Shocks at table tennis championship (From Chelmsford Weekly News)

Shocks at table tennis championship

4:25pm Wednesday 23rd January 2013 in Local Sport

THE M&G Investments Chelmsford & District Table Tennis League Closed Championships produced a large number of shocks.

Robert Shrimpton led the way with a superb win over Brandon Crouchman for a place in the under-21 singles final while Dawn Baldry will play Julie Johnson in the ladies singles final.

Second seed Linda Attridge was ousted at the semi-final by favourite Julie Johnson after failing to win her group. She missed out to Jennifer Crapnell on count-back, after Jennifer had topped the group by scoring a superb 3-0 win over Shirley Carroll.

Finals Night is on Monday, January 28, at 7.30pm at the Old Chelmsfordians Association, Lawford Lane, Roxwell Road, Chelmsford. Admission is free and spectators are welcome.

The four men’s singles semi-finalists are holder Alex Abbott, four-times winner David Cole, two times champion Steve Joslin and surprise package Michael Andrews.

Alex Abbott needed four games to get the better of Mark Mulley and he defeated Brandon Crouchman 11-7, 4-11, 11-7, 13-11 in his Quarter-Final. Brandon had beaten Gary Young 13-11, 11-8, 11-8 to advance to the last eight.

David Cole required four games to get the better of John Holland 15-13, 12-10, 7-11, 12-10 having seen off Simon Webber 11-7, 11-7, 7-11, 11-7 a round earlier.

John Holland defeated John Cleasby at the last 16 stage (11-9, 11-4, 11-7) after Cleasby had beaten Paul Sayer in the Group stages.

The big shock came in a very competitive third quarter. Mike Andrews defeated Peter Mynard 13-15, 12-10, 11-5, 11-6 and then Mindaugas Sinkus 11-7, 6-11, 11-4, 11-6.

This pitted him against another former winner Keiran Lally. Mike didn’t put a foot wrong and beat Keiran 11-8, 11-9, 11-5. Paul Cuming had also made his mark.

He beat Kevin Gowlett 9-11, 9-11, 11-6, 11-9, 11-9. Stephen Joslin dominated the bottom quarter of the draw and advanced to the semi-finals by beating Peter Ballard (11-4, 11-5, 11-6) and Paul Sayer (11-8, 11-5, 11-4).

Sayer had ousted Paul Davison after a really hard-fought encounter (11-9, 17-15, 6-11, 8-11, 11-5) and Steve Kerns (9-11, 11- 7, 11-4, 11-9).

The biggest shock in the group stages of the mens singles took place in group seven where John Cleasby topped the group by defeating Paul Sayer 13-11, 12-10, 11-9. David Cole was also put under pressure by James Hicks before he clinched a very tight five-setter 11-8, 9-11, 11-8, 5-11, 13-11.

In the ladies singles 19 times Champion Julie Johnson beat Linda Attridge 11-8, 11-5, 11-4 in her semi-final to face Dawn Baldry in the final.