Langlois joins elite group

MORE than 70 juniors competed in the second round of the Deutsche Bank Junior Table Tennis tournament at the Guernsey Table Tennis Centre. The tournament is a recent innovation for the local game that includes six banded events and an open competition.

Guernsey Table Tennis Association president Derek Webb believes the event has been an instant success.

'It's a quality day's table tennis and it gives young players a chance to demonstrate their abilities against other juniors that they might not normally get the opportunity to play in league matches,' he said.

'The banding arrangements mean that the tournaments are available for every junior, whether an established league player or a complete beginner.

'As well as providing competition it also complements the training that they are receiving two or three times a week.'

The tournament itself saw Gary Dodd come out on top in an open event that produced some very close and high quality table tennis.

Amazingly, bar Oliver Langlois' semi-final win over Matthew Stubbington in straight sets, all the matches in the main draw went to five games.

The other semi-final saw Dodd stage a gritty fightback against Adam Langlois.

Dodd was 2-0 down and staring at defeat in the third before he managed to scrape through to deuce and hold his nerve to pinch it 12-10. After claiming that game, Dodd never looked back and he took control in the next two, winning comfortably 11-3, 11-7 for a place in the final.

The final was no different to Dodd's pulsating semi-final and he was pushed all the way by Langlois, but Dodd worked hard to come out on top 11-4, 8-11, 11-9, 13-15, 11-7.

Band one similarly produced games of high quality including a fine win for Paula Le Ber against first division player Stubbington.

However, Le Ber fell in five games to Alice Loveridge in the semi-finals, before Loveridge herself succumbed to Adam Langlois in a final that saw some tremendous long, attacking rallies.

Langlois eventually grabbed victory 11-7, 8-11, 11-8, 13-15, 12-10. His second consecutive band one title means he now joins the elite group of Scott Romeril and Dodd who are only eligible for the open.

Band two was also keenly contested and matched up Liam Robilliard and Kieran Guilbert in the final.

It was another five-setter and despite Robiliard fighting back to level it at 2-2, his winners dried up in the decider and the steady but impressive Guilbert ground out an 11-6 deciding leg victory.

The star of the show in band three was Luke Le Tissier.

Le Tissier could not be faulted for his effort and the vocal youngster kept his cool and his game together to win some tricky encounters including two tense five setters in the semis and the final against Joe Le Page and Joshua Stacey respectively.

Joshua Stacey was no luckier in band four either as he and his twin brother Lawrence dominated proceedings.

The Stacey family are starting to make a name for themselves in the local game and on this occasion it was Lawrence who came out on top in a thrilling final, 15-13 in the final leg.

James Lihou won the band five final in three straight games against Jack Travis and Kasey Watson claimed the band six title with victory over Sam Clark in the final, three games to one.

There will be four more Deutsche Bank junior tournaments this season and the next one is scheduled for 17 December.