Oaks (Thousand Oaks TTC) lost to Bruins (Thousand Oaks TTC) 2-3

Eric Wang lost to Bowen Rao 2-3 (4, -9, 8, -8, 8)
Zhi Hao Lao lost to Angus Chung Hin Tse 0-3 (9, 8, 7)
Zhi Hao Lao/Liyang Zhang lost to Angus Chung Hin Tse/Bowen Rao 0-3 (5, 3, 7)
Grace Zhou defeated Max Lai 3-1 (6, 7, -11, 4)
Liyang Zhang defeated Taiyu Guo 3-0 (5, 5, 6)

Bowen, Angus, TaiYu, Max and Grace, Eric, LiYang, ZhiHao

ZhiHao plays with Angus

A recent team contest in Division 2A featured defending Division 2 champion Flip Side hosting The Westside International at Song Jeho’s Club in Koreatown. The Westside International have been fixtures in LATTF competition since the league’s inception, but since the teams were in different divisions last season, for some of the players, this was their first time competing at Song Jeho Table Tennis Club.

“It’s a nice, clean facility, and it was exciting playing there,” said Mark Hezinger, of The Westside International.

Despite being the underdogs, Mark started fearlessly, taking the first match for his team 3-1 (with scores of 10, -7, 10, 6). This initial confidence boost for the visitors proved short-lived as Flip Side used their home court advantage to capture the remaining matches, winning the team contest by a final score of 4-1.

Mark Hezinger in action for The Westside International

“In the first match, I was able to stick to my strategy and play to my strengths,” Hezinger mused after the team contest. “But in the doubles match they kept looping at the middle of the table, and the ball was so spinny … it tricked me.”

Mark and teammate Milan Obradovic eventually succumbed 0-3 in that match (by scores of 5, 10, and 6) to Flip Side’s pairing of John Eseo and Mike Tadiaman.

As great as it is to win, Mark pointed out that really, the most important part of participating in the league is was all the fun his team has had of visiting different clubs, meeting new people, and playing a variety of opponents. And in keeping with their team’s LATTF tradition, after their league match, the Westside players got together with their spouses and children and went out to dinner together at a local restaurant.

“It’s really nice having these experiences that bring people together and to be able to share quality time with your teammates and loved ones,” Mark reflected. After all, isn’t that really what the league is all about?

 Full results of the team contest: Flip Side vs. The Westside International (on 03/23/2013)

Bruins (Thousand Oaks TTC) defeated Santa Barbara TTC (Thousand Oaks TTC) 3-2

Xiao Jin lost to Branton Nestor 0-3 (7, 11, 8)
Angus Chung Hin Tse defeated Albert Alexandrov by default (uniform violation)
Max Lai/Taiyu Guo lost to Branton Nestor/Florian Winterstein 2-3 (3, -7, -10, 4, 8)
Bowen Rao defeated Florian Winterstein 3-0 (9, 5, 9)
Angus Chung Hin Tse defeated Branton Nestor 3-2 (9, -7, -18, 6, 10)

Bruins – Angus, Taiyu, Bowen, Max, Xiao & Santa Barbara TTC – Albert, Florian, Branton

Xiao takes on Branton

Hitmen (USA Valley TTC) lost to Bruins (Thousand Oaks TTC) 2-3

Kenneth Seiple lost to Xiao Jin 0-3 (5, 7, 8)
Sasanka Budhavarapu lost to Angus Chung Hin Tse 1-3 (-8, 5, 8, 8)
Simone Cecchini/Josh Bornstein defeated Taiyu Guo/Bowen Rao 3-2 (6, -6, 4, -11, 6)
Josh Bornstein lost to Bowen Rao 2-3 (-6, -9, 8, 8, 6)
Sasanka Budhavarapu defeated Max Lai 3-0 (5, 5, 2)

Bruins – Angus, Xiao, Max, Bowen, Taiyu & Hitmen – Simone, Josh, Shanks, Ken, Mike

Josh Bornstein takes on Bowen Rao

The Westside International (Westside TTC) lost to Oaks (Thousand Oaks TTC) 1-4

Ryousuke Adachi defeated Grace Zhou 3-2 (7, -7, 7, -8, 7)
Mark Hezinger lost to Zhi Hao Lao 1-3 (9, 8, -5, 8)
Mark Hezinger/Milan Obradovic lost to Liyang Zhang/Zhi Hao Lao 2-3 (-8, -5, 7, 11, 8)
Peter Clarke lost to Liyang Zhang 0-3 (4, 4, 1)
Milan Obradovic lost to Eric Wang 0-3 (2, 3, 5)

Milan Obradovic, Mark Hezinger, Ryousuke Adachi, Peter Clarke, Liyang Zhang, Grace Zhou, Eric Wang, Zhi Hao Lao

Milan Obradovic serves while Mark Hezinger is at the ready

Flip Side (Song Jeho TTC) defeated Hitmen (USA Valley TTC) 3-2

John Eseo lost to Sasanka Budhavarapu 0-3 (5, 5, 6)
Jay Tiu defeated Josh Bornstein 3-1 (-8, 2, 6, 8)
Eric Trillo/John Eseo defeated Sasanka Budhavarapu/Simone Cecchini 3-2 (-8, -7, 4, 5, 7)
Eric Trillo defeated Kenneth Seiple 3-1 (7, 6, -5, 1)
Jay Tiu lost to Sasanka Budhavarapu 1-3 (7, 7, -10, 6)

John Eseo, Mike Baggott, Sasanka Budhavarapu, Kenneth Seiple, Josh Bornstein, Eric Trillo, Simone Cecchini, Jay Tiu

Jay Tiu serves to Sasanka Budhavarapu

Flip Side (Song Jeho TTC) defeated The Westside International (Westside TTC) 4-1

John Eseo lost to Mark Hezinger 1-3 (10, -7, 10, 6)
Eric Trillo defeated Peter Clarke 3-0 (6, 1, 7)
John Eseo/Mike Tadiaman defeated Mark Hezinger/Milan Obradovic 3-0 (5, 10, 6)
Mike Tadiaman defeated Peter Clarke 3-0 (4, 5, 4)
Jay Tiu defeated Milan Obradovic 3-0 (7, 4, 7)

Flipside with John, Peter, Milan & Eric (Abby)

Peter playing Eric