This Is Guernsey

By Rob Batiste

Olly Langlois won both the CI under-15 and 18 titles. (0444660)

OLLY LANGLOIS has been set a challenge for the next 12 months by the man who advised him between sets during a highly successful, well, just-about-perfect, weekend for the talented youngster.

Brian Ferbrache told Langlois that it should be next stop the Green Trophy men’s team for the 14-year-old and, given his superb form over the inter-insular weekend, it should not be ruled out. On Guernsey finals night he had defeated Garry Dodd in the under-18 singles final and a week later he swept all before him and went home with an under-15/18 CI double under his belt.

In both cases he beat Jersey’s best junior, Josh Band, who had defeated Langlois in the under-15 CI showdown a year earlier. Totally focused on the challenge before him, Langlois played superbly to defeat the left-handed Band 4-1 in both finals.

Other highlights from CI finals night were Alice Loveridge’s easy demolition of new Jersey champion Nicola Duke, who looked as if she wanted to be anywhere but at the other end of a table tennis table from the Guernsey starlet, and a fine doubles win for Dodd and Scott Romeril over Craig Gascoyne and David Cronin.

Sadly, Dodd could not find his ‘Green’ form in the CI singles showdown with Gascoyne and the Jersey champ won in five, 11-9, 11-9, 11-9, 7-11, 11-7.