Newtownards Round Robin

Played at the NewtownArds Leisure Centre Saturday 24th

While our younger players were up North playing in the Fermanagh Junior Open, we had 4 players travelling to Newtownards for this Senior Round Robin Event limited to 48 players.

Some top seniors entered included Na Ning (Irish No 1 Men's) and Liu Na, one of the top female players in Ireland and England. The tournament came with a guarantee of 9 matches in groups stages. It was an ideal opportunity to get plenty of quality matches for our players against some older and very experienced players. Our group included Sara Dolan, Sam Logue, Sam Hanley and Dan Keenan.

Dan finished second in his group losing to Paul Mc Creery. As the second round was made up of two group winners and two group runners up, Dan ended up in the group of Death along with Sam Hanley and the very experienced Peter Clarke. As if that wasn't tough enough, Na Ning made up the 4th place in the group. Sam conceded an early lead to his clubmate and training partner, Dan, eventually losing that game. However, he then beat Peter Clarke who went on to beat Dan. Na Ning won the group while second place was determined through countback with Peter going through. This was an unfortunate setback as Sam finished third and could only play for 9th to 12th place and Dan finished 4th in the group, only being eligible for the 13th to 15th playoffs. This was a bit frustrating because on recent form both players would have been able to compete well in the top 8 but for this European style format. Sara Dolan had some great matches but a German player Bernard Wagner who she had beaten twice in the day ended up finishing 3 places above her. Sam Logue also had some great matches one in particular against Willie Cherry, a top Ulster Senior. Sam lost in the 5th having been two up. He also met Sam Hanley in this group for 9th to 12th losing 0 V 3.

So for Sam and Dan possibly the match against each other cost them a far higher finish. As for Sara and Sam Logue some challenging matches against very experienced players will prove as vital experience and will aid their table tennis development.

Any of these plyers could have opted to go to Fermanagh and challenged for trophies but they went to the Senior Round Robin for better Table Tennis and got plenty of that!

Sam Hanley 9th
Sam Logue 11th
Dan Keenan 13th
Sara Dolan 28th

(Account by Paul Dolan)

Fermanagh Junior Open.

This tournament had a big entry with plenty of top quality players taking part. ALSAA entered eleven players in the various age groups. While all of our players played well there were some exceptionally good performances on the day.

Alan Mc Loughlin playing in the U14s had some great matches with players such as Gavin Reilly from Cavan, who he took to the fifth game. Laurna Mc Loughlin won the U10s plate and this was her first away tournament.

Linda Cashen had some close games and was very unlucky in a couple of tight matches but she did manage to take the U17s plate. Ciaran Kelly had a great tournament, getting to the final in the U12 boys main competition and with five of the top six players on the Irish ranking list taking part in the U12s he had to play some excellent table tennis to reach the final. Here he played Irish No: 1 Pshemek Kossowski who won the final ( 12 – 10 , 11 – 8, 11 – 8).

All the players enjoyed the tournament and some of the parents even managed to get in some Christmas shopping!!

(Account by Liam Kelly)

Leinster Senior Table Tennis Grand Prix ALSAA

The Leinster Grand Prix took place at the weekend of the 17th/18th November in ALSAA sports complex and it was a great success. Below is a piece on the tournament by Paul Dolan and a summary of the results.

NA NING IS KING

Dublin based Chinese Student Na Ning from China stayed top of the Irish Men’s Ranking by winning the Men’s single event at the Leinster Senior Table Tennis Grand Prix held at the ALSAA Sport Complex.

Ning came through a top class field of players, boasted by a host of talented new residents from many Eastern European Countries.

Number One Irish Junior Daniel Keenan from ALSAA put up a brave fight in the semi final against the vastly experienced Ning who started playing at four years of age in a top Chinese Academy. Trinity College student Leo Stymen from Germany narrowly beat Irish Senior International Peter Graham from Belfast in a superb match; 15 - 13 in the 5^th set, to set up a Germany V China final. Leo could not get to grips with the pulsating forehand attacking style of Ning and had to settle for the runner's up spot.

With Dan’s clubmates Sam Hanley and Sam Logue playing a Junior Gran Prix event in England, Dan stole the show as well, claiming 3^rd in the Men’s open, the runner's up spot in the Men’s Band 1 and winning the U21event with some super table tennis.

ALSAA’s Loreto Girls also had a great weekend, Rebecca Kenny beating her sister Sarah in the Band 2 final final on Saturday; Sarah however saved her best Table Tennis for Sunday reaching the Women’s open final only to lose to Nigerian Commonwealth player Atisi Owoh.

Sara Dolan won the Women’s Band 1 event beating the very experienced Audrey Cowan 3 V 0 to compliment her runner's up spot in last months Irish ranking Junior event in Belfast.

Other players competing over the weekend from ALSAA included:

Orla Byrne, Niamh Treacy, Linda Cashen, Kerry Phoenix, Nicole Brady, Stephen Keenen, Ian Ritchie, Eoin Byrne, Sam Logue, Andy Cambell and Ciaron Kelly.

There were a lot of great performances from our young players over the weekend. I hope it encourages more of them to put that little bit more effort in training and realise their full potential.

Paul Dolan.

Results:
Mens Open Singles
Quarter Finals
Na Ning bt David Hayes , Dan Keenan bt Philip Wallace, Leo Stynen (Germany) bt Conor Nolan,
Peter Graham bt Brian Fitzgerald.

Semifinals
Ning bt Keenan, Stynen bt Graham

Final
Ning bt Stynen 11-9, 11-8, 11-3.

Ladies Open Singles:
Quarter Finals
Atisi Owoh (Nigeria) bt Rebecca Kenny, Clodagh Mc Cullagh bt Sara Dolan, Teresa Devaney bt Aisling Healy, Sarah Kenny bt Sabina Kazimagomedova

Semifinals
Owoh bt Mc Cullagh, Kenny bt Devaney

Final
Owoh bt Kenny 7-11, 11-9, 11-8, 11-3

Under 21 Men
Semifinals
Dan Keenan bt David Hayes, Lukasz Zareba (Hungary) bt Corey ORourke

Final
Keenan bt Zareba 11-7, 11-5, 11-13, 11-5

Under 21 Ladies
Semifinals
Sabina Kazimagomedova bt Kerrie Pheonix, Rebecca Kenny bt Aisling Healy

Final
Kazimagomedova bt Kenny 11-8,11-8, 11-9.

Restricted Singles

Semifinals Robert Gavin bt Brian Devereaux, Philip Wallace bt David Nolan
Final Robert Gavin bt Philip Wallace 11-8, 11-4, 11-7

Vets Final

Semifinals: Kevin Devanney bt Peter Koval, Kevin Mackey bt Julian Gittens
Final: Kevin Mackey bt Kevin Devanney 11-4,11-6, 11-2.
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SATURDAYS PLAY

Band 1 Men
Robert Gavin bt Dan Keenan before playing Leo Stynen in one semifinal.
Arther Sobel (Germany) bt Marcus McDonnell before playing Tibor Pofok (Hungary) in the other semifinal.

Sobel and Stynan came through to contest the final which Sobel won 11-9, 11-7, 2-11, 11-9

Women Band 1
Sara Dolan bt Deirdre Murphy before playing wheelchair player Kathleen Reynolds in one semifinal.
Rebecca Kenny bt her sister Sarah before playing Audrey Cowan in the other semifinal.

Dolan and Cowan came through to contest the final which Dolan won 11-8, 11-9, 11-9

Men Band 2
Semifinals
Tibor Pofok(Hungary) bt Brian Devereaux, Dan Keenan bt Attila Kovacs (Hungary)

Final
Pofok bt Keenan 12-10, 11-8, 11-8

Ladies Band 2
Semifinals
Sarah Kenny bt Niamh Buttimer, Rebecca Kenny bt Sara Dolan

Final
Rebecca Kenny bt Sarah Kenny 9-11, 11-7, 12-10, 11-8

Men Band 3
Semifinals
Karl OCallaghan bt Dave Butler, Attila Kovacs bt Maciek Szymanski

Final
Kovacs bt OCallaghan 6-11, 11-1, 6-11, 12-10, 14-12

Men Band 4
Semifinals
Dave Butler bt James Herley, Attila Mandler bt Maciek Szymanski

Final
Butler bt Mandler 11-9, 11-5, 11-8