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Canadians Faazil KASSAM and Bence CSABA reached the semi-final stage of the Boys' Doubles event at the 1st ITTF World Junior Championships in Santiago in December 2003, six months later at the ITTF Pro Tour Open in Chile they are both in the round of the last sixteen pairs. However, they are not together. KASSAM is partnering compatriot Johnny HUANG whilst CSABA has teamed with the Brazilian Thiago MONTEIRO.  Faazil Kassam/Johnny Huang (photo: ittf.com) Faazil KASSAM and Johnny HUANG, different styles combine for success The contest on Saturday 20 December 2003 that took Bence CSABA and Faazil KASSAM into the penultimate round of the Boys' Doubles event at the ITTF World Junior Championships was a match that enthralled the crowd with the Canadians beating the German pairing of Dimirti OVTCHAROV and Christian SÜSS 16-14 in the decisive fifth game! Qualifying for the main event has not seen the Canadians having to suffer such moments of high drama. Bence CSABA and Thiago MONTEIRO have a direct entry to the last sixteen, the first round of the main draw whilst Johnny HUANG and Faazil KASSAM had few problems overcoming the Chilean pairing of Rodrigo MARTINEZ and Augusto MORALES. The Chileans were given a severe lesson by the Canadian duo, the combination of experience and youth overwhelming the home pair 11-2, 11-6, 11-3. Johnny HUANG, now forty-one years old, has a wealth of experience and has a style of play that is no longer seen in the modern day men's game. He uses short pimples on both sides of the racket, stays close to the table and using his speed attacks quickly with short strokes from both backhand and forehand. Meanwhile, his teenage partner is much more in the modern day mould of an attacking player; left handed he topspins from both wings and is particularly effective in doubles, being very good when returning short services and creating angles from which his partner can benefit. Playing against MORALES and MARTINEZ the Canadians were too fast, they served better, returned serve better and in every department of the game proved superior; the Chileans gave their best but stemming the tirade of their North American opponents' attacks prove too great a task. The right and left hander form the classic combination in doubles whilst, as so often happens, their different styles of play combine to make them a very dangerous pairing; in Chile the combination of the quick hitting right handed Johnny HUANG alongside the topspin play of the left handed Faazil KASSAM will most certainly prove very difficult to beat. -30- |
