Courtesy of Tim Boggan Johnny Somael first appears in Topics as an entrant in the 1941 Eastern’s, played Feb. 1-2 at Heurich’s Gym, 26th and D Streets, in Washington, D.C. His contemporary, Freddie Borges, tells me he “discovered” Johnny playing table tennis in a Brooklyn playground and (“Hey, kid, you oughta be playing in tournaments”)…

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Courtesy of Tim Boggan A newcomer to the USTTA tournament world makes her first appearance at the April, 1941 U.S. Open, played at New York City’s Manhattan Center—she’s Bernice Charney, who, on paying her dues, will be the 1946 U.S. Open Champion, and who, a remarkable 17 years later, as Mrs. Bernice Chotras, will again…

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Courtesy of Tim Boggan When Valleri Green (later Smith for a short time and later Bellini for 48 years) appeared on the California tournament scene, it was clear from her position in the Jan 28-29, 1956 Golden State Open draw that not much was expected of her. Up against the eventual winner, Sharon Acton, in…

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At the Pacific Coast Open, held at Si Wasserman’s L.A. T.T. Center on North Highland in the summer of ‘55, one began to see, with her runner-up finish in the Women’s to Mary McIlwain, how Si’s 15-year-old pupil, Sharon Acton, had progressed in the short time he’d been coaching her. Indeed, to some, it may…

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