The best table tennis player on United States soil is in Duluth. Belgium native Frederic Sonnet, once ranked No. 80 in the world, was persuaded to be the marquee entrant in the inaugural Lake Superior International Open, which runs today through Sunday at the DECC and Pioneer Hall.
Sonnet, 38, who lives in Paris, joined other star players Friday at the Greysolon Ballroom in an exhibition of dazzling skill to help raise awareness of the sport.
"In Europe everyone knows table tennis, but for much of the United States, it is still a basement game," said Sonnet. "Soccer was not a big sport in the United States 20 years ago, but now it is. Table tennis can make the same growth with good coaching, good training areas and good sponsorship. It can go higher and higher."
According to International Table Tennis Federation rankings, the top American men's player is Mark Hazinski at No. 383 in the world.
Angelo Simone and Sunny Helbacka of the Duluth Table Tennis Club, based at the Valley Youth Center, have dreamed of hosting a prestigious tournament in town. That will be realized this weekend in what organizers are calling one of the best tournaments in state history, with more than 100 entrants, from recreational players to professionals, and prize money of $6,500.
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Proceeds from the event will go to the Duluth club.
"We're hoping this generates some interest in table tennis and bring more people into the game," said Simone, program director at the Valley Youth Center the past 26 years. "We have 40 to 50 serious players, but we know there are many more out there. We'd like to buy our own building, have more tables and have leagues."
Duluth's shining example in the table tennis world is Cory Eider, a three-time U.S. age-group champion, now a working in New York in hedge fund investing. He was nearly unbeatable in Minnesota while attending Morgan Park Junior High and Duluth Denfeld High School into the early part of this decade.
At age 26, he's playing little table tennis, but showed considerable ability in facing Kari Mimisson of Iceland, and then teaming with Mimisson to play doubles against Sonnet and Russia native Ksusha Olson of Duluth, who won the Minnesota women's singles title in January.
"I grew up playing hockey, but what I love about table tennis is the speed, the competitiveness and the chance to play one-on-one," said Eider, a former Section 7AA tennis single champion, who played two years at St. Scholastica. "Anyone you talk to thinks table tennis is a great game. To gain in popularity, you need to get the interest of youngsters and you need a place to play."
Sonnet has played professionally for 22 years, with his most productive period at ages 22 and 23. He says pros can make from $25,000 to $90,000 a year, and he hopes to play one more season at the top level before likely taking a job in coaching.
Olson, 23, has lived in Duluth for nearly two years and plays table tennis at the Valley Youth Center, located in the Laura MacArthur Elementary School building on North Central Avenue. She's hoping the Lake Superior International Open is a catalyst for the sport.
"It's in our hands and this is one good step forward," she said.
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Tournament matches are the best-of-5 with games being played to 11. Pool play will lead to single-elimination playoffs. Matches begin at noon today, while the top-end players compete starting at noon Saturday, with Sunday's schedule starting at 9 a.m.
Among the recreational players entered are Minnesota Duluth hockey players Jack Connolly, Keegan Flaherty, Aaron Crandall and Max Tardy.
