Honours are even heading into the hotly anticipated top of the table clash in the top flight of the Doric Insurance-sponsored senior leagues, following a dropped point by the defending champions, the Guernsey Table Tennis Association reports…
Division 1
Defending champions and league leaders Whistlers A were held to a 5-5 stalemate by 3rd placed side Lions B in a result that now sees them locked on points with Whistlers B at the top, ahead of their clash next week. The Whistlers side faced an extremely tough test against the Lions side which included reserve Joshua Butler, however they started strongly and led 3-1. However averages leader Alex Robinson continued to show his impressive form in the fixture and enjoyed an excellent unbeaten evening. This included a super 5 set win over Joshua Stacey in a match which he trailed 2-1 before comfortably winning the remaining sets by matching 11-5 scores. His other singles wins came over Joseph Bourgaize in 4 sets and Matthew Casey in straight sets. Another rubber which proved decisive in the outcome of the match was the doubles rubber. Defending their 100% winning record, Robinson and Jamie Ferbrache looked in trouble when trailing Stacey and Casey 2-0, however they motored back in some style, winning the final 3 sets for the loss of just 15 points. Ferbrache was the player to secure the draw in the pivotal final game of the night, where he comfortably dispatched Bourgaize 3-0. For the Whistlers side, Stacey and Casey each defeated Ferbrache and Butler in singles action, with Casey’s win over Ferbrache coming in 5 sets. Bourgaize did excellently to bounce back from losing the opening set to Butler in the match opener, coming through in 4 to secure a notable and crucial scalp.
Whistlers B emerged as winners in their clash with 4th placed side Lions A, but only via a narrow 6-4 win. This was due to the form of Liam Robilliard from the Lions outfit, who played superbly for his side on the night. With comfortable straight sets wins obtained over Oskar Cleal and Mark Pipet, his best win came over Lawrence Stacey in a humdinger of a contest. Robilliard appeared to be in total control when he closed out the second set 11-6 to open a 2-0 lead, but Stacey fought back strongly, securing the next 2 sets for the loss of just 10 points. This set the scene for an epic deciding end that went back and forth, until Robilliard finally fought through 20-18 to end the classic. Sam Clark added a 4 set win over Pipet in the final match of the night, whilst Matthew Stubbington came very close to securing a draw during his clash with Pipet. Leading 10-8 in the deciding end, he was unable to close it out and Pipet edged past 12-10 following a run of 4 consecutive points. Stacey and Cleal each defeated Stubbington and Clark in singles action, whilst they also combined to win the vital doubles rubber over Stubbington and Clark over the full 5 set distance.
6th placed side Lions E earned a comfortable 8-2 win over 7th placed side Lions D this week. The E side had the benefit of calling upon leading Island player Ben Foss, who is expected to deputise for the injured Jez Powell from here on. He showed little signs of rust as he stormed to an unbeaten evening. This included wins over Paul Hainsworth, Caden Brouard and Connor Powell, for the loss of just single ends to Hainsworth and Brouard in the process. He also teamed with Steve Ozanne in the doubles where they dispatched Brouard and Powell in 4 sets. Ozanne and Mark Fenwick secured the win as each earned singles wins over Brouard and Powell. Hainsworth prevented the whitewash by defeating both Ozanne and Fenwick in straight sets.
The bottom of the table clash between Ravenscroft Panthers A and Ravenscroft Panthers B resulted in a strong 8-2 win for the A side. Nye Matthew continues to show his strong form for the season as he was unbeaten, as was junior Barney Groves, with each earning singles wins over Micah Cohen, Andy Gill and Marli Barker. Luke Evans defeated Barker in 4 sets and also combined with Groves in the doubles to edge past Cohen and Gill in 5 sets. For the defeated B side, Cohen and Gill each defeated Evans in 4 and 5 sets respectively.
Division 3
There are 3 sides all joint at the top on 24 points, with Whistlers F leading from Ravenscroft Panthers E and Ravenscroft Panthers G.
That being said, the Whistlers side has played a match more than both Panthers sides, thus the Panthers sides are potentially in stronger positions.
Whistlers F and Ravenscroft Panthers G competed against each other this week and they could not be separated there either, a 5-5 draw the end result. Averages leader Phil Harris was unbeaten in singles action for the Panthers side and this included a 5 narrow 5-set win over Sekao Nwako, who is 2nd in the averages. His other wins came over Maija Hansen in 4 sets and Roland Tracums in straight sets. Mark Windsor and reserve Will Davidson each defeated Tracums to secure the draw. Nwako and Hansen each defeated Windsor and Davidson in singles action and they also combined to defeat Harris and Windsor in 4 sets in the doubles clash.
All eyes now turn to next week, when the two Panthers sides meet in a crucial top of the table clash.