Ryan Jenkins was once again Grand Prix top dog as he won the Men’s Singles title at the Bribar Guildford Grand Prix with a 3-1 victory over long-term rival Gavin Rumgay.
Jenkins, who was beaten in the quarter-final of the Tees Sport City of Liverpool Grand Prix, did everything he could to expunge the memory of that defeat from his mind as he cruised to the final with seven consecutive 3-0 victories.
He was in unstoppable form all day as he brushed aside the likes of Helshan Weerasinghe, Craig Bryant and Richard Andrews in the knock-out stages without dropping a game.
His final opponent Rumgay, on the other hand, had to battle past Daniel Basterfield and Adam Hirji to make the semi-final against the Tees Sport City of Liverpool Grand Prix winner, Paul McCreery.
This time, however, Rumgay was able to win the match in three straight games and ensure there would be a new victor in this season’s Grand Prix season.
The final itself was all about a series of runs with Jenkins making the first with a 7-0 lead in the first game. Rumgay retaliated in kind to close back 6-7 down, but the Welshman had enough in reserve to hold the game 11-8.
The second game also went to Jenkins after another bright 6-0 start led him to an 11-4 win. However, Rumgay kept himself in the final with a 6-1 lead of his own in game three. Although Jenkins came back to lead 10-8 – the Scot saved two Championship points to win the game 12-10.
A similar story happened in the fourth game when Rumgay fought back from 10-7 down to level at 10-10, but with his sixth match point, Jenkins finally sealed the victory and yet another Grand Prix title.
The Women’s Singles final saw two in-form players meet with Bribar ‘Player of the weekend’ Maria Tsaptsinos losing to top seed Hannah Hicks in an entertaining 3-1 encounter.
Tsaptsinos, who remained unbeaten over Saturday and Sunday before the final, had to come through a 3-2 semi-final thriller with Megan Phillips. Phillips had led 2-1 but Tsaptsinos fought back to level before opening a 4-0 and then 9-5 lead in the fifth.
Megan fought back to 9-9 but, despite saving one match point, could not save another with Tsaptsinos winning it 12-10.
It was a similar fate for Megan’s twin sister Angharad who was beaten 11-9 in the fifth game of her semi-final against Hicks. The English girl led 8-4 in the last before Angharad levelled at 9-9. However, Hicks kept her head to win the next two points and make the final.
In the final Hicks made a 5-0 run count in the first game to seal the opener 11-3 before Tsaptsinos just managed to convert a 7-0 lead in the second game 11-8 with the help of an edge on game point.
However, Hicks made one crucial move in the second game that would prove the difference. From 7-4 down she won six straight points to lead 10-7 (winning the game 11-8), before she continued that form to claim the fourth game 11-3 and the Bribar Guildford Grand Prix title to boot.
Directly following the two singles’ finals was the new ‘Sudden Death’ event with games played to just one point. Needless to say there was much drama, excitement and unfortunately a few ‘serve-offs’ in the process.
After GP Champ Jenkins was knocked-out by Dean Cundy it left a semi-final line-up of Cundy versus Emma Tovey and Paul McCreery vs Ethan Walsh.
While McCreery held his nerve against Walsh, Tovey shocked Cundy (the nature of the event being high with such drama), to make the final. There McCreery won through as Tovey hit long to secure the first-ever Sudden Death title.
The Men’s Under-21s event was cut short with the withdrawal of finalist Scott Barton as he had to catch a plane. This meant the winner of the Paul McCreery versus Helshan Weerasinghe semi-final would be the Champion.
While Barton had avenged yesterday’s defeat to Danny Lawrence in the other semi-final (this time both players showed exemplary grace in a wonderful exhibition of table tennis), it was Tees Sport City of Liverpool Under-21 Champion McCreery who met Weerasinghe in the ‘new’ final.
However, it was Weerasinghe who upset the odds to defeat the current Champion by a 3-1 scoreline and take the title back to Tonbridge.
With the earlier women’s singles going on for so long, the Women’s Under-21s event was a low-key affair with only four players still raring to go for the prize in the round-robin competition.
In the end it was Sophie Neil who came out victorious ahead of second-placed Jas Ould. Their meeting, that Neil won 3-1 (11-7, 8-11, 11-8, 11-8), proved crucial to the resting place of the trophy.
Finally, in the last event running on Sunday evening, Alim Hirji and Richard Andrews won the doubles title with a energy-sapping 3-2 comeback victory over Daniel Basterfield and Igor Morais.
With tired arms, legs and eyes it was a real adrenaline-rider for the four players who managed to maintain a high standard of play throughout the final despite each having to come through tough semi-finals against Mark Smith/Joseph Langham Ferreira and Steve Foster/Matt Haynes respectively.
It seemed as though Basterfield and Morais had the title in the bag when they led 2-0 (11-3, 11-9) but Hirji and Andrews fought back to win the final three games 11-5, 11-8, 11-3.
Thanks go to all the officials and umpires who helped make the weekend a success. Thanks too to the Guildford Spectrum for their help, and also many thanks to Bribar for their continued support of the Grand Prix series.
More pictures will be available on the ETTA Facebook page.
Bribar Guildford Grand Prix Final Results
Men’s Singles:
Ryan Jenkins bt Gavin Rumgay 3-1 (11-8, 11-4, 10-12, 12-10)
Women’s Singles:
Hannah Hicks bt Maria Tsaptsinos 3-1 (11-3, 8-11, 11-8, 11-3)
Men’s Under-21s:
‘Final’ Helshan Weerasinghe bt Paul McCreery 3-1 (7-11, 11-7, 11-7, 11-8)
Women’s Under-21s:
Sophie Neil round-robin Champion.
Veteran Singles:
Phil Snelson bt Alan Cherry 3-1 (12-10, 3-11, 16-14, 11-8)
Doubles:
Alim Hirji/Richard Andrews bt Daniel Basterfield/Igor Morais 3-2 (3-11, 9-11, 11-5, 11-8, 11-3)
Sudden Death Event:
Paul McCreery bt Emma Tovey in the final.