The top seeds Nicola Deaton from Chesterfield, Derbyshire and Matthew Syed from Richmond, Surrey duly won the womenÆs and menÆs singles titles (each for their third time) at the National Senior Championships, held at Ponds Forge International Sports Centre over the weekend and supported by Sheffield City Council Major Events Unit.
Deaton, 23, who currently declines to play for England for financial reasons and lacks recent international experience, several times faltered nervously during the tournament, only to raise her game to win through. Her toughest match was in the final against the tenacious 29 year old second seed Helen Lower (Wolverhampton, Staffs), Deaton just holding off several fight backs to retain her title 21-10, 17-21, 21-18. In the quarter-finals Deaton swept aside 16 year old England junior no.2 Louise Durrant (Worksop, Notts) 16-21, 21-8, 21-7 after being a game and 1-4 down. And in the semi-finals, Deaton had looked in trouble when an on-form Kubrat Owolabi (Middlesex), the former All African champion, had taken the second game, but Deaton was far too sharp in the decider, gaining a 21-14, 18-21, 21-10 victory. Lower had battled back from a 7-11 third game deficit to overcome trainee chartered accountant Linda Radford (Brentwood, Essex) in her semi-final.
Outstanding in the menÆs singles, Commonwealth champion Matthew Syed (Richmond, Surrey), 29, defended immaculately to overcome former England and Commonwealth champion Alan Cooke (Chesterfield), in a final much more fiercely fought than the 21-11, 21-16 scoreline might suggest. In the semi-finals Syed had too much class for the rising star Andrew Baggaley, 17, from Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, who burnt himself out trying to blast past Syed and was beaten 21-15, 21-11. 34 year old Alan Cooke had reached the final, after 3 seasons out from competitive play (coaching), by putting out the 1999 under 21 champion Terry Young (Maidenhead, Berkshire) 21-23, 21-13, 21-10 in the quarter-finals and defending champion Alex Perry (Crediton, Devon) 21-14, 21-18 in semis. CookeÆs range of shots and ball control were decisive factors in overcoming his younger opponents.
Perry, 24, had some consolation for his singles loss in retaining two doubles titles. With Gareth Herbert (Berkshire) he won the menÆs doubles, beating Terry Young and Andrew Baggaley 21-17, 14-21, 21-17. With Helen Lower he beat the Chesterfield mixed doubles partnership of Alan Cooke and Nicola Deaton 17-21, 21-14, 21-12. Deaton got a second title when she played with Lower to retain the womenÆs doubles, beating Linda Radford and Kubrat Owolabi 21-12, 21-15.
Andrew Baggaley lifted the under 21 menÆs singles as expected, but he was taken to a deciding game, 21-6, 18-21, 21-10 by the precocious 14 year old Dale Barham (Peterborough, Cambs). Barham had won an incredibly close (22-20, 21-23, 21-19) semi-final over Peter Marshall (Hull, Yorkshire), who equally closely (21-19, 21-23, 21-19) had put out the second seed Michael Isherwood in the quarter-final. The biggest shock of the Championships was the unseeded Georgina Walker (Kirkby-in-Ashfield, Notts), only 14, winning the under 21 womenÆs singles by beating another unseeded player Natalie Bawden (Wickford, Essex), herself only 15, in the final. Key to WalkerÆs success was winning 9 consecutive points from 8-14 down in the third game to triumph 21-18, 15-21, 21-17.
Finals results:
MenÆs singles; Matthew Syed (Surrey) beat Alan Cooke (Derbys) 21-11, 21-16
WomenÆs singles; Nicola Deaton (Derbys) beat Helen Lower (Staffs) 21-10, 17-21, 21-18.
Under 21 menÆs singles; Andrew Baggaley (Bucks) beat Dale Barham (Cambs) 21-6, 18-21, 21-10.
Under 21 womenÆs singles; Georgina Walker (Notts) beat Natalie Bawden (Essex) 21-18, 15-21, 21-17.
MenÆs doubles; Alex Perry (Devon)/Gareth Herbert (Berks) beat Terry Young (Berks)/Baggaley 21-17, 14-21, 21-17.
WomenÆs doubles; Deaton/Lower beat Linda Radford (Essex)/Kubrat Owolabi (Middlesex) 21-12, 21-15.
Mixed doubles; Perry/Lower beat Cooke/Deaton 17-21, 21-14, 21-12.
English Junior National Championships, 20/21 May
The most talented junior (under 17) and cadet (under 14) table tennis players in the land, many of whom successfully competed in the National Senior Championships (above) including all the under 21 finalists, will be converging on Stratford Leisure and Visitors Centre, Stratford-on-Avon, next weekend for the English Junior National Championships, supported by Stratford-on-Avon District Council. The junior boysÆ and girlsÆ singles and doubles, and mixed doubles, will take place on the Saturday (20th May) and the cadet boysÆ and girlsÆ singles and doubles on the Sunday (21st May). Both days commence at 9am.
For further information contact Ken Muhr, ETTA Information Officer, Tel. 01424 722525 Fax. 01424 422103.