After the drama of the Junior Masters it’s time to prepare for another high-octane competition when the Cadet Masters comes to Cippenham this weekend and you can follow it all online.We’ll have live results tables here on the ETTA website, live updates on twitter @ettatabletennis and further coverage including photos on the ETTA Facebook page.
The National Cadet Masters features the same format as the Junior Masters which saw Sam Walker and Chloe Whyte emerge victorious after a gruelling 13-game weekend against the cream of the crop at the junior level in England.
Once again the players will embark on this challenge as the top 14 cadet boys and girls go head-to-head at the Cippenham Table Tennis Centre.
Last year’s winners; Helshan Weerasinghe and Tin-Tin Ho will start as the firm favourites to reclaim their titles with both excelling domestically and internationally over the last 12 months.
Weerasinghe is the top seed in the cadet boys draw with Sam Mabey, fifth in 2011, the second seed. Sam will be hoping to avenge his defeat in the School Games final. In 2011 Weerasinghe beat Igor Morais 3-2 (9-11, 11-8, 5-11, 11-9, 11-9) in a classic encounter to seal the title.
Helshan’s Champion School Games team mate Daniel Lawrence will be joining them as well as fellow 2011 competitors Jack Bennett and Marcus Giles who were also all present at the Junior Masters.
For the rest of the field it will be their Masters debut and a real chance to shine in front of the national coaches. Looking to impress will be; Alec Ward, Gabriel Achampong, Tom Jarvis, Daniel Wright, Bradley Wood, Hugo Pang, James Hobson and wildcards Tyrone Wells and Danny Lewis.
Tin-Tin Ho will be looking for her second Cadet Masters title after narrowly missing out on a first Junior Masters title last week on countback to Chloe Whyte.
Tin-Tin, winner in 2011 and third in 2010, is the strong favourite after her performances in both Portugal and France, which resulted in big international wins for the girl from Middlesex.
Challenging her will be second seed Maria Tsaptsinos as they continue their considerable, albeit friendly, rivalry. Tsaptsinos, another School Games champion present this weekend, came fourth in 2011 behind Emma Torkington and Megan Knowles but she will hope to go all the way this time.
Hoping to break their hold on the cadet crowns will be six more girls who played in the 2011 Masters. Lois Peake, Emily Bolton, Lucy Zhu, Letitia McMullan, Hannah Noutch and Ella Patel will all hope to improve on last year’s positions in Draycott.
New to the Masters will be Jazmin Johns, Kayleigh Forster, Nicole Bird, Amy Humphreys and wildcards Olivia Churchill and Jane Li. A positive omen for Churchill and Li will be the fact that the Junior Masters winner, Chloe Whyte, was also a wildcard so anything can happen.
Full Competitors List:
Boys:
Helshan Weerasinghe
Sam Mabey
Danny Lawrence
Jack Bennett
Marcus Giles
Alec Ward
Gabriel Achampong
Hugo Pang
Tom Jarvis
Daniel Wright
Bradley Wood
James Hobson
Tyrone Wells (wildcard)
Danny Lewis (wildcard)
Girls
Tin-Tin Ho
Maria Tsaptsinos
Lois Peake
Emily Bolton
Lucy Zhu
Letitia McMullan
Hannah Noutch
Ella Patel
Jazmin Johns
Kayleigh Forster
Nicole Bird
Amy Humphreys
Olivia Churchill (wildcard)
Jane Li (wildcard)