Kheith Rhynne Cruz, a 17-year-old Filipino table tennis prodigy, dominated the under-19 girls doubles category with her American partner Irene Yeoh at the 2024 US Open Table Tennis Championships at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Convention Center in Las Vegas, adding to its growing list of accolades.
Cruz and Yeoh dominated top-seeded Canadians Crystal Liu and Zige Ding in the final. The duo won the title in straight sets, 11-8, 11-7, 11-2. The win follows Cruz’s triumph at the 2024 World Table Tennis Youth Contender in New York, where she captured gold in the under-19 girls’ singles division.
Born to parents from Bacolod and Pampanga, Cruz first gained international attention by winning the same division at the world tournament in 2023.
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“She shows great promise and is a great asset to our national team,” said Ting Ledesma, president of the Philippine Table Tennis Association. “By participating and excelling in high-level tournaments in the United States, Kheith is preparing for a bright future in the sport.”
The US Open was particularly rewarding for the Philippine team, which won two gold medals. Cruz’s younger brother, Khevin Kheith Cruz, teamed up with Liam Zion Cabalu to win the boys’ under-13 doubles title. The duo pulled off a stunning upset against top seeds Kyler Chen and Liren Zhang, winning 11-4, 11-9, 11-6.
Kheith Cruz also won silver in a mixed doubles event with American Bosman Botha and bronze in the under-19 mixed doubles, capping an exceptional tournament.
Ledesma expressed confidence in the team’s prospects for next year’s Southeast Asian Games, citing experienced players like SEA Games bronze medalist John Russel Misal and Youth Olympian 2018 Jann Nayre as key contributors.
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