Multiple teams are still in contention after a pulsating opening day’s action at the School Games table tennis at Loughborough University.
With eight teams competing in boys’, girls’ and para (standing) categories, the destination of the titles are still very much up in the air with four more rounds of matches to come over the next three days.
Boys
It is all to play for at the top, with Scotland, England South East and England South West all winning their three matches today – while the North East cannot be ruled out having picked up two victories.
Scotland started by breezing past North West 5-0 with relatively few alarms, while South East were 4-1 winners against Wales in a closer match in which James Smith twice won in a deciding fifth.
Two five-set wins by Naphat Boonyaprapa in matches one and five could not prevent Midlands’ 3-2 reverse at the hands of South West, while North East did not drop a game in their 5-0 win over Northern Ireland.
Wales’ 3-2 win over North East in the second round would have been a surprise based on their first-round results – North East had enjoyed a 5-0 victory, whilst Wales were on the back of a 4-1 defeat.
But the Principality team were good value for their win and actually led 3-0 as Roberts beat Clark in the ‘battle of the Joes’ and Stacey beat Weatherby in the ‘battle of the Joshes’ – before Benedict Watson joined in to break the name pattern in the doubles.
South West beat North West 3-2, though the northern team took the doubles 17-15 in the fifth.
There was a second successive 4-1 win for South East, against Northern Ireland, with two singles wins apiece for Smith and George Hazell. Scotland saw off Midlands by the same score, Dylan Curry taking two singles.
The third round saw North East back to winning ways in emphatic style, 5-0 against North West, while it was also 5-0 for Scotland, against Wales.
The two southern teams kept up their 100% records South West thanks to a 4-1 margin against Northern Ireland and South East courtesy of a 3-2 win over Midlands – Israel Awolaja coming into the singles and winning both his ties.
Results
Round 1
England North East 5 Northern Ireland 0
Josh Weatherby bt James Skelton 3-0 (11-1, 11-5, 11-5)
Shayan Siraj bt James McGrath 3-0 (11-8, 11-9, 11-4)
Weatherby & Siraj bt Skelton & Julian Kelly 3-0 (11-5 ,11-9, 11-8)
Siraj bt Skelton 3-0 (11-6, 11-7, 11-8)
Weatherby bt McGrath 3-0 (11-8, 11-8, 11-9)
England South West 3 England Midlands 2
Naphat Boonyaprapa bt Artur Caltabiano 3-2 (9-11, 11-8, 11-8, 9-11, 11-5)
Matt Daish bt Sam Chesterman 3-0 (11-8, 11-9, 13-11)
Olly Tyndall & Caltabiano bt Boonyaparapa & Tom McIntosh 3-0 (11-7, 11-5, 11-4)
Caltabiano bt Chesterman 3-0 (11-7, 11-6, 11-9)
Boonyaprapa bt Daish 3-2 (5-11, 8-11, 11-8, 11-4, 11-7)
England South East 4 Wales 1
James Smith bt Benedict Watson 3-2 (9-11, 11-5, 11-8, 10-12, 11-9)
Joshua Stacey bt Israel Awolaja 3-1 (8-11, 11-9, 11-7, 11-7)
George Hazell & Smith bt Stacey & Joseph Roberts 3-0 (12-10, 11-5, 11-8)
Smith bt Stacey 3-2 (6-11, 11-7, 11-9, 10-12, 12-10)
Awolaja bt Watson 3-0 (11-7, 11-3, 11-5)
Scotland 5 England North West 0
Dylan Curry bt Connor Whitehead 3-0 (11-6, 11-8, 11-2)
Calum Morrison bt Harry Watson 3-0 (11-8, 15-13, 11-5)
Morrison & Keir Morton bt Amirul Hussain & Watson 3-0 (11-9, 11-6, 11-9)
Morrison bt Whitehead 3-2 (11-9, 5-11, 11-9, 4-11, 11-7)
Curry bt Watson 3-0 (11-9, 11-5, 11-7)
Round 2
England South East 4 Northern Ireland 1
James Smith bt Julian Kelly 3-0 (11-6, 11-5, 11-5)
George Hazell bt James Skelton 3-0 (11-5, 11-8, 11-6)
Skelton & Kelly bt Israel Awolaja & Hazell 3-0 (11-6, 11-8, 11-8)
Smith bt Skelton 3-1 (12-10, 10-12, 11-7, 11-6)
Hazell bt Kelly 3-0 (11-5, 11-8, 11-7)
England South West 3 England North West 2
Ollie Tyndall bt Amirul Hussain 3-0 (11-5, 11-7, 12-10)
Connor Whitehead bt Artur Caltabiano 3-2 (11-5, 6-11, 3-11, 11-7, 11-9)
Hussain & Harry Watson bt Matt Daish & Tyndall 3-2 (11-5, 11-8, 9-11, 6-11, 17-15)
Caltabiano bt Hussain 3-2 (11-2, 6-11, 12-10, 7-11, 14-12)
Tyndall bt Whitehead 3-0 (11-6, 11-8, 12-10)
Wales 3 England North East 2
Joseph Roberts bt Joe Clark 3-2 (11-7, 11-8, 6-11, 1-11, 11-9)
Joshua Stacey bt Josh Weatherby 3-2 (8-11, 11-6, 7-11, 11-9, 11-9)
Stacey & Benedict Watson bt Joe Clark & Josh Weatherby 3-1 (11-9, 11-9, 7-11, 11-9)
Clark bt Stacey 3-2 (8-11, 11-9, 11-5, 10-12, 11-9)
Weatherby bt Roberts 3-0 (11-9, 12-10, 11-8)
Scotland 4 England Midlands 1
Dylan Curry bt Naphat Boonyaprapa 3-0 (12-10, 11-5, 11-6)
Calum Morrison bt Sam Chesterman 3-1 (12-10, 11-2, 11-4)
Keir Morton & Curry bt Tom McIntosh & Chesterman 3-2 (8-11, 11-5, 8-11, 11-7, 11-5)
Curry bt Chesterman 3-1 (11-6, 4-11, 11-8, 11-5)
Boonyaprapa bt Morrison 3-2 (11-6, 8-11, 5-11, 11-8, 11-9)
Round 3
England Midlands 2 England South East 3
George Hazell bt Tom McIntosh 3-0 (11-5, 11-4, 11-5)
Israel Awolaja bt Naphat Boonyaprapa 3-0 (11-7, 11-5, 12-10)
Boonyaprapa & Sam Chesterman bt James Smith & Hazell 3-1 (11-5, 11-7, 8-11, 11-6)
Awolaja bt McIntosh 3-0 (11-6, 11-5, 11-9)
Boonyaprapa bt Hazell 3-2 (11-9, 8-11, 11-9, 9-11, 11-7)
England North East 5 England North West 0
Shayan Siraj bt Amirul Hussain 3-0 (11-8, 11-9, 11-7)
Joe Clark bt Harry Watson 3-0 (11-4, 11-5, 11-6)
Siraj & Clark bt Hussain & Connor Whitehead 3-1 (11-7, 9-11, 11-9, 11-7)
Clark bt Hussain 3-0 (11-7, 11-7, 11-8)
Siraj bt Watson 3-0 (11-6, 11-6, 11-6)
England South West 4 Northern Ireland 1
Matt Daish bt James Skelton 3-0 (11-6, 11-4, 11-3)
Olly Tyndall bt James McGrath 3-0 (13-11, 11-6, 11-6)
Tyndall & Artur Caltabiano bt Skelton & Julian Kelly 3-1 (8-11, 11-4, 11-6, 11-2)
Skelton bt Tyndall 3-0 (11-9, 12-10, 11-8)
Daish bt McGrath 3-0 (11-8, 11-7, 11-7)
Scotland 5 Wales 0
Calum Morrison bt Josh Stacey 3-0 (11-3, 11-9, 12-10)
Dylan Curry bt Joseph Roberts 3-0 (11-5, 11-8, 11-3)
Curry & Keir Morton bt Stacey & Benedict Watson 3-1 (11-3, 9-11, 11-8, 11-5)
Morrison bt Roberts 3-2 (11-8, 6-11, 11-9, 7-11, 12-10)
Curry bt Stacey 3-0 (11-8, 11-8, 11-9)
Girls
As in the boys’ competition, three teams lead the way with 100% records – in this case three English teams: Midlands, North East and South East.
Scotland’s 4-1 win over South West in round one was closer than the scoreline suggested, with no matches decided in three straight and three of them going the distance. Faye Leggett’s two singles victories proved decisive.
The match between Midlands and Northern Ireland saw four matches head to a fifth set, and Mollie Patterson won her two singles to ensure the English team took it 3-2 overall.
By contrast, North East and South East dropped only two games each in overcoming Wales and North West respectively.
The Irish girls bounced back in round two with another 3-2 scoreline as they came from 2-1 down to defeat South West, Rebecca Finn levelling and Lucy Craig then seeing off Amy Blagbrough.
North East and South East kept up their winning ways, though both had to settle for 4-1 scorelines this time.
Midlands also made it two from two, though their 5-0 defeat of Scotland was somewhat lop-sided as all the matches were close, Patterson again winning her two singles and playing her part in the doubles pair coming from 2-0 down to win.
Round three saw the unbeaten teams stay that way. It was relatively straightforward for the Midlands – 4-1 winners over Wales – and although North East won 3-2, they were 3-1 up.
South East found it trickier as they saw Northern Ireland come back from 2-0 down to level at 2-2, taking the doubles 12-10 in the fifth before Finn made it all square by defeating Sarah Menghistab. It was Kate Cheer who took the decisive point in three games against Craig.
North West picked up their first victory courtesy of a 3-2 scoreline against South West, despite Katie Holt’s two singles triumphs.
Round 1
England North East 5 Wales 0
Gauri Duhan bt Lara Whitton 3-0 (11-5, 11-7, 11-6)
Jasmin Wong bt Beth Richards 3-0 (14-12, 11-8, 11-8)
Sophie Barlow & Wong bt Whitton & Jamie-Lee Harley 3-2 (13-11, 11-6, 7-11, 2-11, 11-4)
Duhan bt Richards 3-0 (11-7, 11-8, 15-13)
Wong bt Whitton 3-0 (11-1, 12-10, 11-7)
England South East 5 England North West 0
Isabelle Joubeily bt Robyn Cosgrove 3-0 (12-10, 11-8, 11-9)
Kate Cheer bt Megan Dillon 3-0 (11-9, 12-10, 11-6)
Joubeily & Cheer bt Megan Dillon & Alice Dillon 3-0 (14-12, 11-9, 11-6)
Cheer bt Cosgrove 3-0 (11-8, 11-6, 11-6)
Joubeily bt Megan Dillon 3-2 (11-7, 11-5, 7-11, 8-11, 11-9)
Scotland 4 England South West 1
Tessa Yau bt Amy Blagbrough 3-1 (11-13, 11-8, 11-5, 11-9)
Faye Leggett bt Katie Holt 3-2 (11-8, 11-9, 8-11, 3-11, 11-7)
Yau & Leggett bt Blagbrough & Gemma Kerr 3-2 (6-11, 11-9, 12-10, 4-11, 11-9)
Leggett bt Blagbrough 3-1 (9-11, 12-10, 11-4, 11-9)
Holt bt Yau 3-2 (11-9, 11-7, 9-11, 8-11, 11-4)
England Midlands 3 Northern Ireland 2
Mollie Patterson bt Rebecca Finn 3-2 (11-4, 7-11, 11-3, 12-14, 11-6)
Darcie Proud bt Nicole Scott 3-2 (7-11, 12-14, 11-4, 11-7, 11-3)
Finn & Scott bt Patterson & Bhavika Mistry 3-2 (6-11, 11-7, 7-11, 12-10, 11-9)
Patterson bt Scott 3-0 (11-7, 11-9, 11-4)
Finn bt Proud 3-2 (11-9, 10-12, 6-11, 11-9, 11-9)
Round 2
Northern Ireland 3 England South West 2
Rebecca Finn bt Amy Blagbrough 3-1 (9-11, 11-5, 11-5, 11-4)
Gemma Kerr bt Lucy Craig 3-1 (11-8, 7-11, 13-11, 11-3)
Katie Holt & Kerr bt Craig & Nicole Scott 3-2 (13-11, 11-3, 9-11, 7-11, 11-8)
Finn bt Kerr 3-1 (10-12, 11-6, 12-10, 11-8)
Craig bt Blagbrough 3-1 (11-6, 11-4, 7-11, 12-10)
England South East 4 Wales 1
Isabelle Joubeily bt Lara Whitton 3-1 (11-6, 8-11, 13-11, 11-7)
Sarah Menghistab bt Jamie-Lee Harley 3-0 (11-7, 11-7, 11-9)
Joubeily & Kate Cheer bt Harley & Beth Richards 3-2 (8-11, 11-1, 12-10, 8-11, 11-9)
Menghistab bt Whitton 3-2 (9-11, 11-7, 11-9, 7-11, 11-8)
Harley bt Joubeily 3-2 (11-6, 11-9, 6-11, 10-12, 11-9)
England North East 4 England North West 1
Gauri Duhan bt Alice Dillon 3-1 (11-5, 11-5, 7-11, 14-12)
Sophie Barlow bt Robyn Cosgrove 3-0 (11-6, 12-10, 13-11)
Duhan & Jasmin Wong bt Cosgrove & Megan Dillon 3-1 (11-13, 11-9, 14-12, 11-6)
Duhan bt Cosgrove 3-0 (18-16, 11-5, 11-3)
Alice Dillon bt Barlow 3-1 (11-13, 12-10, 11-7, 11-8)
England Midlands 5 Scotland 0
Mollie Patterson bt Faye Leggett 3-1 (11-2, 11-8, 3-11, 11-3)
Bhavika Mistry bt Tessa Yau 3-1 (13-11, 11-8, 9-11, 11-6)
Patterson & Mistry bt Leggett & Jennie Yang 3-2 (9-11, 8-11, 11-8, 11-5, 12-10)
Patterson bt Yau 3-2 (8-11, 11-3, 10-12, 11-8, 11-5)
Mistry bt Leggett 3-1 (11-6, 11-6, 13-15, 11-8)
Round 3
England North West 3 England South West 2
Katie Holt bt Alice Dillon 3-1 (11-5, 11-8, 8-11, 11-1)
Megan Dillon bt Gemma Kerr 3-0 (11-3, 11-8, 11-9)
Robyn Cosgrove & Alice Dillon bt Holt & Amy Blagbrough 3-0 (11-3, 13-11, 12-10)
Alice Dillon bt Kerr 3-1 (11-7, 8-11, 12-10, 11-7)
Holt bt Megan Dillon 3-0 (11-9, 11-3, 11-2)
England Midlands 4 Wales 1
Mollie Patterson bt Beth Richards 3-0 (11-7, 11-7, 11-9)
Darcie Proud bt Jamie-Lee Harley 3-2 (7-11, 7-11, 11-4, 11-5, 11-9)
Richards & Lara Whitton bt Patterson & Bhavika Mistry 3-1 (11-9, 11-9, 9-11, 11-6)
Patterson bt Harley 3-0 (11-6, 12-10, 11-5)
Proud bt Richards 3-1 (7-11, 11-6, 11-3, 11-7)
England North East 3 Scotland 2
Jasmin Wong bt Tessa Yau 3-1 (10-12, 11-6, 11-9, 11-5)
Jennie Yang bt Sophie Barlow 3-0 (11-4, 11-7, 12-10)
Gauri Duhan & Wong bt Yau & Faye Leggett 3-1 (11-5, 11-13, 11-6, 11-9)
Wong bt Yang 3-1 (15-13, 11-5, 4-11, 11-6)
Yau bt Barlow 3-1 (6-11, 11-5, 12-10, 11-9)
England South East 3 Northern Ireland 2
Kate Cheer bt Rebecca Finn 3-0 (11-9, 11-5, 11-8)
Sarah Menghistab bt Lucy Craig 3-2 (10-12, 11-5, 11-7, 8-11, 11-9)
Finn & Nicole Scott bt Cheer & Isabelle Joubeily 3-2 (11-8, 12-14, 5-11, 11-4, 12-10)
Finn bt Menghistab 3-0 (11-3, 13-11, 11-8)
Cheer bt Craig 3-0 (11-9, 11-8, 12-10)
Para (standing)
Tam Eastwood of Wales and Shae Thakker of England South East remain unbeaten with three wins each on day one.
On a day when six of the eight athletes notched at least one win, the top two look a cut above the rest and their meeting in round five on Saturday afternoon could be pivotal.
It was pretty plain sailing for Thakker as he dropped no more than four points in any one game, while Eastwood was stretched by Dylan Tynan of the South West, who won a prolonged first game 16-14 and took it to deuce in the second, before Eastwood pulled away to win 3-1.
North East athlete Alex Bland and Elliot Medland (Scotland) both have two victories, though Medland claimed a 3-1 win when the pair met in round two.
Results
Round 1
Alex Bland (NE) bt David McCaughern (NI) 3-0 (11-3, 11-4, 11-3)
Shae Thakker (SE) bt Elliot Medland (SCO) 3-0 (11-3, 11-4, 11-4)
Tam Eastwood (WAL) bt Joe Davies (NW) 3-0 (11-3, 11-2, 11-3)
Dylan Tynan (SW) bt Tom Spicer (MID) 3-1 (8-11, 13-11, 11-9, 11-6)
Round 2
Medland bt Bland 3-1 (11-8, 10-12, 11-8,11-8)
Thakker bt McCaughern 3-0 (11-4, 11-3, 11-4)
Spicer bt Davies 3-1 (11-6, 9-11, 11-7, 11-9)
Eastwood bt Tynan 3-1 (14-16, 12-10, 11-3, 11-7)
Round 3
Thakker bt Davies 3-0 (11-2, 11-3, 11-3)
Bland bt Tynan 3-1 (11-5, 4-11, 11-4, 11-4)
Eastwood bt McCaughern 3-0 (11-4, 11-4, 11-2)
Medland bt Spicer 3-0 (11-6, 11-2, 11-9)