By Eric Poe/sports editor
With only four participants, the NE Campus table tennis tournament could not have been blamed if it was dull. It was not, however, as what the tournament lacked in players, it made up for in enthusiasm.
The tournament was riddled with trick shots, spin serves and good-natured trash talk between players.
The turnout was almost only three, however, as the fourth participant showed up at the last minute.
“Well that sucks,” said Jordan Hess, one of the contestants. “I guess we’re not guaranteed third place anymore.”
The four players assembled around the tables as health and physical education professor Joy Thetford went over the format and rules of the tournament.
“Everyone plays each other,” she said. “And whoever wins two out of three gets the win.”
She said after the singles tournament, they would play a doubles match.
After five minutes of spirited warm-ups, they began playing.
The first matchups were Jonathan Watts versus Hess and Exequiel (Zeke) Espejo taking on Aamer Qureshi.
Espejo and Qureshi were the only pairing in the entire tournament to take their matchup to the maximum of three games, with Espejo coming out the 2-1 winner. Watts and Hess played two competitive games, with Watts prevailing 2-0.
The second round of matches was the most lopsided. Watts lost to Qureshi 2-0 while Hess lost to Espejo by the same score line.
Halfway through the second game, losing by 11 points, Watts asked Hess how it was going.
“It’s horrible,” Hess said. “I feel like a pig getting slaughtered for his bacon.”
It didn’t get much better for Hess after that. He lost his third match against Qureshi in two games.
“It’s whatever,” Hess said. “I don’t really play pingpong anyway.”
With Espejo beating Watts in the final round, a champion of table tennis was crowned.
“Zeke dominated,” a defeated Watts said. “He’s too good.”
Espejo said he was happy with the tournament and the win.
“I had a lot of fun,” he said. “Winning was all right, but I really just came to have a good time.”
