(By Barbara Wei)
Eugene Wang Captures 4th Butterfly Badger Open Title
In a class of his own, Canadian Olympian, Eugene Wang, cruised through his opponents without dropping a game in the Open Singles event to win the $5,000 championship prize. This will be the 4th time Eugene has taken home the Open Singles title at the Butterfly Badger Open, maintaining his perfect record at the event (e.g. claiming the championship title every time he has entered).
In the quarterfinal round, Eugene overcame Rajat Hubli in 4 games, dominating with his ball control and defense. In the hotly anticipated semi-final, Eugene faced Jian Li, a formidable defensive player who has won multiple 4-star tournaments in the past year. However, Eugene’s professional experience and consistent well placed forehand loops helped him close out the match in straight games 7, 5, 2, 7. In the final, Eugene faced Jishan Liang, 2016 Badger Open champion and 2015 Cary Cup champion. The first game was even between the two, with Eugene closing it out 11-9. Then rising into a class of his own, Eugene gained full control of the match and offered no more than 6 points per game for the last 3 games (winning 9, 6, 5, 6).
Throughout the competition, Eugene’s opponents constantly commented that he is a true table tennis professional. His experience competing in the Polish leagues has helped him develop exceptional form and deep experience – allowing his opponents no areas of weakness to target, even at the 2600+ level.
Congratulations to Eugene Wang for a stellar performance and his fourth Butterfly Badger Open title!
Continual coverage of the Badger Open and stories about the athletes will be available at www.ButterflyOnline.com, or via Bowmar Sports/Butterfly North America’s Twitter and Facebook pages.
