Bob Chen & Tao Wenzhang Win Open Doubles Title

by Barbara Wei

Bob Chen & Tao Wenzhang Avenge Singles Losses to Win Open Doubles Title at 2016 Butterfly LA Open

Bob Chen and Tao Wenzhang long time professional player-coaches at ICC have dedicated the majority of their time to training the US’s best junior and national team members. However, the pair are also incredible competitors with both losing in the semi-final stage of the Open Singles event at the 2016 Butterfly Los Angeles Open. Looking to not only claim a championship title but avenge their second place finish from last year, the pair teamed up to win the $1,000 Open Doubles championship prize in a nail-biting 5 game match.

At the 2015 LA Open, the pair was seeded first in the Open Doubles event, but fell to fellow ICC player-coaches Liang Yonghui and Liu Dan in the final. With Liang/Liu not competing this year, Tao/Chen were looking to clinch the title with ease. However, in the final, Tao/Chen faced Jeff Huang and Yuan Xiao Jie, local Los Angeles fan favorites. At first, Tao/Chen seemed to have everything under control, clinching the first two games 11-8 and 11-9. However, Huang/Yuan picked up steam and used their lefty/righty advantage to easily take games 3 and 4 (11-5, 11-3). Now the momentum had swung in favor of Huang/Yuan and Tao/Chen needed to find some answers. In a tense fifth game, the top sees Tao/Chen were able to secure the win and claim their first LA Open Doubles championship. Calm and composed, the pair will surely return next year to defend their title.

Continual coverage of the LA Open and stories about the athletes will be available at ButterflyOnline.com, or via Butterfly North America’s Twitter and Facebook pages.