Denise Payet was the star of the day, winning a golden hat-trick at the Cadet & Junior Nationals.

The Enfield ace, who made her Senior England debut last month, left Medway Park with all three titles available to her – the Junior Girls’ Singles, Girls’ Doubles with Kate Cheer and Mixed Doubles alongside James Smith.

Tom Jarvis retained his Junior Boys’ Singles title but could not add the doubles, which went to Matt Leete and Josh Bennett.

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Junior Boys’ Singles

Tom Jarvis and Matt Leete line up with umpire Kim Mudge before the final (picture by Michael Loveder)

Tom Jarvis successfully defended his title in his last year as a Junior, getting the better of second seed Matt Leete in the final by a 4-2 (4-11, 11-3, 11-5, 11-6, 9-11, 11-5) margin.

The champion said: “I didn’t feel at my best today and I really had to battle through all my singles matches – no one was easy.

“But even though I wasn’t at my best level, my head was strong and helped me to get through the day.

“I’m happy to win the singles, it’s the best way to finish my junior career in England.”

Leete had made it into the final courtesy of a 4-2 (11-4, 8-11, 11-7, 11-8, 7-11, 11-6) win over Luke Savill, while Jarvis had ended the run of surprise package Artur Caltabiano 4-1.

Caltabiano overcame the higher-ranked Israel Awolaja in three straight to win Group 6 and was the talk of the arena when he ended the hopes of fourth seed Josh Bennett in the last 16, the Southampton player edging it 4-3 (11-9, 7-11, 8-11, 11-6, 11-8, 9-11, 11-9).

There was another thriller in the quarter-finals, Caltabiano guaranteeing himself a medal with another 4-3 (11-3, 6-11, 11-8, 14-16, 7-11, 11-3, 11-3) win, this time against Joe Clark.

Jarvis’ passage to the semi-final had not been all routine, needing five against Ethan Walsh and six against Samuel Kwan. Leete, by contrast, was only delayed for the minimum four sets by Matthew Daish and Shayan Siraj.

Earlier, cadet champion Walsh squeezed through the group stage on a three-way countback. He started well enough against Kieran Wardell, winning an arm-wrestle of a second game on his way to a 3-1 (5-11, 19-17, 11-5, 11-8) victory. Wardell then bounced back with a 3-2 (6-11, 11-9, 11-7, 9-11, 11-4) defeat of Olly Tyndall.

Artur Caltabiano who won a surprise bronze (picture by Michael Loveder)

Tyndall, needing to win, fought back from 2-1 down to beat Walsh 3-2 (11-9, 9-11, 4-11, 14-12, 11-9), but Walsh made it through on the countback.

Also in the groups, Gaurav Aravind upset Naphat Boonyaprapa in four sets to top Group 5, having earlier defeated fellow Harefield player Zak Cantor 3-2 (11-6, 15-13, 6-11, 8-11, 11-6).

Consolation

Naphat Boonyaprapa withstood a comeback by Israel Awolaja to win the gold medal.

The Nottingham youngster saw his opponent close from 2-0 down to 2-2, before edging the decider to clinch a 3-2 (11-9, 11-9, 8-11, 7-11, 11-9) victory.

Awolaja had defeated Olly Tyndall in three in the last four, while Boonyaprapa needed four to get past Joe Cope.

Boonyaprapa, 15, said: “It was a tough event, everyone I faced was a real challenge but sometimes, with a bit of luck, you just pull through.

“If I’d played like that in the group, I’d have probably got through – but life is life.”

Junior Girls’ Singles

Denise Payet ended her day with a third golden match, adding the singles title to her ever-growing collection by defeating Megan Gidney 4-1 (11-9, 11-6, 11-6, 5-11, 11-5).

Bronze medals went to Zahna Hall and third seed Charlotte Bardsley – Hall being defeated 4-0 (11-4, 11-7, 11-7, 11-3) by Gidney and Bardsley 4-1 (11-7, 11-4, 7-11, 13-11, 11-6) by Payet.

The champion said: “Unbeaten! My aim was to win all three and I’m so happy it came true.”

Payet had not had everything her own way in the earlier rounds as Danielle Kelly took a game off her in the first round and Jasmin Wong took two in the quarters.

Gidney had nearly come a cropper in the last 16 against Sophie Barlow, winning the proverbial rollercoaster 4-3 (8-11, 11-8, 7-11, 12-10, 11-8, 6-11, 11-4), and then going on to beat fourth seed Kate Cheer in five in the quarters.

Hall, seeded five, ended the hopes of second seed Gauri Duhan in six games in the last eight.

Most of the top seeds made it safely through the group stage, though Katie Holt got above Darcie Proud in Group 7, having earlier beaten Lois Perryman 3-2 (9-11, 11-5, 6-11, 12-10, 11-5).

And in Group 8, Danielle Kelly overcame Stephanie Cross in four, both having earlier beaten Charlotte Marsden.

Consolation

Mari Baldwin defeated Alice Dillon to win the gold medal, beating her opponent 3-1 (3-11, 11-7, 16-14, 11-9) in the final.

She had also come from behind in the semi-final – a 2-0 deficit on that occasion – as she beat Anaya Patel 3-2 (7-11, 7-11, 11-8, 12-10, 11-4).

Dillon also had a lengthy semi-final, against Darcie Proud, before prevailing 3-1 (7-11, 12-10, 18-16, 11-8).

Okehampton player Baldwin, 13, said: “The semi-final was a really difficult match. I was two sets down and it was a bit nerve-wracking but I got my mojo back.

“It’s the under-18s and I’m only 13, so I can’t complain at getting the consolation medal.”

Boys’ Doubles

The doubles podium with Table Tennis England treasurer Keith Thomas (picture by Michael Loveder)

Matt Leete & Josh Bennett claimed gold with a 3-1 (11-9, 5-11, 11-7, 11-7) victory over James Smith & Ethan Walsh.

It was a satisfying outcome for the second seeds, who had been beaten in last year’s final by Tom Jarvis & Alex Ramsden.

They were helped by their opponents having shocked top seeds Jarvis & Luke Savill in the quarter-finals. Having started by beating yesterday’s Cadet champions Amirul Hussain & Sam Chesterman in the first round, Smith & Walsh recovered from going 2-1 down to Jarvis & Savill, playing with real authority in games four and five as they completed a 3-2 (14-12, 9-11, 5-11, 11-4, 11-6) triumph.

They then went on to defeat Samuel Kwan & Josh Harland in the semi-finals, in four sets.

Leete & Bennett’s route to the final started with a three-set win over Matthew Daish & Artur Caltabiano, and they were pushed in the semis by Joe Clark & Olly Tyndall before prevailing 3-2 (11-4, 11-6, 7-11, 8-11, 11-8).

Bennett said: “I’m so happy to finally get a doubles. Last year we were close to Tom and Alex and we felt like we could do it this year.

“It definitely helped the top seeds going out but James and Ethan had to have played well to beat them, so we knew it would be a tough match – but we played well and pulled through.”

Girls’ Doubles

As had happened in the boys’ doubles, last year’s beaten finalists upgraded to gold this time around.

Denise Payet & Kate Cheer – defeated by Tin-Tin Ho & Emily Bolton last year – were the pair in question and the top seeds took the trophy with a 3-1 (11-9, 11-9, 5-11, 11-9) victory over Mollie Patterson & Gauri Duhan.

In the semi-finals, Payet & Cheer had beaten a stubborn pairing of Jasmin Wong & Ruby Chan 3-1 (11-7, 11-7, 14-16, 11-8), while the beaten finalists had come through a five-set trial against second seeds Charlotte Bardsley & Zahna Hall 3-2 (9-11, 11-5, 10-12, 13-11, 12-10).

It was five games all the way in that part of the draw as Bardsley & Hall were inconvenienced by Sarah Menghistab & Amy Blagbrough in the quarter-finals before securing a 3-2 (11-6, 4-11, 11-3, 8-11, 11-7) win. The losing pair had themselves overcome Lois Perryman & Federica Bonato in five in the last 16 (11-9, 8-11, 9-11, 11-6, 11-4).

Winners Denise Payet and Kate Cheer with Keith Thomas (picture by Michael Loveder)

Cheer, one half of the gold medal-winning team, said: “We never train together but whenever we play together, we play well. The way we play is good for each other’s games and we get on really well together.”

Mixed Doubles

James Smith and Denise Payet (picture by Michael Loveder)

James Smith & Denise Payet came through from a third seeding to take the title, so ending Charlotte Bardsley’s quest for a fourth gold from the tournament.

Bardsley, who won all three golds on day one, got into the final alongside Matt Leete, but the second seeds were defeated 3-1 (7-11, 11-5, 11-8, 11-3).

Smith said: “At the start, I thought we could win it, but being third seeded three it’s an unexpected victory and I’m really happy to win.”

Smith & Payet had to fight for their place in the final, needing five sets against Josh Bennett & Kate Cheer in the semi-finals before prevailing 3-2 (11-8, 13-11, 9-11, 8-11, 9-11) against the top seeds.

Leete & Bardsley had an easier time in their semi-final clash, seeing off Reece Chamdal & Mollie Patterson in three straight (5, 5, 9).

The quarter-finals saw Chamdal & Patterson turn around a 2-0 deficit against Samuel Kwan & Sophie Barlow as they earned a semi-final place 3-2 (9-11, 7-11, 11-8, 11-7, 11-7).