California Table Tennis: How did you get started in table-tennis and what attracted you to the game?

 

Mark Johnson: I enjoyed playing ping pong in my youth, but was introduced to table tennis in my early 30's when my younger brother took me to the SJSU student union while he was a student there in the early '80s.  This was a time when there was a large  influx of refugees from Vietnam that had settled in the area and played there.  In fact, I can remember at least a couple of times that Khoa Nguyen himself played there.  He was already quite an accomplished junior player and that was the first time I had seen table tennis played at such a high level. Anyway, I was fascinated with what I saw and how differently the game could be played with inverted sponge rubber (I had only used sandpaper before).  I began playing there regularly adopting their style of play and improved steadily as I learned to first consistently push and block, then eventually progress to the forehand loop, and finally the backhand loop.  However, after a few years I stopped improving.  I guess I had "plateaued" and soon thereafter lost interest.   

 

California Table Tennis: Where do you play and what are your proudest moments in the sport?

 

Mark Johnson: A few years ago IBM (my place of work) purchased some tables for its employees so I picked up the sport again and now play there most weeknights -- although this is more recreational.  For more competitive play, I enjoy playing at the Milpitas Sports Center TTC and at the Palo Alto TTC.  However, I am interested in supporting the sport and thus am also a member of the Silicon Valley TTC and the Concord Table Tennis Club even though I do not play at those venues nearly as often.

 

As for my proudest moments in the sport, I will have to break them up into two phases.  In my early table tennis career, I am proud to have claimed first D,  then C, and finally B division singles titles in the annual IBM tournament (alas the A division title was "out of my league" ).  Since my renewal in the sport three years ago,  I am proudest of my doubles and team play.  I have won two U3400 doubles titles, an U3500 team title, and an U3750 doubles titles in various USATT sanctioned tournaments in San Francisco, Concord, and Sacramento with Stan Sun as my partner (yo, thanks Stan!).  I won back-to-back Golden State Open U2800 doubles titles with Carrie Huang as my partner (thanks Carrie!).  I have also won three doubles titles in the doubles only tournaments held first at Concord and now at the Milpitas Sports Center --- one with Stan, one with Carrie, and one with Victor Qiu (thanks Victor!)  Finally, I am proud of my participation in a couple of razor thin victories in inter-club competitions --- one home and one away --- between the Milpitas Sports Center TTC and the Concord TTC.      

 

California Table Tennis: You have attended more league matches than any other spectator.  What attracts you to the league matches?

 

Mark Johnson: First is the pure athleticism of the sport and the unbelievable talent of the players on display in these matches (alas, if only I could play that way).  Second is that I would very much like for the league to not just succeed but grow.  Attending the matches is my small part in helping to make this happen.

 

California Table Tennis: Who are your favorite players in the league, in the US, and in the world?

 

Mark Johnson: In the league its Khoa Nguyen, for obvious reasons.  He doesn't know me from a hole in the wall, but I will never forget watching him play that first time.  Honorable mention would have to go to Kevin Au.  I was first introduced to Kevin by a mutual friend of ours.  I have known him for a few years now and even had the pleasure of taking a private lesson from him --- pro bono.  He always greets me warmly when we run into each other at USATT and Smash league events.   

 

With regards to the US,  I always root for our local products to do well in national and international events --- whether it be Khoa, Kevin, Misha, Jackie, Sean etc.  But if one of them can't win, I would root for Fan Yiyong.  Why?  Because he is the most talented player I have ever seen play in person (at Fremont in a couple of NATT events).  However, if someone else has to win I would like it to be Ilija Lupulescu.  Why?  Because of his off the table looping, lobbing and fishing style of play.  If you ever saw me play, I think you would know why (who some describe as a "poor man's" James Therriault). 

 

Finally, with regards to the world it would have to be Kalinikos Kreanga from Greece.  His relentless unconscious off the table looping attack from both wings --- particularly the backhand --- takes your breath away.  Honorable mention here goes to Michael Maze based on his performance at the World's Championships in Shanghai.  It does my heart good to see lobbing actually succeed against world class competition.  Although it is enjoyable for me to see a lobber win a point due to a miss by the attacker, my absolute favorite points are where the lobber is able to take the initiative from the attacker and win the point with a counter attack.    

 

California Table Tennis: What do you think about the rule changes of table-tennis?

 

Mark Johnson: Fantastic.  My game is not based on serve and attack but more on steadiness.  The rule changes --- i.e. the service rule and the 40mm ball --- thus help me both return serve and continue a rally.  But more than that they both also tend to induce more counter-spinning rallies --- which is what attracted me to this sport in the first place.   Of course, I might feel differently if I had ever developed a hidden serve but no such luck.

 

California Table Tennis: What did you think about the "future" rules at the all-star game where players had to stand 3 feet behind the table or further or 2 feet to the sides or further?

 

Mark Johnson: First of all, I would love playing under these rules since the short game of over the table flipping and close to the table looping is certainly not my strength.  However the play at the all-star game seemed a bit awkward due to timid serves and service returns and the uncertainty about their footwork.  I am sure if the players had a chance to develop appropriate serves and service returns and were confident in their footwork in this new environment that the play would have been truly fabulous.      

 

California Table Tennis: Are there any recommendations you have to the league after watching many of the matches?

 

Mark Johnson: I think that some kind of draft procedure should be used to more equitably distribute the talent amongst the league.  I am sure there may have to to be some constraints due to travel considerations, but this could at least be done easily within the north and south sections.  Or I would have said that before Team Oakland "shocked the world" by defeating powerhouse Team Mountain View. Wow!

 

Also, as somewhat of a doubles specialist, I think it would be a good idea to incorporate a doubles event into the matches.  Doubles encourages camaraderie amongst the team and is also more inducive to those crowd pleasing counter-spinning rallies (since the advantage of the serve is less due to the more limited service area).  I realize that there would seem to be a problem since there  would now be an even number of matches --- but I would solve this by giving two points for the doubles win (after all, there are two participants!).  The doubles event would only be played last as a "super tie-breaker" of sorts when the nine singles matches end up 5-4.  This has the added benefit of guaranteeing that each player will get to play at least two singles matches --- since now it will take six points to guarantee a victory rather than just five.      

 

Finally, I believe that I have read that [the league has] plans to add other lower divisions along with the elite division that exists today.  I think that is a fabulous idea.  If one thinks of the elite division as a 2000+ division, then I can envision 1500-2000 and 1000-1500 divisions as well.  This would inspire inter-club competitions at all levels and growing the league concept from the grassroots.  Again some kind of draft procedure would probably be needed to prevent the larger clubs from dominating (a la the New York Yankees).

 

California Table Tennis: What do you do as your profession?

 

Mark Johnson: I am an electrical engineer at IBM in San Jose.

 

California Table Tennis: What are your table-tennis goals?

 

Mark Johnson: Long term -- just to have fun!  Near term --- to capture any kind of singles event trophy --- an under 1850 event win would be nice (my current USATT rating is 1832).  It is the one thing missing since the resumption of my table tennis career.  I don't enjoy drills, so I know the chance of any real marked improvement in my play is limited  (also taking up the sport seriously so relatively late in life after all the footwork and technique flaws have already been hopelessly and irreversibly established doesn't help).