Top seeds Grigory Vlasov and Anna Hursey were the winners of the big prizes at the final Grand Prix event of the season in Redbridge.
With more than 230 players in action on 33 tables, it was a busy finale to the season as winners were decided in two under-21 events, veterans and doubles, as well as a total of 10 Banded events.
Men’s Singles
Grigory Vlasov recovered from losing the first game in the final, the top-seeded Russian coming back to defeat Ismaila Akindiya 3-1 (4-11, 11-7, 11-7, 11-4).
Vlasov had come through the top quarter of the draw with the minimum of fuss, not dropping a game and beating his doubles partner Radoslav Kamberov of Bulgaria 9, 7, 6 in the semi-finals. The other semi-finalist was Sing Wong.
Women’s Singles
Anna Hursey lived up to top seeding as she defeated Mollie Patterson 3-1 (11-8, 11-3, 9-11, 11-5) in the final.
Both semi-finals also went to four as Hursey overcame Elena Todirca (11-6, 11-5, 10-12, 11-4) and Patterson got past Sophie Earley (11-6, 11-4, 6-11, 11-7).
Men’s Band 1
Gabriel Achampong defeated Sam Wilson in three straight (3, 9, 6) to win the title. Both finalists had been taken to five earlier in the competition – Achampong by Lorestas Trumpauskas in the quarter-finals, coming from behind to win 3-2 (12-10, 4-11, 8-11, 11-6, 11-6), and Wilson by Mitchell Jones in the last 16, when he was 2-0 down but came back to win it 3-2 (9-11, 6-11, 11-4, 11-7, 11-9).
Shaquille Webb-Dixon also had a good comeback from 2-0 down, beating Sing Weng 3-2 (8-11, 6-11, 14-12, 11-5, 11-6) in the quarters.
Women’s Band 1
Sahin Sanem Ezgi from Turkey staved off a determined comeback by top seed Anna Hursey of Wales before finally taking a 3-2 (13-11, 11-7, 9-11, 6-11, 11-6) victory.
It was five games too in the semi-finals as Sanem Ezgi got past Mollie Patterson 3-2 (11-3, 10-12, 11-13, 14-12, 11-8). Hursey needed four in her semi-final as she beat Sophie Earley 8-11, 11-9, 11-8, 13-11).
Men’s Band 2
Sing Wong overcame Shayan Siraj 3-1 (11-7, 11-4, 9-11, 11-6) to take the title. The victor had defeated Jordan Wykes in four in the semi-finals, while Siraj got past Adam Nutland in three (11, 11, 6).
Women’s Band 2
Mollie Patterson finished on top thanks to a 3-0 (4, 9, 9) scoreline against Sophie Earley.
Both semi-finals went to four as Patterson beat Beth Richards 11-9, 11-9, 8-11, 11-5 and Earley defeated Band 1 winner Sanem Ezgi 11-8, 11-8, 10-12, 11-6.
Men’s Band 3
Luc Miller recovered from losing the first set to defeat Richard Carden 3-1 (3-11, 11-9, 11-8, 11-7).
Carden needed five in the semi-finals before knocking out Daniels Kogans (11-5, 9-11, 6-11, 11-3, 11-8), while it was four sets for Miller against Olly Tyndall (6-11, 11-6, 11-7, 11-9).
Women’s Band 3
Millie Rogove was the winner, overcoming Lois Perryman 3-1 (8-11, 11-8, 11-6, 12-10) in the final.
The winner had earlier shaken off top seed Debby Auvache 3-2 (11-9, 6-11, 11-8, 5-11, 11-5) in the semi-finals, and it was five games for Perryman as well – as she put in a fine comeback to beat second seed Mya Sultan 3-2 (8-11, 8-11, 11-4, 11-7, 11-4).
Men’s Band 4
Joshua Nashed was the champion, courtesy of a 3-0 (8, 8, 7) victory over Robert Pelc – after Nashed had defeated Pel’s brother Ryszard in the semi-finals. That was a close four-setter, Nashed coming through 3-1 (11-13, 12-10, 11-6, 12-10).
The other semi-final went the distance before Robert Pelc won it 3-2 (11-5, 11-6, 8-11, 10-12, 11-5) against Sam Cowan.
Women’s Band 4
Tulay Dundar saw off Silvia Trenti 3-0 (4, 5, 6) to take the title, having earlier also taken three in the semi-finals against Sienna Jetha (11-5, 11-2, 11-8). By contrast, Trenti’s last-four clash went the distance as she held off Scarlet O’Neil 3-2 (11-6, 13-11, 7-11, 6-11, 11-9).
Men’s Band 5
Marcel Surdu took the Band 5 title as he shook off Leon Pierre in four (15-13, 6-11, 11-8, 11-8).
Pierre had to stave off a semi-final comeback by Kevin Mackey before prevailing 3-2 (11-8, 11-8, 4-11, 6-11, 11-8) – it had been a similar story in the quarters against Octavian Aparaschieve, which Pierre won 3-2 (11-5, 11-9, 6-11, 13-15, 11-7).
Surdu’s semi-final opponent was Rhys Hetherton, who he beat 3-1 (8-11, 11-6, 11-8, 11-5).
Men’s Band 6
David McKenzie twice came from a set down to take the title with a 3-2 (12-14, 11-3, 5-11, 11-9, 11-4) victory over Band 5 winner Surdu.
In the semi-finals, Surdu had a five-setter of his own as he defeated Miguel Roca Perez 3-2 (9-11, 11-7, 11-8, 6-11, 11-4), while McKenzie knocked out Kevin Mackey 3-1 (11-7, 11-7, 8-11, 11-7).
Veterans’ Singles
It was three all the way for top seed Lorestas Trumpauskas as he did not drop a game all event, culminating in an 11-7, 11-5, 11-3 victory over Rory Scott in the final.
Scott had also been in good form, dropping only one game (in the group stage) before the final.
The two beaten semi-finalists were Scott Cooper, who went down 2, 5, 8 to Trumpauskas, and Ina Josepsone, who was beaten 3, 9, 7 by Scott.
Under-21 Men’s Singles
Matthew Daish saw off Kai Moosman in four (11-7, 11-9, 10-12, 11-4) in the final to take the title.
The victor earlier defeated Matt Leete in the semi-finals, coming through 3-2 (11-7, 5-11, 11-8, 10-12, 11-9), while Moosman beat Gaurav Aravind 3-1 (11-9, 9-11, 11-9, 11-8).
Under-21 Women’s Singles
Lara Whitton needed five games to finally shake off Mollie Patterson, the Welsh player taking the title thanks to a 3-2 (11-7, 13-11, 9-11, 7-11, 11-9) scoreline.
Patterson also went to five in the semis, defeating Raquel Sao Pedro (7-11, 11-7, 12-10, 7-11, 11-5). Whitton overcame compatriot Grace Clement in three (9, 6, 5).
Open Doubles
Grigory Vlasov and Radoslav Kamberov fought back from 2-0 down to overcome Kim Daybell & Alim Hirji 3-2 (9-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-4, 11-6) to win the title.
The losing pair had earlier been on the right end of two five-set scorelines – against Joshua Dye & Jamal Dennison in the quarter-finals and Ismaila Akindiya & Adeoye Adewale in the semis.
Vlasov & Kamberov by contrast had not dropped a game – their semi-final victims were Sing Wong & Weng Chun.