TTX sponsored the recent Fox Valley Open in Aurora.  As usual, this tournament was run very well.  Kudos to Swavek Lorenc and his kids.  I am always surprised at the number of kids that show up at these tournaments.  Many of these kids (and parents) talked to me about places to play and coaching in particular.   There are several clubs in the Chicago area, but not many places where a beginner can learn the basics the right way.  I have personally started coaching kids recently and plan to start a group session on weekends.  Do contact me @ 312-361-0303 if you are a beginner or intermediate player that wants to learn the proper techniques and take your (or your kids) game to the next level.  A full report of the tournament is here.

Marty Reisman, the hustler, teaching how to play hardbat @ SPIN NY

Just heard that killerspin is bringing a new robot to market!   It is actually available for purchase on their website for $999.  Wireless remote is sweet.  The portable concept is good.  The ball-picker upper is awesome, and based on MyPingPongBuddy (Killerspin bought the rights). The retractable handle is a nice addition.

Naperville had its annual table tennis tournament last month. It is a fun tournament and had a good turnout this year and is usually good grounds for some TTX PR work.  The unique thing about the tournament is that it has a mix of club players and basement players.  For some of the basement players, this is an eye-opening experience to see what real table tennis (as in sport) is.  I managed to place 2nd in the Mens Open. The final was a tough one again Xiao, Yueming. He is an excellent blocker and plays well close to the table, and I had trouble dealing with the long-pips on his one side that he would often flip to. I lost 3-0, but every game was close. The semi-final against Wisniewski, Jacek was a good one too, and I won 3-1. Another local club player and TTX customer, Soltwisch, David, won the Masters Open. My son, Sid, won the under-11 and my wife won the Womens Open.  It was quite a sweep for the family. Naperville TV has some video footage of the tournament - skip to 2:16 to see the action and my attempt at a technical explanation of long-pips, which I still have not figured out how to play against.

Yueming Xiao vs Arcot Naresh in the Naperville Open Final

Sid Naresh and Taher Dohadwala Naperville U-11 Boys

Men's Masters Winner Dave Soltwisch

Expensify uses these for marketing their product.  http://blog.expensify.com/2012/01/25/weve-got-balls/

TTXOnline is excited to sponsor the Fox Valley Open in Aurora, IL.  This non-sanctioned event has become a favorite tournament for many table tennis players in the Chicago area.  It attracts players of all levels and is very well organized.  If you live in the area and have not participated, I would encourage you to check it out.  Details here.

I found this site by accident but looks like a really good one for people that want to keep up with the latest in the world of table tennis - http://tabletennista.com

Definitely better than ittf.com

TTX is excited to be part of the US Open this year. It will be a great opportunity to see world class play in the midwest. Hope to see you there!

http://usopenmilwaukee.com

TTX now has this amazing ball picker.  Must have if you have a robot.

Michael Maze has been away from competition for a while.  He will be playing the VW cup.  More here