IT SAYS something about the rude health of Guernsey table tennis that the 2008 men’s singles champion was not good enough to win the under-18 crown, beaten by a 14-year-old.
Finals night at the annual island championships was far from predictable and from start to finish hugely entertaining, with the odd surprise in store.
No shock was bigger than the result of men’s under-18 singles in which Garry Dodd (pictured), a couple of hours later to be crowned island champion for the first time, lost in five sets to the outstanding young talent that is Olly Langlois.
This was no fluke, nor a case of Dodd resting on laurels with one eye on the bigger prize ahead.
More a case of a totally focused Langlois brushing aside any negative thoughts, using his extensive armoury to the full and serving warning that his day as island men’s champion is not too far away.
It really was a remarkable result, Langlois clinching the trophy with two sets to spare as Dodd failed to return a forehand smash.
Two tables away another shock was in store until Scott Romeril reeled off three sets in succession to pip 13-year-old Alice Loveridge 11-6 in the seventh of their under-21 open singles final.
At three sets to one ahead Loveridge was within a couple of points of the win at 10-10 in the fifth.
But Romeril held his nerve, stole the set 12-10 and added the next two to complete the comeback of the night and belatedly show the form he would have hoped to reproduce in the men’s singles showdown with his good mate Dodd.
Well, that would have been his intention but clearly Romeril sees Dodd as a bogey and never looked remotely confident.
Nine times this season they have played and on eight occasions, including Saturday’s blue riband final, the left-hander has come out on top.
Romeril lost in five, only managing to wrest the third set.
He had a great opportunity in the fourth to make it 2-2, but having called a timeout at 11-10 up, he lost the next point and ultimately saw it slip from his grasp 14-12, a service return into the net sealing the loss of the set.
Things might have been different had Romeril squared the match, but we will never know.
Later, Dodd confirmed it’s tough playing one of your best mates and doubles partner for the top prize in island table tennis.
‘No, it’s not very nice playing a mate.
‘But I’ve had a few canings from him.’
As with the men’s, the women’s singles final failed to really take off.
Kay Chivers put aside a disastrous earlier loss in the veteran singles, to take a set off Loveridge, but such is the youngster’s class it was always evident she had a gear in reserve against her doubles partner.
Loveridge finished the night with six trophies in the bag, adding the women’s doubles, mixed doubles, under-18 open doubles, under-19 women’s singles and under-15 girls’ singles to the women’s crown.
This coming weekend she will be spearheading the Guernsey team in the Margaret Trophy inter-insular team match and looking to inflict maximum damage on the visiting Caesareans.
Loading ...
Share this article:
What are these?