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Gao is amazing and has the heart of a lion, smart, too. If you take that Holiday to LA this year, come during the LA Open, the $36,000 tournament she's running this summer. :-) Alan

Surprisingly, many people have been behind the scenes and can still reliably report that its a total mess. :-) Just saying'. Alan

None, at the moment. It won't become a statistical likelihood until membership numbers become much higher. :-)

Well, I think any discussion is better off when it is dealing with facts, and the tournament participation numbers that had been quoted were simply wrong, so I corrected them. Here's another way to look at the size of organized TT in America. There are more murderers who have served their time...

Para players can be QUITE good. Losing to World #1 is no disgrace, certainly. I am not mentally tough enough to employ the best tactics against players in chairs, which is to lob. :-/ Highly skilled para players will deny you the opportunity and more recreational para players...well it just...

I started playing in about 1970 and my Dad, who had played since 1948 bought a racket for me (a Butterfly Hans Alser!) and started taking me with him to the tables at our local college dormitories. I love TT for the friendships and exercise, the fact that a game goes so quickly as compared to...

It's a smart promotion! I meant to post it to the board a couple weeks ago, but I had less than 5 posts at that time and was not allowed to share the link! :-) Then I forgot to do it later. :-( But kudos to Butterfly for the way cool offer!

I was playing a rapidly improving loop-crazy junior at a US Nationals, I didn't feel too badly losing the first game 22-20, but he concluded the best of 3 to 21 by winning the second game 21-3. :-) Great between game coaching. (play to his backhand, they told him.) When the score sheet was...

I wasn't aware of any arguing, and I for one like to stick with facts, Richard. They are very convenient to have on your side in a discussion. :-) Nor do you or I get to decide who can or cannot argue on an open internet forum. That's something every reader/poster has to decide for themselves...

Great perspective, Carl, and true. Our pipeline to World and Olympic greatness has historically had a kink in it. It is definitely at age 18 when a promising player must decide to either attend college (and pretty much forget about ping pong) or leave the country and try to improve in Sweden...

Thank you so much for sharing that! I had not seen it before. And two of my favorite players! Kreanga played in the North American Teams in Baltimore one year and it was phenomenal to see him in action. He plays such a powerful game that I expected a much larger man! Yet when I met...

I'm sorry, but is that a typo? Did you mean to say 'over the year(s)? There are nowhere near that many unique individuals playing sanctioned tournaments in the United States annually. 8000 is the total membership figure and only about 30% of them are tournament active. That membership number...

It is no analysis. The guy finished first. To try to figure out a way to say he's not as good as the players he finished ahead of is nonsense. Ernesto is a very fine coach and he's been working with Ernesto for several years. He has done a good job with him and he has a fine knowledge of the...

Well stated. To phillpong: The prize money at the US Open is 'not bad' and the people of the host city are very welcoming and enthused about the players coming. I wasn't trying to throw down the gauntlet or anything, but well. :-) There are some 12 years in the Milpitas CA level that would...

I admire you for your patriotism and the belief you show in your young players. You know that this summer's US Open is an International tournament, yes? and that the ITTF has scheduled a Junior Circuit event to be run in junction with it, yes? It would be great if they would come to Grand...

Sometimes I think I must miss your meaning entirely. Landers finished in first place in the Trials. In what way do you think that puts him a step below 'many of the players'? Should he have finished higher than first? or did you want him to win in some way other than he did?

True. A couple of years ago the Sporting Goods Manufacturer's Association noted it as one of the fastest growing US sports, but that's based solely on sales of rackets and tables and such in department and sporting goods stores. For the most part, Americans are unaware that 'organized play' exists.

A fantastic shot from one of the greatest players to ever live! That he has amazed us before is a silly reason to belittle this highlight. For any of the rest of us, the shot of a lifetime. :-) For Waldner it is 'icing on the cake'. What great competitive spirit that he still seeks the podium...

The young man is Michael Landers. He will represent something in the future, he will represent the United States. He won his first Men's Singles title at 15. His coach is from the Phillipines, living in NYC. He's very hard-working and extremely bright with a good attitude. He began attending...

Amen. Because 2000 can be crossed in either direction. :-) There are plenty of former US National Team members with ratings now falling below 2000. Being over 70 will do that to you. :-) Their technique is not flawed, but their reflexes and eyesight have diminished. It is dangerous to make...