Hello all table tennis fans, I hope the weekend was as good to each of you as it was to the sport of table tennis. The past two days have seen some of the best table tennis imagineable. Playing on the unfamiliar Watto Outdoor Table Tennis Court, D Lee, C Tuck and Mt. J have for the past two days reached a level of table tennis that will take some surpassing. Tuck, having not beaten Lee since the early weeks of the competition (way back when Southwell could still be taken seriously as a challenger), made history on Sunday when he handed Lee his first ever series defeat. The best-of-five series was won 3-2 by Tuck and in one game featured the scarcely believable scoreline of 21-5 in Tuck’s favour.
However, like any true champion, Lee fought back hard on Monday, taking out an epic best-of-fifteen series 8-4. The series, which had earlier been locked up at 4-all, was played out under failing light in the overcast conditions of Monday afternoon, and Lee’s strokeplay proved to be the only shining light amid the gloomy surrounds.
Played outdoors, using a pink ball, this was table tennis for the future: slashing strokeplay, rallies that refused to end, heart-pumping thrillers, pain, frustration and, ultimately, glory for Lee. While this could have been the beginning of a new era in table tennis, some things refused to change. Congratulations Lee, but know this: the gap…is…closing.
Tags: table tennis, watson
