Table tennis tournament beginning today

Wednesday, Dec. 18, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

While certainly not known to be title contenders, 18 Southern Nevadans are among nearly 700 entrants in the 21st annual $50,000 USA Table Tennis National Championships which start today and conclude Sunday in Hall N 1-2 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Benny Yeh of Las Vegas returns as Nevada's only defending national champion, leading a Silver State contingent which is expected to reach 25, including 20 from Southern Nevada, before registration closes.

Yeh, 50, won the U-1300 RR Singles last year and will compete in four classes this week, but won't be defending last year's title. He is entering this year's tournament with a higher rating at 1508.

Henderson's Neal Smyth, a retired casino executive, is also competing in four events. The 70-year old Smyth, a former Caesars Palace vice president, is the first Nevadan inducted into the USA Table Tennis Hall of Fame. He was honored this summer in the special contributor category.

Led by defending USA Table Tennis national champions David Zhuang and Amy Feng, all six members of the 1996 U.S. Olympic Table Tennis team are entered in the five-day national championship.

Zhuang and Feng will share center stage in Las Vegas with their Atlanta teammates Jim Butler, Todd Sweeris, Wei Wang and Lily Yip. A total of nearly 700 participants, competing for 61 different USATT age group and rating events in five divisions for men and women, are entered.

Admission is free for the tournament, except for Saturday's men's and women's singles, semis and finals (5-9 p.m.) when tickets cost $5 each. Competition will start at 9 a.m. daily with play concluding at 9 p.m. every day except the noon conclusion on Sunday.

The championship singles' semifinals will begin at 5 p.m. Saturday with the women's match first followed by the men's semifinals. The title matches will begin at 7 p.m.