March 30, 2017

USA Nationals Entry Form
While browsing around this morning I discovered that the entry form for the 2017 Supermicro USA Nationals was up. (Here’s a direct link to the print entry form.) This is the first I’d seen it – I printed it out and will go over it more closely later today. The tournament will be in Las Vegas, July 3-8 (Mon-Sat). (The hotel link still links to the U.S. Open hotel from December.)

There are a mind-boggling 97 events. Most are similar to last year’s Nationals. I did find some interesting items – for example, what appears to be Men’s and Women’s Singles are currently named simply “Hsing Family Foundation.” Presumably that’s a sponsor, but it probably should be “Hsing Family Foundation Men’s/Women’s Singles.” Beyond that are the usual events – Men’s & Women’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles; Junior, Cadet, and Mini-Cadet Team Trials (with the Cadets strangely listed differently as “Singles Team Trials”) for boys and girls; Under 10 and 21 & Under (also for boys and girls); numerous senior events, singles and doubles, ranging from Over 30 to Over 85; lots and lots of rating events, from U1000 to U2400, with the events from Under 2000 down mostly divided into Adult and Juniors categories, plus U4200 and U3200 Doubles; ten Hardbat and two Sandpaper events (Open and U1700); five Paralympic events; and something new, on Saturday, the last day - Junior and Adult Teams!

So what’s this about Team Events at the Nationals? We’ve had Junior Teams before, and there are both Boys’ and Girls’ Teams. But the Adults Teams is new. From the last page of the entry form:

Nationals Team Day

Saturday, July 8 2017

New – Adult Teams. Teams of 2-4 adult players. Teams must have matching uniform colors!

Teams will be divided into divisions of 8 teams. Limit of 80 teams (10 divisions).

Round Robin team play in two groups of four teams. Winners of each group will play for division championship.

Teams will be seeded by combined player rating of the team’s top-two players.

All team matches played in Corbillion [sic] Cup format (2 singles/1 doubles/2 singles).

Players must be 18 or older.

While I’ll be busy coaching, attending meetings (USATT Board, Coaching Committee, Hall of Fame Banquet), selling my table tennis books, taking on clipboard challenge matches, and probably running a coaching seminar, I’ll still find time for a few events. I’m playing Over 50 Men’s Doubles and Hardbat Doubles with Ty Hoff (so don’t even bother entering those events!), plus I’ll likely enter Over 40 Hardbat Singles. (I normally use sponge, but have won a number of hardbat titles at the Nationals and Open – Hardbat Singles twice, Over 40 Hardbat Singles four times, Over 50 Hardbat Doubles twice, and Hardbat Doubles 13 times (!) – nine of them with Ty.)

So now’s the time to start planning to spend July 3-8 in Las Vegas, playing, spectating, browsing the many equipment vendors, meeting old and new friends - plus, I'm told, there are other things to do in Las Vegas. Hope to see you there!

Videos from the USA Team Trials
Here’s the USATT Video Page, which includes the Team Trials and videos from past events.

China Confirms Players for the 2017 World Championship
Here’s the article and listing. Once again they are pairing up with non-Chinese in some of the doubles events, including Ma Long with Timo Boll (see below). The main surprise in the team listing is the #5 player on the Chinese Men’s Team is Lin Gaoyuan (world #49), not Fang Bo (world #10 and Men’s Singles Finalist at the last Worlds). The top four men on the Chinese team are also the top four men in the world – Ma Long, Fan Zhendong, Xu Xin, and Zhang Jike.

Together Again: Timo Boll and Ma Long
Here’s the ITTF article.

ITTF Headquarters in Lausanne
Here’s the video (2:23) – “Take a walk with us inside the International Table Tennis Federation Headquarters in Lausanne!”

Lance's 'Lincoln Table Tennis' Journal
Here’s the local news video (4:03) featuring the Lincoln TTA in Nebraska.

Outrageous No Look Chopping Skills by Stephane Ouaiche
Here’s the video (69 sec)!

Winter Pong?
Here’s the video (82 sec).

School Table Tennis in Germany?
Here’s the cartoon!

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