Scott Romeril won the fifth game in the final rubber against Iceland. (Picture by Daniel Guerin, 0507494)
THE Guernsey men’s team face Iraq today as they sit in a fantastic second place in their Division Four group at the World Team Championships in Guangzhou, China.
The Sarnian side of Garry Dodd, Scott Romeril and Ollie Langlois secured their runner-up spot behind the Republic of Congo yesterday when they narrowly overcame Iceland. ‘It was really good,’ said 14-year-old Grammar School student Langlois.
‘They have been really tight matches and there has been some really good table tennis to watch and play. It’s nice to be winning the matches and doing better than last time. The standard is very high.’
The match between the greens and Iceland was level after four rubbers.
First up Romeril, 18, lost in five games to Richard Magnason before Dodd, 17, defeated Magnus K. Magnusson in three.
Langlois then took care of Dadi Freyr Gudmundsson 3-1 to put Guernsey into the lead.
Iceland made it two-all when Dodd went down to Magnason.
In the deciding rubber, Romeril found himself two games down to Magnusson before he bounced back in fine style to win the next two 11-8 and 11-2.
The deciding fifth game went to 10-all before the Guernsey player dug deep to take two clear points to win 12-10 and see his side home.
They now face Iraq who are the joint-second side.
‘They are the second-strongest team in our group,’ said Langlois.
‘If we beat them, it will be good, but they are very strong. They are a big country and they used to be one of the top teams in the world.’
Regardless of today’s result, the Guernsey Table Tennis Association president, Derek Webb, who is at the tournament, is delighted with what his team have achieved.
‘The boys are doing excellently,’ he said.
‘There’s only one team ahead of them and that’s Congo. If they beat Iraq, they will end up second, which will be tremendous, and if they lose, they end up third, which is also tremendous.’
On the other hand, the week has been more of a battle for the Guernsey women’s team of Dawn Morgan, Becks O’Keefe and Alice Loveridge.
Their 3-0 defeat at the hands of Switzerland yesterday morning meant they had lost all their Division Three Group K matches to leave them stuck at the bottom of the pool.
Later in the day in the second stage of the competition they took on Puerto Rico in the 61st-place play-off and came off second best.
They now take on Mongolia today for the 69th spot.
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