(by Steve Hopkins, photo by USA Table Tennis)

While the US Nationals was taking place in Fort Worth, the ITTF US Para Open was held in the same arena. For those competing in the US Nationals, it was an opportunity for Americans to compete against Americans – the US Para Open was a broader event with international competitors from all over the World.

TeamUSA continues to be extremely competitive in international para events and three of the most recognized U.S. Para athletes won their singles events in Fort Worth – Jenson Van Emburgh, Ian Seidenfeld, and Tahl Leibovitz. Certainly each of these players has their eye on the Paralympics in Paris a year from now.  Before the Para Open, there was also a Para PanAmerican Games team trial, so many American players were already in Fort Worth competing for the 9 remaining spots (Ian, Tahl, Ahad, and Jenson all qualify by ranking).  All of these para players stayed for the Para Open as well – many with solid results including American players medaling in doubles events.

Jenson Van Emburgh dominated Men’s Singles Class 3.  He won his group with a 3-1 win over Nigeria’s Koleosho and a 3-0 win over Canada’s Asad Murtaza.  He then went on to win the knock out matches 3-0 over France’s Adjal, and 3-0 over France’s Geuljans to claim the Gold Medal.  Ian Seidenfeld logged three wins in his Class 6 group (3-1 over Matias Pino Lorca, 3-0 over Justin Kim, and 3-0 over Tristan Myrick) and in the knock outs he defeated Canada’s Seguin and Chile’s Torres Orostica to take the Gold Medal.  USA’s Marco Makkar won a Bronze Medal in Class 8 Singles, losing to Great Britain’s Ross Wilson who went on to win the event. Tahl Leibovitz defeated Logan Watson in an all US Class 9 Singles Final – securing both Gold and Silver for TeamUSA. Randall Medcalf secured a Bronze Medal in Class 10 – another singles medal for the Americans.  Pam Fontaine finished with a Bronze in Women’s Singles Classes 1-5.

TeamUSA also played well in doubles events.  Van Emburgh teamed with Ahad Sarand to win Men’s Doubles Class MD8.  Seidenfeld and partner Masoud Mojtahed had to settle for Bronze in Men’s Doubles Class MD14.  Leibovitz teamed with Logan Watson to win Men’s Doubles Class MD18.  And Van Emburgh and Pam Fontaine landed a Bronze in Mixed Doubles Classes XD4-10.

The non-US results included these international winners: Chile’s Manuel Echaveguren Farias won Men’s Class 10, Great Britain’s Ross Wilson won Men’s Class 8, Great Britain’s William Bayley won Class 7, Chile’s Christian Gonzalez Astete won Class 4, and Chile’s Luis Bustamante Flores won Classes 1-2.

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