The British Universities (BUCS) held their Championships at the weekend at the Jubilee Campus Sports Centre of Nottingham University. With space for 18 tables the centre has been used by BUCS since its completion 4 years ago and a GP and a Women’s British League have also been staged there. Over 220 students from all the Home Countries, Europe and several Asian countries took part and this was an increase over 2010 and this was seen particularly in women’s events.
Craig Howieson (Edinburgh) with Alim Hirji (Nottingham) fought one of the best matches of the event in the men’s singles semi-final with Craig fulfilling his second seed place in the final -6,6,7,7. This match and indeed all the finals programme was in front of a large crowd. It is a feature of BUCS Championships that the many of the teams stay until the medal presentations to cheer on their players. Top seed Damien Nicholls (Sheffield Hallam) took the singles title over Craig but Alim with Mark Simpson beat Damien and Bradley Evans in the doubles -8,6,3,7.
Local player Emma Vickers (Nottingham Trent) was top seed in the women’s singles and beat Caroline Huang (Kent) in the final 6,9,6.
In the women’s doubles Li hang/Xue Bai (Manchester) took a long time to overcome Frances Potjewyd/Jasmine Yang (Liverpool) by 5,-10,-5,2,8.
As usual there were plate singles and for the first time a representative disabled match between Jack Pegram (Brunel) and David Wetheril (Sheffield).
The next event for BUCS is their annual team finals week from 14th to 20th March at Sheffield EIS which is the culmination of all of their team championships played over the year. The table tennis matches are on Friday 18th March starting at 0930.
Men’s Singles
Semi Finals
Damien Nicholls (Sheffield Hallam) bt Justin Ma (Imperial College London) 8, 7, -8, 8
Craig Howieson (Edinburgh) bt Alim Hirji (Nottingham) -6, 6, 7, 7
Final
Damien Nicholls (Sheffield Hallam) bt Craig Howieson (Edinburgh) 9, 7, 7
Women’s Singles
Semi Finals
Emma Vickers (Nottingham Trent) bt Annabelle Morle (Oxford Brookes) 4, 5, 8
Caroline Huang (Kent) bt Jasmine Yang (Liverpool) 6, 7, 8
Final
Emma Vickers (Nottingham Trent) bt Caroline Huang (Kent) 6, 9, 6
Men’s Doubles
Semi Finals
Bradley Evans/Damien Nicholls (Sheffield) bt David Hayes/Stewart Mudie (Liverpool) 7, 9, -8, 2
Mark Simpson/Alim Hirji (Nottingham) bt Shaun Hall/Wing Yung Chan Cambridge) 5, 8, 3
Final
Mark Simpson/Alim Hirji (Nottingham) bt Bradley Evans/Damien Nicholls (Sheffield) -8, 6, 3, 7
Women’s Doubles
Semi Finals
Frances Potjewyd/Jasmin Yang Liverpool) bt Caroline Hallows/Emma Vickers (Nottingham Trent) 10, 5, -10, 4
Li Hang/Xue Bai (Manchester) bt Dominika Kalarova/ Rebecca George (Sheffield) 9, -8, -8, 9, 8
Final
Li Hang/Xue Bai (Manchester) bt Frances Potjewyd/Jasmin Yang (Liverpool) 5, -10, -5, 2, 8
Mixed Doubles
Semi Finals
Stewart Mudie/Jasmine Yang (Liverpool) bt Tristan Gretton/Dominika Kalarova (Sheffield) 11, 11, 5
Mark Simpson/Lindsey Armstrong (Nottingham) bt Azim Griffith/Caroline Huang (Kent) 2, 12, 8
Final
Stewart Mudie/Jasmine Yang (Liverpool) bt Mark Simpson/Lindsey Armstrong (Nottingham ) -14, 3, -5, 7, 7
Men’s Plate
Patrick Hui (Imperial College London) bt Qi Wang (Exeter) -5, -7, 13, 9, 8
Women’s Plate
Masha Lebedeva (Nottingham) bt Nan Luan (Imperial College London)
Disabled Final
David Wetherill (Sheffield) bt Jack Pegram (Brunel) 6, -7, 7, 8