APPLEBY ACADEMY TABLE TENNIS PLAYERS SHINE IN DERBY.

A party of 13 youngsters from the JTTA's Appleby Academy have just returned after competing in Derby at the major 4* Open Junior Tournament.

This important event in the junior calendar attracted almost 300 players from all over the UK.

Jordan Wykes and Ollie Griggs had tentative starts in the Under 13 Boys Open Singles which included seven of the top 10 ranked England players. Despite this Griggs went through his group as runner up after defeating higher ranked Harry Gwilliam from Gloucestershire before a close exit in the last 32. The heroics of the two youngest players in the party were to come later in the older age groups.

Kelsey le Maistre who had to contend with the England No. 9 Cadet in her Under 15 Girls Band 1 group and with only the winner  going through just missed out on the knockout stage. Agonisingly she just missed out again in the Under 15 Girls Open despite three superb performances this time by a couple of points on countback.

In the Under 15 Boys Open Singles consisting of 96 players, Hugo Tupper, Michael Fisher, Ollie Griggs, Jordan Wykes, Chris Morshead and Harry Messervy all recorded wins against higher ranked opponents with Morshead and Griggs finishing as runners up in their groups of four players with two excellent wins each. They both gave spirited performances in the first of the knockout rounds but succumbed to the England No.19 and No.11 respectively. 

The Under 18 Boys Open Singles had attracted another huge field of 90 players. Matthieu Fisher ranked 126 was the first to notch up a brilliant Jersey win coming back from 2--0 down to beat Daniel Pound from Sussex ranked 83. Josh Band ranked 39 entered the fray and completely controlled his group 4 with back to back 3--0 wins to go through as group winner. Max Tupper ranked 66 impressed in the very tough 14th Group as the lowest ranked player. Despite this he beat Greg Kadock ranked 36 from Kent 3--2 after dropping the first two games and then Tiago Branco ranked 57 3--0 to proceed as runner up despite falling to the No.12 seed 1--3 in his final group match. Ollie Griggs played with huge resolve against the No. 1 seed David McBeath from Hampshire and the two other higher ranked players in his group, 33 and 80 belying his ranking of 128. This was underlined by the fact that Griggs was also drawn against the No. 1 seed in the Band 1 Under 18 as well!!

The eventual plaudits for endeavour in the group stage did however go to 10 year old Jordan Wykes ranked 145. In his match against the powerful 14 year old Yorkshire player Scott Hollowood [who back in December 2008 was ranked No.3 in U13 Boys in England] on the show table he took the first game 11 / 6 before dropping the next two 5 /11, 5 /11. Wykes then took the fourth game 11 / 5 with a barrage of winning smashes to all angles of the table. Sensing a major upset was on the cards a huge crowd gathered around the top table. Wykes matched Hollowood all the way and reached deuce at 10 all with a crashing loop down the line. Eventually, it was a highly relieved Hollowood who edged home 14 / 12  against the talented youngster from Jersey, four years his junior!!

It was left to Josh Band and Max Tupper to carry the flag through to the knockout rounds. Tupper had to negotiate the preliminary round and looked set for an early exit against the England No. 16 junior Ping Ho. At 2--0 down with game scores of 5 / 11, 7 / 11, this looked a certainty but Tupper battled back to nick the third game 12 / 10 after being two match points down. Ho's confidence seemed to crumble and Tupper took full advantage supported by a partisan Jersey crowd as he swept to his best victory to date winning the last two games 11 / 8, 11 / 6. He then despatched Finny Wilson from Sussex the 48th ranked player with a solid 3--0 victory. His joy was short lived however as he exited at the last sixteen stage to the England No. 5 Richard Andrews from Berkshire in three straight, 6 / 11, 4 / 11, 8 / 11.

Meanwhile, Band was automatically through to the last thirty two following his impressive group win and faced the talented Stephen Nicholls from Cheshire ranked 41. This was a match where Band's mental toughness came to the fore as he sent down unplayable serves and won points with percentage shots at critical times in the encounter. A hard earned gritty 3---0  win was achieved  with game scores of

14 / 12, 11 / 7, 17 / 15. Band was straight back on court for his match in the last sixteen where he faced England No. 10 Cadet Michael Ho. Band took the first game with some sublime touch play 11 / 5 but dropped the next two as Ho's serve started to garner points. The fourth game could have gone either way but it was eventually the English player who just edged through 12 / 10 to take the match 3 --1. 

The Under 18 Girl's Open had handed a tough draw to Jodie Le Maistre and despite three close group matches which could have gone either way she exited at this stage. Her younger sister Kelsey was having better fortune which was all of her own making. She blasted her way through to the last sixteen as group winner with three impressive wins, none more so than against UK junior top 50 ranked Chantal Wilson from Middlesex. However her next opponent the England No.11, Abbie Milwain proved to be just that bit too strong and Le Maistre exited in the last sixteen. Emily Robins hit a purple patch at the right time after drawing the England number 3 Lucy Davidson in her group. Despite an expected loss Robins fought back in her next two matches taking both, including a spectacular 11 / 5, 7 / 11, 11 / 5, 5 / 11, 11 / 6 victory against Nicole Ferreira from Surrey and so proceeded as runner up in the group. Lucy Burks then exacted revenge for her county colleague on the Jersey girl in the knockout stage.

The Under 18 Girl's Band 1 had a similar story with fourteen year old Kelsey le Maistre winning her group following the best match of her career. At 2--0 down to England ranked No.13 Cadet Ify Okafor, [ 8 / 11, 8 / 11 ], Le Maistre never lost the faith. The 23 strong Jersey party of young players, coaches and parents cheered on the talented local girl who battled back from the brink of defeat taking the last three games

11 / 9, 11 / 9, 11 / 7 for a truly seismic victory!! The England No. 9 Megan Knowles then restored some face for the home country in the knockout rounds denying Le Maistre a quarter final slot.

The last matches in the tournament saw the 70 players at Under 18 Boys Band 1 in action . Michael Fisher, Glen Brown and Harry Messervy had tough groups consisting of three players and with only the winner going through all three missed out against opponents ranked some 100 places higher than themselves. Tom Marsay was unlucky not to proceed losing in three very close games to the Welsh No.6 ranked Matthew Lancey. It was however business as usual for Josh Band who topped his group without dropping a game as he dominated Franco Abbey and Daniel Pound from Surrey and Sussex respectively. Hugo Tupper also booked his place in the knockout stage with two good wins. Elder brother Max dropped just a single game in despatching James Glass from Kent and Daniel Horton from Yorkshire.

All three then faced the preliminary knockout round. None disappointed as they all made the last sixteen. Band's clinical defeat of Bradley Osborne from Essex 11 / 6, 11 / 4, 11 / 1 set the example as he booked his now customary berth in the last sixteen. Hugo Tupper had an uneasy start against England ranked 28 Cadet Alex Holland losing the first game 8 / 11. The key game was the second where Tupper kept his nerve to snatch it 12 / 10. From there on it was plain sailing as Tupper's accurate blistering loops scythed past Holland taking the next two games 11 / 5, 11 / 2 to seal victory. Sibling Max also had problems early on losing his first two games 11 / 13, 8 / 11, to Middlesex's Foluso Thomas. With the sage advice of the Island's Development Officer and Head Coach Craig Gascoyne,Tupper turned the match around taking the next three games 11 / 5, 11 / 6, 11 / 5 for another excellent win. He almost went one further in the last sixteen against Adam Harrison England No. 20 ranked Cadet coming back twice from a game down. It was not to be however as the extra tournament experience of Harrison swayed the tie 3--2 in the Lincolnshire player's favour. Josh Band had a battle royale against TTK Greenhouse's powerful top 60 UK ranked Gregory Kadock. It was just a few forced errors that were the only difference in a match full of blistering rallies with Band also exiting at the last sixteen stage.

" This was the most successful tournament for our APPLEBY Academy junior players, said JTTA President Chris Band. " Some of the less experienced youngsters achieved some great wins following the fine example set by our top juniors. They are all improving at an impressive rate thanks to Craig and our other coaches."

Top UK coach Brian Kean said during tournament, "Jersey are fast becoming a formidable force to be reckoned with at junior level. The performance of all of them over this weekend has been truly impressive."