Last year’s losing finalist in the Men’s Singles and winner of the Men’s Doubles alongside Chris Doran, Daniel Reed is hunting for more success at this year’s Championships.

Daniel or ‘Danny’ was the shock package in 2011 by beating Liam Pitchford in the semi-finals despite trailing 3-1, although he went on to lose the final to Paul Drinkhall, Reed had already won the Doubles against Drinkhall and Pitchford.

He could meet Pitchford in the semi-finals again this year as the Yorkshireman hopes to go one better this time around.

Name: Daniel Reed

Age: 22

Home town/County: North Yorkshire

What are you expecting from yourself for this year’s championships?

I am here to win! But I also know that it is a very strong competition this year with a lot at stake!

Is success the only option?

In terms of Olympic selection I have nothing to lose, as I am currently not in the top 3, however I need to be successful here in order to change that!

How important are the next couple of months for you?

It’s a very important time in terms of qualifying for the Olympic team. However, I feel my best table tennis years are in the future.

Do you get nervous ahead of an event such as this?

Yes of course, I see the championships as a major tournament in the season in which my goal is to win the singles title. This year has extra significance, which makes it even more interesting.

It’s a great competition to play against your peers. Who are you most looking forward to facing and why?

Drinkhall, Baggaley and Pitchford all are currently in the top 3 on the world ranking list for Great Britain making them the likely Olympic team at present.

What does it take to win a title at these championships?

This year the winner will have really performed on a high level, coming through some hard and close matches. Handling high pressure situations well and playing well on the crucial points are very important.

Finally, with all the English players improving over the last year, does that create increased pressure on yourself or do they spur you on?

I feel it’s a great time to be a member of the English team, with some really interesting years ahead. The fact that everyone is improving shows that we are all working hard and will continue to improve. Hopefully we will produce some major international results over the next few years to make our country proud!