Table Tennis - Morda Club Championships

Morda Table Tennis Club held its third ever championships over the weekend.

A growing membership fought for the five trophies - Open Singles, Handicap, Juniors, Doubles and Consolation singles.

In the Open Singles the semi-finals saw Jeremy Chavez up against last year's runner-up Ian Ordillano, but Chavez took the match in two straight sets. In the other semi-final, Jim Reeves took the first set 11-8 against Marcin Stepkowski, but with some attacking shots, Stepkowski took the match 11-9 in the final set.

The final was an excellent match with Stepkowski taking an early lead in the first set and then managed to hold the lead to take the first set 11-8. Chavez then increased the pace of the match taking the next three sets and the title 11-7, 11-7, 11-5.

In the early rounds there were good wins for Kobe Jones over Briony Rann, Elliott Birch over Jonty Lewers, and Rohan Alaca over Carla Jones.

In the Handicap, Chavez had some easy early wins. Alex Jones was doing well, before meeting Kobe Jones in the quarter-finals, who won 45-41. Jones then met Chavez in the semi-final with Chavez going through. Close games in the top half of the draw saw Stepkowski beat Jonty Lewers 37-32, Ordillano beat Kit Lewers 39-34, and Patrick Lewers beat Jan Maresca 41-35. It was Stepkowski and Patrick Lewers in the second semi-final, with Stepkowski taking the match.

In the second Chavez/Stepkowski final, it was Stepkowski with a five-point handicap benefit, but he couldn't repeat his performance in the singles and Chavez took the Handicap title.

The Junior event was contested by 10 juniors. Carla Jones had a first round win over Leo Thomas before going out to Kit Lewers in three sets. Birch had a win over Jonty Lewers 11-6,11- 8 before being defeated by Alex Jones, who had come through his match with Kobe Jones. Kit Lewers reached the final with a 11-8,14- 12 win over Isaac Jones.

The final saw Alex Jones take the Junior title, dominating his match with Kit Lewers.

For the Doubles, last year's winners Ordillano and Carla Jones just out pointed Thomas and Judith Townsley 44-43. Their next match was close but they lost to 40-39 to Jonty Lewers and Jennie Groves. More close games followed with Birch and Patrick Lewers winning 39-38 against Isaac Jones and Stepkowski, Maresca and Chavez outpointing Jonty Lewers and Groves 37-35.

The final of Maresca and Chavez verses Birch and Patrick Lewers saw the latter with a five-handicap. The first set went to Maresca and Chavez 15-11, cancelling out

four of the five handicap, but some fine backhands by Birch and Lewers put pressure on the opposition allowing them to take the title by five points, 40-35.

The Consolation singles saw Thomas have his first win of the night in the early rounds winning 49-41 against Carla Jones, before losing in the next round to Townsley who had earlier beaten Isaac Jones 44-42. Alex Jones won his first two matches against Maresca and Kit Lewers before coming up against Rann. Rann playing some very forceful shots eased past Jones 42-41 to reach the final against Townsley.

Rann with a four-start, again carried on her play from the semi-final against Jones by hitting strong forehands into Townsley’s backhand. Rann coming out the winner 48-33.

Open Singles: Jeremy Chavez (winner), Marcin Stepkowski (runner-up); Handicap Singles: Jeremy Chavez (winner), Marcin Stepkowski (runner-up); Junior Singles: Alex Jones (winner), Kit Lewers (runner-up); Doubles: Elliott Birch and Jan Maresca (winners), Patrick Lewers and Jeremy Chavez (runners-up); Consolation Singles: Briony Rann (winner), Judith Townsley (runner-up).