Bekah's Engagement - Marco Borrillo vs. Michael Hsing - US Open Table Tennis Tournament Photos

Michael Hsing vs. Marco Borrillo

Marco's newly engaged fiancée, Bekah, comes to the table - Rock in Hand

2007 US Open Table Tennis Tournament

July 4-7, 2007 - Las Vegas, NV

Hilton Las Vegas Convention Center

Bekah Engagement Ring Hand

Bekah's Rock

Google Video:

Michael Hsing vs. Marco Borrillo - 40 seconds

YouTube Video:

Bekah watches her fiancé, Marco Borrillo, face off with Michael Hsing.

http://forums.about.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?tsn=1&nav=messages&webtag=ab-tabletennis&tid=25034

Marco writes:

Oh well, finally did it. I proposed under L'Arc D'Triumph. Wanted to propose under the Eiffel Tower but the streets were much too busy. L'Arc was much quieter, had the whole thing to myself.

Was a little nerve-racking hiding the ring all the way up to Vegas, etc. She knew she was getting a ring but didn't know exactly when, maybe she thought I would wait until after the restaurant was finished.

Anyway, I told her to take a pic of me that included the building. So while she was walking away I took out the ring and got down on one knee. She turned around and took the picture. She had no idea what I was doing. I said "take another one closer." She started coming forward, then I saw her eyes squint, then she came closer and she saw what I had in my hand she literally jumped. Then she started crying. What a goofball.

Anyway, here's a cool pic.

uciTT says:

Congratulations. I heard the news over the PA system in the playing hall, on, I think, Saturday morning.

I almost asked you if you wanted to warm up early Saturday morning, but it looked like you were already waiting for a practice partner to show up.

vanjr remarks:

congrats!!!

here is to becoming a 2000 level husband (i am NOT there yet).

gcollins adds:

Congratulations! You've always been one of my favorites on the forum and I'm encouraged to see that you may have met your Dulcinea, my dear Don Quixote!

While too strong for many, you seem to fit Don Quixote's declaration of : "I know who I am...and who who i may be if I choose."

nettadave wishes:

Way to go Marco. Good luck with the new business and new family.

primetangent asks:

Congratulations!!! Are you gonna have TT tables at your wedding?

http://forums.about.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?tsn=21&nav=messages&webtag=ab-tabletennis&tid=23295

Ariel Hsing

Marco talks about cheering & clapping:

Hi Dennis,

what's up with the incessant choing of your student, especially on the unforced errors of the opponents? Did you guys teach this on purpose? How does sportsmanship figure into your grand scheme of things?

Isn't there a way to get your girls to their highest potential while still maintaining a modicum of composer and respect for the opponent? Or is the choing absolutely necessary for success? Should I start screaming every point I get, including nets and edges?

Marco

Dennis Davis answers:

Hi Marco, How are you?

I coached Ariel almost every match at the nationals this year and I did not see her cho once when she hit the net or edge. She puts up her finger and doesn't say a word. Of course we do not teach kids to cho on purpose.

Every kid is different. Some kids are very vocal early on but that lessens over time. For example, Lily Zhang ,10 years old and also from our program, finished #2 in the Cadet Girls losing in 5 games to Ariel and hardly makes a sound when playing.

It would be interesting to see how many others who have watched Ariel play at the nationals feel that she behaved in an unsportsmanlike way.

Dennis

Marco continues:

I have seen her in San diego and at the nationals and I have seen her cho when she gets nets, edges, or in general when her opponent makes an unforced error. I'm not the only one to have seen this and comment on it. But if you want to play "deaf dumb and blind" that's fine. I should have anticipated you'd respond like that.

In addition to her own unsportsmanlike choing, is the unsportsmanlike clapping of her parents.

....

I guess as long as her level remains high then she can do no wrong.

I wish all the kids would behave in matches as Judy Hugh and others like her behave. Witness that it IS possible to play very high level TT and not cho the nets, edges, and unforced errors of your opponents.

As for parents, there is a difference between "polite" clapping and standing up clapping as loud as possible, just too long, especially when there is an unforced error. I think you know what I'm talking about.

Marco

Marco addresses Larry Hodges:

Ashu, Adam Formal, Myself, and Patrick Mualem have all seen her cho on nets & edges. Adam, myself, and Patrick have all written about this behavior in previous posts across various threads. We've seen it, and it exists. Her parents also clap PROFUSELY on the same nets and edges.

I wouldn't mind if it was on a game point. I'm not that picky.

The choing I have seen started from the very first point and didn't subside until the very end.

It is CLEARLY over the top.

Writing about it here is not an "attack" as you put it. This is a message to Ariel, and to her parents, and to her coaches, and to any other kids out there, and to any other parents out there, that such behavior is unsportsmanlike, and shouldn't be condoned, and isn't really even necessary for winning.

As I see it, to give Ariel a "sportsmanship" award is a JOKE. You might as well give a terrorist a nobel peace prize. If you wanted to give her an appropriate award, give her a "competitiveness" award, or a "fastest rising junior" award. But sportsmanship? Are you kidding?

Marco