Dave Robson
14th April 2009, 10:28 AM
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Colin Stallwood was the star of the Clacton and District Table Tennis League’s 2009 Closed Championships, held at Colbayns School, becoming only the fifth player in the league’s history to take the three major titles at the same tournament.
Stallwood, a local talent and Junior Singles champion in 1990, had come close to winning the Men’s Singles last year, but he made no mistake this time round, taking the crown by beating top seed and 2004 champion Gary Young 11-7, 9-11, 11-5, 11-8.
It was a top-notch final of entertaining and exciting play, a fitting finale to a quality Men’s Singles event in which reigning champion Kevin Gowlett had defended his title nobly before losing to Stallwood in the semi-final, a reverse of last season’s final result.
Whilst it was a double disappointment for Young, having been runner-up in the Colchester Championships, he at least had the satisfaction of avenging his defeat in the Colchester final, beating Colchester champ Greg Green 11-6 in the fifth in his semi-final.
Seven of the top eight seeds made it to the quarter-finals, the only casualty being David Binns, ousted by Kevin James in round two.
There were notable performances at the group stages by Felipe Rodriguez, Mark Gale, Tony Hooper and Mark Smith who all made it through to the Knock-Out rounds.
In the Men’s Doubles Stallwood and Martin Hogg successfully defended their title, their athleticism and sharp play too much for David Binns and Alan Burgess, winning 11-5, 11-6, 9-11, 11-5, Burgess ending as a losing finalist for the second year running.
It was a fifth Men’s Doubles title for Stallwood and a fourth for Hogg, but credit the determination of Binns and Burgess who had enjoyed a shock semi-final win, 11-8 in the fifth, over second seeds Greg Green and Michael Shore.
Stallwood added the icing on the cake by taking the Mixed Doubles trophy with Annabelle Rodriguez against David and Jenny Binns, four-times previous Mixed Doubles winners together, the final score being 11-7, 11-6, 2-11, 12-10.
Stallwood and Rodriguez were given a scare in the semi-final, edging past James Denyer and Gill Locke 11-5 in the decider, whilst the Binns went even closer, taken all the way in round two by John and Isabel Barton before scraping it 16-14 in the fifth.
So Colin Stallwood joins an elite group of Dennis Arr (1964), Terry Letard (1970), Derek Wood (1996) and Kieran Lally (2004) as the only players to take the three major titles – Men’s Singles, Men’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles - at the same Championships.
It was no surprise that Stallwood was awarded the Victor Trophy for the outstanding performance of the tournament
Gill Locke is the new Ladies Singles champion, the experienced and talented player succeeding in her first Clacton Championships by beating Annabelle Rodriguez 12-10, 11-5, 9-11, 11-7.
The final was closer than many had expected, Locke forced to dig deep before overcoming Rodriguez who had played above herself all day, notably in winning her semi-final 11-7, 11-13, 11-8, 6-11, 12-10 against reigning champion Jenny Binns.
With Sheila Howe unavoidably absent, Jenny Binns and Tricia Salter were the hottest of hot favourites for the Ladies Doubles, but they were made to fight all the way by the unlikely and unfancied pairing of veteran Gill Locke and fourteen year-old Bethany Johnson.
Johnston, in her first season of table tennis, showed both promise and composure, and although the under-dogs put up stern resistance, Binns and Salter won the final 7-11, 11-2, 11-4, 11-5, a much-deserved first-ever Ladies Doubles’ title for Salter.
In his first season as a veteran, Martin Hogg took the Veterans Singles title, beating second seed Colin Webber 11-7, 10-12, 11-9, 11-5 in an entertaining and competitive final.
Among several tense matches, Webber beat Neil Crook 11-6 in the fifth in his semi, Crook eliminated Button 11-7 in the fifth in the quarters and Paul Woolnough beat ranked Phil Smith in Round Two.
There was a first Super-Veterans Singles title for John Rice, a semi-final winner over 2005 champion Fred Button and a final winner, 11-9, 11-5, 11-9, over 2007 champion David Binns, a third final defeat of the Championships for the unfortunate Binns.
The two junior events went to form, Michael Shore taking a fourth Junior Singles title by beating Mark Smith 11-9, 11-8, 11-5, whilst Shore and Smith combined to defeat James Denyer and Lewis McKenny 11-6, 11-7, 11-5 in the Junior Doubles.
Although he struggled to beat Russell Hillier 11-6 in the decider in the quarter-finals, Smith capped a successful weekend by taking the Division Two Singles, triumphing over Jenny Binns - last season’s winner of the Division Three Singles - 11-6, 11-7, 11-7.
Encouragingly, three juniors made it to the last four of this event, with both Lewis McKenny and Matt Wright reaching the semi-finals as unseeded players.
During the Tournament, Mark Smith was presented with the Brian Hogg Trophy, an award made annually to a junior player of whom the League is proud to have among its members – and an award made to new Clacton champion Colin Stallwood back in 1989!
The Division Three Singles title this year was won by the likeable Duncan Dunne, a 9-11, 13-11, 11-9, 11-1 victor over Adam Wilkin who had enjoyed excellent wins over Gerald Batt and number two seed Dan Wright to become an unexpected finalist.
Indeed, the event produced a number of shocks, Anya Klarner beating Paul Wright, before losing to Dunne at the quarter-final stage, whilst Bethany Johnson defeated both David Wilkin and Allen Denyer before going down to Dunne in the semi-final.
The Restricted Singles final was contested between Matthew Watson - who had beaten Frank Burbidge, Jenny Binns, Mark Ratcliffe and John Pattrick – and Andy Vincent – a victor over David Hall, Mark Gale, Chris Petrou, and Peter Hall.
In an evenly-matched final, it was the under-rated Watson who proved a worthy 12-10, 12-10, 6-11, 11-6 winner.
Once again, the League is indebted to the Championships’ main sponsor Paul Newbould Planning and Building Design Services for their continued support, now in its sixteenth year.
As always, the Championships were organised with quiet efficiency and assurance by the Tournament Sub-Committee headed by Peter White and Brian Rowlen.
Vey kind thanks to Peter White for this article
Colin Stallwood was the star of the Clacton and District Table Tennis League’s 2009 Closed Championships, held at Colbayns School, becoming only the fifth player in the league’s history to take the three major titles at the same tournament.
Stallwood, a local talent and Junior Singles champion in 1990, had come close to winning the Men’s Singles last year, but he made no mistake this time round, taking the crown by beating top seed and 2004 champion Gary Young 11-7, 9-11, 11-5, 11-8.
It was a top-notch final of entertaining and exciting play, a fitting finale to a quality Men’s Singles event in which reigning champion Kevin Gowlett had defended his title nobly before losing to Stallwood in the semi-final, a reverse of last season’s final result.
Whilst it was a double disappointment for Young, having been runner-up in the Colchester Championships, he at least had the satisfaction of avenging his defeat in the Colchester final, beating Colchester champ Greg Green 11-6 in the fifth in his semi-final.
Seven of the top eight seeds made it to the quarter-finals, the only casualty being David Binns, ousted by Kevin James in round two.
There were notable performances at the group stages by Felipe Rodriguez, Mark Gale, Tony Hooper and Mark Smith who all made it through to the Knock-Out rounds.
In the Men’s Doubles Stallwood and Martin Hogg successfully defended their title, their athleticism and sharp play too much for David Binns and Alan Burgess, winning 11-5, 11-6, 9-11, 11-5, Burgess ending as a losing finalist for the second year running.
It was a fifth Men’s Doubles title for Stallwood and a fourth for Hogg, but credit the determination of Binns and Burgess who had enjoyed a shock semi-final win, 11-8 in the fifth, over second seeds Greg Green and Michael Shore.
Stallwood added the icing on the cake by taking the Mixed Doubles trophy with Annabelle Rodriguez against David and Jenny Binns, four-times previous Mixed Doubles winners together, the final score being 11-7, 11-6, 2-11, 12-10.
Stallwood and Rodriguez were given a scare in the semi-final, edging past James Denyer and Gill Locke 11-5 in the decider, whilst the Binns went even closer, taken all the way in round two by John and Isabel Barton before scraping it 16-14 in the fifth.
So Colin Stallwood joins an elite group of Dennis Arr (1964), Terry Letard (1970), Derek Wood (1996) and Kieran Lally (2004) as the only players to take the three major titles – Men’s Singles, Men’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles - at the same Championships.
It was no surprise that Stallwood was awarded the Victor Trophy for the outstanding performance of the tournament
Gill Locke is the new Ladies Singles champion, the experienced and talented player succeeding in her first Clacton Championships by beating Annabelle Rodriguez 12-10, 11-5, 9-11, 11-7.
The final was closer than many had expected, Locke forced to dig deep before overcoming Rodriguez who had played above herself all day, notably in winning her semi-final 11-7, 11-13, 11-8, 6-11, 12-10 against reigning champion Jenny Binns.
With Sheila Howe unavoidably absent, Jenny Binns and Tricia Salter were the hottest of hot favourites for the Ladies Doubles, but they were made to fight all the way by the unlikely and unfancied pairing of veteran Gill Locke and fourteen year-old Bethany Johnson.
Johnston, in her first season of table tennis, showed both promise and composure, and although the under-dogs put up stern resistance, Binns and Salter won the final 7-11, 11-2, 11-4, 11-5, a much-deserved first-ever Ladies Doubles’ title for Salter.
In his first season as a veteran, Martin Hogg took the Veterans Singles title, beating second seed Colin Webber 11-7, 10-12, 11-9, 11-5 in an entertaining and competitive final.
Among several tense matches, Webber beat Neil Crook 11-6 in the fifth in his semi, Crook eliminated Button 11-7 in the fifth in the quarters and Paul Woolnough beat ranked Phil Smith in Round Two.
There was a first Super-Veterans Singles title for John Rice, a semi-final winner over 2005 champion Fred Button and a final winner, 11-9, 11-5, 11-9, over 2007 champion David Binns, a third final defeat of the Championships for the unfortunate Binns.
The two junior events went to form, Michael Shore taking a fourth Junior Singles title by beating Mark Smith 11-9, 11-8, 11-5, whilst Shore and Smith combined to defeat James Denyer and Lewis McKenny 11-6, 11-7, 11-5 in the Junior Doubles.
Although he struggled to beat Russell Hillier 11-6 in the decider in the quarter-finals, Smith capped a successful weekend by taking the Division Two Singles, triumphing over Jenny Binns - last season’s winner of the Division Three Singles - 11-6, 11-7, 11-7.
Encouragingly, three juniors made it to the last four of this event, with both Lewis McKenny and Matt Wright reaching the semi-finals as unseeded players.
During the Tournament, Mark Smith was presented with the Brian Hogg Trophy, an award made annually to a junior player of whom the League is proud to have among its members – and an award made to new Clacton champion Colin Stallwood back in 1989!
The Division Three Singles title this year was won by the likeable Duncan Dunne, a 9-11, 13-11, 11-9, 11-1 victor over Adam Wilkin who had enjoyed excellent wins over Gerald Batt and number two seed Dan Wright to become an unexpected finalist.
Indeed, the event produced a number of shocks, Anya Klarner beating Paul Wright, before losing to Dunne at the quarter-final stage, whilst Bethany Johnson defeated both David Wilkin and Allen Denyer before going down to Dunne in the semi-final.
The Restricted Singles final was contested between Matthew Watson - who had beaten Frank Burbidge, Jenny Binns, Mark Ratcliffe and John Pattrick – and Andy Vincent – a victor over David Hall, Mark Gale, Chris Petrou, and Peter Hall.
In an evenly-matched final, it was the under-rated Watson who proved a worthy 12-10, 12-10, 6-11, 11-6 winner.
Once again, the League is indebted to the Championships’ main sponsor Paul Newbould Planning and Building Design Services for their continued support, now in its sixteenth year.
As always, the Championships were organised with quiet efficiency and assurance by the Tournament Sub-Committee headed by Peter White and Brian Rowlen.
Vey kind thanks to Peter White for this article