New
Yorkaccidentally forgot to losebeat Shiroky in 5; Mitch Sealtiel, 3-times N.J. State
Champion playing out of his Trenton Club, in a stunning display of forehand power, straightgame downed Bill Sharpe whod earlier ousted Jerry Fleischhacker in 4; Bukiet over Philip by
just managing to stave off Davids quick-hitting forehand; and Chui (whod had to go 18 in
the 4th with Phillys Peter Cohen) over Errol Resek, 17, 12, 22. Semis: Sealtiel over Boggan in
4; Bukiet over Chui, -12, 18 (despite two Faults for not throwing the ball up vertically), 19,
13. At the 2-1 break, Mings eating honey and chocolate, but that wont be sustenance
enough: He not use wood, says Bernie, I give him 7 points. I much better player! Final:
Sealtiel, in his 1st win over Bukiet, 17, 20, 14.
431

As Camdens West Jersey Club President Gene Wonderlin tells us (TTT, Nov,-Dec.,
1972, 26), his First Annual Delaware Valley Open almost didnt come off. First, thered been
seemingly endless trouble getting it sanctioned, and then, because of a mix-up, the ordered
tables werent due to arrive until the Monday after the tournamentwhich meant a drive of
nearly 300 miles to pick them up. But with help from Ray McDowell, President of the Trenton
Club, the 90-entry tournament got underway as scheduled and, though only 5 tables were in
play, ran smoothly enough.
Results: Mens: Mitch Sealtiel over Jerry Fleischhacker. Womens: Laura Briceno over
the West Jersey Clubs Mrytle Switzer (playing in her first tournament), deuce in the 4th. Mens
Doubles: Sealtiel/Manny Moskowitz (3-times N.J. State Champion beginning in 1936) over
Fleischhacker/Stan Smolanowicz. Mixed Doubles: Gerardo/Laura Briceno over Scott
McDowell/Muriel Stern. As: Bruce Plotnick over Ron Tiekert, a one-time parodistin Table
Tennis Another Way (TTT, Nov.-Dec., 1972, 32) a take-off (and-dont-come-back) on Joe
Sokoloffs My Way column. A Doubles: Ray and Scott McDowell over Erich Haring/Marv
Plevinsky in 5. Bs: Al Allen over Barry Robbins. Esquires: John Kilpatrick over Moskowitz, 21, 19, 19, 12. Seniors: Briceno over John Kaercher. Juniors: Plotnick over Mike Bush, a
future U.S. World Team member making his first appearance in Topics.
Westfield Club Emerges
A debut welcome to
the Westfield, N.J. Club with
its 8 new Detroiter As and
those two 32 ft. long
fluorescent lights over each
table. No wonder its the
Club of the Month (TTT,
Mar.-Apr., 1973, 27)its
venue rivals the Philadelphia
one. Morris Roth, after
talking with Dr. Dan Dickel,
an organic chemist and
President of the Westfield
TTC, gives us the N.J.
background that eventually
led to the formation of this
new Club:
[A] loose
confederation of about 30
playersgathered weekly in
a commercial establishment in
Elizabeth in or around 1936,
Dan Dickel, Roger Cormier and Bob Barnes and afterwards at various
they helped get the Club into shape
recreational premises in
Photo by Dean Johnson
downtown Newark, including
one above the old Blue-Bird Dance Hall on Broad Street.
432

In 1952, the NJTTC rented its first quarters at the American Legion Hall in
Cranford, where it started with five tables and about 35 players and quickly built up to
two four-man-team leagues totaling 88 players.
Crowded for space, the club moved to larger facilities at the Edison Lanes in
1964, and three years later relocated to a factory loft in Irvington, where it remained
until this past summer [of 1972] when a pending rent hike prompted the club
membership to seek more appropriate quarters.
Last July, after examining several prospective sites, Dickelon a tip from a
memberinspected what at the time was a 10-lane bowling alley soon to end its
operations on North Avenue in Westfield.
Little time was lost in
signing a lease for the 7,200 sq. ft.
facility. And for the rest of the
summer and into the fall in the
evening and on weekends, Dickel,
Membership Chair Bob Barnes,
Roger Cormier and Raul Rodriguez
and other members volunteered their
time and labor putting the Center
into shape. One member, Harry
Rosenzweig, an Elizabeth electrical
contractor, and his men did most of
the electrical work without charge.
From September to April,
the club [with hardwood floors;
Raul Rodriguez permanent 30-inch high barricades
Westfield volunteer worker and photographer
Photo by Mal Anderson
made of birch paneling to separate
the playing areas from spectators, a
16 ft. by 36 ft. playing area per table, and air-conditioning for summer play] is
organized around team leagues on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings (running
the gamut from beginners to seasoned players), an individual ladder league on
Wednesday evening, and open play the other days of the week and remainder of the
year. In addition, two tables are reserved for open play during league nights.
To cover annual operating costs, expected to run this year [1973] as high as
$11,000 to $12,000, adults are charged $50 to $80 annually (depending upon whether
they join a league), while persons [under] 18 are charged $40. In addition, there is a
$25 initiation fee for new members.
Harvey Gutman covers the first, Oct. 21-22 Westfield Open, and says that with nearly
200 entrants playing in events that finally finished at 3:00 a.m., it was a very long but very
successful tournament. Results: Men (65 entries): John Tannehill (making his first N.J.
appearance and winning $75) over Errol Resek ($35), 15, 18, 14. Semis (an embarrassing $10
to the losers): Tannehill over Dave Philip (whod stopped Sam Hammond, 18 in the 3rd); Resek
over Sealtiel in a tournament thriller, 21, 21, -19, -12, 20. Earlier, it was Resek over Bukiet
(Hes the only one who can beat me, said Bernie), and Sealtiel over both Sharpe and
Brathwaite. Womens Hilary Cohen ($35) over Debbie Wong.
433

Other results: As: Louie Farkas ($30) over Scott McDowell, -18, 17, 14. Bs (118
entries!): Winston Bobby Cousins over Al Schwartz, 17, 5. Cs: Al Mitchell over Mike
Lempert, 18 in the 5th. Seniors: Bill Sharpe over Tim Boggan, 19, 10. Pimpled Rubber: Final:
Hammond ($30) over Resek ($15), 14, def. (Errol apparently figured he had better not throw
off his game for the Mens Singles matches.) Semis: Resek over Ernst Willer, 20, 16;
Hammond over Schiff, 14, 16. Under 17: John McGraw over Rick Rumble, 18, -17, 13. Under
15: Mike Stern over Jeff Zakarin.
Tannehill also won the Nov. 17-19 Metro Open at Farmingdale, Long Island, but it
wasnt easy. Final: Tannehill over Lim Ming Chui, 23-21 in the 4th. Semis: Tannehill over
Bernie Bukiet, -20, 14, 19, 21; Chui over George Brathwaite in 5. Womens: Evelyn Zakarin
over Helen Weiner. Mens Doubles: Tannehill/Bukiet over Jim Dixon/Jerry Fleischhacker,
deuce in the 4th. Womens Doubles: Peg Daly/Weiner over Terry Green/Zakarin. Mixed
Doubles: Tannehill/Green over Brathwaite/Daly. As: Peter Holder over Bobby Cousins, 2321 in the 4th. A Doubles: Cousins/Fleischhacker over Dave Philip/Joe Mimoso. Bs:
Fleischhacker over Alan Sverdlik. Cs: Bob Brickell over Elliott Katz. Mens Consolation: Dan
Green over Neal Fox. Seniors: Tim Boggan, 19, 16, over Sol Schiff whod gotten by Walter
Shur, -18, 19, 19.
Tournament Chair Dean Chickering reports that the first Open tournament in Western
Massachusetts in 9 yearsthe Western New England Opentook place October 28-29 at the
YMCA in Northhampton. It was also the first Open ever put on by the Franklin County Club,
and was given an assist by Long Island TTA President Chris Schlotterhausen and his wife
Evelyn. The Mens went to Lim Ming Chui over Frank Dwelly, 3-0. There were no Womens
events. Mens Doubles winners were Chui/Bill Dean over Jerry Fleischacker/Ron Tiekert
whod knocked out Dwelly/Ben Hull in 5. As went to Fleischhacker over Dean. A Doubles:
Fleischhacker/Tiekert over Ralph Robinson/Dave Cohen. Bs: Joe Williams over Alan Millett.
B and C Consolations: Sylvester Scott.
The New England Intercities, played at Waltham, had 16
teams, 48 players representing (in alphabetical order) Connecticut # 1
and #2, Foxboro, Greenfield, Maine, MIT #1 and #2, Natick, New
Bedford, New Hampshire, Providence #1, #2, #3, Springfield, and
Waltham #1 and #2. Strangely, the Topics account didnt indicate the
finishing positions of the Teams, though it did give the complete
Singles records of all 48 participants. The players with the best
records were as follows: 1. Dave Sakai (Conn. #1), 13-0. 2. Lim
Ming Chui (MIT #1), 10-0. 3. Bill Dean (Waltham #2), 9-1. 4. Ed
Rakyvoted Outstanding Player(Prov. #1), 14-2. 5-6. Frank
Dwelly and Benny Hull (Waltham #1), 7-1. 7. J. Devereaux (Prov.
#1), 12-3. 8. Dean Chickering (Conn. #2), 8-2. 9. Irv Levine (Prov.
#1), 9-3. 10. Emil LaReau (Conn. #2), 6-2.
Oddly, the Canadian News didnt cover the Oct. Central
Canadian Openperhaps because the U.S. players did so well? Given
David Sakai, 13-0
the outcome, though, you can bet Jairie Resek reported the pertinent
Photo by Mal Anderson
results in her Its Whats Happening column (TTT, Mar.-Apr., 1973,
28). The U.S. (Errol Resek, Fuarnado Roberts, and Alex Shiroky) 5-2 won the Mens Team
Match from Canada (Errol Caetano, Derek Wall, and Bill Cheng). Caetano beat Shiroky, but
lost to both Resek and Roberts; Wall beat Roberts, but lost to Resek; and Cheng lost to
434

Roberts and Shiroky. Unusual occurrence: Bill is up 1-0 and 17-11 over Alex when Donna
Kerr, daughter of the Ontario TTA Executive Director Ken Kerr, couldnt believe that
innocent fire alarm on the wall was working. It was, and for forty minutes it went on and on
and on. When play resumed, Bill made it 18-12but Alex somehow recovered, won the
game 22-20, and took the 3rd. Obviously quite a ringing swing match in the tie.
So how did Resek do in the Singles and Doubles? Does
happy-hearted Jairie have to tell you, or can you guess? Uh-huh,
he won the Triple Crown. In the Singles, he beat Wall in 5 in the
semis, beat Caetano, deuce in the 5th, in the final. In winning
both Doubles, he paired with Shiroky in the Mens, with Velta
Adminis in the Mixed. Jairie says that on their way back to the
States, Errol didnt have proof of citizenship, and Robbie didnt
have proof of residency. Why they didnt have this proof she
doesnt say. But maybe they were more prepared than Jairie
thought:
Robbie had an old copy of Topics that mentioned
Errol becoming a citizen and identified Robbie in another article.
Photo by Mal Anderson
It even had a picture of Alex. Coincidence! One of the Custom
Inspectors, who played a bit, was impressed with the magazine and asked to keep it.
Jairie Resek:
has reason to be happy

Ah, its amazing what a magazine can do.

U.S. Open Team Championships
In the past, a players performance at the U.S. Open Team Championships often had a huge
impact on whether he/she made the U.S. World Teamcase in point: Glenn Cowan at the 1970
Teams. But no more. These Championships, held Dec. 2-3 at Cobo Hall in Detroit, were
sandwiched in between two more important events for aspirants to Sarajevofirst the Nov. 25-26
Regional Qualifying play, then the Dec. 15-17 Final Tryouts in the Chicago suburb of Wheeling.
USOTC Director George Buben, looking to more regulate the 159 teams, warned early on
that no one will be allowed to add any players or switch from team to team after the deadline.
Nor, regardless of adverse circumstances, would any team be allowed to go on court with just two
players, even if they
were willing to pay
the full team fee,
increased this year
from $30 to $45.
There was
no story on the Team
Championships in
Topics, just the
Results. In the
Mens, it appears
that in Section 1,
CNE Winning Canadian Mens Team, L-R: Errol Caetano, Derek Wall, Peter
Michigan I was 8-0
Gonda, Larry Lee and Captain George Jovanov
undefeated going
Photo by Mal Anderson
435

into the final, and that in Section II both Ontario and N.Y. I were 7-1, but that because Ontario had
apparently beaten N.Y. I head-to-head, the Canadians advanced. The final was won 5-3 by
OntarioErrol Caetano (18-1), Derek Wall (18-3), Larry Lee (15-2) Peter Gonda (13-3), and
Capt. George Jovanovover Michigan I (led by Most Valuable Player Award Winner Dell Sweeris).
One big story (CTTA News, Mar., 1973, 8) centered onsurprise!the $1,000 given
for 1st Place in the Mens. Helen Simerl tells us that the Ontario winners recruited Arthur
Saltpeter to be their players representativeto argue with officials that they be allowed to
keep all the prize money. The Ontario Association felt that since they had sponsored the four
teams (paying accommodation, meals, travel, entry feesamounting to about $900.00) at
least some of the prize money should have been offered back to the OTTA to cover costs.
The Association officers felt it should have been up to them to distribute the award among
the players, captains, and perhaps officials. The winners split all the money among
themselveswhich created some bad blood.
Helen also tells us about some strained Canadian-U.S. feelings:
Lucky for the men they had the officials there when the whole team was
disqualified for being 15 minutes late (confusion about new time announcements)
because Jose Tomkins, Laurie Charles and others persuaded the USTTA to override
the Michigan decision and reinstate the team. Otherwise, most of the other Canadian
players had been prepared to withdraw from the tournament. One of our top women,
for example, was outraged and said she would never play in another U.S. tournament if
the American officials persisted in their ungracious rulingsespecially when all sorts of
allowances are made for Americans at Canadian events.

Richard McAfee being congratulated on being the first U.S. native-born player to defeat D-J Lee
Photo by Mal Anderson

Another big story in the Mensand Topics readers have Joe Sokoloff to thank for it
(Mar.-Apr., 1973, 26)was 5-time U.S. Champion D-J Lees first loss to a native-born U.S.
player, Floridas 22-year-old Richard McAfee. Joe was teammate and coach to Richard when the
tie with Ohio was 1-1 and Richard was faced with D-J. It was decided, said Joe that Richard
should stay up close to the table and hit with Lee and not back up and give him chances to loop.
Key to the 1st game was the combination of Richards tricky forehand serves and particularly his
follows with a newly developed stroke called the WHIP DRIVE. Joe explains:
436

The ball is contacted well below the height of the bounce and is thrown
forward with tremendous power and speed with a whipping motion of the wrist and
elbow.
An enormous amount of physical strength is required to execute the shot and
Richard has been doing special wrist-strengthening exercises for some time now.
Richard is 6 feet 5 inches tall and weighs 225 lbswhich also helps.
With Richard up 12-8, Joe hurried to try to find his misplaced cameraand along with
his frantic but successful search he told every Florida player he saw that Mac was beating D-J.
Coming back to the court, Joe, knowing how emotional Richard was, organized a cheering
section to urge him on. The cheers must have helped, for Mac tried 2 big KILL shots that
came in and brought thunderous roars from the stands. Now the end game:
At 19-16 Richards favor I called for a number 4 power play. From deep in
his backhand corner he served a crosscourt chop-sidespin serve, then followed with a
Whip Drive and a forehand kill. D-J returned them all but Mac finished the point with 2
backhand crosscourt smashes.
The last point of the game was served from the same corner but this time Mac
served quick and down the line, moving D-J to his right, then followed with another
backhand crosscourt kill shot ending the game.
THE CROWD WENT WILD!
The key to Richards successful play was that he could counter backhands with D-J
and force him back from the table and get a shot for the point.
In the 2nd, though, Richard played too soft, D-J was able to loop, and won it at 15.
O.K., Mac had to attack, put the ball away on the move,make winning shots while on the
run.The percentages were not always with the shot but today they were coming in. Only,
then, with Richard up 19-16 in the 3rd and serving, D-J went for 3 kill shots off Macs serve
and brought them all in beautifully. MAGNIFICENT!
Richard looked at JoeJoe shrugged, and flashed a Number 2 all or nothing serve play.
Both killer follows went inand Richard, mobbed by well-wishers, had made History!
The Womens Championship went to Michigan (led by Most Valuable Player Award
Winner Janice Martin) over Ontario I, 5-4. Both had 8-1
records, but Michigan (though losing to Orlando) won out
because they head-to-head beat Ontario I. Regardless of
whether George Buben had decided before or after reading
Ralph Stadelmans article in Topics (Sept.-Oct, 1972, 10)
urging Corbillon Cup play in the Womens event, the switch
was made to incorporate doubles. Hereafter, therell be
another twist in the Womens play. Captains need not pick
their doubles pair until after the first two singles matches
are played.
Poor George. No sooner does he take the womens
complaints to heart and give them Sunday night prominence
in the Arena thanwham!hes attacked in Topics by Pete
Kelly wholl play for the Michigan men here next year
Pete Kelly
437

that is, if the women will let him. Pete brought friends to see prime-time action andBORing! His friends left early and Pete was disgusted with the womens play. Lets think of the
SPECTATORS, he says to Buben. We do want to keep the few that we have, right? At times
like these, George might think that when he andJan.-Feb., 1973 Topics Woman of the
Monthwife Madeline started out together, she shouldnt have gone into table tennis, and he
should have been doing oil paintings with her.
Undefeated Ontario (led by Most Valuable Player Award
Winner Steve Feldstein) won the Juniors. There was a 3way tie for 2nd Place, and since for all three teams matches
were 9-9, the tie had to be broken by gameswith the
following results: 2nd: Great Plains (25-21); 3rd:
Pennsylvania (21-21); 4th: I.B.M. (21-25).
No Junior would qualify for one of the 15 Mens spots
in the upcoming U.S. World Team Tryouts. Which reminds
me of what Sol Schiff told an Evansville, IN reporter
(Press, Nov. 14, 1972, 21) whod asked him, So what
would it take for the U.S. to get tough? Sol answered:
Big money prizes. Thatll bring the players. But
the main thing would be for this country to stop sending its
Ontarios Junior MVP Award
best players into world competition.See, the guys who
Winner Steve Feldstein
win our elimination matches are what, 20, 30 years old? So
Photo by Mal Anderson
theyre our best players, so what? They still cant beat
world-class players. What weve gotta do is find our best YOUNG players14, 15, 16
years old. Send THEM to the world tournaments. Sure, theyre gonna take their lumps
for a couple of years, but before long theyre gonna be players.See, competition is
the only way to get good.You gotta get out and play somebody.
Yes, I agree that you gotta get out. But though these mid-teens might show promise, is
it likely theyll have the sustained commitment to be players?

438

Chapter Thirty-Three
1972: Regional Qualifying Play and Final Tryouts for the U.S.
Team to the 1973 Sarajevo Worlds.
On Nov. 25-26, Qualifying Play in three sections of the
countryWest, Central, and Eastdetermined who would be eligible
to go to the Chicago suburb of Wheeling for the final U.S. World Team
Tryouts Dec. 16-17. The sponsoring Mt. Prospect, IL Jaycees agreed
to pay $2500 to the USTTA towards transportation of the players, to
provide two nights lodging for up to 30 persons, to donate 20% of the
gross ticket sales above defined fixed costs to the USTTA, and to
share equally with our Association any money that might accrue from TV, radio, or any mass
media and/or special interest rights. The USTTA charged each of the 37 participants (25 men,
12 women) a $45 fee, but agreed to provide lodging for a 3rd, and, if necessary, 4th night, and
to make sure transportation costs were covered.
The only Topics article on Regional play came from the
West via Tournament Director Bard Brenner. Qualifying matches
were put on at the Huntington Beach High School with the help
of Brenner and a veritable galaxy of supportersTournament
Chair Garey Black, CTTA President Fred Herbst, Pacific Region
Tournament Director Richard Alden, Referee Lou Dubin, John
Horning, Jerry LaLande, Bart Lawson, Tom Lovil, Kent
Lofthouse, CA Ranking Chair Dieter Huber, John Walker, Jack
Howard, and Milla Bocza. So many matches, but Ill try to
highlight Bards long article (TTT, Mar.-Apr., 1973, 19-20).
Complicating play in the Mens was Erwin Kleins
decision to withdraw. He wasnt doing well, but wasnt doing
poorly eitherhad Swiss System losses to Lee, Howard, and
Huntington Beachs
Cowan, but a run-out win against Guillen from down 15-20 in
Jerry LaLande
the 3rd. With a 5-3 record hed barely made the first-days cut,
yet was surely a favorite to qualify. He explains to Bard that (1) hes just heard about the
obligatory Friday play in Chicago that will reduce the 25 men to a final 15 on Saturday/
Sunday; that (2) he hadnt realized that Mt. Airy Lodge in the Pennsylvania Poconos was
going to host the U.S. Team for a week before it left for Sarajevo (this resort training-site
available to us through the efforts of Long Islands Mort Zakarin); and that (3) he still has a
number of matches to play tomorrow. Its just not for me, says Erwin. I dont have that
much time anymore. I shouldnt have entered.
So whats Klein doing with his time? Don Gunn says, Erwins been giving
demonstrations at the White Front stores in the San Francisco area, and playing members of
the audience [including Gunn].The stores sell a fairly good table, but the bats and other
accessories are strictly ugh.*
O.K., withdrawal and apology accepted, but now how about those players whod just
missed the cut at 4-4 and had lost to Erwin? And how about a player like Danny Banach (is it
fair to keep him out?) who, in the 1st-days Swiss System limited round robin (players with like
results continue to play one another) was 4-4 but, unlike others, had competed against very
439

strong players? (Remarkably, Danny had wins

over Guillen, Northern California star David
Chan, Howie Grossman, and Banjerd Bill
Ukapatayasakul.) The Tournament
Committee met and, to their credit, agreed to
extend the cut to 14 players instead of 10.
Eight would be eligible to go to Chicago.
When finally the results came in, D-J
Lee was undefeated (he lost only one gameto
Klein). Cowan was 10-3 (lost to Lee,
OConnell, and Raphel). Howard was 10-3
(lost to Lee, Cowan, and OConnell).
OConnell was 9-4, as was Raphel. Guillen and
Chan were in with 7-6. One place open for
Bill U - that is, Ukapatayasakul
Banach or Ukapatayasakul (who in two very
Photo by Mal Anderson
painful matches might have blown his chances:
hed had 5 match points against Howard, as well as match point against Cowan in both the 2nd and
3rd games, but couldnt finish against either). Now if Banach can beat Brenner hes the 8th man, not
Bill. But though Danny wins the 1st, Brenners super-loops allow him to win 21-18 in the 3rd.
Neither Wendy Hicks Stockwell nor Irene Ogus tried out for
the Team. So the 6 women qualifiers finished in this order: Judy
Bochenski, 8-1 (with a win over Patty Cash); Patty, 8-1; Angie Rosal,
7-2; Priscilla Resek Parker, 7-2; Elsie Spinning, 5-4and Pat Crowley
who, with a last win over Bonnie Johnson, would go to Chicago instead
of Karen Berliner.
Central Qualifiers among
the Men were Dell Sweeris, John
Tannehill, Paul Pashuku, and Jim
Lazarus, with Jerry Karbulka as
1st Alternate, and among the
Women Diana Myers, with Millie
Shahian as 1st Alternate.
East Qualifiers among
the Men were George
Brathwaite, Lim Ming Chui,
Peter Pradit, Errol Resek, Rory
Brassington, Bernie Bukiet, Rich
Farrell, Dick Miles, Fuarnado
Paul Pashuku
From
the Jan/Mar 1972
Roberts, Mitch Sealtiel, Danny
TATAP Record, 2
Seemiller, Alex Shiroky, and
Horace Roberts, with Dave Philip as 1st Alternate, and
among the Women Alice Green, Barbara Kaminsky, Donna
Newell, and Olga Soltesz, with Xuan Ferguson as 1st
Alternate. Charismatic casualty? As the accompanying
photo shows, fan-favorite Marty Reisman had to swallow
Marty Reisman: caviar...and cola
his high-minded hopes.
Photo by Mal Anderson
440

441

U.S. Womens World Tryout Finalists, L-R: Crowley, Spinning, Hildebrandt, Newell, Myers, Parker, Soltesz, Rosal, Kaminsky, Green, Martinez and Bochenski
Photo by Mal Anderson

U.S. Mens World Tryout Finalists, L-R: Lee, Sweeris, Pradit, Chui, Tannehill, Resek, Howard, Cowen, Miles, Bukiet, Shiroky, Seemiller, Roberts, OConnell and Lazarus
Photo by Mal Anderson

At their Dec. 4, 1972 Meeting in Detroit prior to the Tryouts (Recording Secretary
Lou Bochenski reporting in TTT, Jan.-Feb., 1973, 14), the USTTA E.C. conscientiously
approved the Rules for the Tryouts based on Miless system:
12 women to play a round robin starting Saturday at 2:00 at Wheeling High
School.
25 men to play in 2 round robin groups of 8 and one group of 9, called A, B,
and C. The groups to be split evenly according to ability. A complete round robin in
each of these three groups to be played [Dec. 15 at Frank Tichys Chicago Club] with
the top five of each group forming a final group of 15 that will play a round robin
[Dec. 16-17 at Wheeling]. All matches played against anyone who makes this round
of 15 in the prior round robin [at Tichys]will count in the final standings, and the
player will not play again anyone hes already played.
Appropriately enough, Mal Anderson, in 73 the U.S.s first International Umpire, will
be the Tournament Referee (and will offer thanks for umpire support to Tannehill, Ted Basset,
Ted Stomma, and New Yorkers Brathwaite, Peter Stephens, Dave Philip, and Horace Roberts,
as well as Angie Rosal and Pat Crowley). E.C. members Boggan and Read will make up a
court of last resort for any player who wants to appeal; also on this appeals court: Howard
for Mens play, Lou Bochenski for Womens play (with Kaminsky to take Lous place if hes
not there). Dave Cox will be the Tournament Chair (with Ron Shirley as back-up and
Kaminsky as back-up for Shirley). Boggan is to check with the players and make sure that
Anderson will avoid using umpires who have had a history of conflict with any of the players
involved (this 5-4 barely won the Boards approval).
If theres a two-way tie for the last position in either the Mens or Womens play,
there will be a 2 out of 3 game playoff. If more than two are tied, the tie will be broken by
games won-lost; if still tied, by percentage of points. Ditto for an Alternate tie. If a player
withdraws, his record (though it counts for ratings) doesnt count for the Team selection.
The E.C. is to nominate 3 to 5 potential team captain candidatesand when the
teams are known theyll vote on whom they want as their captain.
At Wheeling, the big surprise in the Mens (since, according to Jack Howards Nov.Dec, 72 Topics Ratings, he went there as the #1-rated U.S. Junior but the #70-rated U.S.
man) was #1 finisher Danny Seemiller. After qualifying with a 7-3 record in the East Region,
he was 12-2 here (losing only to Lee and Bernie Bukiet). USTTA/Jaycees
Tournament Coordinator John Read reported that all Dannys playing
and training 40 to 50 hours a week for the better part of six months
certainly paid off. During this training, Dell Sweeris was a big help to
Seemiller.If it wasnt for Dell, Id be nothing, Danny said later.
Local Herald reporter Bob Frisk (Dec. 19, 1972) elaborated on
Dannys crowd-pleasing performance:
Seemiller, a standout football quarterback and track
sprinter [sic] in the Pittsburgh, Pa. area, was the talk of the twoday show.
For someone who wasnt even expected to make the
regionals, the performance of Seemiller has been the outstanding
442

Hes the surprise #1

Photo by Mal Anderson

part of the tryouts, said a table tennis official Sunday evening. People will be talking
about that crazy backhand of his but it certainly works for him.
The teenager was the only mens player in the finals at Wheeling who was born
in the United States [sic], and his overall play, a combination of aggressive attacking
and superb control on defense at the table, stamps him as the most promising new
name in the sport. He has the charisma the sport needs.
D-J was next with a 10-4 record. The Topics Result Chart (Jan.-Feb., 1973, 2) credited
Peter Pradit with a 10-4 record and a 3rd-Place finish, but when you checked his reported
matches in detail, you noted that he had 5 lossesas did both Fuarnado Roberts and Bernie
Bukiet (wholl be 54 at Sarajevo!). These five then made the U.S. Mens Team. (Ironically,
Roberts had urged, even before Regional Qualifying play had begun, that the USTTA send
Bernie to Sarajevo, all expenses paid, to play in the Jubilee Cup.) Bukiet defeated Alex
Shiroky, described as a mini Mark Spitz, in a climactic late-round matchwith the winner
being assured of a place on the Team. Dell Sweeris and Alex finished at 8-6, and so played
offwith Dell winning the First Alternate position. Those in the final 15 who, along with Dell
and Alex, didnt make the Team were: John Tannehill, Jim Lazarus, Errol Resek, Glenn
Cowan, Dick Miles, Denis OConnell, Lim Ming Chui, and Jack Howard.
In a Dec. 9, 2005 e-mail to me, Denis OConnell (now spelling his
first name Dennis) remembers his very satisfying wins over Brathwaite,
Resek, and Tannehill, remembers, too, how when he was up on Roberts
his racket broke and, for some reason not having a replacement he had to
borrow one, and lost in 3. Then, oh, there was his match with Sweeris:
Denis was leading Dell 19-16 in the 3rd, but, choking on Dells serve, he
lost 5 straight. Denis also recalls most vividly a players wife berating
me for beating Tannehill, suggesting I should have thrown it.
Another big surprise was Tannehills 6-8 recordand this
despite his breakthrough 28-26 in the 3rd
win over D-J. Maybe he didnt want to
Denis OConnell recalls make another U.S. Team? John was said to
have been bothered by a finger blisterbut,
the tournament
Photo by Mal Anderson
mgod, 8 losses! Enough to make him quit,
was it? Sort of. Hed go up to the
University of Maine, where for 6 months hed attend his friend Bert
Jacobs classes and study and write papers. Then hed make up his
mind to come back to table tennis and start afresh. Joe Newgarden
would make it possible for him to again train in Miami, and Marv
and Caron Leff would invite him into their home and give him moral
support. So well see quite a bit more of him later.
No such shocker in the Womens. Both Angelita Rosal and
Patty Cash finished with 10-1 records (Angie with a loss to Judy
Bochenski, and Patty with a loss to Angie). Judy Bochenski (8-3)
finished 3rd after losing a 19-in-the-3rd toughie to Patty. Since both
Olga Soltesz and Sue Hildebrandt finished in a 7-4 tie, they played
off for the final spot on the Womens Teamwith Sue upsetting
Sue will go to Sarajevo!
Olga, -19, 18, 16. Alice Green (6-5) lost a costly 19 in the 3rd match
Photo by Mal Anderson
443

to Barbara Kaminsky. Those in the final

12 who, along with Olga, Alice, and
Barbara, didnt make the team were:
Priscilla Parker, Diana Myers, Donna
Newell, Elsie Spinning, and Pat Crowley.
John Read did the appropriate
Thank Yous in Topics(Jan.-Feb.,
1973, 2)to Bob Kaminsky, Harry
Ward (Chicago Table Tennis Club
Secretary), J.R. Harrison for their
excellent work at the desk; to Ralph
Stadelman, Tom McEvoy, [and] Laszlo
Keves for their tireless umpiring; to
the Wheeling High School Junior Naval
R.O.T.C. cadets who manned the
Nissen scoring machines that provided
Hall of Fame U.S. Champions
spectators with up-to-date scores on
Sally Green Prouty and Bill Holzrichter
every match in progress; and to Warren
Photo by Mal Anderson
Hamilton, Chair of the Jaycees whose
members distributed over 10,000 flyers and posters, and had excellent publicity in the local
press. A shame, though, that with all this effort the attendance was disappointing, numbering
only about 1500 over the two-day finals. However, it was a pleasure to see and talk with such
table tennis celebrity greats as Coleman Clark,** Sally Green Prouty, Billy Holzrichter, Danny
Pecora, and Jimmy Blommer.
At the Dec. 18, 1972 E.C. Meeting in Mt. Prospect following the Tryouts (USTTA
Vice-President Mal Anderson reporting in TTT, Jan.-Feb., 1973, 14; 28), it was determined
that Bob Kaminsky, the players choice, will be the Captain of the U.S. Team to the Sarajevo
Worlds. Bong Mo Lee will be the Mens Coach and Jack Howard will be the Womens
Coach. President Boggan will do the coverage for Topics
and be the U.S. Delegate to the ITTF Meetings. If funds
are available, Dell Sweeris will go as Analyst, Mal
Anderson as Photographer, John Read as Manager, and
Mort Zakarin as 2nd Delegate. Of course the U.S. Team,
hoping to play smart, will look smartbe supplied with
playing outfits and street clothes.
The Jan.-Feb. Topics (3+) ran two opposing points
of view regarding the Selection Method used for these
Tryouts: Rufford Harrison took the Con position; Dick
Miles, in a rebuttal, the Pro position.
Rufford says that because our country is so vast we
cant, without inordinate expense, have a series of
tournaments bringing the top players together, though that is
certainly preferable to having only the one weekend
tournament that we just had. Better we see who is
consistently strong throughout the season. (This series idea
Steve Isaacson
isnt new. Steve Isaacson, when he was Selection Committee
Photo by Mal Anderson
444

Chair, advocated a progression of Qualifying tournaments. As Tryout-talk

continues in the months, years ahead, others, too, will have their say.)
One objection, shared by many, to the single trial-by-combat
weekend is what happens if ill befalls our star player or players and
they cant compete. Another is that, Suppose our top player just has a
bad weekend? It could happen to anyone. Rufford cites his longtime
favorite player, Dell Sweeris, and says any Selection Committee surely
would have picked him for Sarajevo because anyone who knows his
record knows that he is just about [sic: who, from hedging Ruffords
Rufford Harrison
point of view is better?] our best team player, our best fighter.
Conversely, he says, even a somewhat weak anyone can have a good weekendbut
would you want him for 11 days at the Worlds?
Rufford says that Anyone objective will have to admit that we have little chance of
improving our world ranking by more than a position or two. (Really? Judy Bochenski writes
that she wants to change a bit of the defeatist attitude of the last worlds where everybody
seemed to think, Well, what the hell, were going to lose anyway. She says, If we work
hard we can do much better.) Rufford says, [We] could select our team in part to improve
our future chances of finishing in the top ten. Top ten! In how many years? How? We can do
this by selecting those players who, in addition to being of very high caliber, are known
students, players who observe, who bring home what they have observed and who spread the
word. Sweeris and Howard are two examples of such players.
Why, asks, Rufford, are we investing USTTA money without getting a return?
Apparently U.S. players as players cant give us a return, so to make a profit, as it were, who
can we send? Theres always been a divide between Rufford and the top playershes usually
not been sympathetic to their concerns.
Actually, Rufford is repeating the abstract arguments weve seen him use before: he
wants manageable youth wholl be absorbent if not good players. Theyre our future? Theyll
come back andcoach? He wants dedicationbut how can he be assured anyone selected
will be committed to longtime playing or coaching? Id still like us to go back to our old
method of selection, he says. And, if so, readers of past volumes can judge just how objective
Rufford and others would be. Surely Rufford himself knows that Selection of the Team is a
thing of the past; he ends by saying, well, how about a compromiselet a Selection
Committee pick a player or two? Ruffords focus is not on Playing! Winning!its on
something bookish, dry, academic, official, characterized by blocks of reason. But if I can
continue with these volumes, readers will see that Playing! Winning! will more and more surge
the blood, be at the enthusiastic heart of U.S. overseas play.
Miles, in his rebuttal, begins by noting that what Rufford seems
to be saying is, Gee whiz, folks, cant you see its dangerous to give
up our discretionary control over the representatives we send
overseas.
Since the Worlds is an 11-day event, Rufford says, weve got to
be careful to send players who can go the distance, who have stamina.
Watch out, Bukiet, says Dick, theres a finger pointing at you. Go
the distance? Were really talking about 5 days, and the first 5 days at
that, says Dick, not 11. Were talking about Swaythling Cup play when
were competing with players we have a chance of beating. When it
Dick Miles
445

comes time for the last 6 days of Individual play, sad to say, were not gonna be around very
long. But if you want to talk stamina, consider that at the Tryouts those who made the Team
played 17-18 matches in three days, far more than theyll play at Yugoslavia, and with more
tension, for much was riding for these winners on every match. So the stamina argument just
doesnt stand up.
As for the Bad Day argument, consider that the Tryouts were played over 3 days
and even those who didnt make the first day cut played 7 matchesusually enough, even on
a bad day, to get an accurate indication of ones strength relative to the field. Dick felt that
with the possible exception of Brathwaitethere wasnt anyone failing to survive the cut who
could have made the Team.
Rufford admits that we [the Selection Committee] could never use any formula for
automatic selection. We just tried to be objective. There were exceptions. Ill say, says
Miles. Most notably in 1956 and 1959 when I reached the quarters and semis of the world
singles. Was I selected for the team? No. And how about Bukiet? In 1970, on the basis of his
record, Bernie was voted Most Valuable Player at the Team Championships, and in 1971 he
reached the U.S. Open final at Atlanta. Were there a Selection Committee picking the Team
this year, would they likely have considered Bernie or rejected him, as they did years ago, as
being too old? It still takes a hell of a good player to beat Bernie, says Dick, for I expect
that Bernie plays better than most of us do when the chips are down.
As far as Ruffords further suggestion that we send such players as Dell Sweeris and
Jack Howard to the Worlds as kind of player-observer-evangelistsI pass on that one.
I, however, dont pass. I want to speak up for our best Junior players and why, if
deserving, they should attend a Worlds so that they and their parents can get a return on their
investment. I want to repeat Don Gunns marvelous reply to Jack Carr who said two of our
Juniors hed spoken to didnt seem to have learned anything from the Worlds. Don replied (and in
words that so resonated with me because they mirrored my own life-changing experiences through
the 70sat Nagoya, Sarajevo, Calcutta, Birmingham, Pyongyangand beyond):
To do so [to have learned] requires a degree of perception and self-analysis
which few juniors or adults attain. Many of us were stumped by the parental question
of What did you learn in school today? But we did realize that in some way that day
had added something to our lives, definable or not.
What a player learns at the Worlds is not something that can be recited, like
statistics; it involves feelings, and various rather esoteric reactions that do not yield
easily to analysis. For a player who is emotionally as well as physically involved in table
tennis, going to the Worlds for the first time is, or should be, like a first romance,
seeing Space Odyssey, or suffering a religious revelation. In other words, it is a
psychic experience by which one is moved, changed, perhaps inspired. Certainly, it is
an experience which should be more, not less, attainable.
Harrison himself, obsessed with the ITTF world, echoed these words when he told
Carr that training doesnt consist of all drives and push-ups. Exposure to the WC [World
Championships] itself is a form of training. The atmosphere is indescribably different from
anything we know in this country. Jack, you should go sometime.
Dick does concede that Rufford has a point when our best player cant play in the
Tryouts, and it may be that Dick would be willing to put such a proven player on the Team
446

automatically, though he has reservations that this move would detract from the showbiz
luster of the event. Dick picks up on Ruffords comment that a Selection Committee would
surely have picked Sweeris to be on the Team to Sarajevo. But though Sweeris is to be
admired, respected, how come he wasnt on the Nagoya team or on this Sarajevo one? Would
you ask Dick to substitute him in now for Roberts or Bukiet? Or ask Seemiller or Hildebrandt
to step aside for someone with a 71-72 better record?
Although Dick thinks the brave experiment of the Tryouts worked, he does see a
problem: we have to modify the plan so that only those players still actually in contention will
be playing matches that can effect the end result. No one should be given the opportunity of
putting another player on the team simply because he decides to let up a little when a loss
doesnt mean anything to him.
Judy Bochenski, whom I quoted above, writes to
Topics (Jan.-Feb., 1973, 4), approving of the Tryouts. She
says:
It is a much fairer system of choosing a team than
before where the decisions were made by a committee subject
(as any human group is) to ignorance and prejudice. A
committee would, of course, do its best but it couldnt be
infallible in its knowledge of the players skills. They would
also have a preconceived notion of what type of person should
be a representative of the U.S. [Readers of previous volumes
will recall Bill Gunn and Jack Carr, and, to a lesser extent,
Judy approves:
Rufford Harrison as influential Moral Arbitors.] Having team
change for the better
tryouts is also doing a favor for the player who doesnt make
the team, for then he is able to blame only himself rather than a committee for having failed.
There seems to have been a change of attitude this year towards the team. This
year were going in style. Its a good sign.
Indeed it isand from this I take my enthusiastic cue. In Vol. VII, Ill return to pick up
where I left off; I value the early 1973 continuity. But for now I cant wait, I move to close
this volume with a fervent flight to the Sarajevo Worlds, and in the remaining four chapters
describe for you my aficionados romance with the Championships.
SELECTED NOTES.
*Klein, I guess, is going to take a job where he can find it. But it makes me wonder if
Miles would tacitly give his imprimatur to such sporting goods stock. I once heard and felt the
love he had for the Sportthe Pride, the Dignity, the Class he wanted for it and for himself.
It happened when I went with Dick into a big sporting goods store called Paragon in
New York City where you at least had a chance of getting a fairly decent selection of table
tennis rackets.
Paragon: the word meansa touchstonea model of excellencea perfectly
spherical pearl.
Eventually Dick got around to asking about balls. The salesman went over, opened a
large box behind the counter, then a smaller one. Balls? It was almost like, Whod have
them? Finally he came back with one of an unrecognizable make.
447

Which Dick, upon testing, calmly, deliberately pushed his thumb through.
Its obviously unplayable, he said in a very pleasant voice.
I was shocked, the salesman more so. Hey, he said, I just opened a gross of those
balls. You didnt have to do that.
And then I realizedAh, but he did have to do that.
Later, I fancy, in the privacy of Miless apartment, that scowling, glaring Beethoven on
Dicks mantelpiece, deaf to what others might think, allowed himself a little smilefor, deep
down, he always heard and knew the score.
**Coleman (Cokey) Clark, Parker
Brothers1932 American Ping-Pong Association
Champion, now 76, had come over from Wilmette with
his grandson to watch the Tryouts. I asked him about his
nickname, Cokeyhowd that start? He couldnt
explain it. Somebody said he used to drink cokes all the
timebut could that be true if he himself had forgotten
how he got the nickname?
He wasnt wearing a white suit like in those old
charismatic photographs and he limped a bit (in 1975 hed
spend two months in an Evanston hospital, where hed have
his left leg amputated at the knee). But he talked so rapidly
and with such enthusiasm that it seemed even now he could,
Hall of Famer Coleman Clark: 1932
if called upon, give an exhibition that would interest us.
Parker
Brothers American Ping-Pong
Helter Skelterthe year was 1931 and Coke,
Association Champion
out of that Chicago inter-fraternity club scene, was doing
Photo by Mal Anderson
his table tennis act in a New York City hotel. Conrad
Nagel saw me play to the 11 oclock after-theater crowd at the Grand Ballroom of the Waldorf
Astoria and wanted me to come to Hollywood, said Coke. And since my early investment
business went to pot, I took the trip west. Why not? With MGM money was no limit. I did
some Pete Smith shortsand, in all, must have shot over 40,000 feet of film. For 30 years
they showed it.
Around 1935, Cokey was back in Chicago for the Christmas vacation. A guy came up
to him and said, Can you open at the Sherman? And so that Christmas eve Coleman was
working the College Inn, the well known Loop night club at the Sherman Hotel. I did a shot
by shot commentary, challenged those at ringside, gave out little autographed balls.
But after a while, show business, vaudeville, too, began to go to pot. And one day,
during a routine, Cokey fell in the orchestra pit and hurt himself.
Miles suddenly came onto the scene, greeted Coleman. They relived some old times,
talked of the legendary Herwald Lawrence Club in New York, and of tournaments there.
Cokey fondly mimicked some of Miless nervous hand-on-the-table mannerisms. Dick, said
Coke, you probably dont remember, but I beat you oncePagliaro was the umpire. Dick
couldnt recall the shared momentremembered by the one; forgotten by the other.
Another celebrity, 5-time U.S Open Champion Sally Green Prouty, smiling, briskly
came by. Such energy these aging Champions had.
You still wear that big hat? Cokey, grinning, asked her.
She stopped, came over, and put a hand on his shoulder. Oh, Cokey, she said. I
dont have that big hat anymore.
448

Chapter Thirty-Four
1973: Sarajevo, Yugoslavia World
Championships:
Introduction.
Over the red
roofs of the Sarajevo
hillside the candle
power rose with the
slow intensity of
darkness. Middle-aged
boys, unknown and
unknowing in the dying
twilight, watched from
beyond the runway
fence as our JAT flight
from Beograd dropped down and taxied in.
Outside or inside, there was, somewhere, a
distant excitement in the U.S. Teams arrival.
From the Sarejevo Worlds Bulletin #2
After all, we were bringing to these
32nd World Championships the second largest official party of any of the 103-member nations
of the ITTF, so our Saturday coming could hardly go unnoticed. And, sure enough, even
before we were met by the small corps of Yugoslav students the Organizing Committee had
sent to greet us (Who is the leader of your delegation, please?), and under their guidance
favor us (though just this once) with the protocol of a flashing police-car escort, I was aware
of two black-suited Chinese who walked briskly by and disappeared from view.
Fifteen minutes later, the moment we entered the Hotel Terme (rimes with Fear me,
does it?), a large contingent of players and officials from the Peoples Republic came forward
to welcome ussome coming zig-zag-like down the ramp to the lobby, others emerging out
of the elevator hurriedly buttoning their (not Mao, said one Chinese, but SunYat-sen) jackets.
There was shy (was she?), pig-tailed Cheng Huai-ying (who, two years ago at Nagoya,
had upset the 69 Japanese World Champion Toshiko Kowada), and the always intense 3-time
World runner-up Li Fu-jing, and his teammate Liang Ko-liang, and the sensitive, intellectual
Lou Tapeng (not Mr. Lou, Mr. Lo). Other famous players too were thereChang Shih-lin,
the magic chopper, and his partner Cheng Min-chih, who this year, because of the forced
retirement of Womens Singles and Doubles Champion Lin Hui-ching (she has a liver
infectioncancer?), would be defending only the Mixed. Seeing the familiar faces, like those
of people anywhere we knew so little about, some of us recalled an echo of home, of the
Chinese Teams visit to the U.S. last year. So, on our first night in this strange, Slavic
darkness, we were disposed to agree that, yes, tonight, Friendship first, Competition second.
Although the quiet, some thought isolated Terme, in the suburban, sulphurous spa of
Ilidza, was a 20-minute ride from the downtown hustle of Sarajevo, most of us were very
pleased, very proud, to be staying here with the favored Chinese, Swedish, and Yugoslav
teams. We began to feel that there was something we had in the table tennis world, as yet
undiscovered, that could make us a First Division super-power.
449

Were we not being recognized, at least for the moment, by the all-important Chinese?
But perhaps they welcomed everyone like this? Or just old friends? But then, over the last two
years, what with their select, Peking-based International Matches and their goodwill teams
going all over the globe, they had made a lot of old friends.
Id heard it said that the Chinese really didnt notice you, didnt really care about you.
Some in a group would look at you for a polite moment or so, and some of these would nod
and remark, Oh, Mr. Boggan. Yes, I remember, you were in Peking. But, as they came and
went, what would you have them do? Socialize? As for the Americans who smiled, what of
their social graces? Didnt we, too, in shaking hands, hold fast to our privacies? So, two weeks
in this Grand Hotel aside, people began by keeping their distance. (Though our Angelita Rosal,
on going up to her room, did remark, Wow! There are about 10-15 men here for every
woman.)
The next day, Sunday, while we just sort of taking it all inlike the sheep and ducks
we saw grazing on the nearby paper-littered riverbankI found it very easy to talk to another
man in black, our maitre d, Ibro (Eee-bro) Dzambegovich.
The Chinese, he tells me, have already been here for quite a while, training with the
Yugoslavs. The Chinese are very nice, says Ibro in his best earthy-continental manner. His
English, which he takes pride in, he began to learn through his job at the hotel and has since run-hishand-through-his-dark-hair studied itlike an actor whos a natural for the part studies his lines.
The Chinese, he says, have brought their own cook. They dont waste anything. Although they can
have anything they want, they understand, Why have two beers when one is enough?
The Yugoslavs, Ibro confides, order just one dish for everybody; the Chinese three. We
both know what the 40 or so Americans will do. D-J Lee will find a stone not in his french
fries but in his rice and will complain. Fuarnado Roberts, whos perfectly willing to eat french
fries, will get psychically sick at the sight of eggs on his beefsteak, and will ask that it all be
taken away. Danny Seemiller and everyone else will insist on (its not the custom to have it
here) a glassful of ice for their coca-colas. An asked-for soft-boiled egg will turn out to be too
Easter-egg hard; the breakfast sausage will be stretched out of all meaning and proportion into
a hot dog; when the bacon is served cold, someone will light a match under it so our young,
blank-looking waiter will warm to the point.
In a few days, when the tournament is about to begin,
we will all be given a booklet of food and drink couponsgood
only in the Hotel Terme, of course, as part of the $17.50-a-day
package that guarantees to make it all very easy for everybody
in our party to be tied up tight together. These coupons, I feel it
only fair to add, were generally enough for the most wanton of
excesses (a thick Turkish demitasse, a shot of scotch or plum
brandy or both) at every gradually fading tomorrows
increasingly misnamed Coffee Bar.
The Americans officially drank. It seemed, in fact, my
Presidential duty to follow the example of my peersto make
myself seen there at the Lobby Bar. Mr. Ranga Ramanujan of
India, for 24 years a Council member, was looking for votes in
Ranga Ramanujan,
his bid for Deputy President of the ITTF. Ramanujan is a
President,
TTF of India
teetotaler. And when the cups were totaled, people perhaps
From 1971 Commonwealth
were suspicious of him and he did not win.
Championships Program
450

Although the Americans lasted to the late rounds

in this drink-to-your-health competition, the champion of
his and perhaps everyones delegation was a
Bergmanesque Swede. Amazingly, the more pauses he
had with the English language, the more precise he
became in remembering and interpreting the ITTF rules
he and those he preferred associating with lived by.
Another contender youd have to give a hand to in
any toast to you and yours was the hefty, jowly German,
European TTA President Jupp Schnapps, or whatever my
wife Sally and I got to pleasantly calling him that early
morning up in his room when (Iz not zuh time. Not yet zuh
time for prize money) he began pulling out of his valise and
maniacally shoving into my chest clipping after clipping,
photo after photo, in an effort to convince meof what?
European TTA President Jupp Schlaf that he had me tischtennis-bottled-up against a wall?
From Deutscher Tischtennis Sport Calendar
And, my god, there was Bashir, and Fayez whose
richly engraved calling card was of such a special,
valuable paper (I wanted to say papyrus) that it practically crinkled and went to pieces at the
touch. BASHIR! I got to screaming in wild good fellowship every evening I set foot in the
hotel. He would always be there to answer TIM! And like a wiry little wrestler he would
come and grab mehis good brotherin a vise of U.S.-Jordanian friendship. Then we
would have a drink and then another and another, for want of something better to do, and after
a time he or Fayez would go upstairs to their trunk for 1001 nights and bring back scented
handkerchiefs full of delicious mixed nuts, and, on occasion, little gifts for the ladiesrings, it
might be, for their fingers. Beneath their mustachioed (Candy is dandy, but liquor is quicker)
playfulness was the voice of experience. Their capacity for high seriousness (Bashir was
rumored to be in the Jordanian Parliament) might have been thought scandalously lacking by
those not in training to do anything other than lounge in the heavy-cushioned chairs while, nothing
on tonight, waiting for something to happen on the morrowa meeting or a practice match.
And speaking of lounging about, this seems as good a time as any to introduce a
student guide or two. Every team had one. Though she wasnt ours, I was quite struck by this
tall, model-thin, micro-mini-skirted girl who in my imagination might have been a part of Andy
Warhols set. She was named, deceptively, Nada, which in Yugoslav meant Hope. She became
the accompanying muse of the Chinese.
Our own guideif you could ever find himwas a mustachioed ex-exchange
student whod spent a year smilin and lazyin about with the girls somewhere in California,
and who apparently was therefore qualified to help us find our way about Sarajevo or at least
to and from the playing hall.
Tony, that was his name, thought it would be pleasant this Sunday afternoon to take
our girlsAngelita, Patty Martinez, Judy Bochenski, and Sue Hildebrandtand maybe some
others, Danny, too, if he really wanted to come along, to a soccer game. So, why not? What
else had they to do? Judys attempts to contact that amateur radio operator she was hoping to
find in Sarajevo never were successfulwhich was a bit disappointing because she and a
ham friend waiting hopefully in the wee hours of the morning back home had hoped to
scoop the local Eugene, OR Register-Guard.
451

The first joke when they went off this April Fools Day afternoon was on Danny. How
yuh doin, Bengtsson? Thats who some of the passersby thought Seemiller was. It must have
been the size, the hair-styleand the absence of course of any court, table, opponent, and
Dannys forehand-side-of-the-racket-turned-backhand in a push return of serve.
At the soccer
stands, the second joke
was on our girls,
especially sandalthonged-up-the-calf,
short-skirted Patty. As
the girls climbed to
their seats, they were
to a man given more
than one friendly
Our girls - L-R: Judy, Patty, Sue and Angie boost. Way up they
look like theyre in the mood for some fun.
wentand so too did
Photo by Mal Anderson
the helping hands. As
for the bathroom at this lets-get-together-out-in-public sporting event, Patty said, Ive never
smelled anything so foulI almost had to throw up.
Another of our girls, on getting settled, saw the guy sitting in front of her hunched up,
his arm thrown around the fellow in front of himwhich fella in turn was kissing the fingers of
the other guys hand. Hijinks? Were in a Communist country, noted our observer. This is
their way of birth control.
Meanwhile, back at the Terme (at least, as one player put it, its away from all the
autograph hounds) Miss Ping Neuberger had come face to face with Pavel Rotkiewicz, the
Pyschologist of the Yugoslav Team.
Do they really need you? she asked, though not so bluntly.
Of course they need a psychologist, he said and blinked madly away behind his
spectaclesas if to say, Doesnt everyone?
Which is perhaps what our ubiquitous Team Captain Bob Kaminsky might have
thought. (See his long Captains ReportPart I and Part II in TTT, May-June and Sept.Oct., 1973, 1+.) Hed been busily walking round, reminding everyone who was listening that
The players should be as united as possible. Should be subjected to as little friction as
possible. Should not be put into the wrong psychological mood. Of course as the Captain
who might have to make some hard choices before this tournament was over, he might not,
despite his very conscientious efforts, endear himself to everyone.
Other Americans had bought Yugoslav-English phrase books and dictionariesand
had gone out of the hotel with confidence to mix among the common people. A trolley ride,
some thought, might be a novelty. In one packed car, Gus and Jean Kennedys little girl,
Muffin, accidentally pushed the sole of her dusty shoe against an old ladys black skirt. Im
sorry, Jean said. Im sorryand hurried to find the unpronounceable phrase in her book.
See, she said, and shoved it over to the old lady. But it didnt do any goodthe old lady
couldnt read.
After a while, I, too, went out for a little walk. At the Kino Igman, the suburban
theater next door, Kum was playingThe Godfather. To hear some Americans talk, they
later went to this movie just to read the violent Yugoslav sub-titles. In front of this theater sat
452

a man with a very old scale, waiting. Waiting so hopelessly, it seemed, for some kind of justice
to balance in his favoras if, were he to wait there long enough, you would pay, as in an ageold fairy tale, to get him weighed and so break the awful spell.
There were quite a few people strolling along this Sunday, off-from-work afternoon.
Couples, I noticed mostlythe girls generally unattractive, sometimes wearing very short
skirts and very red lipstick, and the guys fond of spitting.
You Yugoslavs do a lot of walking, I said to Zoran, a serious-looking young
Philosophy major, one of the several car-rental people who, as if to steer business their way,
seemed to spend most of their time just sitting around the hotel.
Do these walkers go anywhere, do anything? I asked. Or do they just walk?
They just walk, said Zoran. They do nothing. Theres nothing for them to do.
I wanted to know if some of them would be coming to the table tennis matches.
No, he said.
Will you come? I asked.
No, he said.
Id heard that the tournament was being held in Sarajevo (and had been turned over to
the local Association, which, though granting their goodwill, had to take responsibility for
some of the disorganization we were going to see). Why Sarajevo? Because it had the least
general interest in table tennis of any comparable city in Yugoslavia. Id also heard that after
Surbek and Stipancic had done their thing here it would have the most interest. To hear such
people talk, it was understood that even Zoran, the philosopher, might have a change of heart.
That evening the Americans all came together over Chicken
Kiev or Tenderloin Rossini or Too-Far-Inland Trout, then met to get
their jump suits and playing outfits and Opening Day Parade dress.
When the well-known Barna outfitter in the States had so little stock
in hand, our Team Manager, John Read, had been forced to take a
last-minute detour to London to get everybodys shorts and skirts.
Our girls didnt want to play in skirts to begin with, but when it
turned out that those involvedthey were men, of coursehad
forgotten the under wear to go with the skirts, well....But Coach Jack
Howard with his girlfriend Bonnie as the Womens Rep promised to
get it all solved. Surely there was somebody in Sarajevo who sold
table tennis shorts.
Since the Team had established an 11 oclock curfew two
weeks before at Colonie Hills on Long Island and then Mt. Airy
Lodge in the Poconos, the Training Camps arranged for them by
Bonnie Johnson
Team fund-raiser Mort Zakarin, it was easy to get everyones
continued cooperation now. A beeror maybe twowas enough
impetus for some to reminisce. Our Peter Pradit said he was once suspended from the Thai
Team for two years for having an unauthorized beer...whereas another time his coach gave
himwas it in the Asian Games?$2,000 for winning two big matches. Every good player
who comes over to the U.S. gets worse, he was saying. There is no way to play well unless
you practice against the best.
There had been a four-hour, soul-baring group therapy session back at Mt. Airy, in
whichJacks got the right idea about training, said one of our girls, I just dont think hes
got the right peopleevery thorny topic had been brought out from under the leaf of
453

psychological cover, and we all felt more of a Team for it. So, up to bed, perchance to dream.
Wait...Miss Ping has one last question for an interpreter. Do you think the Chinese will win?
The woman thinks and thinks, and finally says, They will try to.
At 6:45 Monday morning, Team Captain Kaminsky and our other Coach, Bong Mo
Lee, D-Js cousin, knock on doors. We get up, put on our blue track suits (they were just like
Englands), and, with D-J leading the way, we go out before breakfast to exercise and jog. The
Chinese have finished limbering-up in the little wooded park behind the hotel and are casually
jogging around the paths until, a short time later, theyve crossed some imaginary finish line
and have disappeared. To go back to their rooms, Bernie Bukiet thought, and stand by their
windows and silently laugh as he, the oldest competitor in the tournament, went through these
absurd motions that were meant to be exercises. Look! Look! he would chortle over and

U.S. Mens Team limbering up

Photos by Mal Anderson

454

over again. The Chinese are watching from the window. Until Bong Mo, irritated, tongue-tip
sword at the ready, looked at him as if at the head of some very real Jabberwock of his own.
Next morning, Im going to hasten to say, at D-Js insistence, we were to get up half an
hour earlier and, gleefully, if again somewhat self-consciously, hurry up out and so beat the
Chinese at their own game. At which point their training quickly tapered off.
We all joggedincluding Kaminsky, Bong Mo Lee, and meand it was fun.
Afterwards, we all huddled round in a circle and Bong Mo gave us a pep talk and we kept
slapping handsand it had just the right touch of absurdity to make it real and meaningful.
With the help of Sarajevos Fred Kalajdzic, whod been in Canada a few weeks earlier
and had then crossed over to Detroit for our Nationals, and now seemed to prefer our
company to the Canadians, Bob, as Team Captain, arranged to have both a Mens and a
Womens Team Match with the local Bosna Club. I managed to lose the only Mens match of
the eveningto a veteran player-coach. This, apparently, was a portent of things to come, for
I was later to lose in the first round of the Jubilee Cup, an event for aging players and officials
that Id reached the final of in 71. The fellow who beat me, Shivatcev, a former many-time
Champion of Bulgaria, would lose in the final to the unsmiling favorite, Bjorne Mellstrom,
ranked #18 in Sweden, whod earlier beaten the great U.S. star of the 1930s, Sol Schiff,
called Schitt in the Program.
After the matches with Bosna, we were all taken to their Club Headquarters in
downtown Sarajevo. Therewith the little USTTA pins and knives wed stick out at
everybody, even strangers who came in crazy for a souvenirwe were the gift-exchanging
guests of honor at a long, low table party (replete with bottles of wine and open-faced hors
doeuvre sandwiches) given by the President of the Club, Jusut Begovich. There, too, we met
the Director of the All Bosna Sports Program, Mr. Vukalovic Vikasin, a big, hearty, athleticlooking man who wouldnt take a drink.
The good fellowship of these friendly,
hospitable Yugoslavs continued, and we filled up
another pleasant evening a week or so later when
several of us were invited to Mr. Begovics home.
Though he lives in a modern, very attractively
furnished apartmenthe is after all an architectit is
really a very small one for himself, his wife, and two
sons. (Where does he keep his skis? In the shower, of
course.)
There we met Stephan Kljuic, a Sarajevo
reporter, and the author of a book on the
incomparable Surbek (English version: The Will To
Win He [Surbek] reminds one of a toy with lead in
its legs: one tries to force it down but it always regains
its vertical position).
Kljuics book was one of the two bestselling paperbacks at this Worlds. The other, by
Zagrebs Zdenko Uzorinac, is a history of the
World Championships from London, 1926 to
Sarajevo, 1973 (Od Londona 1926 Do Sarajeva
1973). A marvelously laid-out book, it has old
455

photographs (Laszlo Bellak in knickers, Max Marinko 35 years ago at the Great Sphinx ),
reproductions of drawings, postage stamp commemoratives, and caricatures (theres curlyhaired teenager Miles and his spiked-cut companion Marty Reisman). Though the text is in
Serbo-Croatian, it doesnt matter that much because theres something eye-catching on every
page.
Later, back at the Terme, after Id read some in my
room, and it had gotten late enough, I came down into the
dark, deserted lobby (how different it would be in a few
days) and phoned my wife Sally. She was being pleasantly
fortified from the world in 1,000-year-old, walled-up
Dubrovnik on the Adriatic with Mort and Evelyn Zakarin,
Dave Cox, Gail Eisenberg, Vic Landau, and H Blair. They
would later be taking a 6 and 1/2 hour, 120-mile trip by bus
(on 1 and 1/2-lane, mountain-ledge roads, with two-way
traffic) up and down and over and around and outinto a
Sarajevo snowstorm. Tuesday morning, it was still nice
enough to do our jogging, and afterwards the Team rented a
small Volkswagen bus and went, as they had the morning
before (very soon one morning would seem much like any
Ex-Topics Editor H Blair
other), on over to the Skenderija complexa huge sports
hall with an underground shopping center.
We again met with Mr. Jeremic, the General Secretary of the Yugoslav TTF (New
Yorkers thought he looked exactly like George Chotras, husband of former 2-time U.S. Open
Womens Champion Bernice Chotras). Jeremics 11th-hour job was to meet, in a final flurry of
activity, all 60 or so delegations whod come to Sarajevo, and to especially suffer patiently,
cooperatively, the ever-changing count of our official U.S. party.
Later, Mr. Jeremic would endure a series of
conversations with John Read about how much money we
owed for how many people. For a moment I was forced to be
involved in thatto try to help our helpful Assistant Manager
Gus Kennedy. The Kennedy children were so small in that
one room, I said to Jeremic, you really couldnt count them,
could youcouldnt charge little Muffin $17.50 a day, could
you?
No, he said, no, he couldnt, but the hotel
No, no, I interrupted, at the hotel they say its up to
Muffin Kennedy
you.
Yes, alright, he said thenif the hotel agrees.
I wanted to make sure everyone whod personally contacted me before the trip would
be able to get their entrance passes (with the passport-like photos on them) that would get
them all down into the playing areaif necessary as reporters for Topics or some other
magazinelike (would you believe?) Airport News.
Two enthusiasts I discretely helped were Don Larson and Rich Sinykin from
Minneapolis. Theyd made an intrepid and difficult London-Zagreb-Sarajevo trip, and their
inconveniences and even hardships found them staying, inexpensively, with a Yugoslav family
that could give them only a closet-like room. Yet, aside from the fact that Don was sick with a
456

fever for a couple of days, during which he

was well cared for by that family, their
situation was really not that bad
primarily because their phoney Press
Room status gave them access to
everything a visitor interested in the
matches could want, including the
opportunity to take hundreds of close-up
photos of the worlds best players. They
would enjoy writing, not of course for any
paper but once-in-a-lifetime letters home,
which later Id publish in Topics (MayJune, 1973, 44-45) and get some flak for
it, because, as Rich innocently but
memorably said of the Sarajevo he saw: I
Rich Sinykin (L) and Don Larson:
two truthful Topics correspondents
thought it was the dirtiest city I have ever
seen. The streets were dirty, the air was
dirty, the food was dirty, and the people were dirty. Not only was everything dirty but
everything and everybody and everything was slow and very disorganized and nobody spoke
English [except, fortunately, where Don and Rich came to spend their days, at the playing
hall]. All in all, though, I think they did have a good time.
Since I as President of the Association had an Official pass, and as Editor of Topics a
Press pass, both of which would give me access to the playing floor, I was always
responsibly looking to help out some friend or acquaintance get past the at first not too
scrutinizing eye of the plainclothesmen at every door, or the guards with their sub-machine
guns who were posted, their backs sometimes to you like in some prime-time TV thriller, to
prevent, with the coming of the Israeli Team, another Munich.
Once, after Id had my fill of red-tape interceding for people, and Jeremic and his crew
had doubtless had their fill of me, I spotted George Buben, who with his wife Madeline was
seated away from the floor in the stands above, and persuaded him to sneak awaylike the
most amateur of Bosnian conspiratorsfor a furtive little meeting by the outside entrance to
the underground. But then, when I attempted to give him my yellow Press card with my photo
on it, so he could enter the back door reserved for newspapermen of the world (Just put your
thumb over the beard, George, and walk right in), he said nervously he appreciated my
efforts, but that it really wasnt so bad up in the stands, and thanks anyway. (After all, it wasnt
just like giving a friend a button at one of those tournaments in Cobo Hall back in Georges
Detroit, was it?) So, o.k., I thought Id done what I fatherly could for someone who should
have received a pass but for some reason didnt. And I went back into the hall, with a nod and
a wave of my hand, for by now I was a recognized figure to the plainclothesman there who
never smiled.
Californian Fred Herbst (TTT, May-June, 1973, 42) differed from the young
Minnesotans roughing it in his impression of the city, the country. He thought the Yugoslavs
were friendly, courteous, kind; obedient, cheerful, thrifty; brave, clean, and irreverent. He
observed that the average comrade has some gold teeth, adequate and presentable clothing,
and his passionate ambition is to own a small auto. He eats well from an abundance of good
quality eggs, veal, chicken, lamb, nuts, fruits, vegetables, and chocolate. He likes girls and
457

vice-versa. Not too much vice and no pornography. Fred also points out that this comrades
newspapers and radio are propaganda-prone. No objective reporting. Everything is
editorialized and slanted to the party line. But [there is] no harried, oppressive look on his
face....
Well, everyone to his own opinion I always say.
Wednesday morning it rained and snowed, but Kaminsky had arranged for our men to
practice with the Soviet Team (practice goodwill too), and Howard for our girls to practice
with the Chinese. These practice matches were played, as Bob later wrote, at the same time
and in front of everybody, and this disregard of political ideologies did his heart good.
Later that day, Sally and the others managed to get through from Dubrovnik. Rufford
Harrison had arrived a few days earlier after a long Stanboul train ride (Ostend, Cologne,
Vienna, Belgrade, or so it went on the only trip Ive ever taken on itin Graham Greenes
novel). With him were his mother and his kids, McRae and Bryce. Dick and Mary, too, had
gotten inMiles getting used to his new Crown Sports jacket while driving his small, rented
European car up from Athens or Paris or someplace.
Dell Sweeris, who had the official title of U.S. Analyst, and who would win the World
Press Championship here over Errol Resek, flew in on Swiss Air. Oh, yes, the Reseks, veterans
of the 71 China trip, were hereErrol and Jairie. Theyd come from Czechoslovakia, where
Jairie, carefully following the map that had been given her, had found the little town where her
mother was born. However, since Errol, when he wasnt on any pressing assignment for the
Trinidad Times, was here to coach (New York Citys Broadway and 73rd St.) Trinidad-Tobago
Team of Rory Brassington and Dave Philip, he and the others had been assigned a different
hotel. Also arriving were a San Francisco group, headed by former Yugoslav great Allan
Herskovich. Enjoying a 26-day Table Tennis Tour of Europe, they took 8-hours to get in by
train from Zagreb. (See Mike Greenes The Chance of a Lifetime in TTT, July-August, 1973,
16-17.)
To get dreamily through the day requires practice. To get through the night
especially, for Danny and Angelita and Sue, this particular night before the start of their first
World Championshipseven more practice. Would they could have sweet dreams.

458

Chapter Thirty-Five
1973: Sarajevo: U.S. Mens and Womens Team
Matches.
Thursday morning, Apr. 5, the Iron Curtain did not
precisely at 9:00, as scheduled, roll clangingly up on the
Performancethough there were noisy school kids waiting to
get in. But be patientIve special access, Ill describe for you
on entering what these kids cantand in a short time youll be
in there with the U.S. Team.
In the main playing arena there were 16 squared-off
courts, barriered all around, but with very distracting ads on
the inside (TV is supposed to make the Sport popular, you
know). The white lettering made it probable that some players,
particularly defensive players, would lose sight of the ballthe
Schildkrot ball, selected after a marathon debate. Moreover, the two side rooms for practice
were not well lit. Of the main arena, one of our players would say, The floors too light and
the balls too dark. Turns out the organizers were using new Sport-Surbek tables (with
another distractionthe name Surbek written on the back edges) and the ball kept picking
up paintso much so that at the end of even one game it looked to me to be unplayable.
Maybe they should make an ITTF rule to change balls after every game?
Dont worry, said another player. In three days, the play will be entirely different.
The paint will dry and the ball wont be so dark. (And by Sunday how many ties will our U.S.
Teams have played?)
How in a socialist country, says another in our party, do they have this advertising
all around? PRIVEDNA BANKA SARAJEVO...MARZINI ITALY ROAD
EQUIPMENT...MAGLIC FOCA LAMINATE...read some of the different colored signs over
the tiered stands above. In each court, in addition to the players, there would be stationed at
least three umpires, all dressed in rather uniform brown jacket and trousers, and always with a
shirt and tie. Some would have little interest in the matches, others would watch carefully,
ready to exert the authority theyd been vested with.
At least one of these men had to be seated behind something big as an illusionists
trunk in order to hand-manipulate the apparatus that showed the continuing game score and
state of the match. To either side of this man, maybe facing, maybe not, the umpire opposite,
who himself was flanked by two small towel trees, was an electric scorer (there were two of
them) that looked incongruously like a gasoline pump. UNIS it always rent-a-car said on
topas if to constantly remind those in the stands, watching from a distance this or that lit-up
score, that they didnt have to sit in this hall every day like these machines, but, like Fred and
Helen Herbst, could rent a little car, and take the picturesque ride along the Adriatic to
picturesque Dubrovnik.
On opposite sides of each court, just outside the barrier, were chairs for the players,
coaches, and officials of each teamor at least for a select half-dozen of them. On the side
nearest the upstairs stands (downstairs seating was limited to a dozen or so rows on each side
running the length of the gym)that is, just behind the Team chairs by one of the courtsat a
small table with a telephone that maybe given enough time could have learned to speak
459

English, sat an official scorer who enjoyed being something of a supervisor. As we later found
out, he was the liaison man to try to talk sense to when we had one or two or more complaints
to make to the Tournament Referee.
To one side of the playing area, behind doors that were not always so securely
watched, one downstairs guard could be bribed with those same USTTA pins and knives the
people in the Bosna Club had so wanted. Just reach your hand in your pocket and come up
with something or other to point at him, and with an appropriate show of protest hed let you
out and back in. Otherwise, if you wanted to go underground to the restaurant, or to the bank
(for dinars of course, not for any U.S. dollars, since they certainly didnt want to give you
those), or to the supermarket, or one of the shops, or to go (only once, please) as a
representative of your delegation to pick up your, or your Teams, free Mark V racket from
the Stiga people (Hows table tennis in the States? said a fellow in the booth and looked
right through me), you had to go the long way around.
Parallel to this preferred exit door was one leading into the Press area. Here each
presumably bona fide newspaperman had his P.O. box into which were put, by tournaments
end, the half-thousand or so sheets that were supposed to keep you up to date on the matches
and on what cocktail parties or excursion trips were where, and what the weather was like if
ever you planned to be away from the hall, and so onwhat players were getting hurt or sick,
the death of Picasso, whatever might be of special interest to you.
Except that these sheets would always be stolen out of your box and sometimes you
couldnt even get there in time to find them in anyone elses box. It was a very competitive
environment.
All these hundreds of presumably bona fide reporters were each given a plastic
souvenir portfolio for all their valuable papers, which, zippered open or shut, had that awful,
long-lingering, new-made smell to it. They were also given an envelope of chits to be used for
free food and drink, so that sometimes on your way into the gym where some good match was
about to start, as you walked through the Press area, you could see people settling down to a
card table so that they could comfortably eat and drink while they watched TV.

Yugoslavias Mirjana Resler

From 1972 Europe Top 12 Program

U.S. Womens Corbillon Cup Play

Id mentioned in my previous Chapter that our
U.S. Womens Team had had practice matches with the
local Bosna Club women and with the Chinese. Team
Captain Kaminsky, our USTTA International Chair, had
also arranged practice matches with the Yugoslav
National Team, and these were likely the most meaningful
of our warm-ups. Martinez, at least, played an
outstanding match against blonde, attractive Mirjana
Reslerbut whether this increased Pattys confidence or
not was debatable. In the 1st game, she came from behind
to catch Resler at 19-all, and this apparently so disgusted
the Yugoslav National Champion that she practically gave
away the game-ending point. Then in the 2nd, Patty
was up 15-5, 19-11, and 20-15 before losing that
game, andher concentration gone, her spirit

brokeneventually the match.

460

Preparatory to our afternoon Corbillon Cup opener, Bobs assessment was that the
girls were too tight, and played too fastrushed the ball. He wasnt sure whether Judy or
Angie would be our #2.
In our first tie, against the weak Hong Kong team, Bob went with Patty and Angie in
the singles, and Patty and Judy in the doublesand, no problem, we didnt lose a game.

U.S. Team beginning to move in the Worlds parade

Photo by Mal Anderson

That evening, after making hurried last-minute bus connections to the Hotel Terme and
back, we appeared, undefeated, proud, in our new Abraham & Straus parade outfitsthe girls
in white shoes, flared orange slacks, a polka-dot orange blouse, and a white blazer; the men in
mod, high-heeled shoes, black slacks, a red and white pyramid-dotted shirt with wide white tie,
and a maroon sport coat with a hastily-sewn
USTTA badge at the heart of it.
One German woman said it was the
best appearance a U.S. Team had made in
years. Everybody, in fact, thought we
looked terrificthat is, if you saw our
Team as being gender-divided. But getting
matching outfits back in the States had
proved, as time was running short,
absolutely impossible.
Along with the other delegations,
we watched some traditional Yugoslav folk
Yugoslav folk dancers
dances, then walked (rather than marched)
Photo by Mal Anderson
461

casually around the floor, each of us carrying a red flower and some of us waving from time to
time friendly-like. I led off, and Bob, who wore a Team Leader badge to go with all the
medalsor rather different-Association pinshe, like young Bryce Harrison, had been
accumulating, was right behind me, the two of us self-consciously leading the way in anything
but a parade step.
The Chinese, I might point out, didnt come swinging martially into the hall as they did
two years ago, didnt even line up according to officials-first protocol, as did most of the
countries, but walked by having carefully mixed their men and women according to height.
Afterwards, our women have to play Bulgariathe toughest team in our round robin.
We split the first two singles matchesPatty beats Albertina Rangelova, 2-0, but Angie loses,
2-0, to Emilia Neikova. In the doubles match thats crucial, Patty and Judy eke out the 1st at
deuce, drop the 2nd, and then are at 19-all in the 3rd before succumbing.
With the U.S. down 2-1, Coach Howard objects vehemently to the extended wait
between the doubles and the Martinez-Neikova match that is to follow. He says its obvious
that the Bulgarian girl, who is about to play her 3rd match in a row, is tired, and he complains
to the Yugoslav officials. She cant take a 5-minute rest, he practically screams. But by the
time the officials understand what hes talking about and nod their agreement, Neikova is
ready to play.
I personally thought all this a bit petty, but to Jack this deliberate stall was just one
more trick that all these teams knew how to use, and, look, if we didnt want to be taken
advantage of, wed better start speaking up. Further, Jack was a bit suspicious of the umpires,
thought that consciously or unconsciously they might be pro-Bulgaria and against us. Actually,
all 160 umpires were Yugoslavs, with the exception of 4 from the Netherlands. They
supposedly had this directive to enforce: players [before serving] are not allowed to play
with the ball on the racket, or hit the ball to the floor.
By now its almost midnight and well soon be the only tie in the hall. Just then a
Yugoslav official is looking for a Mr. Howard. Jack doesnt like being interrupted at this
crucial stage, but comes over and asks what the man wants. He wants to return Jacks
walletcredit cards and all, which somebody has found somewhere. For one wild moment
Jack thinks it must have been taken from his bagbut, no, then it wouldnt have been
returned. It must have fallen out when he was preoccupied (he was often preoccupied). He
says, Thanks, and gives the fellow a Youre a right guy look. The man nods, bows, and
walks hurriedly away, as if this is just one more routine duty hes had to perform.
Patty, perhaps upset by the doubles defeat (though shes never one to look hopelessly
frustrated), loses the 1st game to Neikova and is down 11-4 in the 2nd. Then, still encouraged
by all of us, she begins beading together a lovely necklace of points, moves all the way to 1514 up, has in mind to present this welcomed gift to herself and the Team...when abruptly she
loses a string and watches the points roll away. Down 18-15, she winsno, she doesnt, she
loses a paddle point. And the match is soon over. Bulgaria 3-USA 1.
Next up: two youthful New Zealand teachers. Patty, once she won that 1st game at
deuce, gathered in her two matches as expectedand that should have been it. But then she
and Judy got mixed up and dropped the ball in the doubles. Hildebrandt, meanwhile, had lost a
19 in the 3rd match to 21-year-old lefthander Yvonne Fogarty, daughter of the 1948 New
Zealand Mens Champ, W.J. Bill Fogarty. Yvonne, a multi-time U-18/U-16 National Girls
Champ, was only 15 when she played for New Zealand in the 1967 Stockholm Worlds. In
1969 she won the National Womens title. The tie-winning match, however, went to Sue
462

New Zealands Yvonne Fogerty (L)

and Anne Stonestreet
From the English Table Tennis News, Apr., 1973, 3

over the 20-year-old 1971/1972 New Zealand

Champion, Anne Stonestreet, who favored a
well-angled forehand kill shot. Much to Sues
credit she wasnt discouraged at that nasty loss
to Fogarty and, given the psychic high of a 19
1st-game win, figured she could do the same
thing againand ecstatically did.
Against Canada, Martinez again won
twoexacted sweet revenge on Violetta
Nesukaitis, whom shed just lost to in our U.S.
Open. But again, even after winning the 1st at 19,
she and Bochenski couldnt win the doubles. Nor
could Judy pick up the needed 3rd-game
deciderlosing the 2-2 tie-breaker to Mariann
Domonkos, deuce in the 3rd. No need to hurry
sending that result over the airwaves home.

Canadas Mariann Domonkos on her way to beating Judy Bochenski

Mariann Domonkos
Photo by Mal Anderson

Photo by Mal Anderson

Our 5th tie is with Malaysiaand

only one of us will advance to the final
round robin. With a swing of possibly 8
ranking positions in the offing, Patty,
whose serve seems easy to hit but isnt,
once more wins two, and this time she
and Judy take the doubles.
Against Poland, after dropping
the first two singles, were down 2-1, and
in the 4th match Pattys lost the 1st. But
Not too happy about Judys progress - U.S. supporters, L-R: she keeps the rally alive, pressureMartinez, Hildebrandt, Coach Howard, Rosal and Kaminsky. preserving the Teams chances with a
In back, Zakarin
deuce in the 3rd win over Danuta
Calinska. Alas, though, Angie cant cap our comeback with the clincher.
463

Our last tie we practically concede to India, for Patty

sits out. Rosal then has her best showingwinning the
doubles easily with Judy and extending Indias National
Champion Indu Puri, 20, 18.
So we finish with 3 wins and 4 losses, having won 14
matches and lost 15. That puts us in 18th place, slightly
better than the 21st place we came into this Worlds with.
Canada, meanwhile (Violetta and Flora Nesukaitis,
Mariann Domonkos, Shirley Gero, and Ken Kerr as
Captain), likewise improved a littlewent from 22nd to 20th.
U.S. Mens Swaythling Cup Play

As with the Indian National Champion Indu

Puri extended by our Angie
women, the most
From Centre Table, Jan-Feb, 1973
meaningful warmup for the men was the practice tie Captain
Kaminsky had arranged with the Yugoslav #II
teamtwo of whom, Milorad Zivanovic and Bela
Mesaros, Danny Seemiller would play for real later
in the Mens and Mens Consolation and,
unfortunately, as he did in these get acquainted
matches, would lose to. However, in this practice,
Danny (as well as Peter and Fuarnado) did down the
European Junior Champion, Miran Savnik, and also
Balkan Games winner Zlatko Cordas, who with
Zdenko Uzorinac would be touring the U.S. this
summer. The 5th win in our 11-5 loss was D-Js
Zlatko Cordas
over the chopper Mesaros. Kaminsky felt that our
From 1973 European Cup Vjesnik-Spartacus
men werent physically fit (why not?) but that had
Match Program
they been we might have beaten these Yugoslavs.
Whats that? Our first opponent is...Malaysia?
Id originally figured that Malaysia was the strongest team in our Third Division
bracket. Now, though, we were suddenly playing them in the Second Division. Yes, the
Second Division because thats where our 28th-ranked team had been elevated to (along with
Malaysia but not the strong Australian team) when North Korea, not wanting to play in the
same bracket with South Korea, turned around and flew home, and when several other teams
ahead of us in the ranking (like Egypt who I heard couldnt get funded) didnt show.
The Second Division teams, like the First, were divided into two round robin sections
(A and B) of 7 teams each. The winner and runner-up of each section would go into a final 4team round robinbut each team would then play only two ties, not three, because it would
carry over its score against the team it had played in the initial round robin. The winner and
runner-up of each final round robin would at the 1975 World Championships in New Delhi be
advanced a Division (while those finishing in a last and next to last position here would be
relegated back a Division). This format meant that, if we somehow won 7 or (why not
intensify the dream?) all 8 of our ties, then at the 1975 Worlds we would be playing such top
world-class teams as China and Sweden.
464

Ah, Pandora opened her box and Hope bubbles, springs underground in each of our
own sulphurous spas. Against Malaysia, Pradit, whose shoulder had been bothering him, is
first offand so (bubble, bubble, toil and trouble) we begin. It would be Peters pattern to be
4-1 down in the 1st game almost every match. He cant win this one when from 17-16 the
Malaysian, Peong Tak Seng, runs it out. In the 2nd, Peters up 20-17, loses two straight, then
surprises Peong with a very fast serve down the forehand line. It looks like an ace. But Peong
returns it and Peter, not expecting the ball back, is too surprised to follow up. Later at 22-21,
with still another chance, he misses a hanger....Malaysia 1, USA 0 reads a line on the giant
scoreboard above.
But Danny evens things upbeats Loong Peng Sun easily. The Malaysian doesnt
seem to have the slightest idea what to do with Dannys anti-spin push and block.
D-J gets off to a bad start opposite Soong Pah Wah, but rallies to win in 3. When
Danny, with all that stay-at-the-table control, destroys Peong, the U.S. pulls ahead 3-1.
Pradit comes back, loses in straight games to Soong. Peters Thai friend, Charlie
Wuvanich, whos emigrated to Australia to become their Champion, remembers how well
Peter played when he was 15. All he does is push now, says Charlie.
Peter heads for the practice room. Hes scheduled to play the 9th match. All he does is
push? Have I been looking at the
same U.S. player that Wuvanich
has been looking at? Mgod, what
were they likeWuvanich,
Pradit, and Rey Domingowhen
they all played in that 1968
SEAPATT tournament? How
young they look.

Thailands Chayanond Charlie Wuvanich and

Peter Pradit Pivitsiripakde

The Philippines Rey Domingo

Charlie now begins to talk about how, after the last Worlds, an Australian Team of 4
men and 3 women went to Japan for two months and how, provided with hospitality, those
same or other Australians toured Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and Hungary looking to
improve their play. After your Team is decided , says Wuvanich, it should immediately be
sent abroad for training.
465

As the tie continues, Lee gets by Loong, so scores our 4th win. We need only one
more.
But Danny, despite winning the 2nd at deuce to stay alive, cant finish Soong. What
does Soong do vs. Danny that the other Malaysians dont? The 22-year-old righty penholder,
whod represented Malaysia in the Asian Games 7 years ago, had been described in 1968 at
the South East Asia Pacific Area (SEAPATT) tournament as an attacking player with many
varieties of strokes, and as the hardest hitter in Malaysia. Someone complains that Bong
Mo isnt taking any notes. Certainly I cant tell what Soongs doing. Can Sweeris, our analyst?
Where is Sweeris?
In the 8th match its beginning to look very bad for us. Lee takes the 1st, but then loses
the 2nd, 24-22. That would have given us the win. Now hes down 19-17 in the 3rd. Bong Mo
calmly continues giving his most coachable pupil advicewith a nod of the head, a word, a
hand signaland I keep yelling Fight, D-J! Fight! Lee had survived one rough match after
another to score an unprecedented 6th straight U.S. Open victory. Now he finds a way to win
againcomes up with 1-2-3-4 straight. USA 5-Malaysia 3. These are supposedly the bottom
two teams in the Second Division? What must the others be like?
As the tournament continues, Kaminsky, whos taken to wearing a fez and promoting
himself with ever more pins, is repeatedly involved in a controversy over the fact that our
players arent wearing their numbers. And why arent they? Because when Team Manager
Read detoured to London to pick up USA uniforms, he had London t.t. aficionado Ron
Craydon put the names of our players in large letters on the backs of the shirts. Finally
Kaminsky connects with an authority figureand this member of the World Championship
Technical Committee says he will go up into the stands to see if LEE or SEEMILLER or
ROBERTS are visible. But even he, a Yugoslav, whos been seen busily working at the arena
day after day, who has the best of credentials, even the friendship, it might be, of the Mayor of
Sarajevo, can only get so far with the guardwildly profane him or not. The guard has his
orders, and a gun to back them up. Perhaps he thinks, or rather doesnt think, that this man
might really be a sniper in disguise looking for just the right vantage point in the now near
empty stadium to shoot...maybe even Surbek.
But, o.k., Kaminsky has made his point, and after its again all explained to a new set
of umpires, we are ready to zip past Nigeria.
Against Lassey Wilson, a veteran player whos come out of semi-retirement, Seemiller
ho-hum wins the 1st, 21-6. How is it possible then that a little later hes down 20-17 match
point? Or that, after he deuces it up, hes again down match pointand serves off?
Now Roberts comes in to play Babatunde Onisanya who, in the Singles competition, is
to take a game from Hsi En-ting, Chinas 1971 Mens semifinalist. Robbie plays pretty well,
but loses in 3.
This is not a good start for us. Fortunately, Lee continues his unbeaten streak and
disposes of Lekan Fenuyi, 2-0.
But again Danny loses a killer (24-22) game, and Obisanyas win powers Nigeria to a
3-1 lead.
If play proceeds normally, Lee should prevail over Wilson. But suddenly Lassey, whos
a fairly hefty guy, is rounding the table toward D-J. Hes angrily demanding an apology.
Apparently, Lee or Kaminsky had been after him for repeatedly bouncing the ball prior to
466

serving (technically, this is against the rules, but I saw many of the best players do it
Orlowski vs. Hsi En-ting, for example). Wilson had responded with an Oh come off it! And
D-J had said something like, Look, you just keep your mouth shut! Which remark Wilson,
who I thought at all times was very much a gentleman at the table, did not take kindly to.
Anyway, the umpires quickly intervened, there was no further interruption, Lee won as
expected, and the players shook hands.
In the next match, Robbie is up 1-0 and 16-12 in the 2nd when the lights in the hall go
out. When he can see, Robbie, having upped the score to 20-18, serves off. But he quickly
composes himself to win the final point. USA 3-Nigeria 3.
After which, the lights repeatedly go out again, prompting Vic Landau to say, Maybe
our table tennis is nowhere as good as Yugoslavias, but we sure lock them up with our
electrical systems. Despite the disruptions Lee and Seemiller win their next matches easily,
and were not in the dark as to the standings. Only the U.S., Poland, and Bulgaria remain
undefeated.
Now, while Poland and Bulgaria battle away, we mix it up with Hong Kong.
Seemiller opens with a three-game win over Tang Hung Bor. But Pradit, whom weve
finally decided to play rather than Roberts, is stopped at 19 both games by Ma Lung Sang.
The 2nd particularly hurts, for Peter had rallied from 19-15 down before looping that last ball
into the net. USA 1-Hong Kong 1.
D-J, you were thinking, was invincible? Well, he isntaverages only 16 points a game
in losing to Ma Cheung Kwai. And Danny, down 1-0 and 20-18 to Ma Cheungs brother, Ma
Lung Sang, proceeds to serve the match away.
D-J vs. #157thats all my notes say about the next one. Pretty pathetic, huh? I
really must have been down. And D-J too. He got 20 points from Tang: 13 and 7not even
enough to win one game. Weve lost a discouraging four matches in a row. Werent we any
better than we were two years ago?
Peter, though he hasnt won a match, ought to be warmed up by now. Ironically,
though Robbie wanted to play this Hong Kong tie, and thought he was going to, hed insisted
earlier that Peter practice with him. He didnt want him not feeling part of the Team. And
bravo!Peters blocking well on his forehand, angling, hitting, droppingin short he takes
apart Ma Cheung.
D-J is not having a good day. After splitting the first two games, hes down 20-15 in
the 3rd. Hes gone, says somebody next to me. Angrily, I tell him to Shut up!
From the beginning, as USTTA President Ive wanted the U.S. to be recognized
abroadthat is, where real table tennis is played. Ive felt an involvement that is indispensable
to me, to my identity. If I couldnt represent the Team on court, I wanted to be a felt force offcourt. Much as I feel I am with my sonsone of those god-awful Little League fathers, if you
like, a kind of demonic rooter who psychically, mystically, could bring a wave of strength to
whoever his attention was madly turned to.
Crazy, was I? Cmon, D-J! I keep yelling. You can do it!...You can do it!...Fight, DJ!...Fight! And, ohhhh, fight, he does....And amazingly its deuce! And now Ma Lungs serve
is too high and D-J, all charged up, smacks it in! Beautiful! No stopping him now. Butwhat
in the Worlds is going through his head? He serves, then retreats back to soft lob, or try to
and doesnt get the ball anywhere near the table. Deuce.
467

Now a
vicious serve and
follow by Ma. But
were luckyMa
misses the near
hanger that would
win Hong Kong
the tie. Fight, DJ! Fight! The
Americans are
screaming with
hope again. Back
and forth rages the
attack. Finally Ma
missesand D-J
escapes, 27-25 in
the 3rd.
Miraculously,
were still alive!
Just as in the
Malaysia tie, Lee
D-J Lee being congratulated on a miraculous comeback by (front to back)
has come through
Bong-Mo Lee, Peter Pradit, Danny Seemiller and John Read
for us. That
training in Florida.
The gutsy match in the Nationals in which he was down 2-1 to Joon Gil Park. His selfdiscipline since hes been with the Team. Hes worked hard for his success. And you can
measure his past by what hes done in the last six weeks.
Now, CMON, Danny! He groans, we moan, when, up 7-6 against Ma Cheung, he
serves not one off but two in a row! He groans, we moan, when, up 12-8, he cant do any
better than 13-all...But hes got him, no contest, hes got him!
And now Peter just CANT lose to Tang. No matter hes ad down in the 1st, no matter
its 18-all the 2nd. Hes got too much humanityhe cant let all of us down. No matter he lost
those beginning matcheshe won the one that stopped our four-match slide. And hell win
this one too, Im sure he will. And he does. USA 5-Hong Kong 4.
To continue our undefeated streak, Kaminsky has to decide who to play against
Canada. Robbie was always ready to playhe thought Kaminsky had made a mistake in not
taking advantage of his defensive style against Hong Kong. Now, however, Bob reasoned, and
the others he consulted agreed, that there was no advantage playing Robbie against either
defender Derek Wall or attacker Errol Caetano, and that it would probably be better to play
him against Poland or Bulgaria. As for Bukiet, could he be a serious possibility? Somebody
had been kidding 54-year-old Bernie once too often about how long hes been playing so well.
Goddammit, he says, I should die because Im old?
As the wintry day wore on, our Team Leader got to leaning over his medals and,
relying on his Russian heritage, began to think....About Field Marshall Kutuzov and
Napoleonand one of those 1812 Council Meetings at Borodino or someplace. Ought we (1)
to attack with our full force or (2) retreat completely from Moscow or (3) fight a short battle
468

and then strategically retreat? Having promoted himself (as something of a linguist, he was
connecting with the Worlds European commandersofficials/coaches), Kutuz...Kaminsky, as
was his bent, continued to puzzle over what to expect from the opposition and how he should
respond. Should he do the expected, or the unexpected thing? (Taking into consideration, too,
that the Canadians would not be fielding a Frenchman, or even a French-speaking Canadian?)
Who, finally, with all this deliberation, would our Captain play? Robbie and Bernie could
hardly wait to find out.
There on court for our 4th wina fine campaignwere Lee, Seemiller, and Pradit.
But we were out there only for a short 5-1 while. After Seemiller lost to Caetano, he took out
his frustration on young Paul Klevinas. Pauls father, at odds with officialdom, had taken his
son out of the Under 17 final at our U.S. Open, but had let him come to Sarajevoto have
more new experiences, no doubt. So on fire was Danny thaten gardehe had poor Paul 170 one game and stuck it to him 21-1. Pauls teammates were Errol Caetano, Derek Wall, Larry
Lee, and Peter Gonda. This team, with Adham Sharara as Captain, finished 24th.
At this point, we had two more ties to win to give us a chance to qualify for the First
Division, but Mort Zakarin and I again had to leave the arena for a while and take up our ITTF
duties.
There had appeared in Sarajevo a group who wanted to start a World Professional
TTA that would work hand in glove with the ITTF and its member-associations. Although
I was sure this group wouldnt get any cooperation from the ITTF, I liked their play-forpay concept, for I thought that the IOC pro/amateur distinction that the ITTF was going
along withthe winner of an Open tournament could not receive more than the
equivalent of 1250 Swiss francs (or about $330)was ridiculous. What I said to ITTF
President Roy Evans and the Congress Ill put less formally this way. In the U.S., if not
elsewhere, Money talks (so much so that others cant get a word in edgewise). We need to
buy Press space, to build up hero figures, to make the Sport glamorous, to make it
known to audiences in every state, if ever the Sport is to grow in free, competitive,
commercial America.
Of course the ITTF rebuttal was this: So many Associations were being funded by
Olympic Committees that if each were to try to make his Association something less than an
amateur one, particularly as the ITTF was still always looking into the possibility of joining the
IOC, it would be a very dangerous thing indeed. Did other ITTF member-countries want to
support the U.S. position? In a roll call vote, only 10-15% of them were willing to change or
modify the existing ruleamong them, Sweden, England, and South Korea.
Mr. Kim, the South Korean delegate, was quite put out that the Council had
recommended to annul recognition of the Table Tennis Federation of Asia as a continental
body in favor of the China-supported newly-formed Asian Table Tennis Union, which had the
constitutional veto clause that new applications for membership had to be approved
unanimously by those already in the Union. Mr. Kim realized how highly we thought of our
Seoul brothers, Dal Joon Lee and Bong Mo Lee, and urged us to confirm this brotherhood.
Which Mort and I did with our dissenting (but rather meaningless) votes.
Kaminsky, risking Robbies view that his Team Leader was repeatedly being
prejudicial, continued to play Lee, Seemiller, and Pradit. And continued to win with them.
Against Poland, Lee and Seemiller won two, and Pradit one for a 5-2 combined Team effort.
D-J split his only two close gameslost 25-23, won 21-19, while Danny held 20, 19 strong
against gimpy-legged Stanislaw Fraczyk.
469

D-J beats Bulgarias Kitov, 21,20, with great encouragement from his supporters
Photos by Mal Anderson

Bulgaria we beat 5-3with Lee and Seemiller again winning two, and Pradit one. We
could easily have lost this tie though, for in big swing matches Lee beat Bojidar Gentchev 19, 20, 16 and Stefan Kitov 21, 20; and Seemiller downed Gentchev 19, -22, 7 and, in a
marvelously climactic 8th match, Kitov, deuce in the 3rd.
Surprisingly, Malaysia, whod initially joined us in being elevated from the Third to the
Second Division, finished second to our first in this grueling 7-team round robin, and so
advanced with us to meet Denmark and Rumania in ties that would decide the winner and
runner-up teams that in 75 in New Delhiit seemed Taj Mahal/magic-carpet wonderful
would rise to meet the stars.
Since our win over Malaysia would carry over in this 4-team match-up, we think, So
many close ties weve had and have won them all. Can we win just one more? Mort and I
decide we must be prepared, must plan a nice party for the Team and its well-wishers.
Ready? Here we go.
Against Denmark, Seemiller, whos beginning to look a little nervous to meor maybe
its the other way roundloses the first match to Danish Champion Niels Ramberg when he
cant quite deuce the 2nd game.
Then Lee, down 1-0, but up 20-16 in the 2nd on Bjarne Grimstrup, drops 4 in a
row...FIGHT, D-J! FIGHT! And he doesagain. And wins it. At 5-all in the 3rd, Grimstrup
serves off and, shaken, immediately serves off again....At 20-all, he doesnt serve off, but, boy,
how he must wish he had those two misserves back. FIGHT, D-J!... WAY TO GO, D-J!
Amazing. How many close matches hes won, weve won.
Now its Pradit vs. the bearded Claus Pedersen who, in the recent Norwich Union
Open, beat both of Englands stars, Denis Neale and Trevor Taylor. Ohh, Peter starts so badly.
How can he win when he spots these good players 3 or 4 points a game. No, yes, no, it
470

doesnt look good for us. In the 3rd, Peters down 15-7. Then 19-12. Cmon, Peter. Fight!
20-15. Cmon, Peter! You can do it, Peter! You can do it! 20-17. YOU CAN DO IT,
PETER! 20-19. CMON, PETER, DO IT! YOU CAN DO IT! Deuce! Its a miracle,
someone somewhere around me says. YOU CAN DO IT, PETER!
Pradits ad and serve. And then theres that same fast serve down the forehand line he
used back against Malaysia it seems a long time ago. From my position directly behind the
table, Im about to leap with joy. I dont see how the Dane can even get his racket on the ball.
Its a sure ace, a sure winner, a sure game, a sure match, and maybe the one that wins the tie.
Butanother miraclePedersen somehow reaches way around down and brings it back.
Highbut Pradit cant believe it either. He just barely keeps the ball in play hes so surprised,
and Pedersen is back in the point, the game, the match. And, sadly, what is there to say after all
the heart Peter showed? He loses the next three points.
But youve got to keep tryingkeep hoping. D-Js back again. Looks to have things
well in hand against Ramberg, is up 20-15. But then he loses 5 in a row. FIGHT, D-J!
FIGHT! He does. He wins. But in the 2nd, after hes up 20-18 match point, some nets go
wrong for him, and he loses this game 23-21. So many Lees herethe best from their
countriesso how can he keep winning all the close ones? But, bravo, in the 3rd, hes ahead
16-10. Then loses 6 in a row. FIGHT, D-J! FIGHT! 18-all. FIGHT! FIGHT, D-J! Hes 2019 up. I havent any idea what Bong Mo is telling him or signaling him to do. But I know D-J
always looks at him, wants his help. So hes got to have played some important part in all DJs dead-even wins. ONE MORE, D-JFIGHT! He does. He wins. Incredible. USA 2Denmark 2.
Faced with Pedersen, Seemillers the underdog. Maybe that relieves some of the
pressure on Danny. But though he takes the 1st at 16, hes soon passively blocking shots he
ought to try to attack and, in losing, cant average more than 10 points a game.
Now Pradit plays Grimstrup. This is another fantastic match. TV people are poking
their cameras all over the place. I tell them to get the hell out. I am a little wild. Peter is way
down in the 3rd. But I know he has heart, has soul. Come on, Peter! Do it! I want to say,
Come on, Peter, you can do it! You can do it! But thats what Id yelled last time all the way
up and he lost. So now I think crazily that what I keep hypnotically shouting must be about the
same as last time but a little differentIm instinctively looking for a chant, an om, a mantra,
something magical. Yet not distracting.
I fall back on CMON, PETER! DO IT! DO IT, PETER! I dont know how far he
was down. I could no more take a note than read. But it must have been something like 17-8.
And I cheered all the way and worked myself into such a state that I really thought there was
something mystical, something for a moment of the faraway ideal in this corrupt world of
Does anything matter? When he won I had tears in my eyeslike I was out of that dark night
of the soul and shining someplace with Peter.
Its D-Js turn again. Were 3-3. Could have been 4-2. But the tie could have been over
too. D-J must be getting very tired. Well, its just an astonishing tie. Incredible. The most
incredible Ive ever personally been connected with, for D-J is again at deuce in the 3rd. Only,
finally, the Balance of Nature catches up with him, with us. This close oneagain after an allout efforthe doesnt win.
And Pradit cant come back from the dead again.
One chance gone. But weve still got anotheragainst Rumania who, after beating
Denmark, lost to Malaysia....
471

Same time, same Sport-Surbek table, but a different dayafter a black night of hope
for us all. I feel badly Robbies not getting a chance to playbut I myself am not committed to
the fact that we must play him. In fact, now Im afraid he might be too cold. And, besides,
who would we take out? Pradit and Lee cant give any more than theyve been giving. And
Danny is young and strong and aggressive at the tableand anyone coming up against him,
his eccentric window-wiper grip, for the first time is apt to find playing him disconcerting.
I suggest to General Kaminsky, though, that, instead of opening with Danny, we go
with Peter. Try to get him off to a good start. Warm him up on the practice table, then bring
him right into the court. And this is exactly what we do. And it works extremely well. Earlier,
Peters offered to sit out and let Robbie play this tie, but when that cant happen, he hasnt any
problem with commitment, has his head into playing, and comes out with a concentrated
flurry. He overwhelms Teodor Gheorghe the 1st gamethat same Doru Gheorghe who,
more than a quarter-century later, would turn up as 1999s USATT Coach of the Year, and
then as our Associations Executive Director!
And then one of those crazy, chance things happens in this historic city where almost
60 years ago a near anonymous young man assassinated Archduke Ferdinandand started a
war. One of the umpires suddenly notices that Peter is playing in his track pants (as, it so
happens, he has every match for five days) and wants him to take them off. The umpire seems
particularly concerned with what might be a distracting stripe on these pants. Everybody on
our bench is furiousbut of course the more we excitedly argue and try to get a legitimate
ruling on whether he can wear any track pants at all, the less we are understood. Both Doug
Stewart and George Buben felt Kaminsky over-reacted, was insulting, and they were
embarrassed. But this match was do or die for us. Peter doesnt have any shorts on
underneathor, for all I know, any underwear either, so he just cant take them off then and
there.

U.S. and Rumanian representatives with Yugoslav officials discussing whether Peter Pradit can play in his track pants
Photo by Mal Anderson

472

As Lee runs for a Korean players no-stripe jumpsuit, and Pradit goes off to change
into shorts, there is talk of how a match must be started over after a certain number of
minutesminutes that soon seem to me to be too quickly passing. On Peters returnhes in
shorts nowhes hurried out to the table (cant lose that game-up lead!), and, head ready or
not, resumes play. But its as if he and the Team he represents have been gunned down by
some unknown assailant. The touch Peter had, the timingon which his angular attacking
game is so dependentis gone.
When he loses the 2nd game, we are angered enough to demand that the umpire be
removed on the grounds that hes incompetentour argument being that he should have seen
before the match started that Peter was wearing this illegal stripeor that, worse, hes
prejudiced in favor of the Rumanians. Which really was awful of us, I think now. Our demand
causes more of a hassle because of course the Rumanian Captain objects. Whereupon I object
to the fact that his players are illegally practicing on an adjacent table rather than in the
practice room. Petty, petty. Finally the umpires play a little game of musical chairs, and Pradit
goes on to score just 8 points in the 3rd.
Bong Mo has made the point that after Seemilleror Lee or Praditserves, he has a
tendency to freeze, to unconsciously hope that the player will miss. True or not, against Dorin
Giurgiuca, the wild, wind-up looper turned chopper, Dannys at deuce in the 1st, but cant win
itor the next.
And, wow, are we having a psychological let down, and from just one bullet. Against
Serban Dobosi, Lees at deuce in the 1st, but cant win itor the next.
Gheorghe then routs a demoralized Seemiller. And at the very end, with the U.S. down
4-0, Pradit, behind 1-0 to Dobosi, is still gamely tryingbut loses
that 2nd game at deuce.
So, well...what more can I say? Ive no real regrets.
Kaminsky, I thought, did a super job as Team Captain and
International Chair. And there were mostly very good vibes
among the Team and their supporters. Robbie, naturally, was
disappointed and hurt that he played only one match (What am
I, a mascot?that was a line he ripped out once, privately).
And, though he would write a lengthy article (TTT, May-June,
1973, 40) venting his feelings and accusing Kaminsky of being
prejudiced, he always came and rooted for the Team and it was
something he wanted to do, no one made him do it. And Bernie
always rooted too. So, given our great effort, and the fact that
wed come so near to taking our place among the Sports elite, I
was very proud of everyone.
Robbie thought Captain
Kaminsky prejudiced
Photo by Mal Anderson

473

Chapter Thirty-Six
1973: Sarajevo: Swaythling and Corbillon Cup Play.
As President of the USTTA, I was intent on following the progress of, and intense
about rooting for, our U.S. Teamsespecially the Mens Team, for, though they finished 17th
(as opposed to 28th in 71), they came within one very closely-contested tie of being elevated
to the First Division. Such an advancement was very important to me, for I wanted to improve
the Image of USA table tennis, wanted those in the real world of the Sport to take us
seriouslyand so back home I would champion both the coming of international players to
our U.S. Open and an increase in prize-money at our tournaments. Though I would sometimes
put in 15-hour days at the playing hall, and also because I would have to be away from the hall
for some considerable time attending ITTF Meetings, I just couldnt cover, or always get
someone to cover, many important matches. One event that lacked the coverage I would like
to have given it was the 40-team Womens Cup play, particularly the Championship play.
However, let me at least say something about the results of these ties.
Corbillon Cup
In my last Chapter, I indicated how the U.S. Womens
Team, after competing in the Second Division, came to be ranked
World # 18. Now Im going to briefly concern myself with the
First Division teams theoretically in contention for the title. The
format for choosing and separating these 14 teams would be the
same for both Corbillon and Swaythling Cup play.
The draw was based on the standings from the 71
Nagoya Worlds. Defending Champion Japan was seeded #1 and
runner-up China #2. Into these opposite halves would be flipped
#3 and #4, #5 and #6, #7 and #8, and so on, so that thered be
seven teams in two equally balanced Groups1A and 1B.
Yugoslavia, whod not fielded a Womens Team in Nagoya, found
a place in Group B when, conveniently, last years #12
Cambodian team didnt come to Sarajevo.
It was quickly apparent that the weak teams in Group A were Austria (they would
finish 0-6, winning 1 match out of 19) and Indonesia (1-5, winning 4 matches out of 22). In
Group B, the weak teams were France, whom the U.S. had lost to in 71 (1-5, winning 5
matches out of 20), and Yugoslavia (1-5, winning 6 matches out of 24).
The only surprise involving these non-contenders was when Yugoslav National Champ
Mirjan Resler upset Swedens National Champ Birgitta Radberg and forced the SwedenYugoslavia tie into the 5th. (As Id mentioned last time, our Patty Martinez in a practice match
had Resler down 1-0 and 15-5 in the 2nd before allowing her to escape.)
Actually, the only other tie in all these initial round robin matches that went into the 5th
was in Group A when Hungary, the 9th-seeded team, downed the 1969 Champions, the
USSRa big win, for it allowed the Hungarians to join undefeated Japan for a place in the
four-team final.
Unfortunately, these last round robins were not so climactic because just as outclassed
Hungary had to carry over its loss to Japan, so, from Group B, did China have to carry over its
474

3-1 loss to the winning South Korean team. Since the Japanese, too, were beaten 3-1 by the
Koreans, their 3-2 loss to China did not, alone, devastatingly keep them from a repeat win.
But Chinas retaliation, begun here for the loss it suffered in the 71 final to Japan, would be
mercilessthe lid would be closed on the victim, the coffin lowered, and there would be
darkness for the rest of the century and beyond.
The South Koreans, of course, enjoyed the
momentwell, anyway, all of them but their titular nonplaying Captain, one, Insook Na, later Bhushan, 11-time
U.S. National Champion, who, disenchanted at not being
able to play for this Team she felt she deserved to play for,
would soon emigrate to play for another.* But, as History
will show, South Korea in Worlds to come, will bow to
the Chinese, suffer the same fate as Japan. Two of their
stalwarts here, Chung Hyun Sook, and Kim Soon Ok,
would go on to win U.S. Opens. But South Korea would
be finished for the millennium as World
Champions...except for that strange political moment in
91 when they would unite withrather say, momentarily
join withthe North Koreans to take the winners
trophy...where?
Swaythling Cup
With regard to
South Koreas Insook Na
Swaythling Cup play, Ill
Photo by Mal Anderson
focus extensively here on
the 14 First Division teams that, as in the Corbillon Cup, were
divided into A and B groups. In the A Group, in ranking order,
were China, Sweden, Hungary, South Korea, India, Indonesia,
and Austria. I was told that the South Koreans, fourth in the
above order, werent better because their Association had far
superior coaches for their girls than for their boys.
On the first day of play, the ties ran true to formwith China beating India and
Indonesia 5-0, and Sweden zeroing in on India and South Korea. The Koreans also lost, 5-3,
to Hungary, whose mainstays were Tibor Klampar and Istvan Jonyer, the Defending World
Doubles Champions. In marked contrast to their feminine counterparts, it would be 20-some
years before the South Korean men, at their best, could place 3rd overall at these
Championships. Here, in 73, they would drop three matches to both Indonesia (who would
finish 5th in the Group) and Austria (6th). As might be predicted, Indonesia and Austria would
have a 5-4 battle to see whod escape bringing up the rear next to hapless India. These three
teams, originally the last three to be placed in the Group, would win only three ties altogether.
The B Group consisted of Japan, Yugoslavia, West Germany, France, England,
Czechoslovakia, and (taking North Koreas place) the USSR whod not sent a Mens Team to
Nagoya. Here, as opposed to the A Group, there was more depth, and consequently more
good matchesso the final results were not as easy to predict. The last three teams to be
placed in this Group would win 10 ties.
Ill begin my detailed coverage with the beginning B ties.
475

Japan opened by
giving up only one
match to France, a team
that, aside from their
great lobber, Jacques
Secretinwho beat the
67 World runner-up
Mitsuru Kohnohad
little strength.
Yugoslavia, too,
lost one matchto West
Germany. Despite his
Team Psychologists
guarded prediction that
Yugoslavia would win
the Cup, Dragutin
German National Champion Wilfried Lieck
Surbek did not look
good. The Dragon was not burning, was not breathing fire. He not only lost to Wilfried
Lieck (who would win the Mens Consolation over Pradits friend Wuvanich), but just barely
got by Klaus Schmittinger, 19 in the 3rd.
The USSR gave up a match to Englands Renaissance dandy, Trevor Taylor, the
Commonwealth Champion. Taylor almost did it to Anatoly Strokatov, 19 in the 3rd, but, on
being encouraged by his mates, did troika down the Russian Champ Sarkis Sarkhayan.
Against Germany, the best England could do was to come up short, 5-2. That
awkward, arrogant-looking Lieck (squat stance like a flunkee out of some sneering Prussian
finishing or fencing school) stopped both Taylor and Neale. Denis, however, downed 69
World runner-up Eberhard Scholer two straight. Question: What was Hans Alser, former
Swedish European Champ, now employed as coach/trainer for the German Team, doing to or
for them? Answer: Poor Alserhe had a kidney attack and had to be taken away from the hall
in an ambulance and abruptly put on a plane to some urological clinic in Frankfurt.
Japan beat the USSR rather comfortably, for Stanislav Gomozkov wasnt any help
lost all three. Sarkis Sarkhayan had a good 3-game win over Afro-Asian Champ Nobuhiko
Hasegawabut I must say I thought the 67 World Champion just wasnt his old acrobatic
self this tournament. Will he, like Shigeo Ito, finalist at the last twoWorlds, soon retire? To do
what?
The last Mens tie this opening day resulted in Czechoslovakias great 5-2 win over
Yugoslavia. First, the Czechs won on sportsmanship. Jaroslav Kunz admitted to an unsure
umpire that the racket rule appliedthe ball had hit his hand. And Milan Orlowski pointed out
to an umpire whod missed it that hed served a net against Surbek and so shouldnt be
awarded the point.
Kunz with his mid-western-Y jabs astonished me by beating Surbek and Stipancic
knocking them around and finally winning on points in the 3rd. It really was the limit.
And to topspin it all off, Orlowski k.o.d Karakasevic, Surbek, and Stipancic in straight
games, which, though it stunned some Yugoslavs in the audience, didnt surprise the Russians.
Bengtsson had once called Surbek a typhoon, always ready to storm. Well, maybe.
When the Czechs were leading the Yugoslavs 3-1, and Orlowski was up 1-0 and 18-12 on
476

Surbek, the crowd began to clap and shout, SURE-beck!...SURE-beck! Hearing the
crowd cheer him, he stormed back to 19-allonly to feel the force within him just as quickly
subside when he pushed off, and lost at deuce.
At the finish of play that evening, the officials, having got a number of complaints,
were painting out the distracting name Surbek from the table ends. Surbek lost, a fellow
said. Thats why theyre taking his name off the tables.
That night, or rather early morning, Frank Pivec, the intense Czech Captain, or Coach
(sometimes just one title is mutually applicable), was celebrating his victory with our
ubiquitous Team Leader Bob Kaminsky up in our 2nd-floor deserted hallway when Sally and I
walked past. Of course wed have a drink with them. The more Frank drank, the better he felt.
He was sure his Countryor his Associationor his Clubwould pay half the expenses, if
we would pay the other half, to send the Czech Team to the next U.S. Open. He was so sure
of this that we all drank to it.
Finally he got up and went to his room. To come back suddenly with little gifts for
Sally and mea nice necklace with a medallion, and a pretty cut-glass ash tray. I couldnt very
well refuse him, but I kept thinking how in the morning, sober, he might wish he had these
gifts for strangers he knew better. But then maybe for the rest of the tournament he wouldnt
know any strangers any better than he knew us? And, well, its always more blessed and more
satisfying to give than to receive. Besides, what could be worse than bringing home presents
youd hoped to please someone with?
Friday morning when around 10 oclock I arrived at the hall to catch the best part of
the Japan-Czechoslovakia tie, Kaminsky (wow! Id left him drinking, how did he do it?he
never slept) had plopped himself right in the middle of the Czech rooters, right next to Pivec,
who was beginning to suffer the anguish, maybe even the remorse of the damned.
You must win, he was saying with the most tormented look on his face. You MUST
win! And then (as the player in question went back, unable to try harder, despite his own
desire, despite the words of his coach, because he was already trying as hard as he could),
Frank bowed his head. Over and over again he said to himself, You MUST win! You MUST
win!
And for a moment, though Kohno killed Kunz, it was as if his prayer was answered
for the Czech #3, Josef Dvoracek, held on, 20 and 19, to beat Tokio Tasaka. And young
Orlowski, fighting with racket and fist, outlasted the great Japanese defender Norio
Takashima. (Once, when Takashima, maneuvering, gets the pick and takes a vicious swing at a
hangerand misseshe turns around to the Japanese bench. Not a muscle has moved in that
row of faces. Theyre all nodding up and down approvinglyas if hes just hit in a winner. I
wondered whether, after a while, it really would be reassuring to always get that same
mechanical response. His teammates might begin to look punch-drunk.)
But then Tasaka destroyed Kunz. (Upset the Yugoslavs or anyone else with his faithfuldog of a game, Kunz still cant set his own pace and Tasaka can give him 5.)
Then Kohno 21, 19 held off Orlowski-Pivec, much to the latters near despair, for that
was the match the Czechs had to have.
Still, still, even after Takashima demonstrates that Dvoracek doesnt know to push a
ball to a pick-hit defender, there is a chance. If Orlowski can beat Tasaka, and Kunz can beat
Takashima, and Dvoracek can beat Kohno, then...
Then all skeptics agree: There is a God.
You MUST win!...You MUST win!...And Orlowski does.
477

Now Kunz is up against Takashima,

Japans chopper Champion
the Japanese National Champion. Pivec bows
Norio Takashima
his head....
Photo by Neal Fox
The 1st game Kunz gets 4.
It is, of course, soon all over. Pivec tries
to explain to us, to himself.In all of
Czechoslovakia, he says, there is no chopper.
Later that afternoon, the valiant, 11thseeded Czechs face the 6th-seeded Germans.
Orlowski opens by losing to Jochen
Leiss (who also beat Takashima and Kohno),
then has to go 3 with the formidable Lieck, then,
25-23 in the 3rd, he barely survives Scholer, the
ex-almost World Champion.
After the Czechs are able to add two more winsmost notably Dvoracek over Leiss
the tie comes down to Kunz vs. Lieck in the deciding 9th. No longer a nice bulldog, Kunz will
turn on that smiling, sneering Lieck who, racket held like a stick-at-the-hip-ready, keeps
taunting him. Of course the image is absurd. Kunzs style wins for Czechoslovakia.
Still, it was all the Czechs could do to 5-4 get by Germany. Perhaps their players are as
tired as Pivec? Or perhaps they already realize that they have no chance of later defeating the
USSR team that will go in their stead to the Final Four.
Germany can at least get the better of England and France. And England, though they cant
beat Secretin, can beat France. Theyd done it beforeindeed itd been their only argument for
staying in the Premier Division of the European League. Thats why later, in the next round robin
for final ranking positions, theyd be so upset at losing to Austria. If they cant beat Austria, whos
just taken relegated Frances place in that Premier Division, who can they beat?
So, heavens, theyd better quick-kick what could become a bad habit. Or else find someone
responsible to kick. ErgoTrevor Taylor. The English Glenn Cowan, somebody called him....
Go pack it in, Trevor, mboy. I say, bloody bad show! Thats what the English
Association in the person of Charlie Wiles, Wily Charles, Charles Wyles, or someone who hadnt
played as many matches as Trevor had, might have said?
Really, Trevor, its
your fault, you know. So you
beat two Austrians...and, uh,
Hasegawa and Yujiro Imano
and Tasaka and Sarkhayan.
Who else? Youre up, youre
down. You lost to Schluter
so Schluter beat Kjell
Johansson, does that make
him a player?and now
weve lost to Austria. Weve
never lost to Austria, dont
you understand that? Youve
Austrias Heinz Schluter
Englands Trevor Taylor
From the 1969 Munich Worlds
From the 1971 Chinese Team to the gone and not tried enough,
Program
British Isles Program
and now weve lost to Austria!
478

Youre all tired out,

Yugoslavias
Taylor. Youve had too many
Milivoj Karakasevic
ups and downs. You look tired
From the English
Table Tennis News,
out. Ill bet you dont eat right.
Mar., 1972, cover
What do you eat? No, Taylor,
you dont look good. Matter of
fact, that long hair, I never did
like the way you look. Why
dont you go over to the
Statesjoin Cowan? Youd do
just fine there....
Enough! Would the
English, even after such a
disappointing loss, ever come
at a player like that?Would
Trevor ever come at Trevor
like that, then wink? Anyway, if
home is where the heart is,
home he went.
The USSR, you may remember, had lost only one matchto the very strong Japanese.
And Yugoslavia, who had yet to play undefeated Japan, already had a loss to Czechoslovakia.
So the home team had to win this one to keep its hopes of advancement alive.
The very excitable penholder Milivoj Karakasevic starts the ball rolling. He loses in
straight games to Sarkhayan. Then, as Stipancic is getting ready to play Strokatov, the Kent
girl comes parading by againmuch like a too-early-in-the-game-to-get-excited cheerleader
and the crowd applauds. The applause isnt for her though. In fact, everyones pretty tired of
seeing her walk back and forth. Especially since she doesnt have any cigarettes, doesnt have
any tray. Going back and forth unenthusiastically like that, what is she here for?
Stipancic responds to the applause, beats Strokatov. The Yugoslav flag waves, and
there is more applause.
As Surbek comes out to play Gomozkov (The Dragon looks so much bigger out there at
the table than he does in real
life around the hotel), people
begin yelling, RAWmeat!RAW-meat! Or
thats what it sounded like to
me. Of course I associate
RAW-meat with Surbek,
The Tiger of Zagreb, and
his animal-like vitality. So if
thats really what the crowd
shoutedwhich of course it
isntthen Surbek ought to
eat up Gomozkov.
Unless...say, how good is
Yugoslav Tiger, Dragon, whatever, wants red meat - will he get it?
Gomozkov anyway?
Photo by Mal Anderson
479

In Stephan Kjuics The Will To Win, Surbek lists Gomozkov as one of the top 10
players in the world. Says hes the grandmaster of the backhand (which reflects, by the way,
the interest in chess in Yugoslavia, where there are something like 22,000 club members and
10 grandmasters). Says hes met Gomozkov in the finals of big tournaments and has only the
thinnest 5-4 edge.
So what happens this time? Surbek has a good chance to winbut loses in 3.
Spectators whistlenot a good sign. Stipancic, too, goes downto Sarkhayan. USSR 3Yugoslavia 1.
But Karakasevic beats Gomozkov and, shaking his fist in the air, does a little dance
around the table.
Surbek can tie the tie with a win over Strokatov. Can he do it?...No. The hall fills with
a prolonged whistling soundthe equivalent of a disapproving Greek Chorus. After Stipancic
also failsis beaten by Gomozkovthe whistles will eventually stop, and the crowd will
disappear, along with their home-team hopes.
But perhaps not all the spectators will know what the Yugoslav players knowthat
their last significant tie with Japan doesnt matter in regard to their advancement. Because
even if they win it, can once-defeated Japan be hari-karied by Germany? Or the USSR fall far,
far down to France? Not a chance.
But, alright, to save face, the Yugoslavs come out to play. Earlier Id asked Pavel, their
Team Psychologist, why theyd lost that key tie to the Soviets. Theyre overplayed, he said,
without blinking an eye. They need rest.
They need somethingfor Karakasevic and Stipancic lose all four of their initial
matches. That something is SurbekThe Indestructible, as Dusan Dule Osmanagic, the
Yugoslav Team Captain, calls him. Or calls him that in Kljuics book. And in fine acrobaticlob form he is too, as seemingly by brute strength he outlasts all three of his Japanese
opponents.
So when Stipancic comes through against Tasaka, its possible, isnt it, that
Karakasevic will pull out the match, the tie, against Kohno?...Oh, listen! Makes you want to
whistle too, does it?
Over in the A Group there isnt nearly as much drama. The Sweden-Hungary tie is
critical for both undefeated teams though, because each of them figure to lose to Defending
Champion China. Jonyer and Klampar, as expected, beat young Ingemar Wikstrom. (What
happened to Bernhardt? Winning the CNE hurt his game?) And Bengtsson and Johansson, as
expected, beat the Hungarian #3, Janos Borzsei. But after Jonyer has lost to Johansson, and
Klampar to Bengtsson, Sweden is up 4-2. However, if Jonyer can sidespin-slip-by just one of
the Swedish Big Two, Hungary still has a chance. Vic Landau, covering this tie for me (TTT,
May-June, 1973, 37), speaks of how Bengtsson has a hard time controlling Jonyers super spin
balls, but that in the 3rd the Swedes perfect corner to corner placements give him a 19-17
lead. At this point, both Vic and our U.S. Team Analyst, Dell Sweeris, agree that Stellan took a
bad shot, which may have affected his usually very strong mental attitude, for, as Vic said, he
seemed to soften, and Jonyer, whod beaten Bengtsson earlier in the French Open, won all
three remaining points. This would be Bengtssons only loss in the Team Championshipand
might well be a costly one.
With Sweden leading 4-3, Johansson has to take down Hungarian Champ Klampar, for
the Hungarian Borzsei is a favorite to beat the weaker Wikstrom if the tie goes into the 9th.
Heres Landau on this match:
480

The Swede is ahead 11-4 in the first game when the ball breaks. Klampar catches
him and wins 23-21. The second game is an even duel of top table tennis. At 19-19 there is
a disputed edge ball. Both the umpire and scorekeeper agree the ball hit and award the
point to Johansson. (I believe the ball hit because Klampar appeared to react to the ball in
flight [that is, before it landed, he grimaced]. Also, the volatile Hungarian coach, [Zoltan]
Berczik, argued for only five minutes.) Johansson wins the next point and the game.
Klampar, who had been playing extremely well, is not able to overcome the adversity and it
shows. He is quickly down 10-2 and that is the game, match, and tie.
I then heard that afterwards the Hungarians refused to shake hands with the Swedes.
Two climactic ties remainedboth involving China. First, the Chinese took on the
Swedeswith the threat hovering over them that, should they lose, even if they later beat
Hungary, they would have to carry over that loss to Sweden in the final 4-team round robin.
And China did lose5-4. Reportedly it was the first tie theyd lost since Dortmund in 59.
Liang Ko-liang,
who in the last two years
has been doing diplomatic
duty the world over (are
we to infer then that hes
not been practicing as
much as he should have?),
didnt win a game, let
alone a match. Landau
stressed Bengtssons
superb backhand and said
that the Swede was just
too fast for Liang,
formerly a defensive
player but now primarily
an attacker. Though not as
good an attacker as
Johansson who hammered
away at him. And of
course it was Liangs loss
to Wikstrom (down 20-19
in the 1st, hed served off)
that made a big difference. Swedens Wikstroms not watching the ball but what Chinas Li Chingkuang is going to do with it when it comes down
The Swedes played
Photo by Mal Anderson
Wikstrom rather than the
older, more experienced Bo Persson because the smart money said that Perssons nerves
werent so good?
Scandinavian Open Champ Johansson lost to both Hsu Shao-fa (the technique of his
ceilingward serves makes for quite a twist when finally they come down) and Li Ching-kuang
(who I think maybe hasnt got such good nerves himself). I heard Li had been sick, but sick of
what I didnt hear. Bengtsson won all threegot by brutal blocker Li, 19 in the 3rd, and this,
too, was a tie-altering win.
481

China vs. Hungary would

determine the other advancer to the
final. Hungarys super loopers could
again win only one of four crucial
encountersthough sad-faced
Klampar lost a very tough 22-20, 2321 match to Tiao Wen-yuan, the
excitable Chinese National Champion.
The big surprise of this China 5Hungary 2 tie was the defeat of Hsi
En-ting, not so much at the hands of
Jonyer but at the steady defensive play
of Borzsei. Some #3, eh?
Unfortunately, neither Landau
nor I can report on the USSRs 5-4
Janos Borzsei
defeat of undefeated Sweden, but I
From 1973 Budapest Railways Sportclub Information Booklet
presume the Soviets depth did in the
Swedish #3. Sweeris, in his Analysts Report for Topics, suggested that the public address
announcer might have unwittingly been to blame for the loss. Sweden, after beating China,
was leading the USSR 4-3 when over the loudspeaker the announcement was made that the
Swedes would hold a Press Conference immediately after the tie. Dell thought this distracted
the players from their task at hand.
Nor do Landau or I have any detail on Chinas surprising 5-4 battle with the USSR,
whod had to carry over their 5-2 loss to Japan. However, Vic did cover the China-Japan tie,
and I the last, Sweden-Japan tieboth with their questionable consequences.
Here are some of Vics comments on the China-Japan semifinal:
In the first game Tiao has difficulty hitting through Takshimas fine chop defense,
and Takashima is able to break up his opponents attack with occasional quick kill shots from
either wing. But, after rallying from 18-15 down in the 2nd, Tiao goes on to win.
Li Ching-kuang blocks Tasaka off the table 21-12 in the first game, but in the second,
though up 19-16 and serving, he cant close the match. In the 3rd game, Tasaka starts like a
madman, and his kills and counter-kills allow him to come out a winner. China 1-Japan 1.
From the first point on, Hasegawa is using his famous high lob defense to return
Hsus kill shots. As the game progresses, it becomes apparent that his defensive style should
not be effective against this fine attacker. Nevertheless, Hasegawa...is spectacularly returning 7
or 8 of Hsus kill shots from the barrier and then even more sensationally counter-killing...as
[winning 21-16] he plays his best game of the tournament. The Chinese are not smiling...but
they will be. Hsu wins the second at 12. In the rubber game Hasegawa is like a newly
tightened spring and is flying all over the court until [its] 11-all. Then, unbelievably, he loses 9
points in a row and the match. But its no surprise that, win or lose, many consider him the
most exciting player of his time.
Tiao and Tasaka split their first two games in a sharp, close-to-the-table counter-drive
match. Tasaka, as he was against Li, is hot in the third game and wins 21-7.
Hsu cannot really hit through Takashimas defense and is thus relegated to pushing
and picking. Takashima wins the first 21-19. When the Japanese is up 20-17 match point in
the second, the Expedite Rule is put in. One kill shot by Takashima and the match is over.
482

Though Hasegawa rallies from down 1-0 and 13-7 with a series of sensational
counter-kill spin shots to get back into the match, he cant maintain such a pace in the third
game and Li wins 21-13. Japan 3-China 3.
Tasaka either blasts in winners or he doesnt. His third game with Hsu is a great
counter-driving match until from 9-all Hsu wins 8 in a row and the match.
Both Hasegawa and Tiao look more than a little tired as each starts his third match
of the tie at 12:40 a.m. Hasegawa is playing closer to the table...and wins the first game 2220. After losing the next, he gets a second wind and wins the crucial [third]. Japan 4-China 4.
If China were to lose this last match of the tie, they would of course have two tie
losses, and so would have no chance to win the title. However, if undefeated Japan were to
lose this last match and tie, and so have only the one loss, they, too, would have no chance to
win the title. Why? Well see in a moment.
Last up are Li and Takashima.
Li is hitting from side to side and then
dropping the ball short. However,
Takashima is returning one ball after
another, including all the drop shots.
Up 19-16, he hits for the first time
and is ahead 20-16, wins it at 17.
Now there is much frenetic talking
between Li and his coaches.
Li starts off pushing in the
second game, apparently going for the
Expedite Rule. However, after the first
few points Li drops this tactic and
starts the strenuous work of trying to
hit through Takashimas now nearperfect defense. 11-all, 15-15, 18-18.
Takashima is returning nearly every
Chinas Li Ching-kuang
ball with the finest chop retrieve Ive
From Table Table and Friendship Supplement
ever seen. (Dick Miles said that it
to China Reconstructs, Oct., 1971
resembled Bergmanns renowned
retrieve.) Li, however, is blasting away one after another and wins 21-18.
In the third game, though Li has to hit five to ten or more drives intermixed with an
occasional drop shot to win the point, hes up 15-10...then 20-15 match point. An eerie
silence pervades the arena....20-16, 20-17. Let the umpire calls at 20-18....The Expedite Rule
is to come into effect. Li serves and it is quickly 20-19. Takashima serves and Li rolls nine
balls before Takashima comes up to the table and cracks his forehand, a real winner, the force
of the swing carrying him down, down, down. But Li miraculously blocks the ball back to win
the match for China, and then runs around to lift Takashima off the floor to the cheers of a
standing ovation. A dramatic ending to a five hour and twenty minute struggle.
Of course the final tiethe Japan-Sweden tiestill has to be played. And by now
some strong criticism of this new round-robin format is understandably being expressed. In the
71 Worlds at Nagoya, the round robin winners of each of the two brackets played off and
there was a clear-cut victory. Here, though China wasnt even playing in the final tie, it was
still possible for China to back into winning the Championship. For if the Swedes (who earlier
483

had lost 5-4 to the USSR) would lose to Japan, they would have (like the USSR) two losses
and so couldnt win the title. However, even if the Japanese beat the Swedes in this final tie,
and thus would have only one loss (like China), they couldnt win the title, for then theyd be
tied 2-1 with China, and, since China had beaten them, theyd lose via the tie-breaker system.
Suspicious people (whose idea was this new round robin format anyway?) were
publicly voicing all sorts of speculations about this state of affairs.
For instance, did China earlier deliberately dump to Sweden? (Or, take it at least one
chess step further, did they plan to beat Russia precisely 5-4?) Granted Liang Ko-liang (whom
I thought might win the Nagoya Worlds) had a sea change from defense to offense, did that
really account for his very poor showing against the Swedes? And serving off at 20-19 to lose
that game against Wikstromwhat was that, carelessness, or...? Pavel had asked me, Liang
can play Orientals, but can he play Europeans? As if I knew. Pavels opinion was that the
Chinese shouldnt have played Liang. Maybe he thought they shouldnt have changed his
game. Maybethe height of follyhe thought the Chinese didnt know what they were
doing.
But let me be fanciful. Just suppose that China (pursuing their Friendship First,
Competition Second theme to a desired end) didnt want to win this Team Championship
(though theyd not lost a single tie since 1959). And suppose they didnt want Japan to win it
either. For whatever reasonperhaps because it might generate more interest in the Sport
(and thus Chinas supremacy) if Europeans, after a 20-year drought, would be Champions. But
the dumping would have to be done subtly, diplomatically. The Chinese would have to
pretendthrough three 5-4 tiesthat their players werent really so good. And that would
fix Japan.
But what if Japan should win this last tie against Sweden, and China would back into
the Championship? Well, the Chinese could live with that too.
Suspicions that all might not be on the up and up lay curled, ready to strike, in such a
thought as I heard this fellow voice: The Japanese now have their choice of Chinese yuan or
Swedish crowns.
Ah, said another, but youd never get Hasegawa to throw a match. Hed commit
hari-kari firstas, in fact, he was rumored to be determined to do back in 67 if the Japanese
didnt beat the Yugoslavs.
So that was why he wasnt playing in this final tiebecause he was incorruptible? Or
was it, as most sane people thought, that his record against the Swedes wasnt all that good?
Or was it something else? That he was getting old and, considering the all-out tumbling game
he persisted in playing, he hadnt the necessary endurance any more?
Enough speculation. Lets get on with the reality of this final tie and crown the
undisputed winner.
Swedish cheerleaders are stationed in different sections of the balcony. They give
Persson encouragement. Uh-huh, though it was Wikstrom who beat Liang, the Swedes are
playing Perssonbut youre not going to catch me asking why.
The Swede wins the 1st, then Takashima figures out what to do with that high, slow
loop coming at himhe comes darting in and cracks enough backhands through to make
Persson look at his coach. But what is Christer Johansson or anyone else to tell him? That
Takashima will win in 3?
Johansson, forever expressionless, except when, face distorted, he smashes into the
ball, has no trouble with Kohno. Sweden 1-Japan 1.
484

Swedens 1973 World Team Champions, front, L-R: Ingemar Wikstrom, Coach Christer Johansson, his
brother Kjell Johansson, Stellan Bengtsson and Anders Johansson; back: Bo Persson

Bengtsson, out there in the 3rd against Tasaka, is hurrying back and forth, raising his fists,
shaking them. Down 14-12, Tasaka serves off, and Bengtsson runs it to 18-12...and then out.
The less said about the Kohno-Persson match the better. The Swedes couldnt have
done worse playing Wikstrom, could they? Ah, but Persson had gone to Japan to trainhad
learned how to beat the Japanese in practice.
But Bengtsson-Takashimathats beautiful. The World Champion out there dancing,
dancing, in contrast to Takashima, who once, stretching for a retrieve, takes a nasty fall.
Sweden 3, Japan 2.
Tasaka looks like an ascetic whod commit some ultimate religious actbut not
because of Johansson. No reason to kill himself over this matchhes a winner.
Bengtsson, meanwhile, has gone behind the wings to practice perfecting his topspin.
That is, after hes changed everything from his socks to his shirt. Freshness is everything,
says Pavel in another pronouncement thats suspect. Kohno gets maybe 13 a game.
485

So its Sweden 4, Japan 3 and the Takashima-Johansson match that will decide the
tournament ought to be a joy forever.
But, first, Persson-Tasaka.
Perssons the biggest bottler in the business, says Englands Denis Neale. Ive never
even seen him win a game. Meanwhile, from 18-all in the 1st, he and Tasaka are playing some
of the most marvelous points of the tournament. Finally the Swedes successful when Tasaka
serves into the net.
During the 2nd game, Neale says, Perssons so bottled up he doesnt even look at the
score. Its his only chance. And, yes, Tasakas 19-17 up. But then he fails to return Perssons
serve19-18. And fails to return another19-all. And now Persson gets the match-point ad.
Only...he fails to return serve.
But then, moments later, hes running, leaping, screaming into the arms of his World
Champion teammates. And, cradled, is thrown high into the airlike one of those serves in the
hands of the artful Chinese.
I turn to Pavel. Howd you like the final? I ask him.
I think it was not quite correct, he says.
SELECTED NOTES.
*German History buff Peter Becker, in an August 25, 2004 e-mail to me, said he didnt
think Insook was a victim of Korean Association politics:
She simply had bad luck that during that time Korea had two outstanding
players, Lee Ailesa and Chung Hyun Sook[and] two more excellent players, Insook
and Park Mi Ra, who could not keep up with the other two.In the early seventies the
Korean National Team, consisting of these four players, visited European tournaments
about once a year. They attended the 1972 Scandinavian Open, where Insook lost 3-0
in the quarters to Feng Meng-ya of China. The tournament was won by Lee Ailesa,
who defeated Chung Hyun
Sook in the finals. Park Mi Ra
also lost in the quarters, to
Ilona Vostova, but won the
doubles with Lee.[The]
Korean Team showed up at the
Swiss Open in March,
1973.In the Womens
semifinals only Koreans were
left, with Insook losing to Lee
Ailesa in 4 games [while] Park
Mi Ra upset Chung Hyun
Sook, but lost to Lee in the
finals. In the doubles final Lee
and Park defeated Chung and
Insook. Parkprobably
suffered the same way as
Mainstays of the winning Corbillon Cup South Korean
Insook.
Team. L-R: Park Mi Ra, Lee Ailesa, Chung Hyun Sook
Photo from May/June 73 Table Tennis Topics

486

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Shazzi Felstein

1973: Sarajevo: Singles/Doubles.

At Sarajevo I personally didnt report on the Singles and
Doubles matches for Topics, but, with the considerable input of
Shazzi Felstein, who covered the Womens Singles and Doubles
(TTT, May-June, 1973, 33-36), and with helpful comments from
Dell Sweeriss Analysts Report (TTT, May-June, 1973, 38-39),
Ill make the best summary of these Individual Results I can. Both
Shazzi and Dell of course watched these matches from a players
perspective, for each won the Press Competition Singles the
tournament organizers offered.
Womens Singles
As our U.S. women finished their Corbillon Cup play 18th
out of a field of 40, they werent expected to advance very far in
the Individual eventsand they didnt. Yet all of them played to their level and so had nothing
to be ashamed of. Sue Hildebrandt fell in the 1st Preliminary Round to Belgian defender Marie
France Germiat. Reporter Felstein didnt think serious-minded Sues attack severe enough, but
was impressed that, though she couldnt finish off points, she persevered to come from behind
and almost win. Said Shazzi, In the fifth she [Sue] was way behind but kept her head to rally
to 18-all. Then, down 20-18, in this her first Worlds, she kept her poise again and deuced it.
Only to lose 23-21.
In her 1st
Preliminary Round,
Angelita Rosal, on
finding backhand
openings that would
set up her forehand
smashes, downed
another Belgian, Lea
Van Heybeeck, 3-0.
Then, however, she
drew Blanka
Silhanova, a Czech
looper who forced
her into fastexchange, forehand
counter-driving
What might have been: Angie (R) not quite a winner over the Czech Silhanova playwhich
apparently was
Photo by Mal Anderson
alright with Angie. In
fact, in the early and mid-game 5th it appeared that Rosal would win, for she was up 9-2...114. But then, said reporter Felstein, the Czech girl came on so strongly that she outscored
Angie 17-4. Too bad, added Shazzi, it would have been a marvelous win.
487

Judy Bochenski advanced through three

Prelims to reach the (128-player) 1st Round
proper. Canadian Flora Nesukaitis was her first
victim. Shazzi pointed out that after Judy
killed everything the first two games, Flora
appeared very dispirited, and complained that
her push was going too high. In the 3rd,
Floras defense stiffened, but then, just as she
might have been given new life, she couldnt
quite take the 3rd, though shed been up 20-18.
Next, Bochenski had only a little 18, 19, 12
trouble with Switzerlands Vreni Lehmann. And
then, after being down 2-1, outlasted the
Netherlands Ellen Klatt. In the 1st Round,
Judy lost to Englands National Junior Miss
Champ Linda Howard in 5a terrific hit and
counter-hit match that Shazzi thought Judy
deserved to win. Though the girls split total
points exactly, Howard came out on top, 12, -14, 21, -19, 19winning the pivotal 3rd, and
ending the tight match with an edge ball.
Patty Cash drew a Bye, then in her 2nd Pre-lim allowed Frances Yveline Lecler only
an average of 11 points per game. Nor in her 3rd Pre-lim was Patty threatenedscored an
easy 3-1 victory over Austrias #3, Eva Bogner. Now, though, in the 1st Round, Patty had to
play the 1969 World Womens Doubles Co-Champion, Zoya Rudnova. Pattys hard-rubber
block and flat hit did not much bother the Soviet star, though Shazzi said that Rudnovas
jerky movements against Patty suggested that, although she was winning the match handily,
she wasnt enjoying it.
Ah, Shazzi concluded, if only our girls were geographically located to take advantage
of strong competition. We need a bridge into the future. We need someone imaginative who
can engineer our players largest hopes. That means we need foreign help?
Shazzi emphasizes three 2nd
Jill Hammersleys great
Round matches. South Korean attacker
comeback stopped by South
Park Mi Ra was fortunate to get by
Koreas Park Mi Ra
Photo by Mal Anderson
English defender Jill Hammersley. After
losing the first two games, Hammersley
had rallied and, as Shazzi points out,
was well ahead in the 5th. Then she
became too tight. The last few points,
the very crucial ones, she tried to hit in
with her backhand, and missed
completely. Shazzi says she later
overheard Jill confide to a friend that the balls shed tried to smash were set-upsit was just
that her hand was too shaky. So she went down, deuce in the 5th.
Against Scandinavian Open Champ Lee Ailesa, mainstay of South Koreas winning
Corbillon Cup Team, Birgitta Radberg played, as Shazzi says, a long drafty match (they were
assigned a table by one of the doors leading into the hall [and didnt protest?]. This was
Englands Linda
Howard beat a
deserved to win
Judy in 5

488

another of those matches that showed just how streaky play could be. From 9-all in the 5th, the
Korean made a few bad shots, then surprisingly fell apart. Radberg went on to win the game 2110. Despite this collapse, Lee, after play here in Sarajevo, would be ranked World #2.
Radbergs Swedish teammate Lena Anderson, whom Shazzi thought had good
serves (Dont ask me what kind. I have to play against her to know), was beaten by Cheng
Huai-ying, the cute Chinese girl with pig-tails some of you may remember from last years
Chinese Teams tour in the U.S., in a good, hard, fast-hitting match.
Although, looking back, one could see that after 1955 no European woman was ever
World Singles Champion, its interesting to note that 19 of the last 32 players in this 73
Worlds Womens Singles Championship were European (7 were Chinese, 4 Japanese, and 2
South Korean). Half a dozen years into the new millenium, how many native-born Europeans
would you find in the Top 32 of the World Rankings? Maybe 4?
Three of the four Europeans whod beaten our U.S. women made it to the 3rd Round
16ths. However, only Shilanova, whod looked to be a loser to Angie, with a contested but
straight-game win over the USSRs Rita Pogosova, was able to advance to the 8ths. Howard
was quickly dispatched by Swedish Champion Radberg. But Rudnova, starting slowly against
Park Mi Ra, put up a fight. Shazzi says that the Soviet girl occasionally turned to Gomozkov,
the only Russian sitting there for the beginning of the match, as if for help or reassurance. But
all she got was the back of his headcause he was watching other matches. After Rudnova
had lost the first two games, the 2nd at 19 as she was beginning to find her game, and had
then, as other Russians came by to watch, won the 3rd at 14, she looked like she might turn
the match around. But Shazzi was critical of how little encouragement anyone gave her.
Very little clapping or reassurance. This, Shazzi rightly thought, might have affected the 2118 4th and final game outcome.
Two of the seven Chinese were stopped in the 16ths. Chopper Chou Pao-chin, down a
game (and 59-58 down a point) going into the 4th, was suddenly (and surprisingly?)
overpowered by Japans Tomie Edano, also a shakehands player. Yang Chun, a penholder
swatting away at Hungarys Beatrix Kishazis predictable chop returns, was up 2-1 and 20-19
match point whensurprise, surpriseKishazi unexpectedly smacked in a good backhand
and went on to win that 4th game at deuce, and then the 5th at 19. Wow, said Shazzi, really
struck by Kishazis expertly-timed and fearless departure from the giventhe exception that
proved the rule of years of successful defensive play.
Another Chinese, though moving ahead, experienced a
difficult, deuce-in-the-4th time with Kishazis tall, husky
teammate, Judit Magos, a penhold attacker. Ditto, 19-in-the4th, for South Korean Chung Hyun Sooks advance over
Yugoslavs Resler.
In the round of 16 East vs. West matches, USSRs
Elmira Antonian upset Chinas Cheng Min-chih, whod been
the runner-up at Nagoya. Shazzi, whod watched this match
from a distance, said that it looked like a push-pick game at
first, then more like the Russian was hitting and the Chinese
chopping. Whatever the strategy, by whomever, the Chinese
lost, whisper-close19 in the 5th.
Chinas Lin Mei-chen, after winning the 1st, went
down docilely to Radberg.
USSRs Elmira Antonian
489

China offset those loses some with Hu YuChinas Chang Li lans straight-game defeat of Romanias feisty
later U.S. National Coach Zhang Li
From Chinas Table Tennis
Maria Alexandru, a tenacious, not always lady-like
defender.
Europeans lost two of the remaining three
CzechsHana Riedlova was crushed by the
Korean Chung, and Silhanova was beaten in 4 by
Chinas Chang Li, many years later Zhang Li, the
U.S. National Womens Coach.
But Czech Open Champ Alicia Grofova
rose from the dead against Hungarys Top 12
winner, defender Kishazi. After losing the 1st,
Grofova had been up 16-9...only to eventually
drop this game, as if mortally stricken, at 17.
Surely she was finished. But, no, rallying, she won
the 3rd. And then, Shazzi tells us, At 19-all in the
4th Grofova hit in three very good, hard shots in
succession to win the point and from there prevailed.
In East vs. East matches, one Japanese came through, one didnt. Yukie Ohzeki, who,
in 1974, in the first big wave of foreign players to enter our U.S. Open would win the
Womens Championship, snipped the pig-tails off Chinas Cheng Huai-ying, 19 in the 4th. But
Tomie Edano was outhit and, down 20-19 in the deciding 3rd, outnetted, by the Korean Park.
One European chance for the semis slipped away when Radberg, up 2-1 on Hu in a
match that was often a pushing duel, couldnt survive the advent of the Expedite Rule in the
late stages of the 4th. In the 5th, Shazzi tells us, Hu, hitting in some magnificent shots on
her service, is up 10-7 at the turn. Radberg gets tight, begins making more mistakes as she
sees her chances slipping away and can only get one more point.
Europe, however, was still assured of a semifinalist. But who? Antonian and Grofova
began by playing a tense 1st game. Antonians loop gave Grofova some trouble, said
Shazzisometimes the Czech girl blocked it back too high and the Russian killed it.
Antonian hit well, both forehands and backhands, off the push. Grofova was hitting toobut
not as much. When Grofova won this 1st game at 19 it must have given her confidence, for,
as Shazzi says, she began hitting more, especially a hard forehand down the lineand, with
Antonians game in tatters, the match turned into an 8, 11 rout.
Japans last chance to regain the title shed almost taken for granted from the mid-50s
all through the 60s was thwarted when Ohzeki was beaten in a 19 in the 4th swingfest by
Park.
Parks teammate Chung looked as if she might come through after she took the first
two games from Hu. The Chinese penholder played a nice steady topspin to the Korean girls
backhand chop, said Shazzi. Sometimeswhen she was in troublethe Korean hit. At 20all in the 2nd, she socked a backhand in for one point, a forehand in for another. But when
she lost the 3rd at 18, she could no longer challenge.
The semis between Grofova and Park had to have been much anticipated, for no
Korean had ever been in a Womans final. In winning 19, 18, -19, 14, Shazzi said, Grofova hit
more this matchin fact, seemed to turn into a hitter. For the first time in at least 20 years
then, Czechoslovakia, once a great power in the Sport, had a Singles finalist.
490

Alicia Grofova
Photo by Jack Wiener

Chinas Hu Yu-lan (L) defeats Czechoslavkias Alicia Grofova to win

the 1973 World Womens Singles
Photo by Mal Anderson

Grofovas certain opponent was a Chinese. Who, certainly, the Chinese had decided
would win was best known only to themselves. Shazzis description of this Hu Yu-lan/Chang
Li semis suggests uncertainty. The pattern was this: serve, push a few, then pick one
(forehand or backhand) or get into an exchange. Both players styles varied somewhat from
their previous play. Chang Li, the penholder, had used a forehand topspin to beat the Korean
Chung Hyun Sookbut in this match she didnt use that shot at all. Hu Yu-lan, the
shakehands player, had beaten Radberg by pushing, chopping, and only occasionally hitting
then she hadnt been interested in exchanging. (Shed also earlier used a forehand roll to beat
Alexandrunow in this match she didnt use it at all.) Now she did a lot of exchanging. Up 21 and 20-18 in the 4th, she served off. Shows it can happen to anybody, huh? But then she got
her next serve up and over, and Chang returned it into the net. If this was a coded ending,
you read it.
At the last Worlds in Nagoya, in the quarters of the Singles, Grofova had faced China
superstar Cheng Min-chih (71 Womens and Mixed Doubles Champion and Singles runnerup). Then the Czech had been decidedly checkedhad managed a 3-game total of only 32
points. A sign, you say, of Grofovas chances in 73? Correct. But given her improvement in
getting to the final (and a draw that enabled her to avoid the Chinese), this time she scored 42
points.
So, World Championship to Hu Yu-lan. And Czechoslovakia would have to wait...and
wait...and wait before any of her players would have such an opportunity again.
Womens/Mixed Doubles
In the absence of Lin Hui-ching, Cheng Min-chih could not defend her Womens
Doubles title, but another Chinese pairChou Pao-chin and Lin Mei-chuncame to the
forefront, defeating, first, Lee and Park, deuce in the 4th in the quarters (our Judy and Patty,
playing well, had earlier forced these Koreans into a 23-21 game), then downing European
491

defensive stars Kishazi and Hammersley, 19 in the 5th in the semis. From the other side came
former World Womens Doubles Champion Maria Alexandru, whod won 12 years earlier with
a Rumanian teammate, but was paired here with a Japanese, Miho Hamada, whod not made
the last 32 in the Singles. In both the quarters and the semis, against non-Chinese teams,
theyd won comfortably in the 4th. I thought that, since Kishazi and Hammersley, in that half
of the draw with the strong Chinese, had knocked out Chang Li and Cheng Huai-ying in the
quarters and were playing Chou and Lin down to the wire in the 5th, China might allow them
the chance to win the title. Instead, the Chinese chose to fold against the Alexandru-Hamada
pair in what had to be an 11, 18, 14 debacle of a final.
Interestingly, too, in the Mixed, Li Li, who didnt make the last 32 in Singles, and who
wouldnt be ranked in the Top 30 in the world, teamed with Liang Ko-liang, whose stature had
fallen with that tie-turning Team loss to Swedens Ingemar Wikstrom, to win the title. Was
there an all-Chinese final? That had depended on...in this case, the Soviets Anatoly Strokatov
and Astra Gedraitite. In the round of 16 theyd gotten by one formidable Chinese pair,
Defending Champions Chang Shih-lin and Cheng Min-chih, 18 in the 5th, and in the semis
theyd defeated Yu Chang-chun and Cheng Huai-ying -15, 14, 20, 12. Perhaps then it was too
much to ask of Strokatov (World #30) and Gedraitite (World #22) that theyd beat the third
Chinese pairand they lost 19 in the 4th.
Mens Singles
Just as our women didnt embarrass themselves in Singles play, neither did our menthey,
too, performed at their level. But had we made the First Division, they might have had the
confidence to pull out some matches they lost. In the 2nd Preliminary Round, in which they were all
still competing, Peter Pradit, whod earlier had -19, 19, 15, 16 problems with the Netherlands #2,
Bert Schoofs, succumbed to Australias Paul Pinkewich in 5, after being up 1-0 and at deuce in the
2nd. And Fuarnado Roberts was beaten, 19 in the 4th, by Schoofs teammate, Nico Von Slobbe, the
Netherlands #4. However, Danny Seemiller advanced with a 2-1 win over the Swiss Markus
Frutschi. And Bernie Bukiet, who quite likely was the oldest player in the competition, belied his
54-year-old legs by continuing to advance without losing a game.

Fuarnado Roberts in losing in 4 to the

Netherlands Nico Von Slobbe draws the attention
of the English Womens Team

U.S. Champion D-J Lee is no match for perennial

French Champion Jacques Secretin

Photo by Mal Anderson

Photo by Mal Anderson

492

In the 3rd Preliminary Round, in a match on another day he might have won three
straight, Danny saw his momentum 14, -22, -23, -13 abruptly stopped by Yugoslavias #7,
Milorad Zivanovic. And Bernies hopes too were quashed, 18 in the 4th, by Australias
Stephen Knapp. As for our Champion, D-J Lee, whod been drawn into the 128-entry proper,
he lost, 3-zip as expected, to Jacques Secretin, the French #1. Although all our men were
eligible for the Consolation event, D-J begged off with a sore ankle, and of the others only
Danny playedand reached the 4th Round before losing, 2-0, to Yugoslav defender Bela
Mesaros.
Even after the contending players had reached the round of 32, 14 of the 16 matches
went but 3 gamesnone more strikingly lost than (perhaps Pavel, the Yugoslav psychologist,
discouraged, had left the Team?) Milivoj Karakasevics 4, 12, 7 collapse vs. Japans 1967
runner-up Mitsuru Kohno.
Although Europeans comprised 3/4 of the 16ths field, a number of Europes fine
players either obviously underperformed after advancing to that 3rd round or, worse, were
upset in the 1st or 2nd round. So, in fairness to Karakasevic and the Czech Jaroslav Kunz
(who averaged only 11 points against Japans Yujiro Imano), and to such very strong players
as Stellan Bengtsson, Istvan Jonyer, Tibor Klampar, and Eberhard Scholeras well as Chinese
giants Hsu Shao-fa, Li Ching-kuang, and Tiao Wen-yuanit might be well to note U.S.
Analyst Dell Sweeriss thoughts on how the grueling team event had to affect the singles
performance of some of the key players.
The matches in the Teams, Dell pointed out, were all so close because of the new
system where you only play the teams you are close to. That is, whatever the Division, the 14
teams in it were grouped according to contiguous rankings, divided into two round robins,
and, after the six ties were completed, played two more crossover ties for final positioning.
There were more 5-4 and 5-3 ties in this Worlds than any I have seen and when you are
involved in a key, close match you do not hold back your game to save energy for the
Singles.
Dell suggested that perhaps itd be better if, after the Teams, Doubles play would
precede Singles. He noted that Swedens Kjell Johansson, unlike some other good players,
received an extra bye in the draw which, since hed lost some unexpected matches in the
Teams (to the Indonesian Utomo, for example), might have helped him recover his strength
and allow him to become better focused. Perhaps Dell was right, for though The Hammer
advanced to the round of 16, he didnt always hit the nail on the head in his 19, 12, 20 match
with the Korean Choi. As for Johanssons teammate Bengtsson, he looked shaky from the
beginningbarely beat the current German National Champion, blocker Wilfried Lieck
The only two matches in the round of 32 that went four games involved Chinese
players. Scandinavian Open runner-up Yu-Yi-tse wasted a 21-8 game against Japans Kuze,
for, though Yu outscored his opponent in total points, 76-73, he lost -20, -20, -15. And Hsi
En-ting gave up the 1st game before allowing Hungarys Beleznai only 35 points in the last 3.
Incidentally, Sweeris didnt think much of Beleznais more celebrated teammates, Jonyer and
Klampar, and the spectacular sidespin loops theyd brought to the 71 Worlds. Their discusthrower motion had to be executed from a set position and a deep one, and Dell felt that any
return would demandwhat was often not forthcominga smooth recovery and follow-up.
Survivors into the round of 16 included 10 Europeans, 3 Chinese, and 3 Japanese (though
not Nobuhiko Hasegawa, whose spin game from deep court Sweeris thought no longer so
effective, nor Norio Takashima whod suffered a back injury in the team tie against Sweden).
493

Three-game winners in these 8ths were:

Hsi over Gomozkov (23-21 in the 2nd)after the Russian had done the giant-killing
job of knocking out Defending World Champion Bengtsson whom Dell had said was clearly
the best player at these Championships.
Borzsei, easily, over Imano.
Surbek, whod dropped a game to Canadas Errol Caetano, over Kuze (22-20 in the
3rd). Of course some were saying that the draw had been fixed in his favor.
Stipancic over Li Fu-jung (19, 14, 21), whom Sweeris said now had a sheet of
inverted (to use in serving) on his unused side of the paddle. Dell felt that at least one new
serve the Chinese were promoting really didnt work very well. They tossed the ball about
four feet in the air and as it came down they would flutter their hand right then left and then
forward and the serve would speed fast and deep to their opponents. The good players,
Dell said, were so caught up in the motion that they forgot to watch the ball. But the great
players seemed to have little trouble in following the spin, relaxing and forcefully returning
the serves.
Since Li Fu-jung had a formidable weapon in his own forehand attack against the
penhold attacks of Koreas Hong Chong Hyon and Japans Tokio Tasaka, it was a shock to
Sweeris that against Stipancics two-sided spin game Li couldnt aggressively take the offense
with any accuracy and so was reduced to mainly blocking.
The last Russian, Sarkhayan, zipped away the last Englishman, Nealebut not before
Denis with his pips and placements had rubbed out Hasegawa and Hungarys Gabor Gergely.
There were two four-game 8ths matches:
Secretin defeat Liang Ko-liang (proving that those whod lobbied for the legitimacy of
the Frenchmans win over Liang in the Teams were justified?).
Johansson -18, 16, 20, 16 stopped 1971 Consolation Champion Istvan Korpa, whod
earlier taken out 69 runner-up Scholer.
And in the one 5-game match that saw the last of the once powerful Japanese, Milan
Orlowski, finalist to Bengtsson in the Czech Open, rallied from 2-1 down to dramatically (216) finish off Kohno. Sweeris was understandably impressed with this Czechs advance and his
15-4 record in the Team event.
However, though Sweeris said Orlowski had often demonstrated the ability to play off
spin and the quickness to counter the power of his opponent, in the quarters, in losing in 4 to
the tactically adept Hsi En-ting, he showed a slight inability to play a forceful game without
using the lead of his opponent.
Dell projected, if not reservations about Johanssons game, an awareness that what
was once so electric about his play had been modifiedsaid he was not anything like the
colorful hammer of the late 1960s. There were not nearly so many kill shots from ten feet
back. He was not spinning from the barriers with great range. But his quarters play was
strong enough to get him by the smooth-looking Sarkhayan in 5.
The case had been made that, after the locals had seen the play of Surbek and
Stipancic, the Sport would become more popular in Sarajevo. Whether this was true or not,
Top 12 finalist Surbek, in overpowering Secretin 3-0, and Stipancic, in spinning down
Hungarys surprising (antispin player?) Janos Borzsei in 4, were certainly doing their partas
were the drawmakers after Yugoslavias poor performance in the Teams.
494

Stipancic vs. winner Hsi En-ting

Photo by Mal Anderson

In the semis, however, the home-country heroes met their hard-fought end. One heard
whispers, then whistles. Two very disappointing matches for most of the spectators. Hsi 19,
19, -12, -20, 19 spoiled a stirring comeback by Stipancic, and Johansson, anchored now at the
table, was able to contain the tiger in Surbek, 20, -16, 13, -13, 16.

Surbek vs. winner Johansson

Photo by Mal Anderson

495

The final, won by Hsi, 18,

-13, -13, 19, 18, was a study in
ball control by both players.
Sweeris wondered why, since Hsi
used his backhand well in
returning spin and placement, and
therefore never felt the need to be
in any way desperate with his
forehand, he played penholder.
Why, said Dell, had Hsi gone
through the aggravation of
learning the unnatural execution of
a penhold backhand when the
superior penhold forehand is not
used?
However, Sweeris did
approve of Johanssons new-made
modifications to his earlier
flamboyant hammer style. Now,
said Dell, Kjell straight-counters
Chinas Hsi En-ting wins 1973 World Mens Singles
the ball with both forehand and
in 5 from Swedens Kjell Johansson
backhand from about one to five
Photo by Mal Anderson
feet from the table. His backhand
is now very consistent and effective and no longer needs to be compensated for with his
forehand. Everything now looks controlled and sure instead of flashy and a bit unsure. Still,
errors are inevitable. Up 2-1 against Hsi, but down 20-19, Johansson (unsure?) pushed his
serve return into the net. That was very costly because although the end-game in the 5th too
could have been won by either player, it was Hsi whom Chance repeatedly favored.
Mens Doubles
Three of the four Chinese doubles teams advanced to the quartersthough Hsi Enting/Wang Wen-hua, having taken heart in earlier battling their way by our D-J Lee/Peter
Pradit duo in 5, lapsed a little more, for in winning -16, -11, 19, 20, 8 gave Kohno/Tasaka, the
only Japanese team in the last 16, every opportunity to stay alive. You might also say that in
the quarters this Chinese pair, succeeding in losing this time, were 15, -16, 16, -7, -13, overly
generous to Surbek/Stipancic.
The other two Chinese teams also lost in the quarters, setting up a sure European
winner. Bengtsson/Johansson 21, -18, 19, 22 were strikingly tested by an apparently
invigorated Liang and his partner, Yu Chang-chun, whod been no threat at all in the singles.
And Jonyer on getting Klampar out of those up and down elevators he was reported to have
so much enjoyed riding in, and steering him out to court as if for a fun stop on a floor with an
overview, masterminded their stay long enough to win three 23-21 games from Tiao/Yu.
And just as Karakasevic/Korpa hadnt quite been able to rise to the occasion, losing in
the 5th, after being down 2-0, to Secretin and J.D. Constantthe French team the Swedes
wouldnt afterwards allow 40 points toso Surbek/Stipancic, to the dismay of their Sarajevo
supporters, fell to Hungarys Defending Champions, Jonyer/Klampar, 14, -20, -19, -21.
496

After
Johanssons
unlucky endgame singles loss,
it must have been
difficult for him
to immediately go
out for the
Doubles final. But
it was really no
surprise that he
could support
Bengtsson in a 5game win, for
Swedens Bengtsson/Johansson (R) about to win the 1973 World Mens Doubles
hed been the
Championship from Defending Champions Hungarys Jonyer/Klampar
holder of this
Photo by Mal Anderson
Championship
with Hans Alser in 67 and 69, and he was of course a professional player. How professional
U.S. audiences would soon be able to see for themselvesfor in 1974, in Oklahoma City, and
again in 1975, in Houston, he would win back-to-back U.S. Opens.
Our U.S. Teams of course did not win any Championships in Sarajevo, but their more
than limited success brings this volume to an encouraging close. A very satisfying Worlds it
was. Our players, our supporters, were inspired to bring our country forward. From World
#28 our men had moved to World #17only one place from the Championship Division. Who
could not help but think, but feel, there was a future for us in the Game. The Swedes in their
Bordtennis gave the most powerful of 73 Worlds summaries in the briefest of phrases:
Best country: China
Most deteriorated country: Japan
Most technical player: Sarkhojan (Russia):
Best serves: Hsu Shao-fa (China)
Public favorites: Yugoslavia
Most heard country: USA
And heard, too, in Topics (Sept.-Oct., 1972, 5) this poem, Sarajevo, by Ivo Andric.
The steep slopes around Sarajevo are even today full
of Moslem graveyards with the so-called nichan white tombstones.
Like white armies in constant march or like everlasting snow avalanches,
these graveyards are forever descending down the declivities.
In the course of years and centuries
these armies have become more rare and the snow avalanches thinner.
For the graveyards have their death too.
Many a white, formerly perpendicular tombstone has fallen
or become inclined as if getting ready to lie down
in the grave together with its deceased.
497

In some graveyards, as in the nicest one at Alifakovac,

the dense, slender nishan-tombstones are bent over
like entangled white stalks of corn.
These graveyards have something about them not only picturesque,
but also poetically exciting in their origin and their disappearance,
in their contrast with the new life
pulsating and seething in the town below.
There is nothing repugnant or frightening in them
but only something quieting and pure and dignified
which is simply an expression of the reasonable and heroic human
attitude towards death by those who rest there in peace
The poetry of these graveyards will find its poets,
but they will not be poets of death but poets of life.
I relate to this poem. Have myself on many an occasion visited the graveyards of
playersand will continue to do so, believing that their life-affirming years of devotion to the
Sport must be remembered.*
SELECTED NOTES
*Conscious of my own sometime-approaching leave, I herewith hope to preserve, as if
I feared it might otherwise not be, an article I wrote paying homage to the great World
Champion Richard Bergmann. It appeared in Topics (Nov.-Dec., 1992, 35), and is called A
Little Late For The Unveiling:
In late April of this year [1992], looking (for something that escapes me now)
deep into one of my many, it may be, history-preserving boxes of table tennis articles,
press-clippings, photos, letters, player-memorabilia of all kinds, I by chance came upon
the notice of an Unveiling of a Monument in Memory of 4-time World Mens Singles
Champion Richard Bergmann. The date was May 2, 1971, the cemetery Mt. Ararat,
located, according to the map accompanying the Notice, just off Exit 33 of Long
Islands Southern State Parkwaya mere 15 minutes from my home.
I was surprised. I knew of course that, like so many other Europeans,
Bergmann had the most promising of careers devastatingly interruptedafter the
Cairo, 1939 Worldsuntil the Wembley, 1948 Worldsand that, from the mid-50s
on after his competitive days were over, he had toured not just North America but
most of the world giving half-time exhibitions with the Harlem Globetrotters. But for
some reason it had never registered with me that this famous Austrian-born,
naturalized Briton had been buried in the U.S.and so astonishingly close to the home
my family and I had been quite settled into now for almost 30 years.
On hearing stories about Richard (he was always called Richard) from such
well-known players as Dick Miles, Marty Reisman, Bernie Bukiet, and Derek Wall,
among others, and from having read his obituariesin the very first of my more than
100 Editors issues, and elsewhereId come to believe that he was the archetypal
table tennis professional, a man who genuinely believed that Table Tennis was a great
sport and that he, unparalleled Champion and Sportsman that he was, personified this
greatness more than anyone who ever lived.
498

Richard the Lion-Hearted hed been called. What a competitor!that was the
thought that had impressed me most about him. In 48, for example, in an early round,
down 2-0 and 10-2, thenbefore the final fight, eyes closed, stretched out on a hard,
wooden bench, calmly restingand, afterwards, increasing ascendancy in the Sports
record books. How seriously he took himself, how incredibly confident he was.
Graduallythough I was no longer conventionally religiousthe idea
surfaced: why not pay him, or, rather, his grave, a visit?
The date of the Unveiling had struck me: May 2, 1971. That was, almost to the
day, 21 years ago. How exactingly appropriate, I thoughtsince to all table tennis
players 21 was the always the much desired, near mystical number. And had not
Bergmann himself entitled his own book, published precisely 21 years earlier, TwentyOne Up?
Destiny (or some unclear, suspect motive of my own?) had begun to weave and
preserve for me the strands of an irresistible pattern.
I went so far as to look up the number 21 in J.E. Cirlots A Dictionary of
Symbols. It was imaginatively easy. Two plus one equals three. Three equalsdo you
believe it?a spiritual synthesis. Three forms a half circle compromising: birth,
zenith, and descent. Associated with heaven and the Trinity, it no doubt appealed to
that submerged part of my now more catholic than Catholic consciousness. To me it
suggested sufficiency, or the growth of unity within. Bergmann: off the table, his own
worst enemy, said ITTF founder/president Ivor Montagu; on the table, his inner self
profoundly in control, a perfect role model. How different the drives we all have to our
end.
May 2, 1992, I started out for Mt. Ararat, the cemetery named after the
mountain on which, after the Deluge, Noahs ark came to rest.
Exit 33 was very easy to spot and immediately on coming off the Parkway to
the intersection I saw, on the other side, the cemetery. But, crossing over, momentarily
losing my approach-way, and, frustrated (why was I in such a hurry?) making an illegal
turn to circle back, I tried entrance after entrance, but they were all locked. Why was
the place so deserted? Did no one visit there anymore? Surely that was impossible.
I stopped at Wellwood Memorials, the only place of habitation nearby, where
stones for the dead proliferated out in every directionan unkempt poor substitute for
the unavailable neighboring cemetery itself. The man who greeted me inside was very
obliging. Its Saturday, the Sabbath, he said, answering my question kindly, with
apologetic regret. The cemeterys open six days a week, but today its closed.
Oh, of course, I replied. But I hadnt realized that Mt. Ararat was a Jewish
cemetery or that there were days you couldnt get in. Had it been the same when I was
growing up? You didnt make a visit on a Sunday?
Im looking for Section 14 C, I said. When I come back, which gate do I enter?
For a Long Islander this man was extraordinarily friendly. He insisted I wait
until hed gone back into the interior of his store to bring me a detailed section plan,
and then he tried with an X to direct me to the grave. I thanked him and, with some
sense of having partly fulfilled a duty, went home.
The number-synthesis (I was no more than whimsically making?) was now broken.
And, cmon, what real interest did I have in going to Bergmanns grave anyway? Was I ever
even introduced to the man? Perhaps. But Im sure wed never spoken.
499

May 2, 1971I couldnt resist. I checked it out. Sure enough, it fell on a

Sunday. So, tomorrow, May 3, 21 years worth of Sundays, would be fine too. Except
that I was entered in a table tennis tournament and certainly wasnt committed enough
to (what?my new-found New Age interest in Numerology?) to give up playing. Id
go to the grave another time.
Sunday, May 2421 days hencehow about then?Nope, Id be away
another tournament.
As it turned out, I was in no danger of postponing my visit indefinitely. May
25, Memorial Daycertainly such a day of observance had to be age-old-acceptable
for my show of homage, my cyclical synthesis (for, after all, in World War II Bergmann
had done his bit, had landed in France on D-day).
And this time, around 10:30 on an overcast morning, the Mt. Ararat gates were
open to the graves within. But not a soul, or should I say mourner, was anywhere
about.
Slowly, trying to familiarize myself with the section plan the Memorial-man had
given me, I drove about until, on generally adapting myself to the area, I just stopped
the car and got out. Other than myself there were only a couple of landscapers to be
seen.
Looking left and right at the tombstones, I followed one of the long, parallel
walks that crossed the grassy plots, but stopped abruptly when I came to a stake that
said Section 16. Then, doubling back, I noticed the numbered section stones embedded
into the ground and found E 14D14C14 and thenit was much like the
surrounding others, though one of the largestthe monument that read:
BERGMANN
BRYAN
NURICK
A stone-etched flame (I thought of Aladdins lamp) seemed to want to burn
forever on the left side of these names.
Footstones lay before the monument. So, left, right, then the momentary,
unsheltering little thrill of discovery. Engraved there, surfaced over by grass-leavings
that were easily brushed away, its first line wedged in Hebraic characters
indecipherable to me, the stone said:

500

Id brought no flowers; did not take my cap off, did not say a prayer, just stood
there, notebook and pen in hand.No more time-limit matches, Richard; no more
under-the-table warning-alarms going off.
And the other stones. What did they say?
Alongside Richard, his mother, Sophia Bergmann (Sept. 7, 1891June 5,
1980). You work hard, shed told him, and some day you will be an engineer and
make money. She was a grieving 78 when her 51-year-old son died in a London
nursing home of a brain tumorbrought on, someone said because in middle-age hed
dyed his hair so black. What a ladies man he was. Richard, a table tennis friend on
accompanying him to his flat once asked, why are there no chairs in the room?So
the girls will have to sit on the bed, he answered. Its easier that way.
No halo for this revered Champion; rather (I liked Montagus phrase), the aura
of insurrection against authority with which Richard sometimes surrounded himself.
And in the family plot: Frieda and Theodore Nurick (Maj. U.S. ArmyWorld
War II)Frieda being, I assumed, one of Richards four sisters. And Frank C. Bryan
(Kind Heart, Gifted Hands, and a Gentle Soul)the 8-years- now deceased husband
of one of those other sisters.Spaces for the living remained.
What more, pad in hand, was I to silently scribble?At the end (wrote one of
his visitors, Roy Evans, Montagus long-time successor, himself succeeded now),
Bergmann, in that bed, mute and paralyzed. A final suspension.
My god, Tim, dont be stupid. The roguish Champ, even when hard up, did
have a sense of humor. Was it World runner-up Bellaks line that Reisman so liked?
Bergmann was weak on his backhandbut I never saw him miss one.
From the right of the monument an outstretched branch of a pine tree shaded
the name BERGMANN. A nice touch. I looked down, saw a fallen pine cone, and,
picking it up, put it in my pocket. All I want from your China trip, said my mother,
born before the turn-of-the century, is a piece of dirt at the foot of the Great Wall. My
sense of history, my sentimentality, what feeling of reverence I have, I owe to her?
Continuing to linger in front of Bergmanns footstone, I noticed again on the
flat top of the monument a bunch of small stones, and wondered how they got there.
There were a few scattered ones on neighboring monuments too. One of the
landscapers had come close by and I walked over and asked him about them. The
people put them there instead of flowers, he saidto show theyve been to the grave
and paid their respects.
I thanked him, but, before leaving the cemetery, walked back to the monument.
I couldnt resistI began to count the stones. Before I was halfway through I had a
wild hope as to what the total would be. And then in the next instant, though I
continued counting, I was sure. I counted the total, carefully, three times. There were
exactly 21 stones there.But whether this was by accident or design, I couldnt, and
still cant, say.

501

502

To order copies of
History of U.S. Table Tennis,
Volumes I, II, III, IV and V,
send $35 per book to:
Tim Boggan,
12 Lake Avenue,
Merrick, NY 11566

Photo by Mal Anderson 1973

Judy Bochenski, herself quite a bird,

in the Bascarsija Yard of the Pigeons
section of Sarajevo