Press Report

This coming Summer their will be again be an Adult Coaching Course. The course is aimed at existing League players seeking to improve their standard (especially those from the lower divisions), adults looking to break into league play and those seeking to return to league play after an interval. The course is strictly for adults only! The course will run for 10 weeks starting Monday 26 April 2004 and will be at Newlands Spring Community Centre, Dickens Place, Chelmsford. It will be led by ETTA qualified coaches and the fee (payable in advance) for the 10 week course is £40. For further information or to book a place contact Adrian Pitt on 01245 250710. Previous courses have been highly successful and well subscribed. You can see a report on the last course from this link.

VYTAS BECOMES YOUNGEST EVER CHAMPION

14 year-old Vytas Rybakas made history at the M&G Chelmsford & District Table Tennis League Finals Night held at the Old Chelmsfordians Club on Monday evening when he became the youngest Men's Singles Champion in the League's history. Vytas who was runner-up last year had to use all his experience and guile to retrieve a

0-2 deficit in the Final to beat his Elmtree Graphics Club team-mate John Holland, one of the country's leading Over 60s players.

The evening began with a fascinating Men's Singles Semi-Final between Matt Staines and John Holland. The aggressive Staines made a slow start as Super-Veteran Holland seemed to have all the answers against his opponent's hugely powerful shots. Holland took the first two games comfortably 11-3, 11-6 and it looked bleak for Staines. However, Staines rode out the storm despite never looking totally comfortable against his opponent's unique blend of chop and float defence peppered with accurate "hits" off both wings. Matt showed real determination to square the match 11-8, 11-9 particularly in the fourth end where he managed to retrieve an 8-5 deficit. However, as hard as Matt tried it was John who built up a 7-3 lead in the final set and despite another brave attempt Matt could never quite get back on terms. Game, set and match 11-8 to John.

With George Reeves having to pull out through an unfortunate knee injury it was already known that Vytas would receive a bye into the Men's Singles Final which set up the unique prospect that the new Champion would either be the oldest or the youngest in League history.

The Mixed Doubles Final paired this year's Southend Mixed Doubles Champions Cathy Eakin and Ray Sutton against the reigning Chelmsford Champions Julie Vansertima and David Cole. It says a lot as to how well David and Julie gelled together that they won 3-0 despite the fact that it was Ray and Cathy whose shots seemed the more forceful. David and Julie always looked the more likely winners without having to hit too many spectacular shots and they duly took the title 11-7, 11-6, 11-6.

The Under 21 Singles Final between Matt Staines and Vytas Rybakas promised to be the best match of the night. Two of the best players in the County paired together on Finals Night. What more could you want? In reality the match never really came to life. An ultra-aggressive Matt was ahead from the word "go" and never let up for an instant and Vytas never looked like winning on this occasion. Vytas had few complaints as Matt stormed home 11-7, 11-7, 11-7. A very impressive performance from Matt.

The Veterans Final was also decided three-straight as John Holland became the first player to win the Over 40s, Over 50s and Over 60s titles in the same year, a magnificent achievement. John had played Hamish Innes the day before in the Southend League's Veterans Final and Hamish had come very close to extending the match to a fifth set. This time Hamish lost 3-0. Hamish seemed to favour the cautious approach. Wary of his opponent's "disguise" he elected to play quite "safely" avoiding the bigger shots he produces so effectively in a top-spin to top-spin encounter. Unfortunately it wasn't enough to trouble the inform Holland who ran out a 11-6, 11-7, 11-7 winner.

The Men's Doubles Final frequently produces a close match and this year's Final was no exception. Matt Staines in his third appearance of the night and Dave Cole in his second match had an obvious advantage in that they were fully warmed up. But, Keiran Lally and Fred Dove refused to be over-awed and levelled the match at 1-1 and again at 2-2. All four players contributed some excellent winning shots and "retrieves" as the match ebbed one way and then the other. Cole/Staines looked the most likely winners in the fifth game as they stormed into a 5-2 lead only to slip 6-5 behind. Dove/Lally went 8-6 ahead only for the score to fall level at 8-8. The match was clearly anybody's and it was Cole and Staines who finally clinched a thrilling encounter 11-5, 4-11, 11-7, 6-11, 13-11. For Cole this represented an impressive eighth title in all and his third successive title, rather uniquely with three different partners. One suspects that if he is looking for a partner next year there will be no shortage of takers!

The Ladies Singles Final also produced a hotly contested encounter which was decided over five ends. Again the match ebbed one way and then the other as Julie Vansertima led 1-0 and 2-1 and found herself pegged back by a determined Cathy Eakin. Both players favour the close-to-the-table counter-hitting game with Julie's fluent backhand drive often managing to outmanoeuvre her opponent. Cathy on the other hand won many points with her high work-rate and ability to get in with her telling forehand. Julie always seemed the more "relaxed" and perhaps it was that extra little bit of confidence that enabled her to pull ahead at the right time in the fifth game. It was Julie who created League history by taking the Ladies Singles title for a fantastic thirteenth time by a 11-6, 4-11, 11-6, 6-11, 11-7 margin.

And so to what was always going to be a very interesting Men's Singles Final. It was John Holland who made the early running as he took the first two games off Vytas 11-5, 11-7. Vytas is by no means a reckless player but on this occasion it looked as if he wouldn't have the patience to "wear down" his opponent. Quite simply few players outside England top 20 Men's standard are capable of blasting Holland off the table these days. In the third game Vytas finally seemed to find his rhythm and employing a style of play where Holland had no option but to mix attacking shots with his opponent (as opposed to predominantly defensive shots) he managed to pull back the third and fourth games. With Vytas now reading the game perfectly and getting better and better as the game progressed he eventually took the title 5-11, 7-11, 11-6, 11-7, 11-7. The youngest Champion in terms of age but a master tactician far beyond those tender years.

Finals Night Pictures can be found from Picture News (go to News Features)