Kheith Rhynne Cruz, a 17-year-old Filipino table tennis prodigy, ruled the under-19 girls doubles category with American partner Irene Yeoh in the 2024 US Open Table Tennis Championships at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Convention Center in Las Vegas, adding to her growing list of accolades.
Cruz and Yeoh dominated Canada’s Crystal Liu and Zige Ding, the top-seeded pair, in the final. The duo clinched the title in straight sets, 11-8, 11-7, 11-2. This victory follows Cruz’s triumph at the 2024 World Table Tennis Youth Contender in New York, where she secured gold in the under-19 girls singles division.
Born to parents with roots in Bacolod and Pampanga, Cruz first gained international attention by winning the same division in the global tournament in 2023.
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“She holds a lot of promise and is a big asset to our national team,” said Ting Ledesma, president of the Philippine Table Tennis Association. “By competing and excelling in top-tier tournaments in the US, Kheith is setting herself up for a bright future in the sport.”
The US Open was particularly rewarding for Team Philippines, which brought home two gold medals. Cruz’s younger brother, Khevin Kheith Cruz, paired with Liam Zion Cabalu to capture the boys’ under-13 doubles title. The duo pulled off a stunning upset against top-seeded Kyler Chen and Liren Zhang, winning 11-4, 11-9, 11-6.
Kheith Cruz also claimed silver in a mixed doubles event with Bosman Botha of the United States and bronze in the mixed under-19 doubles, rounding off a stellar 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 2018 Youth Olympian Jann Nayre as key contributors.
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