SARA FU (LEFT) HAS BEEN REGULARLY PRACTICING WITH ARIEL HSING (RIGHT) AS THEY LIVE TOGETHER. SARA WAS WOMEN'S SINGLES CHAMPION FOR SICHUAN PROVINCE IN CHINA AND ARIEL IS THE HIGHEST-RATED 10-YEAR OLD EVER IN THE US. (Photo by Kingston Gee)
NorCal Table Tennis (For Sara): You just got your working visa so how do you feel?
Sara Fu: Very, very happy. I would also like to thank coach Dennis Davis to make this happen.
NorCal Table Tennis (For Sara): How long will the current working visa last?
Sara Fu: I am not sure. I think it's till end of the year.
NorCal Table Tennis (For Sara): What are your long term goals? Are you trying to stay in the US permanently?
Sara Fu: I am planning to get a college degree from US, then I'll go back to China.
NorCal Table Tennis (For Ariel): Are you happy that Sara is here for a longer time?
Ariel Hsing: Extremely happy.
NorCal Table Tennis (For Ariel): Will Sara be staying at your house?
Ariel Hsing: I surely hope so.
NorCal Table Tennis (For Ariel): How many hours in a week do you practice with Sara right now?
Ariel Hsing: We practice about 8 hours a week. She also watches me when I play matches.
NorCal Table Tennis (For Sara): How many hours do you coach in a week with Ariel and with others?
Sara Fu: With private lessons and junior training program at Palo Alto club, it's about 26 hours a week.
NorCal Table Tennis (For Sara): Does it get tiring or do you have no problem coaching long hours?
Sara Fu: It does get quite tiring. I treat each training session just like playing a tournament. I'll put on speed glue, wearing shorts, and play as good as I can, so the kids can imitate a good form (I hope.) I feel just teaching is not good enough.
NorCal Table Tennis (For Ariel): How many hours a week do you practice with Sara and how many hours outside of your practice with Sara?
Ariel Hsing: 8 hours with Sara, 4 hours with junior training, plus 2 hours playing matches.
NorCal Table Tennis (For Sara): Was Ariel better than you when you were 10 years old?
Sara Fu: Yes, and please stop pinching me Ariel! Seriously, I don't consider myself played very well at age 10, and Ariel was definitely better than me.
HEY ARIEL! THIS LEAGUE MATCH IS IMPORTANT AND YOU'RE TELLING JOKES TO YOUR PARTNER SARA? (Photo by Kingston Gee)
NorCal Table Tennis (For Sara): How many girls like Ariel are there in China? Roughly guess what rank you think Ariel would be in China for girls that are 10 years old and younger.
Sara Fu: I'll say there are hundreds at Ariel's skill level. But Ariel can easily be in the top 10 since she has this special fighting spirit.
NorCal Table Tennis (For Ariel): Do you plan to go somewhere this summer for training? If so, where?
Ariel Hsing: I want to go back to Beijing ShiChaHai school to see my coaches and friends. I also want to go to the USATT training camp.
NorCal Table Tennis (For Ariel): What are your short term goals (next couple years)?
Ariel Hsing: I was lucky to get into the US Cadet team this year, and I want to represent my country well. Oh, I also want to break 2000 this year.
NorCal Table Tennis (For Ariel): What are your long term goals?
Ariel Hsing: I want to be the world champion.
NorCal Table Tennis (For Sara): How realistic do you think Ariel's chances are of accomplishing these goals?
Sara Fu: To break 2000 is a sure thing. And if she keeps saying she will be world champion in the next ten years, as her coach, I have to believe she will make it.
NorCal Table Tennis (For Sara): Do you want to live in this area if you plan to stay here in the US permanently?
Sara Fu: Definitely, I have so many friends here.
NorCal Table Tennis (For Ariel): What do you like most about Sara?
Ariel Hsing: Too many to count!
NorCal Table Tennis (For Sara): What do you like most about Ariel?
Sara Fu: Everything, she is like my little sister.
NorCal Table Tennis (For Ariel): What do you like least about Sara?
Ariel Hsing: Not Telling!
NorCal Table Tennis (For Sara): What do you like least about Ariel?
Sara Fu: She is like my little sister, and sometimes annoys me.
NorCal Table Tennis (For Ariel): Would you be happy if you get selected to the all star game being only 10 years old? You lead the polls right now to get the wild card selection!
Ariel Hsing: Yes, I would be overjoyed. You should fix the program, it keeps telling me I have already voted.
NorCal Table Tennis (For Ariel): Does everybody in your school know you are #1 in the US for your age?
Ariel Hsing: Many people know I play ping-pong, but they don't know the details.
NorCal Table Tennis (For Ariel): Do you get challenged by other school kids or teachers or are they too scared?
Ariel Hsing: I got challenged by my teacher Mr. Dilbec, then he chickened out.
NorCal Table Tennis (For Ariel): You beat Bill Gates and Warren Buffet, the world's two richest men, when you were 9 years old. Did you try to make a deal with them that you will go easy on them if they let you play with their wallets?
Ariel Hsing: Uncle Warren did give me two dollars, but I beat him anyway.
NorCal Table Tennis (For Sara): What do you like most about your experience in the US?
Sara Fu: I like go shopping with my friends.
NorCal Table Tennis (For Sara): When are you going to teach the top Northern California players your backhand serves as no one can read the spin correctly? The top Northern California players look like beginners trying to read your serves.
Sara Fu: I think the only top player has problem with my serve is Mr. Shashin Shodhan. Sorry, can not let this one pass.
NorCal Table Tennis (For Ariel): Do you think Sara is mean for using that backhand serve on all the top players here?
Ariel Hsing: NO! If I were her I would use that all the time.
NorCal Table Tennis (For Ariel): In what year will you either be World Champion or Olympic Champion?
Ariel Hsing: I don't know, but I hope to make the 2012 Olympic team.
NorCal Table Tennis (For Ariel): You know that men have egos right? So when you are older, are you going to be nice to the top male players when you are better as it will be hard on grown men to lose to a young girl? After you beat local player Bruce Liu, I saw him crying in a corner...ok maybe not but he was probably crying inside.
Ariel Hsing: Really? Uncle Bruce looked very happy when we took him out to dinner.