WW resident is champion in table tennis
By Justin Feil, Assistant Sports Editor
David Zhuang felt like crawling back to his car after the U.S. national table tennis trials in Philadelphia last month, but he could crawl home happy.
”After the tournament, for three days I could barely walk,” Zhuang said. “I couldn’t lift my legs. I’ve been playing for so many years. I’ve gotten to so many stages. I never ever felt that tired mentally and physically. I was proud of myself for getting through it.”
The West Windsor resident was the top finisher, one of four men to advance to the North American Qualification Tournament that will be held April 4-6 in Vancouver, British Columbia. If Zhuang finishes among the top three there, he will advance to what would be his third Olympics and first since 2000 in Sydney, Australia.
”It’s going to be very difficult,” he said. “Canadians are very tough opponents. They have a good training system compared to us. Their national team trains together every day.”
Zhuang was 9-2 in the U.S. Trials. Han Xiao of Germantown, Md., was also 9-2. Eric Owen of Oakbrook Terrace, Ill., and Cheng Yinghua of Boyds, Md., were the others to reach the North American qualifier.
”Right now, there are a whole bunch of youngsters,” Zhuang said. “They’re training hard. They work hard. I did not expect to beat them. I gave up all my coaching time and traveled to China before the tryout. I wanted to prepare for the tryout. A few of the matches were very tough.”
At 44 years old, Zhuang is well beyond the age when most top table tennis players peak, though he is a spring chicken compared to Yinghua, who is a North American qualifier at age 49. U.S. Trials runner-up Xiao is 21 years old. Wang Hao, the top ranked table tennis player in the world, is 20 years younger than Zhuang at 24. No. 2 Ma Lin is 27. And No. 4 Ma Long isn’t 20 yet.
”Experience really helped my game,” Zhuang said. “I was guessing more correct than they guessed me. I can read them when I look at their face. In that situation, I can tell when they’re more nervous. I have the experience two times of being an Olympian. The youngsters, they have no Olympic experience.
”I remember my first try was 1996. I remember very clearly at that point, I was so nervous. You couldn’t believe it. I was scared. There was one match in the morning time and one match in the evening time. In between, I was shaking in the hotel room. Every 10 minutes, I tried to grab the paddle and I was just shaking.”
Zhuang has gained plenty of experience since he started playing in his native China at age 8. He emigrated to the U.S. in 1990, and moved from North Brunswick to West Windsor in 2001. He continues to travel internationally for competitions, and China, which has the top four ranked players in the world, is perfect training grounds.
”Table tennis in China is the No. 1 sport,” Zhuang said. “Everybody has a table tennis racket on their back.”
Zhuang will return to his hometown of Guangzhou for the 2008 World Team Championships that begin Feb. 24. He will represent the United States after his top finish at the trials.
”It’s a great honor to represent the U.S., the greatest sports country in the world,” Zhuang said. “It’s such a great feeling marching into the stadium for opening ceremonies. The march into Atlanta in ‘96, the whole stadium cheering and yelling for you, the whole feeling is amazing. With everyone cheering in Atlanta, it’s a highlight of my life.”
Zhuang is a five-time national champion, but wasn’t sure until winning the 2006 national crown that he would be able to compete for a spot at the 2008 Olympics. Once there, Zhuang relied on his experience to dominate the competition.
”The serve is my weapon and there’s a lot of strategy,” Zhuang said. “If you look back to the past, for the history, I’m the target for the youngsters. I analyzed my game for the youngsters. I cannot go to my normal strengths. I have to give them something new, some kind of serve, nobody will expect it. It was very effective during the tournament.
”It was just a new way to use it. I surprised them big-time. I don’t think they were prepared for me to play that way. In the crucial moments, I would use a new way to play them. It worked very well. You can see the mental part, you have to prepare.”
And just as challenging for the father of two daughters was the other side of the sport, something casual observers might not recognize. The U.S. Trials were an exercise in more than mental fortitude.
”Physically, it’s very challenging too,” Zhuang said. “Every match is best of seven, so there are a lot of games with a lot of tension for each point, each match. The first day, I was exhausted. I was saying, how can I finish with two more days to go? I did finish and get first place. For the older players, it’s difficult to recover.”
Zhuang has battled his share of injuries, but remains dedicated to table tennis. A busy travel schedule made continuing in the computer industry difficult. He continues to compete and also coaches several young players. His coaching is nearly as good as his playing. In three years of Junior Olympic competition, his students have won six gold medals.
”I’m proud of them,” Zhuang said. “I’m glad what I’m doing now.”
This could be a last Olympic try for Zhuang, though if he needs inspiration, he can look at Yinghua’s continued success at 49. His own path to a fifth national championship and the U.S. Trials win is encouraging to all but the up-and-comers who are trying to catch him. And Zhuang is still working to stay at the head of the pack.
”Table tennis is an individual sport,” he said. “Everything has to be done by yourself. It takes a lot of encouragement. You have to stay positive which is really, really good for the young kids to learn. It takes a lot of dedication and discipline to get to that level. I’ve played a long enough in this sport, and I’m still loving it. No matter how good you are, even if you’re world champion, you recognize something you can get better in.”