Top seeds on course in National Cup

Five players remain unbeaten after the first day of the Cadet and Under-12 National Cup in Grantham.

There was a sprinkling of upsets as 40 top-ranked players – 10 boys and 10 girls in each age group – did battle in their respective categories.

But the top seeds all remained undefeated, with Amirul Hussain and Jasmin Wong leading the two Cadet divisions and twins Anna and Connor Green topping the Under-12 classes.

Second seed Oliver Maric-Murray is also unbeaten in the Under-12 Boys’ event, with the battle for medals in all categories sure to intensify on Sunday at Priory Ruskin Academy.

Click here to see photos on our Flickr page – by Trevor Parsons

Cadet Boys

Josh Weatherby

Amirul Hussain laid down a marker in the day’s final match as he defeated Josh Weatherby 4-0 to end the day out in front on his own.

Weatherby, seeded six, had previously won four matches against the other top five players, but could not keep that run going against Hussain.

Naphong Boonyaprapa, seeded third, ended the day level in second place with Weatherby on four wins.

The first major surprise of the day in any of the competitions was inflicted by Freddie Osenton-Brown on second seed Jamie Liu in the first round.

The left-hander, ranked No 9, showed tremendous fight to come from 1-0 and 2-1 down to lead 3-2, winning the fourth and fifth games on deuce. And he had to dig deep again after losing the sixth 11-2, taking the decider 11-9.

There were two other 4-3 scorelines, both featuring outstanding comebacks. Josh Weatherby recovered from 3-1 down to Rhys Davies as No 6 beat No 5 – a common theme of the first round. Third seed Naphong Boonyaprapa was even more impressive in winning from 3-0 down to Max Stevens.

None of the matches were decided in four straight as top seed Amirul Hussain and fourth-ranked Louis Price got their campaigns off to 4-1 starts against Thomas Rayner and David Gofton respectively.

Stevens bounced back from his reverse in round one by beating second seed Liu – whose right arm was heavily strapped – in five games in round two, and Weatherby continued his quest by sinking No 4 Price, also in five.

Having won four games in a row from 3-0 down in round one, Boonyaprapa took four in a row in round two as well, though this time it was four straight against Gofton. Rayner also won in four against Davies to register his first victory.

A couple of things had to give in round three – Liu and Gofton facing off with a maiden win at stake, while Weatherby and Boonyaprapa looked to maintain perfect records.

It was Liu who got that first victory, in six, while Weatherby added the No 3 seed to his list of scalps with a five-game triumph.

It left Weatherby joint top with the No 1 seed Hussain, who had a third successive 4-1 scoreline, against Stevens.

That was still the state of play after round four, Weatherby defeating Liu 4-0 and Hussain seeing off Gofton in six. Match of the round saw Price hold off a determined comeback by Rayner to win 11-7 in the decider.

In the final round of the day, apart from Hussain’s win over Weatherby, it looked as if the final two winless players would both break their ducks, but both suffered 4-3 defeats.

Gofton both held and saved match points against Osenton-Brown, but saw it slip away at 14-12 in the seventh as Osenton-Brown picked up a second win, having trailed 2-0 and led 3-2 in a prolonged match.

Meanwhile, Davies also went the distance against Liu in the final match to finish on the day. He led 2-0 and 3-2 but it was the second seed who came out on top.

Results
Round one
Louis Price bt David Gofton 4-1 (11-5, 7-11, 13-11, 11-4, 11-1)
Naphong Boonyaprapa bt Max Stevens 4-3 (9-11, 7-11, 6-11, 11-5, 11-6, 12-10, 11-4)
Amirul Hussain bt Thomas Rayner 4-1 (10-12, 11-6, 11-3, 11-7, 11-8)
Freddie Osenton-Brown bt Jamie Liu 4-3 (3-11, 11-7, 5-11, 14-12, 12-10, 2-11, 11-9)
Josh Weatherby bt Rhys Davies 4-3 (7-11, 11-6, 5-11, 9-11, 11-8, 11-8, 11-7)
Round two
Boonyaprapa bt Gofton 4-0 (11-3, 11-6, 11-5, 11-4)
Rayner beat Davies 4-0 (11-8, 11-6, 11-8, 11-7)
Weatherby bt Price 4-1 (11-4, 11-4, 0-11, 11-6, 11-7)
Stevens bt Liu 4-1 (14-12, 8-11, 11-8, 11-8, 11-3)
Hussain bt Osenton-Brown 4-1 (11-7, 8-11, 11-8, 11-7, 11-9)
Round three
Rayner bt Osenton-Brown 4-0 (11-7, 11-9, 11-8, 11-4)
Price bt Davies 4-1 (13-11, 11-7, 7-11, 11-6, 11-5)
Hussain bt Stevens 4-1 (11-4, 11-8, 7-11, 11-4, 12-10)
Weatherby bt Boonyaprapa 4-1 (7-11, 11-8, 11-4, 11-9, 11-3)
Liu bt Gofton 4-2 (11-7, 3-11, 11-8, 11-6, 9-11, 11-8)
Round four
Stevens bt Osenton-Brown 4-2 (7-11, 10-12, 11-7, 11-2, 11-2, 12-10)
Hussain bt Gofton 4-2 (8-11, 11-3, 11-8, 11-6, 7-11, 11-7)
Boonyaprapa bt Davies 4-2 (11-9, 6-11, 9-11, 11-7, 16-14, 11-7)
Weatherby bt Liu 4-0 (11-6, 11-6, 12-10, 11-8)
Price bt Rayner 4-3 (11-3, 11-8, 10-12, 11-7, 8-11, 7-11, 11-7)
Round five
Hussain bt Weatherby 4-0 (11-8, 11-8, 11-7, 11-6)
Stevens bt Rayner 4-1 (11-8, 12-14, 11-4, 12-10, 11-6)
Boonyaprapa bt Price 4-2 (10-12, 11-9, 7-11, 11-8, 13-11, 11-8)
Osenton-Brown bt Gofton 4-3 (11-13, 12-14, 11-5, 13-11, 11-5, 5-11, 14-12)
Liu bt Davies 4-3 (10-12, 7-11, 11-8, 11-8, 16-18, 11-9, 11-5)

Cadet Girls

Millie Rogove

Jasmin Wong is out on her own, the top seed having won all five matches today.

She did so without dropping a game until her final match, when the day’s surprise package Millie Rogove – who won her previous four matches against higher-ranked players, levelled at 1-1.

But Wong came back to lead the way, ahead of Rogove and third seed Ruby Chan on four wins each and second seed Gemma Kerr on three wins, alongside Anaya Patel.

The top three seeds started with wins, though Chan had to recover from losing the first game to Erin Green.

But the fourth and fifth seeds were both defeated in tight matches, Mari Baldwin (#4) three times levelling against Amy Marriott (#7) but going down 11-8 in the decider, and sixth-ranked Rogove overcoming No 5 Patel in six games.

Rogove went one better by beating Baldwin 4-2 in the second round, a protracted match with four deuces, and in which Baldwin saved three match points at 10-7 down in the sixth.

Patel got off the mark, against Isabelle Doyle, while Wong and Chan won in four straight, but Kerr had a real battle against Green, finally winning 11-9 in the decider after her opponent had battled back from 2-1 and 3-2 down, taking the sixth 11-0.

The only match in round three which required more than four games saw Rogove and Chan go the distance, with Rogove retaining her 100% record. She led 3-1 but saw the third seed level, but the left-handed Rogove won the decider 11-4.

All the other matches were decided in four straight, including Angharad Beman’s first victory as she defeated Doyle.

Rogove cemented her unbeaten start in round four, when she took down second seed Kerr. Again, it went to seven, and this time she came from 3-1 down to do it.

Green and Baldwin both broke their ducks, respectively overcoming Beman in six and Doyle in four. Chan bounced straight back from her defeat in round three to beat Patel in four and Wong continued her untroubled progress against Marriott.

Rogove could not sustain her run of results when she took on top seed Wong in the final match, while victories for Patel and Chan closed up the hunt for medals.

Results
Round one
Jasmin Wong bt Isabelle Doyle 4-0 (11-1, 11-8, 11-4, 11-3)
Gemma Kerr bt Angharad Beman 4-0 (11-7, 11-4, 11-7, 11-5)
Ruby Chan bt Erin Green 4-1 (10-12, 11-9, 12-10, 11-7, 11-9)
Amy Marriott bt Mari Baldwin 4-3 (11-6, 4-11, 11-6, 2-11, 15-13, 5-11, 11-8)
Millie Rogove bt Anaya Patel 4-2 (6-11, 11-9, 11-7, 11-6, 7-11, 11-6)
Round two
Patel bt Doyle 4-0 (11-6, 11-3, 11-5, 11-4)
Wong bt Beman bt 4-0 (11-5, 11-6, 11-7, 11-4)
Chan bt Marriott 4-0 (11-5, 11-6, 11-3, 11-4)
Kerr bt Green 4-3 (7-11, 11-7, 11-8, 6-11, 11-5, 0-11, 11-9)
Rogove bt Baldwin 4-2 (15-13, 11-5, 10-12, 9-11, 12-10, 13-11)
Round three
Beman bt Doyle 4-0 (11-7, 11-4, 11-4, 11-2)
Kerr bt Marriott 4-0 (11-8, 11-3, 12-10, 11-3)
Wong bt Green 4-0 (11-5, 11-6, 11-3, 11-8)
Patel bt Baldwin 4-0 (11-9, 11-7, 11-9, 11-5)
Rogove bt Chan 4-3 (11-4, 1-11, 11-9, 11-7, 6-11, 8-11, 11-4)
Round four
Wong bt Marriott 4-0 (11-7, 11-7, 11-4, 11-6)
Baldwin bt Doyle 4-0 (11-3, 11-0, 11-4, 11-5)
Chan bt Patel 4-0 (11-8, 12-10, 11-8, 11-7)
Green bt Beman 4-2 (11-6, 5-11, 11-9, 11-9, 3-11, 12-10)
Rogove bt Kerr 4-3 (10-12, 12-10, 9-11, 8-11, 11-4, 11-5, 11-8)
Round five
Green bt Doyle 4-0 (11-0, 11-2, 11-2, 11-2)
Chan bt Baldwin 4-1 (9-11, 11-6, 11-3, 11-4, 12-10)
Wong bt Rogove 4-1 (11-3, 9-11, 11-6, 11-9, 11-9)
Marriott bt Beman 4-2 (8-11, 11-9, 11-9, 8-11, 11-4, 11-7)
Patel bt Kerr 4-2 (12-10, 9-11, 10-12, 12-10, 11-5, 11-5)

Under-12 Boys

Georgios Gerakios

Connor Green and Oliver Maric-Murray ended day one with five wins each as they justified their billing as top two seeds.

Green dropped only one game all day, while Maric-Murray had four 3-0 victories but was pushed close by James Hamblett, ranked seven, in a 3-2 scoreline.

Georgios Gerakios came from 2-0 down to cause a minor upset in round one, the sixth seed beating fifth-ranked Gene McGhee in five.

Otherwise, the matches went with seeding, though Nathaniel Saunders was taken to three deuces by Ben Poulter and Hamblett took a game off Jakub Piwowar in a close match.

Gerakios was at it again in the second round, saving two match points in the decider against Piwowar before taking his own chance to win it 12-10.

Hamblett got off the mark when he inflicted a first defeat on Saunders in four, while 10th seed Jake Haygarth beat McGhee in four to get his first win on the board.

Harry Yip’s first success came in round three against Haygarth in four games which never had more than two points between the athletes.

Gerakios saw his 100% record ended by Saunders in four and Maric-Murray held off a fightback by Hamblett to prevail 11-9 in the fifth.

Poulter’s opening victory came in the next round as he came from behind to beat Yip in four. All the other matches were done in three.

In the final round, Piwowar moved into third place by virtue of a 3-2 win over Saunders, saving a match point at 10-9 down in the decider. Yip recovered from 2-1 down to defeat Hamblett 11-9 in the fifth.

Results
Round one
Connor Green bt Jake Haygarth 3-0 (12-10, 11-9, 11-5)
Oliver Maric-Murray bt Harry Yip 3-0 (12-10, 11-7, 11-9)
Nathaniel Saunders bt Ben Poulter 3-0 (12-10, 12-10, 12-10)
Jakub Piwowar bt James Hamblett 3-1 (11-7, 11-8, 9-11, 13-11)
Georgios Gerakios bt Gene McGhee 3-2 (7-11, 8-11, 11-5, 11-6, 11-9)
Round two
Maric-Murray bt Poulter 3-0 (13-11, 11-4, 11-5)
Haygarth bt McGhee 3-1 (11-6, 11-3, 9-11, 11-7)
Hamblett bt Saunders 3-1 (7-11, 11-4, 11-4, 12-10)
Green bt Yip 3-1 (11-9, 11-4, 7-11, 11-9)
Gerakios bt Piwowar 3-2 (11-8, 12-10, 11-7, 11-7, 12-10)
Round three
Piwowar bt McGhee 3-1 (11-9, 11-7, 7-11, 11-7)
Yip bt Haygarth 3-1 (9-11, 12-10, 12-10, 11-9)
Saunders bt Gerakios 3-1 (12-10, 11-5, 9-11, 11-8)
Green bt Poulter 3-0 (11-4, 11-4, 11-6)
Maric-Murray bt Hamblett 3-2 (11-9, 11-1, 8-11, 5-11, 11-9)
Round four
Green bt Hamblett 3-0 (11-7, 11-9, 11-7)
Piwowar bt Haygarth 3-0 (11-9, 11-1, 11-3)
Saunders bt McGhee 3-0 (11-2, 11-7, 11-5)
Maric-Murray bt Gerakios 3-0 (14-12, 11-8, 11-8)
Poulter bt Yip 3-1 (6-11, 11-8, 11-6, 11-3)
Round five
Poulter bt Haygarth 3-0 (11-4, 11-8, 11-3)
Green bt Gerakios 3-0 (11-7, 11-7, 11-9)
Maric-Murray bt McGhee 3-0 (12-10, 11-5, 11-2)
Piwowar bt Saunders 3-2 (11-4, 2-11, 9-11, 11-9, 10-12)
Yip bt Hamblett 3-2 (8-11, 11-9, 4-11, 11-8, 11-9)

Under-12 Girls

Connie Dumelow

Anna Green had a perfect day – the top seed winning all five matches 3-0 to lead the standings ahead of three athletes who had four victories each.

Those in joint second are the next three seeds – Katie Bates, Isabelle Lacorte and Bethany Ellis – the latter thanks to a 3-2 victory over Lacorte in the last round of the day.

As in every other category, No 6 beat No 5 in the first round and on this occasion it was Saskia Key overturning the rankings against Jessica Moggeridge, pulling away having eventually won the first 17-15.

The other four matches went as per ranking, though Bates and Ellis both recovered from losing the first game to Annelise Williams and Sophie Richardson respectively.

No 10 Connie Dumelow inflicted a second defeat on Moggeridge and got her own campaign off and running in the second round. The top three all won again, as did Key, who beat fourth seed Ellis in four games.

Richardson ended the perfect record of Bates in round three, though it was tight all the way and Bates closed from 2-0 down to level – and saved a match point in the third – before Richardson shaded the decider.

Lacorte beat Key, meaning only the victor and top seed Green were left unbeaten after this round.

Kate Watkinson’s win over Williams saw her get off the mark in round four, while Bates was on the right side of a 3-2 scoreline this time, against Key.

Ellis’ win over the hitherto unbeaten Lacorte tightened up the medal positions in round five as she joined her opponent and Bates on four victories. Dumelow, the lowest-ranked player, picked up a third victory to end the day in fifth.

Results
Round one
Katie Bates bt Annelise Williams 3-1 (8-11, 11-4, 11-1, 11-0)
Saskia Key bt Jessica Moggeridge 3-0 (17-15, 11-6, 11-9)
Anna Green bt Connie Dumelow 3-0 (11-5, 11-3, 11-0)
Bethany Ellis bt Sophie Richardson 3-1 (8-11, 11-6, 11-5, 11-4)
Isabelle Lacorte bt Kate Watkinson 3-0 (14-12, 12-10, 11-3)
Round two
Bates bt Watkinson 3-0 (11-6, 11-9, 11-4)
Lacorte bt Richardson 3-0 (11-7, 11-8, 11-8)
Green beat Williams 3-0 (11-8, 11-7, 11-8)
Key bt Ellis 3-1 (10-12, 11-1, 11-4, 11-3)
Dumelow bt Moggeridge 3-1 (11-13, 13-11, 11-3, 11-6)
Round three
Ellis bt Moggeridge 3-1 (11-8, 9-11, 11-5, 11-6)
Lacorte bt Key 3-0 (11-4, 12-10, 14-12)
Green bt Watkinson 3-0 (11-5, 11-1, 11-4)
Dumelow bt Williams 3-0 (15-13, 11-3, 11-8)
Richardson bt Bates 3-2 (11-9, 13-11, 10-12, 9-11, 11-9)
Round four
Bates bt Key 3-2 (8-11, 11-8, 11-6, 7-11, 11-9)
Watkinson bt Williams 3-1 (11-8, 8-11, 11-7, 11-8)
Ellis bt Dumelow 3-0 (11-8, 11-9, 11-7)
Green bt Richardson 3-0 (11-5, 11-2, 11-8)
Lacorte bt Moggeridge 3-0 (11-6, 11-5, 11-6)
Round five
Richardson bt Williams 3-0 (11-8, 11-9, 11-2)
Dumelow bt Watkinson 3-0 (11-9, 11-8, 11-9)
Green bt Key 3-0 (11-7, 11-7, 12-10)
Bates bt Moggeridge 3-1 (11-3, 12-10, 8-11, 11-7)
Ellis bt Lacorte 3-2 (7-11, 11-5, 11-7, 10-12, 11-9)

Author: via Table Tennis England
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