4th NatWest Jersey Open

Luck of the Irish on first day of Natwest Open Table Tennis Tournament.

Top Irish duo Paul Mc Creerey and Gavin Maguire lived up to their number 1 seeding in the Men's Team event as they didn't drop a single game on their way to the Men's title. Their cause was helped as the number two seeds from France suffered a late withdrawl due to transport problems. Nonetheless, the Irish pair were worthy winners having beaten the strong Jersey team of Craig Gascoyne and Jacob Wankowicz in the semis preceded by another local pairing of Trev Lefebvre and Paul Marshall who had in turn survived a five match thriller against Josh Band and Mariusz Cieminski in the quarter finals.

The Girl's Team event also went the way of the number 1 seeds as Emily Bates and Chloe Whyte powered their way past Emma Torkington from Sussex and Kelsey le Maistre from Jersey with some sublime shots to all points of the table. The Jersey/England pair did however put in good performances which bodes well for their hopes in the banded and Open events.

Jersey eventually got it's first winners as the Tupper brothers didn't drop a game as they took the Boy's Team title. The final was not one way traffic though as Luke Walker and Scott Cassin also from Jersey fought for every point but the Tuppers were not to be denied.

Emily Bates and Chloe Whyte took the honours again in the Women's Team event. After putting out Jersey's Nicola Duke and Kelsey le Maistre in the semi finals they broke local hearts with another powerful 3--0 win against Kay Lefebvre and Helen Liron in the final.

The Veteran's Team title went to the former European Champion John Hilton from Cheshire and his partner the hugely experienced John Magnall from the Isle of Man. Their guile and power proved to be too much for Jersey's Kay Lefebvre contesting her third final and Carol Milnes. The English pair had earlier negotiated a tricky semi final against Eugene Ellis and Kevin Allen but came through to deservedly take the title.

Day two Banded events at Natwest Open Table Tennis Tournament.

 Banded events put all the players into divisions dictated strictly by their ranking points. Local players were tipped for some possible titles and they didn’t disappoint.

 Max Tupper took Men’s Band 6 and Band 5 both at the expense of brother Hugo thus adding to his last senior title gained in Salisbury. Josh Band then claimed his first senior title winning Men’s Band 4 and nearly added Men’s Band 3 finally finishing runner up on an agonising countback to Ryan Flood from Ireland after having been pipped 12/10 in the fifth game. Men’s Band 2 went to the experienced John Magnall from the Isle of Man whose defensive chopping style proved to be that bit too much for Adrian Pilgrim from Warwickshire. Pilgrim had to be satisfied with the runner up slot again in Men’s Band 1 as the power and relentless attack of Paul McCreery from Ireland won the day.

 Jersey gained more success in the Women’s Band 3 where Josie Marshall played superbly to take the runner up slot losing to Emma Torkington in the deciding match. This result was mirrored in Womens’s Band 2 with Marshall again so close to the title but finishing an excellent second.

Final day Singles events at Natwest Open Table Tennis Tournament.

 “ The cream of table tennis rises to the top in Jersey”.

The blue riband Men’s and Women’s Open were truly spectacular affairs. In the Men’s event five Jersey players made it through to the last sixteen, Craig Gascoyne, Mariusz Cieminski, Paul Marshall, and juniors Josh Band and Max Tupper. The juniors met their fate against the number 1 and 2 seeds respectively and the seniors also bowed out despite valiant efforts.

The semi finals went with the seeding with number 1 seed and defending champion Damien Nicholls from Shropshire beating number 3 seed Gavin Maguire from Ireland 11/8, 11/8, 12/10. Paul McCreery also from Ireland had a tighter match with Patrick Thomas from Wales but booked his place in the final 13/11, 11/6, 14/12.

 McCreery took the first game in the final 11/6 and was comfortably ahead in the second before Nicholls turned on the afterburners. The defending champion clawed his way back to win the second and then the third game with scores of 6/11, 11/ 8, 13/ 11. The last game went 11/3 to the champion as Nicholls dominated the pulsating rallies to defend his title.

In the Women’s Open Emma Torkington was the first through to the semi finals after winning all her group matches including two narrow wins in the fifth games against Jersey’s Kay Lefebvre and Josie Marshall respectively. Second seed Alice Loveridge from Guernsey had to be satisfied with runner up in her group after a truly entertaining match against close rival Emily Bates from Lincolnshire who clinched their match 13/11 in the final game. Loveridge beat defending champion Sanja Clements to make the semis as did Chloe Whyte at the expense of Lefebvre.

Loveridge was in contol against Torkington as she took the first semi final 3—1. Whyte and Bates battled out a classic which could easily have gone either way. In the end it was the fifth seed Whyte who reached the final from fourth seed Bates 11/8, 14/12, 6/11, 12/10.

Loveridge then completely dominated the final with her usual powerful attacking strokes winning 11/7, 11/4, 11/6.

The Veteran's title went to Adrian Pilgrim from Warwickshire who beat John Hilton in the final 3-1. Hilton had earlier scraped through against Sanja Clements in the semi final by the score of 3---2.

Emily Bates took the Under 21 Women’s Singles from Chloe Whyte after some more entertaining matches with Loveridge having to settle this time for the third slot. The Jersey girls played with great determination but found the power of their UK opponents that bit too much.

 The Under 21 Men’s Singles was as expected full of power, precision and missile like looped shots. Jersey’s Luke Walker raised local hopes with an absolutely magnificent 3--1win against Jake Collins from Suffolk ranked some 2,200 points higher!! However it was Tom Marsay and Josh Band who reached the last eight both 3—0 winners against Matthieu Fisher and Max Tupper respectively to be joined by Scott Cassin who converted a five game thriller against Hugo Tupper. None however managed to reach the semis although Band was closest losing to second deed McCreery 13/11, 12/10, 11/5.

Frenchman and fifth seed Huart Wilson beat Nicholls in the surprise of the day in three games but couldn’t match the explosive shots of McCreery in the final who took the title 5/11, 11/8, 11/8, 11/7.

Attached picture shows Open Winners Alice Loveridge from Guernsey and Damien Nicholls from Shropshire flanked by NatWest Jersey bank manager Mrs. Diana Romeril and J.T.T.A. President Chris Band.