“TRIPLE JOY FOR JENNY”
After a twelve-year break, Jenny Binns made a triumphant return to
competitive tournament table tennis at the Clacton and District Table
Tennis League’s 2008 Closed Championships.
Jenny was the outstanding individual player at the Championships,
sponsored by Paul Newbould Planning and Building Design Services and
held at Colbayns School last weekend, taking three titles including
the all-important Ladies Singles crown.
In the Ladies Singles final, Jenny defeated Annabelle Rodriguez,
champion for the past two years, 11-3, 11-8, 11-2, her trademark
defence, interspersed with stunning forehand winners, proving too much
for her younger opponent.
It was a fourth Ladies Singles crown for Jenny, a success which
takes her to equal-fourth place with Edel Ruddy on the all-time list,
with only Sheila Howe, Isabel Barton and Marion Denton having won more
Ladies Singles titles.
The beaten semi-finalists were Jackie McKenny and Isabel Barton,
who went down to Annabelle Rodriguez in a repeat of the last season’s
final.
There was a second title for Jenny when, with husband David, she
won the Mixed Doubles, the Binns’ combination taking a tight first set
in the final against reigning champions John Hobson and Tricia Salter
before easing to a 12-10, 11-7, 11-3 win.
It was the fourth time that the Jenny and David had taken the
title together.
And, for good measure, Jenny picked up a third trophy when she won
the Division Three Singles, her steady play again winning the day
against newcomer John Harvey, 11-5, 11-5, 11-6.
In an earlier round, Harvey had edged past 11-year-old James
Denyer 11-13, 11-7, 13-11, 9-11, 11-7, whilst Duncan Dunne had enjoyed
a tense 6-11, 9-11, 11-3, 11-7, 12-10 win over third seed Sheila Howe
before losing to Jenny Binns in the semi-final.
Kevin Gowlett is the new Mens Singles champion but he did it the
hard way, coming from behind in the final to beat Colin Stallwood
5-11, 6-11, 11-4, 11-8, 11-3.
At two sets and 4-1 up in the third, Stallwood was in complete
control, whilst Gowlett was looking down and on his way out.
But in a final that truly earned the proverbial description of a
match of two halves, the unpretentious Gowlett upped several gears to
turn the match on its head, to beat an increasingly bewildered and
demoralised Stallwood 5-11, 6-11, 11-4, 11-8, 11-3.
It was a worthy win for Gowlett who, as the third-equal seed, had
overcome Colin’s brother, Gary Stallwood, Fred Button and David Binns
on his way to the final, before beating top seed Martin Hogg 11-7,
11-1, 11-4 with something to spare in the semi-final.
The ease of Gowlett’s win over Hogg was somewhat surprising as
Hogg had been playing well, especially in his nail-biting 8-11,
18-16, 12-10, 12-10 quarter-final victory over Michael Shore, who
had beaten Hogg at the same stage in last season’s competition.
For the likeable Stallwood, a beaten semi-finalist last year, it
was a bitter pill to swallow, especially following convincing
performances against John Hobson, Colin Dearman, Alan Burgess and, in
the semi-final, Neil Crook, but his day will surely come again.
However, there was a measure of revenge in the Mens Doubles final
where Hogg and Stallwood defeated Burgess and Gowlett 11-9,
9-11, 11-7, 11-2, a fourth Doubles title for Stallwood and a third
for Hogg but their first as a pair together.
The event produced some fine matches, Hogg and Stallwood defeating
Binns and James 8-11, 14-12, 11-4, 9-11, 11-5 in their semi, whilst
John Barton and Mark Ratcliffe caused a major shock, beating Burrows
and Shore 11-9, 10-12, 12-10, 11-8 in Round Two.
A new pairing was also successful in the Ladies Doubles, Isabel
Barton and Jackie McKenny beating Sheila Howe and Tricia Salter 11-6,
8-11, 11-1, 7-11, 11-3.
It was especially disappointing for Tricia, her ninth runner-up
trophy in this event but seemingly never destined to win the title.
In the Veteran Singles, top seed Peter Burrows was not to be
denied, defeating second seed and 2000 winner, David Binns,
13-11, 6-11, 11-4, 11-6 in the final.
But the event was not kind to the other top seeds Alan Burgess and
Kevin James, David Hall disposing of Burgess 11-6, 11-7, 11-13,
4-11, 11-8 before going down to Burrows, whilst Martin Edwards
eliminated James 12-10, 11-7, 11-8 before falling to Binns.
Colin Dearman caused an upset by reaching the final of the
Super-Veterans Singles defeating reigning champion David Binns 11-13,
11-3, 9-11, 11-4, 11-4 in the semi-final.
But that was where his luck ended, Alan Burgess, in his first
season as a Super-Vet, taking the title 9-11, 12-10, 11-5, 11-9.
In a Championships of change, only one player, Michael Shore,
retained his 2007 title, Shore winning a third consecutive Junior
Singles with a simple 11-1, 11-9, 11-1 win over Carl Fenner.
But Shore had not had it all his own way, dropping a set to both
Matthew Wright and Lewis McKenny in earlier rounds, and all credit to
Fenner who had surprised many to reach the final by beating team-mate
and second seed Peter Hall 11-3, 7-11, 11-8, 11-4.
Hall and Fenner combined forces to take their first Championship
titles winning the Junior Doubles 11-9, 10-12, 11-8, 11-5 against Sam
Buxton and David North.
The Division Two Singles final went to form where top seed Gary
Stallwood, who had remained undefeated in Division Two all season,
beat second seed Phil Buxton 11-4, 11-8, 6-11, 11-2.
But not before Isabel Barton had produced a surprise or three,
making it to the semi-final with unlikely wins over Terry Kirby, Peter
Hall and Russell Hillier before succumbing to Stallwood.
There is no seeding in the Restricted Singles but, arguably, the
top two players met to produce the closest final of the Championships,
Neil Crook beating David Hall 7-11, 11-13, 11-9, 11-4, 12-10 in a
pulsating see-saw match.
And for his efforts in taking the Restricted Singles and for
reaching the semi-finals of the Mens Singles, beating seeded players
Peter Burrows and Kevin James, Crook was awarded the Victor Trophy for
the outstanding performance of the Championships.
During the Championships the Brian Hogg Trophy, awarded to a
junior player of whom the League is proud to have among its members,
was made to David North, a quiet and unassuming player who has shown
great loyalty to the League for the last six years.
Once again, the League is indebted to the Championships’ main
sponsor Paul Newbould Planning and Building Design Services, and to
the sponsors of the individual events, without whose support the
Tournament could not continue in its current form.
CHAMPIONSHIPS RESULTS
Mens Singles : K Gowlett beat C Stallwood 5-11, 6-11, 11-4,
11-8, 11-3.
Ladies Singles : J Binns beat A Rodriguez 11-3, 11-8, 11-2.
Mens Doubles : M Hogg/C Stallwood beat A Burgess/K Gowlett
11-9, 9-11, 11-7, 11-2.
Ladies Doubles : I Barton/J McKenny beat S Howe/T Salter
11-6, 8-11, 11-1, 7-11, 11-3.
Mixed Doubles : D Binns/J Binns beat J Hobson/T Salter 12-10,
11-7, 11-3.
Veterans Singles : P Burrows beat D Binns 13-11, 6-11, 11-4,
11-6.
Super-Veterans Singles : A Burgess beat C Dearman 9-11,
12-10, 11-5, 11-9.
Junior Singles : M Shore beat C Fenner 11-1, 11-9, 11-1.
Junior Doubles : C Fenner/P Hall beat S Buxton/D North 11-9,
10-12, 11-8, 11-5.
Division Two Singles : G Stallwood beat P Buxton 11-4, 11-8,
6-11, 11-2.
Division Three Singles : J Binns beat J Harvey 11-5, 11-6, 11-6.
Restricted Singles : N Crook beat D Hall 7-11, 11-13, 11-9, 11-4,
12-10.
Victor Trophy : N Crook
LEAGUE RESULTS
Division 1
Walton C 1 Brotherhood B 9;
Nomads Panthers 6 Walton C 4;
Brotherhood A 10 Windsor Condors 0;
Walton B 3 Brotherhood A 7;
Windsor Falcons 0 Walton B 10;
Walton A 3 Brotherhood B 7;
Windsor Hawks 5 Red Triangle 5.
Division 2
Lawford 5 Windsor Harriers 5;
Walton D 3 Nomads Jaguars 7;
Brotherhood F 8 Windsor Magpies 2.
Division 3
Brotherhood J 0 Windsor Penguins 10;
Brotherhood I 2 Windsor Swallows 8;
Windsor Ladybirds 6 Brotherhood H 4.
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Clacton
and District Table Tennis League