News & Views from the Colchester Table Tennis League
with Press Officer Martyn Green

9th March-2009
EIGHTEEN-YEAR-OLD GREG GREEN WINS COLCHESTER MEN’S SINGLES TITLE!

Eighteen-year-old un-seeded Greg Green beat Gary Young in the Colchester & District Table Tennis League Men’s Singles final and in doing so became one of the youngest ever champions. In a fluctuating match Green, who has a reputation for ‘choking’ finally won his first singles title. Young started strongly using his powerful backhand loops to take the first end 11-5. Green, changing strategy, attacked down Young’s forehand with considerable success to open a 10-3 lead, with Young fighting back to 10-8 before Green finally took the second set with his sixth game point! Young edged a close third set 12-10 with Green riding his luck in the fourth at 10-9, wining with a net and edge! With both players tiring in the final end Young appeared to have the upper hand at 7-5 but the more aggressive Green won the next four points and eventually laid the ghosts to rest, beating his St Mary’s team mate 11-8.

Earlier Green had beaten Young in his opening group, again in five sets and with reigning champion’s Dave Cole’s enforced withdrawal from the tournament due to work commitments the draw took on a whole new dimension. Mike Shore beat his team mate, Michael Andrews in their group to upset the seedings but eventually lost to Ian Whiteside in the knock-out stage. Gary Young then beat number two seed Richard Goodhand having lost to him the two previous years at the same stage to set up two semi-finals of contrasting styles. Green beat Michael Andrews -11, 9, 5, -9, 6 in an entertaining game and Gary Young beat the more defensive Ian Whiteside in three straight ends, 7, 5, & 12.

Sue Welham made it a double for the St Mary’s club as she beat Walton’s Annabelle Rodriguez in three straight sets in the Ladies Singles final. Welham won what proved to be a vital tense first end 12-10 and showing greater control ran-out the next two sets game 5 apiece, stretching her record to twenty-two wins in the past thirty years, an incredible achievement!

Gt Horkesley’s Jimmy Farrow won the Veteran’s 40+ event beating the evergreen Fred Button who became the first player to reach all three veteran age category finals. He beat Alan Burgess in the 50+ final and in a reverse of fortune lost to the same player in the 60+ as Burgess retained his title.

In the Junior Boys Singles (U18) final Mike Shore made it a hat-trick of title successes as he beat Toby Turner of Pegasus in three sets 9, 4 & 3. After a difficult first end. Shore then blossomed, never letting Turner settle in what turned out to be a relatively comfortable win. Turner played impressively in his semi-final however, to beat number two seed Mark Smith in the closest match of the weekend, the final three ends all going to deuce!

Andrew Harvey completed an excellent weekend for him winning the Cadet (U15) event against the promising Grant Donaldson and the Senior Handicap Singles against Jimmy Farrow. Both Harvey and Donaldson are products of the Rowhedge coaching academy as indeed are Greg Green and Mike Shore .

Ipswich top players, Richard Goodhand and Jimmy Farrow took the Men’s Doubles title in another five set encounter overcoming Kevin Gowlett and Greg Green in a match that once again went the full five set distance. In the Ladies Doubles there are new names on the trophy with Walton’s Christine Edwards and Annabelle Rodriguez defeating last years winner’s Sue Welham and Marlene Smith, untroubled without dropping a set. Welham completed a busy night for her teaming up with Gary Young to defeat scratch pairing Hazel Hume and Greg Green as well in three in the Mixed Doubles final.

Martin Edwards, Hazel Hume and Colin Powell won the Second, Third and Fourth Division Singles events respectively.

COLCHESTER CLOSED TOURNAMENT FINALS NIGHT RESULTS

Men’s Singles Semi-Finals:

Greg Green bt Michael Andrews -8, 9, 5, -9 & 6

Gary Young bt Ian Whiteside 7, 5, & 12

Ladies Doubles Final:

Chris Edwards & Annabelle Rodriguez bt Sue Welham & Marlene Smith 7, 9 & 5

Veteran’s 40+ Final:

Jimmy Farrow bt Fred Button 10, 4 & 6

Mixed Doubles Final:

Sue Welham & Gary Young bt Hazel Hume & Greg Green 6, 5 & 9

Junior Boys Final:

Mike Shore bt Toby Turner 9, 4 & 3

Men’s Doubles Final:

Richard Goodhand & Jimmy Farrow bt Kevin Gowlett & Greg Green -9, 7, 8, -6 & 8

Ladies Singles Final:

Sue Welham bt Annabelle Rodriguez 10, 5 & 5

Men’s Singles Final:

Greg Green bt Gary Young -5, 8, -10, 9 & 8

Saturday’s Events Winner / Runner Up

Cadet Singles Andrew Harvey / Grant Donaldson

Junior Girls Singles Daisy Stewart / Alison Powell

Junior Boys Doubles Mike Shore & Mark Smith / Andrew Harvey & Brett Angel

Junior Handicapped Singles Brett Angell / Andrew Harvey

Junior Handicapped Doubles Sam Burrows & Chris Chandler / Brett Angell & Dale Young

Senior Handicapped Singles Andrew Harvey / Jimmy Farrow

Senior Handicapped Doubles Colin Powell & Thomas Lewis / Michael Andrews & Mike Shore

Division 2 Singles Martin Edwards / Fred Button

Division 3 Singles Hazel Hume / Sandy Isaac

Division 4 Singles Colin Powell / Chris Jones

Veteran’s 50+ Singles Fred Button / Ian Whiteside

Veteran’s 60+ Singles Alan Burgess / Fred Button