Ping Muanwong and Kristin Ruwhiu claimed the major singles titles during the Marlborough Closed Table Tennis Championships held on Saturday and Sunday at Simcox Stadium.

Muanwong won his first men's singles crown when he beat the No 1 seed, Sam Flaherty, in the final 11-7 11-5 8-11 15-17 11-9 11-9.

In one of the best finals in recent years, Muanwong counterattacked well to claim the first two sets. Flaherty threw everything at Muanwong who responded with some solid blocking and some devastating drives to win a close match.

In the semifinals, Muanwong beat Matt Willis in six sets while Flaherty had to overcome a stern challenge from John Diamanti to reach the final. Earlier, Diamanti had come from two sets down to beat Peter Wells 11-9 in a seventh set thriller.

Ruwhiu won the women's title for the second time after having won her first title as a junior. Her final against Boe Aitchison was another close match with Aitchison dominating the early exchanges with some powerful forehands to go 3-1 up. Ruwhiu then went onto the attack, scoring points with crosscourt topspin shots to win a tight contest 10-12 13-11 6-11 10-12 11-9 12-10 11-8. Monique Aitchison finished third.

Muanwong combined with Boe Aitchison for a win over Willis and Bonnie Aitchison in the mixed doubles final by 7-11 11-5 11-8 11-8.

Wells teamed with Matt Millar to take the men's doubles, beating Willis and Warren Haszard 11-5 11-1 7-11 14-16 11-9 in the final. After first two sets but Willis and Haszard produced a stirring comeback before Millar unleashed some unplayable backhand drives in the deciding set to take the win.

After a round-robin competition, Boe and Bonnie Aitchison won the women's doubles with Monique Aitchison and Grace Aitchison second.

Peter Wells won the over-40 men's final against John Diamanti 7-11 11-9 11-3 11-3. Diamanti put out the top seed Matt Willis 11-9 in the fifth, while Wells beat David Foley in the other semi.

Boe Aitchison beat Ruwhiu 11-5 7-11 11-6 9-11 11-9 in the women's event.

Fourth seed Foley came through the field to take the men's over-50 singles. After beating Wells in five sets in the semi, he went on to beat Warren Haszard in the final 11-7 11-7 9-11 9-11 11-5. Haszard beat Diamanti in the other semi.

Boe Aitchison beat Audrey Ford in the women's event.

Ray Herd overcame a fifth set deficit against Peter Wells to take the men's over-60 title 6-11 11-5 11-9 2-11 11-9.

In the women's under-21 singles, Grace Aitchison won a thrilling five setter semifinal against sister Bonnie, before beating sister Monique in the final by 11-8 11-9 11-9.

Titles were also shared around in Sunday's junior events.

A countback of sets was needed to determine the winner of the girls under-13 title with each player winning one match each. Josephine Michna-Konigstorfer was first, Megan Clark second and Holly Kennedy third.

Alex Kennedy won the equivalent boys event with a win over Josh Sim. These two players then combined to win the under-13 boys doubles final against Jack Topliss and Nathan Honeybone by 12-10 11-8 11-2. Alex and Holly Kennedy took out the mixed doubles title over Bright Asiamah and Megan Clark 11-6 11-9 10-12 11-8.

Lee Harborne won a brilliant match against Alex Kennedy 10-12 6-11 11-7 11-8 11-4 to claim the under-15 boys singles. Kiana Pham won the girls section, beating Hannah Wadsworth 11-8 12-10 7-11 11-2 in the final.

Sam Flaherty took out the boys under-18 singles after a round-robin competition, with Alex Kennedy second. Paula Harborne beat Pham 13-11 12-10 4-11 11-5 in the girls final.

Other titles decided at the weekend were:

Men's Singles plate:

Haszard bt Orm Collins 11-6,11-8,11-4.

Over-40 MD: Haszard/Wells bt Foley/Willis 3-11, 11-8, 11-7, 13-11.

Over-40 XD: Wells/Ruwhiu bt Haszard/ Boe Aitchison 4-11, 11-8, 11-9, 11-7.

Over-40 M/S Plate: Haszard bt Darryl Jones 11-8, 8-11, 11-4, 11-9.

Over-50 M/S Plate: Jones bt Diamanti 4-11, 11-8, 12-10, 11-8.

Over-50 Open Doubles: Wells/Boe Aitchison bt Herd/Haszard 3-11, 7-11, 11-8, 11-4, 11-4.

Over-60 Open Doubles: Wells/Herd bt Foley/Steve Rowsell 11-4, 11-8, 11-2.

Over-60 M/S Plate: Collins bt Rowsell 11-5, 13-11, 11-6.

Under-21 W/S plate: Bonnie Aitchison bt Harborne 11-7, 11-5, 5-11, 11-7.

Under-21 GD: B and M Aitchison bt G Aitchison/Harborne 11-8, 8-11, 11-5, 11-9.

Under-18 BD: Flaherty/Kennedy bt Harborne/Liam Clark 11-3, 12-10, 11-5.

Under-18 GD: B and M Aitchison bt G. Aitchison/Harborne 11-4,11-7,11-6.

Under-18 XD: Flaherty/M Aitchison bt L and P Harborne 11-6, 11-4, 11-7.

Under-15 BD: Harborne/Topliss bt Kennedy/Sim 11-5, 11-2 6-11, 13-11.

Under-15 XD: Harborne/Pham bt A and H Kennedy 11-8, 11-7, 11-8.

Under-15 B/S Plate: Topliss bt Honeybone 6-11, 11-9, 11-5, 11-1.

Under-15 G/S Plate: Kennedy bt Michna-Konigstorfer 11-9, 11-6, 11-4.

Under-13 B/S Plate: Asiamah bt Duncan Ford 11-8, 11-7, 11-6.

- The Marlborough Express

Comments