Racket Rally Stars Thrill Crowd at the Richmond Olympic Oval
April 4, 2009
…Athletic mastery and showmanship combined in first night of Racket Rally 2009
Table tennis stars Chen Weixing and Leung Chu Yan squared off in the first series of Racket Rally 2009 and thrilled devoted and appreciative fans of the sport at the Richmond Olympuic Oval. While Hong Kong's Leung Chu Yan emerged the victor 4 games to 2 in their best of seven match, the true winners were the fans who were treated to a display of athletic mastery and showmanship by the two titans of table tennis. Both players showed off skills that have made them top-ranked players in the world, but Chen Wexing, formerly ranked ninth in the world, also played to the crowd, jumping over sideline barriers to make returns during some spectacular rallies and engaging in comic interaction with fans and officials.
Meanwhile, rising star Andre Tedjono of Indonesia upset badminton legend and fellow countryman Taufik Hidayat, 13-21, 21-13, 21-12 in the opening best of three badminton match. Currently ranked number 18 in the world, Tedjono came from behind to beat seventh-ranked Hidayat in a game filled with disputed calls that delighted the knowledgeable fans at the Oval. A former Olympic Gold Medallist and holder of an overpowering world record forehand smash, Hidayat may be best known for his run-ins with fans and officials and he did not dispappoint the badminton faithful Friday.
Racket Rally continues today at 2 p.m. Hidayat taking on Joachim Persson of Denmark, currently ranked sixth in the world. Leing Chu Wan faces off against Olympic semi-finalist Robert Gardos of Austria in the afternoon's table tennis match.
Tonight's 7 p.m. session features Persson vs. Tedjono in badminton and Gardos vs. Weixing in table tennis.
Racket Rally concludes Sunday at 3 p.m. with the tournament finals and appearances by top-ranked Canadians Andrew Dabeka (badminton) and Pradeeban Peter-Paul (table tennis).
Limited seats remain for all sessions and are available through Ticketmaster or at the door. The Richmond Olympic Oval is at 6111 River Road. For more information about Racket Rally go to www.racketrally.net.
