One of the surprise players at the recent Australian Open in Gosford was Oh Nam Ho. Originally a South Korean player, Oh made his home in Australia some years back and recently has been climbing the Australian rankings. His official current ranking is #6, but after making the semi-finals of the mens Singles at the Australian Open this might go up later this year when the official 2010 rankings come out.

Oh Nam Ho with Australian Coach Brett Clarke at the recent World Championships in Moscow.

 Oh Nam Ho uses a STIGA Ebenholz VII penhold blade with STIGA Boost TX rubber. 

Like all the other top Aussie Table Tennis players, he is looking forward to trying out next week for the Commonwealth Games Team. He is seeded 4th for this test event at MSAC in Melbourne. The top 5 seeds in the Mens (out of 6) are all sponsored by Aussie Table Tennis. Here is the review of the players from the Table Tennis Australia website.

The Men’s Competition –

#1 William Henzell sponsored by Aussie Table Tennis

Superstar William Henzell holds the top spot on the Provisional Men's Rankings. Henzell’s results speak for themselves; the five times Australian Champion has represented Australia at two Commonwealth Games as well as winning a Silver Medal in the Men’s Singles at the 2006 Commonwealth Games. William’s years of International Competition experience combined with his consistent and effective game will prove hard to beat at such an important tournament.

#2 Justin Han sponsored by Aussie Table Tennis

Sliding into second spot on the Provisional Men's Rankings is the Silver Medallist in the Men’s Singles at the 2010 Oceania Championships and 2010 Australian Open, Justin Han. After years of training in China, accompanied with one of the most penetrating forehands in Australia; he will no doubt pose a threat to his opposition. His successful Oceania & Australian Open Championships have given him a solid preparation for the qualification tournament.

#3 Trent Carter sponsored by Aussie Table Tennis

Trent Carter was the surprise package of the Australian Open, with his fantastic results earning him third place on the Provisional Men's Rankings. Earlier in the year, Trent relocated to NSW and his new training regime has proved successful. He defeated Simon Gerada and Li Chenxing in the Australian Open Men’s Singles on his path to the semi-finals, amongst other impressive wins throughout the tournament.

After being such a successful junior player, Trent is looking to make his first Commonwealth Games Team and demonstrate his ability to be a successful senior player. With his effective use of medium pimples on the backhand combined with a powerful forehand, his game will surely be difficult to face at such a high pressure tournament.

#4 Nam Ho Oh sponsored by Aussie Table Tennis

The “Korean Canon” Nam Ho Oh continued to build on his impressive form from the World Teams Championships at the Australian Open to gain the Provisional Men's Ranking of four. Nam Ho is able to out-rally the best in the country, and his lightning fast footwork enables him to play his powerful forehand from anywhere on the court.

In the Australian Open Men’s Singles he defeated Robert Frank & Kyle Davis only to suffer at the hands of William Henzell in the semi-finals. After such remarkable results so far in 2010, Nam Ho has proven that he is a definite contender for the Commonwealth Games Team.

#5 Robert Frank sponsored by Aussie Table Tennis

Robert Frank has been a solid performer in recent years, representing Australia at the World Team Cup, Commonwealth Championships & World Senior Championships. After missing out on the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Robert will be focused and raring to go in 2010.

Robert’s ability to consistently keep the ball short on the table, accompanied by effective serves gives him a strong advantage over other athletes. His recent International Competition experiences are sure to assist him at the upcoming event.

#6 Kyle Davis

Kyle has suffered through four surgeries on his troublesome hips since the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and they are still causing him difficulties. Before the Australian Open the question on everyone’s lips was; will Kyle be able to match it with Australia’s best on such limited preparation? After making it to the Quarter Final in the AUS Open Singles, and only narrowly missing out on a spot in the semi-finals, Kyle proved he could.

Kyle’s advantage lies in his experience. Where most players would crumble under the pressure, Kyle was able to fight his way through the nerve-wracking Australian and then Oceania Olympic Qualifying Tournaments and achieve his dream of representing Australia at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Kyle’s commitment to table tennis and mental toughness is unmatched, and will be his greatest asset going into this years Qualifying Tournament.