Spectators at the 2019 Seamaster US Open Table Tennis Championships will be getting an early Christmas present. This December 17-21 in Fort Worth, Texas, fans on the "nice" list will get to see some of the world's greatest players in action. One especially luminous star in the firmament will be Sweden's Matilda Ekholm (pictured). The 37-year-old lefty is an eight-time Swedish national champion, currently ranked #29 in the world. With $8,000 on offer for the champion, not to mention the recent addition of ITTF world ranking points, Ekholm will face stiff competition from Juan Liu, the defending champion seeking her third US Open title. With a win, Ekholm would become the first Swede to win the women's singles title. Her countrymen Jan-Ove Waldner, Mikael Appelgren and Kjell Johansson have all hoisted the men's singles trophy. While her spiky bleached hair may appear inspired by Marie Fredriksson of the Swedish pop group Roxette, Ekholm is more likely to be found rocking out to American riot grrrl bands like Sleater-Kinney. Already at home with American music, Ekholm will be looking to make herself at home in Texas and go back to Sweden with a nice paycheck and a bump in her world ranking. While that would surely make for a lovely Christmas for Ekholm, Juan Liu and a growing list of entrants in the women's singles (45 and counting) will be looking to play the Grinch. Whatever the final score, the fans in Fort Worth will be treated to a world-class gift.

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