Press Report

All action Martin Kubrt, the Harlow-based British League and County player came up trumps in this year's Essex Closed Tournament played at the BATTS Club in Harlow on Saturday 13 January 2007 by winning both the Mens Singles title and the Mens Doubles Crown but there were many other strong performances that caught the eye.

Leading the charge were the performances of three former leading County players - Paul Sayer (Romford) who reached no fewer than four finals, Peter Radford (Romford) who won the Veterans Over 40s Singles title at 60 years of age, and former Junior International Ryan Savill (Brentwood) who won the Restricted Singles title from a very strong field.

Inform second seed Martin Kubrt was many people's pick to capture the Mens Singles Crown but it took a prolonged determined effort before he finally captured the title. Mark Wicker (Romford) provided his first stiff test and he came through to win 11-3, 9-11, 11-6, 11-9 and in the Quarter-Final he found himself pushed to the limit before he saw off Peter Radford 11-13, 11-9, 11-7, 7-11, 13-11. Kubrt's Semi-Final clash with the very talented Umair Mauthoor (Ilford) (a 3-1 winner against Ilford's third seed Matt Spero) was always going to be riveting viewing and it didn't disappoint and the super-fit Kubrt again came through stongly over five ends to win 7-11, 11-7, 7-11, 11-6, 11-4. In the other half of the draw top seed Gary Tendler (Ilford) was having all sorts of problems before he disposed of Yasir Mauthoor (Ilford) 10-12, 8-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-7 and Ryan Savill, again after trailing 2-0 (7-11, 6-11, 11-6, 11-8, 11-9). Tendler's tenacity wasn't enough in his Semi-Final and it was Paul Sayer who booked a Final berth 12-10, 13-11, 11-4. Kubrt started as Favourite in the Final but for three games it looked as if Sayer might just pull of a shock victory. Finally in the fourth and fifth ends Kubrt managed to ease ahead and he was a very relieved man to win 14-12, 7-11, 11-13, 11-7, 11-7.

Another player to catch the eye was Zayd Mauthoor (Ilford) who came perilously close to losing to Mark Lewis (Braintree) 8-11, 7-11, 11-9, 12-10, 11-8 in the fIrst round and who then went on to beat the fancied Steve White (Ilford) 11-6, 5-11, 11-4, 9-11, 11-8. Zayd eventually lost to Paul Sayer 11-4, 2-11, 12-10, 11-3.

The counterpart Womens Singles produced a "three-way tie" with three players winning twice and it was County Senior first team player Kelly Skeggs (Braintree) who eventually emerged as Champion. Kelly beat Sue Hickman (Brentwood) 11-5, 11-6, 11-7 and Belina Barrow (Ilford) 11-5, 11-2, 11-7 but she lost 8-11, 4-11, 11-5, 11-3, 9-11 to Holly Stubbings (Colchester). However, with Holly missing out to Sue Hickman 5-11, 6-11, 7-11 it was Kelly who came out on top,.with Sue in second place and an unlucky Holly placed third.

With players of the calibre of Paul Sayer and Ryan Savill eligible for the Mens Restricted Singles this event took on the role of a Parallel Mens Singles Championship this year as other players realised they had little hope of taking the title. Results speak for themselves and Savill powered his was past Burnham Mens Singles Champion Kevin Read 11-6, 11-7, 11-8 and Simon Webber (Chelmsford) 11-3, 11-4, 11-4 whilst Sayer was equally dominating as he beat Rizwan Umarjee (Ilford) 11-4, 11-2, 11-3 and Reuben Okai (Harlow) 11-2, 11-5, 11-4. The Final produced a first-class encounter and it was Savill who came out on top 11-3, 8-11, 11-6, 11-9.

Martin Kubrt added the Mens Doubles title to his Singles Crown, and paired with the tricky hard-hitting combination bat style of Fred Dove (Harlow) they survived a very testing Quarter-Final clash with Kevin Read and Tony Halling (Southend) - coming through to win 11-9, 8-11, 9-11, 11-8, 11-9. Their Semi-Final victims were Aaron Fennell and Bradley Hudgell (Chelmsford) who had scored a superb 3-1 victory over third seeds Yasir and Umair Mauthoor (Ilford) (perhaps the biggest shock of the day) and they beat fourth seeds Mark Wicker and Steve Kerns (Chelmsford) 11-8, 12-10, 11-7 in the Final. Wicker and Kerns came through three very close clashes to reach the Final. They just saw off Ryan Savill and Steve Northcott (Brentwood) 9-11, 12-10, 13-15, 11-5, 11-8 in the first round and it was hard going again against Ken and Mark Lewis (Braintree) a round later before they won 8-11, 11-5, 12-10, 13-11. In their Semi-Final clash they played really well to topple top seeds Matt Spero and Steve White 10-12, 11-8, 11-5, 12-10.

The Mens Over 40 Singles became a vehicle for Peter Radford to display his form. After winning his group Peter hammered Steve Kerns 11-3, 11-7, 11-7 although Neil Brierley (Harlow) gave him a tough work-out in the Semi-Final. Radford won 13-11, 11-8, 6-11, 11-5. In the other half of the draw Paul Sayer came past a battling Paul Martindill (Ilford) 8-11, 11-9, 11-4, 12-10 and he then beat his Romford team-mate Mark Wicker 11-8, 11-13, 11-9, 11-7 in a closely fought Semi-Final. You would have been hard pushed to pick a favourite in the Final but Radford was having other ideas and playing really well he stormed home past Sayer 11-5, 11-6, 11-5.

The Under 21 Mens Singles produced some very evenly fought matches and it was Umair Mauthoor who eventually picked up the title. In the top half of the draw Michael Copleston (Romford) beat Ashley Skeggs (Braintree) 9-11, 11-7, 7-11, 11-9, 11-8 before falling to Umair Mauthoor over five ends 4-11, 11-9, 11-7, 4-11, 11-5. In the bottom half of the draw Tony Halling did very well to beat Yasir Mauthoor 9-11, 11-9, 7-11, 11-7, 11-9 but in the Final it was Umair Mauthoor (Yasir's cousin) who came out on top and he won 6-11, 11-5, 11-9, 9-11, 11-7.

Top seeds Kelly Skeggs and Gary Tendler were hot favourites to take the Mixed Doubles title, and they came through to win the Final 8-11, 11-5, 11-9, 11-7 against second seeds Yasir Mauthoor and Holly Stubbings.

Mark Wicker and Steve Kerns retained their Mens Over 40 Doubles title. They required four games to get the better of Steve White and Mike Rostopft (Chelmsford) 5-11, 11-5, 11-5, 11-7 in the Semi-Final and it was even closer in the Final before they won 4-11, 11-5, 7-11, 11-9, 11-4 against Romford team-mates Paul Sayer and Paul Morris.

Thanks are extended to Arthur Clark (Chelmsford) and to County Vice-Chairman Alan Shepherd for organising the day's play, to the BATTS Club for the use of their premises and to County Competitions Secretary Brian Ward for ordering Trophies for the event.

Steve Kerns

Press & Publicity Officer

Essex County Table Tennis Association