GDTTL

SUNDAY 9th March 2008

Held at the Howard Table Tennis Centre

18 players from the Gravesend League, contested the 8 events of the Closed Championships, 13 competitors were from Meopham, 2 from Traders, 1 from Dartfordian's, 1 from Sutton and 1 from Hopehill.

11 competitors contested the men's singles and the first round was played in groups. The winners of the groups contested the semi - finals. The first semi- final was contested between Tydeman (Hopehill) and Butler (Traders), Butler actually finished second in his group behind Steve Broad (Meopham), but a muscle pull caused Broad to make way for Butler, by retiring hurt. Tydeman booked his place in the final with an 11- 5, 5- 11, 11- 6, 6 -11, 11- 7 over Butler. The other semi- final was contested between Meopham team mates Steve Reeve and Paul Sidders, Reeve was the winner with a 13 -11, 11- 5, 11- 7 win.

The final was a five set affair with Tydeman's defensive style unsettling Reeve's attacking game. Tydeman won the title by taking the deciding set 11- 8.

There were six entrants in the ladies singles, all from Meopham except Dartfordian's Jill Shipton who was seeded 1. Meopham's 13- year- old Claire Harvey was seeded 2. Harvey won her group by defeating Chris Brett in straight sets and Ling Ling Guo in 4. Shipton won her group without dropping a set. This set up a final between Shipton and Harvey, which Shipton won 11- 4, 11-2, 11-8.

There were 5 pairs in the men's doubles, Trader's pair Dave Butler and Cliff Roberts defeated the Meopham pairing of Dan Broad and Steve Reeve 14 -12, 11- 9, 12 -10. There were three pairs in the other half of the draw, so it was played as a group with the winners going into the final.

Pairings in this group were Steve Broad / Mike Sefton, (Meopham), Chris Penning / Paul Sidders (Sutton / Meopham) and Antoine Vianney / Ted Tydeman (Meopham/ Hopehill). All matches in this group went to the deciding fifth set. Penning/ Sidders were unbeaten to set up a final with the Traders pair. The final was a straight sets win for Penning/ Sidders 11- 3, 11- 7, 11- 8.

There were 3 pairs in the ladies doubles so this was played as a round robin, sisters Chris Brett/ Jenny Nash, (Meopham), mother and daughter Ling / Tan (Meopham) and Sarah Dowe (Meopham) paired up with Jill Shipton (Dartfordians). Nash and Brett defeated Tan / Ling 5 -11, 11- 3, 11- 3, 11- 8, to take the runners - up spot. Shipton / Dowe didn't drop as set on the way to the title by beating Ling / Tan 11- 3, 11- 8, 11- 9 and Nash and Brett 11- 7, 11- 1, 11- 8.

The Veteran's Singles had 9 competitors at the start of the day, but both Steve Broad (Meopham) and Ted Tydeman (Hopehill) withdrew before the start of the event. Tydeman was seeded 1, Sidders 2 and Penning 3. Mike Sefton (Meopham,) Paul Sidders (Meopham) and Dave Butler (Traders) qualified for a round robin final. Butler won both his matches to take the title, with Paul Sidders in runners- up spot.

Five pairs contested the Veteran's Doubles. Semi - final one was contested between Shipton / Tydeman and Penning / Sidders. Sidders/ Penning had a straight set win 11 -7, 11- 6, 12 -10. The other semi was a round robin group of three Roberts/ Butler, Brett/ Nash, Broad (Steve) / Sefton. Sefton / Broad won both of their matches in a fifth set to qualify for the final. The final was a five set affair which was won by Paul Sidders and Chris Penning, 11 -7, 7- 11, 8 -11, 11- 5, 11- 5.

Four pairs contested the Mixed Doubles, a Meopham pairing of Sarah Dowe / Roger Morley, another Meopham pairing of Antoine Vianney / Tan, Meopham's Ling Ling joined forces with Sutton's Chris Penning and Ted Tydeman partnered Jill Shipton. The first semi saw Tydeman / Shipton beat Dowe / Morley 15 -13, 11- 7, 11-7. In the other Ling Ling / Penning beat Tan / Vianney 11- 8, 11- 9, 11- 8.

The final was an exciting 5 set affair, and in the fourth set Ling Ling / Penning had three match points, Tydeman / Shipton saved these to level the match 14 -12 in the 4th set and then took the 5th 11- 6.

There were a disappointing 3 entries for the Junior Singles; many of Meopham's juniors all had other commitments. The three competitors were Meopham's Claire Harvey, Roger Morley and Ling Ling Guo. Morley won both his matches to take the title, with Harvey beating Guo to take the runners- up spot.

Unfortunately the Junior Doubles didn't take place due to lack of entries.

The Howard Table Tennis Centre is an excellent venue and it is hoped that next season that more entries can be generated.

Thanks go to Peter Rushbrook for running the event, Steve Waud (Centre Manager) for the hire of the centre and Lorraine Head (Howard TT Centre) for providing refreshments.