Hou Yingchao has been around the block. With his indefatigable defense and surprise forehand loops, à la Korea's Joo Se-hyuk who would take the style to the finals of the World Championships three years later, Hou won the Chinese national championship way back in 2000. His talents earned him a place on the Chinese national team, on which he served for 15 years, an unusually long career in the face of the unrelenting tide of younger, hungrier competition. When the time came for him to hang up his national team warm-up jacket, Hou became a modern-day knight-errant. He earned his keep with his trusty blade in lands as far-flung as Russia, France and Canada. Although he has not played enough ITTF events as of late to have a world ranking, recent evidence suggests he is still very much a force to be reckoned with. At this year's Chinese national championship, Liang Jingkun was favored to win by oddsmakers. Hou, on the other hand, did not share their opinion, and favored himself to upset the world #6. Next to fall victim to Hou's resurgence was Liu Dingshuo, world #42. World #81 Zhou Qihao then suffered a similar fate. In the final he faced Wang Chuqin, world #71, who at 19 years of age was born the year Hou won his first title. In the first game, the left-handed Wang was on the hill at 11-10 but witnessed Hou string together three straight points. Emboldened, Hou then strung together three more games at 11-7, 11-9 and 11-2 to become the oldest Chinese national champion ever at 39. "I think luck has come my way because I felt comfortable competing with other players in the last games," said Hou afterward. "We would have had a tough battle but for Wang's shoulder injuries." Hou, a true evergreen, has shown the new kids that he is still the toughest kid on the block.

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