Seventy entrants, 259 games and over 10 hours of top class table tennis at the Ulster Closed in Lisburn Racquets on Saturday 24th March. Congratulations to all participants and officials on a successful day. Special mention to two titanic five set tussles with Daryl Strong edging past Allen Robson in five long and hard fought sets; and Rebecca Finn’s extraordinary fight back against the extremely talented Sophie Earley, taking the fifth and deciding set 12.10 having lost the first two sets.
The winners and runners up of each event are as follows:
Masters Event:
Winner – Phil Wallace;
Runner Up – Mark McAllister.
Masters Plate:
Winner – Roy Coats;
Runner Up – Des Flanagan.
Women’s Singles:
Winner – Rebecca Finn;
Runner Up – Sophie Earley.
Round Robin event so no Plate.
Men’s Singles:
Winner – Zak Earley;
Runner Up – Thomas Earley.
Men’s Plate:
Winner – Max Skelton;
Runner Up – Pawel Sulkowski.
U-21 Open:
Winner – Zak Earley;
Runner Up – Conor Nugent.
U-21 Plate:
Winner – Lucy Craig;
Runner Up – Connor Smith.
U-18 Girls:
Winner – Lucy Craig;
Runner Up – Lucy Johnston.
Round Robin event so no Plate.
U-18 Boys:
Winner – Max Skelton;
Runner Up – Matthew Cherry.
U-18 Boys Plate:
Winner – Tom Colvin;
Runner Up – Julian Kelly.
U-15 Girls:
Winner – Lucy Johnston;
Runner Up – Lucy McIvor.
U-15 Girls Plate:
Winner: Abbie Wylie;
Runner Up – Lily Smith.
U-15 Boys:
Winner: Tom Colvin;
Runner Up – Max Skelton.
U-15 Boys Plate:
Winner – Tom Irwin;
Runner Up – Chris Minnis.
U-13 Girls:
Winner – Lucy McIvor;
Runner Up – Kia McCartney.
U-13 Girls Plate:
Winner: Lily Smith;
Runner Up – Alice Looney.
U-13 Boys:
Winner – Jonathan Mooney;
Runner Up – Joel Smith.
U-13 Boys Plate:
Winner – Matthew Mooney;
Runner Up – Aedan McGivern.
U-11 Girls:
WINNER – Alice Looney;
Runner Up – Grace Looney.
Round Robin event so no Plate.
U-11 Boys:
Winner – Daniel McFaul;
Runner Up – Aedan McGovern.
U-11 Boys Plate:
Winner – Harry Leavesley;
Runner Up – Peader Sheridan
Congratulations again to all competitors and for all the juniors remember the Secondary Schools individual championships in U12, U14, U16 and U19 takes place on the 18th April at Lisburn Racquets Club. Entry forms available through Norman McBride Ulster Schools TT Secretary. All schools must also be affiliated to Ulster Schools. Email n5mcb@btinternet for more information. Closing date for entries 16th April.
Also three regional Primary School events in April and May. Contact USTTA TT Secretary for more details at n5mcb@btinternet.
Norman McBride