OOAK Table Tennis Forum

I just got a call from the organisers of MSAC saying that according to their research I'm ineligible to enter any Div 5 matches. This comes as a surprise, of course, because of what happened in Geelong, i.e. unrated players getting to play in divisions much lower than their ability.

It doesn't bother me, except that now I've decided to compete in a much tougher pool of players. So, my matches are:

Div 2 Singles - ouch!
Div 3 Singles - gonna be tough!
Div 3 Doubles (with my Bro)
Div 4 Singles - perhaps this is about my level (at least that's what TTV reckons)
Div 4 Doubles (with my Bro)

Where's everyone else placed?

_________________

Weapon 1: Andro Kinetic Supreme Hinoki/Zylon OFF-; Andro Hexer HDs (FH 2.1/BH 1.9)
Weapon 2: Ross Leidy 'Smokey'; Friendship 729-5s
Club1: Daylesford - since 2010
Club2: Ballarat - since 2011
Blog: A Naked Bear

I don't understand why you can't enter div 5 when you are unrated, have not won it even once, have not won a higher title or even been in the final of a higher one. You made the div 5 final and came runner-up at Geelong right? How does that disqualify you? Did they give you any solid reason?

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I'm always in the dark, but the Dark sheds lights upon everything!! Beauty is only pimple deep! Beauty is in the eye of the pipholder!
S/U 1: Blade: Bty Gergely . FH Black Andro Rasant 2.1 . BH Red Tibhar Grass Dtecs
S/U 2: Blade: Bty Gergely . FH Black Hexer+ 2.1 . BH Red GD Talon
S/U 3: Blade: Bty Gergely . No rubbers...thinking of adding Red Dtecs and Black Rasant
Aussie Table Tennis Shop / Aussie Table Tennis Facebook Page / Equipment Review Index / Read my Reb Report Blog: click here.

I gather this is for the Vic Open vets, not Country week(?).

You might surprise yourself in section 2. I don't know all the players but of those I do know there are some who are very good but some who are quite as strong. I'm sure you would have a decent game against the latter bunch. In any case, it's all good experience.

That's true, Oskar might meet me in Div 2.

_________________
I'm always in the dark, but the Dark sheds lights upon everything!! Beauty is only pimple deep! Beauty is in the eye of the pipholder!
S/U 1: Blade: Bty Gergely . FH Black Andro Rasant 2.1 . BH Red Tibhar Grass Dtecs
S/U 2: Blade: Bty Gergely . FH Black Hexer+ 2.1 . BH Red GD Talon
S/U 3: Blade: Bty Gergely . No rubbers...thinking of adding Red Dtecs and Black Rasant
Aussie Table Tennis Shop / Aussie Table Tennis Facebook Page / Equipment Review Index / Read my Reb Report Blog: click here.

True - you will be so exhausted from winning Division 3 that you won't be able to offer Oskar any resistance whatsoever.

That is interesting Oskar and wouldn't normally happen, it's like most things in the world probably Reb and his fellow dodgy mates fault for doing lower level divisions than they should have been for the last few tournaments .

The actual reason is probably because GB has some influence over these things and you almost knocked him out of Div 3, no Div 5 player should be able to do that. So Div 4 is fair.

I've entered just singles Div 1, Div 2 and the O40 open. the difference in standard between upper Div 3 and middle Div 2 isn't much. If you can make semi finals in Div 3 you can make quater finals in Div 2. A stronger Div 3 player is expected to take games from Div 1 players and not matches. I had a hard time taking games from Sub Elite Vets while in Div 3, I took one to 5 and a few to 4 games but never beat any of them. Lower Div 1 players are beatable (just) from the top of Div 3 if you have a really good day.

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Donic defplay senso
Haifu whale soft (grips-euro)
Nittaku pimplemini 1.0mm

Just gonna play tough and say to myself, 'Got nothing to lose, except my pride.' Oh, and the match.

I didn't query the guy that called, but he was quite clear that from his 'ring around' (research?) I wasn't able to compete at Div 5 level. And here I was thinking I would have had a really good chance of finally getting my rating by getting another two quick wins. On the plus side, if I do well in the higher Divs then my rating will be better.

At the end of the day, it does seem fair - much fairer than what I've heard has been happening!

_________________

Weapon 1: Andro Kinetic Supreme Hinoki/Zylon OFF-; Andro Hexer HDs (FH 2.1/BH 1.9)
Weapon 2: Ross Leidy 'Smokey'; Friendship 729-5s
Club1: Daylesford - since 2010
Club2: Ballarat - since 2011
Blog: A Naked Bear

Your system continues to amaze me.
He has never won Div 5 and he is not allowed to play in it?
He has not won Div 5 but might have a chance against some Div 2 players?
At least in USATT, you can play any event higher than your rating. If your rating is 1805, you can NOT play in the under 1800 event. Yes, people can sandbag and many do, especially for the Nats or other large tourney. But all sports have sandbaggers, especially where $$$ is involved.
You have to win a certain number of times to get a rating? How is he supposed to win if they keep saying he is too good for an event he failed to win the last time?

Exactly hookshot. I think Oskar will probably get a win in div 4 but he could get bundled out in round 1 & do same in other divs. He should b playing lowest divs he can have a chance to win until they rate him. This is plsying by the rules and is the quickest way to get rated & in the system. I dont see they should deny entry until they give u a rating. If they feel u r too good for a div, nominate a starting rating.

_________________
I'm always in the dark, but the Dark sheds lights upon everything!! Beauty is only pimple deep! Beauty is in the eye of the pipholder!
S/U 1: Blade: Bty Gergely . FH Black Andro Rasant 2.1 . BH Red Tibhar Grass Dtecs
S/U 2: Blade: Bty Gergely . FH Black Hexer+ 2.1 . BH Red GD Talon
S/U 3: Blade: Bty Gergely . No rubbers...thinking of adding Red Dtecs and Black Rasant
Aussie Table Tennis Shop / Aussie Table Tennis Facebook Page / Equipment Review Index / Read my Reb Report Blog: click here.

Hey, Oskar,
Give me the guys phone number that called you. I can give him a "Hookshot" call.

Thanks for the support guys. Been thinking about why I was placed in a unique category as a player and all I could come up with (well, my brother helped with the reasoning) is that I played very well against a Div 3 player (GB). Do you think because I managed to get two sets on him that this is the reason? I am determined to ask the guy who called me when I get to MSAC - his name was (Nick C).

It does bother me - as I've stated and others have stated - that it may be a longer road for me now to get a rating. All I can do (because I'm not a Dandy Heavy ) is to comply to their rules and play harder than I've ever played before.

_________________

Weapon 1: Andro Kinetic Supreme Hinoki/Zylon OFF-; Andro Hexer HDs (FH 2.1/BH 1.9)
Weapon 2: Ross Leidy 'Smokey'; Friendship 729-5s
Club1: Daylesford - since 2010
Club2: Ballarat - since 2011
Blog: A Naked Bear

Well Oskar even by your own reasoning your a Div 3 player not a Div 4 player so you are lucky your mate Nick hasn't read your posts lol.

When I played my first tournament I rang the organisers and told them I expect my rating based on rated players I've played would be somewhere between 1000 and 1050 and that I would be entering Div 3 and up, my first rating came out at 1032? so that was fine. The tournaments are about improving yourself, not playing silly muppets with guys 500 points below your standard just for the sake of winning 50 bucks If they had 5 divisions above my standard and I could only play 5 events. Then for sure I'd be playing the 5 above and not my own, the best event to enter is the o40s by far because you are almost guaranteed 3 matches against quality players. You can tell who's serious about improving and who isn't just by seeing who enters that.

_________________
Donic defplay senso
Haifu whale soft (grips-euro)
Nittaku pimplemini 1.0mm

I don't think it's just my reasoning, because I seriously think that the only way I'm excluded from entering a division I haven't won yet is the knowledge that I did quite well against a Div 3 player. Using that reasoning, they could have excluded me from Div 4, too.

For me it's not about the money. It's simply about getting two more wins so that I can die happy.

_________________

Weapon 1: Andro Kinetic Supreme Hinoki/Zylon OFF-; Andro Hexer HDs (FH 2.1/BH 1.9)
Weapon 2: Ross Leidy 'Smokey'; Friendship 729-5s
Club1: Daylesford - since 2010
Club2: Ballarat - since 2011
Blog: A Naked Bear

Being able to select a player to play a certain division is the way it's always supposed to be, just because some *cough* Dandenong players get away with it doesn't mean it's right. No one knows anything about Dandenong's players as it's basically a club behind an iron curtain. Anyone can call Ballarat and get an fairly accurate idea about your level. You'll get your two wins in Div 4 easily so long as everyone is in the right Division and you play good enough to take games from GB

_________________
Donic defplay senso
Haifu whale soft (grips-euro)
Nittaku pimplemini 1.0mm

At first, I did suspect that someone from MSAC must have contacted my club and they got the response that I was their 'star pupil'. Sure, I'm doing very well at the level I've chosen to play at, but I know that as my 'master plan' unfolds I will hit a level that will really test my abilities and resolve. Now, I'm not suggesting that I purposefully play at a level that I feel I can outplay others, rather that I like to take things slowly, methodically. The truth of the matter is that I've only been playing this game for less than three years and, yes, I've managed to scoop up five trophies - two of those as singles aggregate player. But I've always moved up to the next level in turn. It just seems to me that as I progress up the divisions my playing ability also increases, but I thought that was the way of things. I just think that there's no point moving forward or up without taking home the prize. It seems only reasonable to me.

_________________

Weapon 1: Andro Kinetic Supreme Hinoki/Zylon OFF-; Andro Hexer HDs (FH 2.1/BH 1.9)
Weapon 2: Ross Leidy 'Smokey'; Friendship 729-5s
Club1: Daylesford - since 2010
Club2: Ballarat - since 2011
Blog: A Naked Bear