Chan and Davies are National Cup gold stars

Ruby Chan and Rhys Davies are the Cadet National Cup champions after a dramatic second day at Corby Smash TTC – with a four-way countback needed to decide the boys’ medals.

Fifth seed Davies, top seed Louis Price, second-ranked Naphong Boonyaprapa and seventh seed Thomas Rayner all ended the event on seven wins out of nine.

Price and Boonyaprapa met in the final round and it was Price’s 4-3 win which caused the four-way tie.

Taking into account their results against each other, Davies and Price had two victories apiece, with Davies’ 4-0 win over Price in today’s first round earning him the gold.

Rayner and Boonyaprapa had one win apiece in the ‘group of 4’ which decided the medals and it was Rayner’s victory in their match which saw him take bronze – and the unfortunate Boonyaprapa go from leader going into the final round to fourth place in the final reckoning.

The girls’ event was comparatively straightforward as top seed Chan won all nine matches, defeating second seed Anaya Patel 4-2 in what was effectively a gold medal play-off in the final round.

Millie Rogove won bronze, making up for last year’s disappointment, when she missed out on countback. Rogove beat Mari Baldwin into fourth in a last-round match – the third seed beating the fourth.

In fact, there was only one unexpected result in the girls’ competition and that came in the final round when Kirsty Maull beat Erin Green, which did not change the finishing order as the 10 competitors finished according to their seeding.

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Boys

Rhys Davies

The astonishing end to the competition had its genesis in the day’s first round, when Rhys Davies ended the only 100% record left, that of top seed Louis Price.

And he did so in style with a 4-0 scoreline – the second game the key as Davies took it 15-13.

That gave Thomas Rayner and Naphong Boonyaprapa the chance to join Price on five victories and they took the opportunity, though with contrasting results.

While Rayner had few worries in getting past Bertie Kelly in four, Boonyaprapa had plenty against Ben Piggott, three times trailing his opponent before taking the decider 11-6.

Jie Fu Tham held off a comeback by his Ackworth School colleague Felix Thomis, seeing a 3-0 lead eroded to 3-2, and missing match points in the fifth, before claiming the sixth. Connor Green defeated Ollie Maric-Murray 4-1 in the other Round 6 match.

Round 7 saw Davies take an important 4-2 win over Rayner in what – at that stage – looked like a play-off for bronze. The match hinged on the fourth game which Davies, 2-1 down, took 11-2 to seize the initiative.

At the top, Price got his show back on the road, though he had to shake off Tham 4-2, while Boonyaprapa’s task was a more straightforward 4-0 win over Maric-Murray.

Piggott overcame Thomis 4-1 and it was 4-2 for Green against Kelly – who raised hopes of his first win when he came from 2-0 down to level.

So to Round 8, and the sands shifted in favour of Boonyaprapa as he defeated Tham 4-0, while Price was beaten in five close games by Green.

Davies and Rayner kept up their medal bids in contrasting matches – Davies overcoming Kelly in four, though he saved several game points in the third, while Rayner had a definitive switchback ride against Thomis. Rayner led 2-0, trailed 3-2 and saved a match point in the sixth before triumphing 11-9 in a decider. The final match of the round saw Piggott defeat Maric-Murray 4-0.

The final-round results saw Rayner and Davies both win 4-1 – against Maric-Murray and Thomis respectively – to ensure their medals.

The key result proved to be Price’s 4-3 win over Boonyaprapa, bagging the top seed the silver and leaving unlucky Boonyaprapa empty-handed.

Piggott ended with a 4-2 win over Kelly – who did fight back from 3-0 down as he searched for that elusive victory – and Tham overcame Green 4-3.

Final positions: 1 Rhys Davies, 2 Louis Price, 3 Thomas Rayner, 4 Naphong Boonyaprapa, 5 Ben Piggott, 6 Connor Green, 7 Jie Fu Tham, 8 Felix Thomis, 9 Ollie Maric-Murray, 10 Bertie Kelly.

From left: Louis Price, Rhys Davies, Thomas Rayner and Table Tennis England Board member Doug Livingstone

Today’s results

Round 6
Connor Green bt Oliver Maric-Murray 4-1 (11-7, 6-11, 11-9, 11-8, 11-8)
Rhys Davies bt Louis Price 4-0 (11-9, 15-13, 11-8, 11-7)
Thomas Rayner bt Bertie Kelly 4-0 (11-8, 11-5, 11-7, 11-5)
Naphong Boonyaprapa bt Ben Piggott 4-3 (8-11, 11-8, 8-11, 11-7, 6-11, 11-5, 11-6)
Jie Fu Tham bt Felix Thomis 4-2 (11-8, 12-10, 11-7, 7-11, 13-15, 11-8)

Round 7
Boonyaprapa bt Maric-Murray 4-0 (11-4, 11-8, 11-4, 11-9)
Price bt Tham 4-2 (9-11, 11-7, 12-10, 11-7, 7-11, 11-4)
Piggott bt Thomis 4-1 (12-10, 11-8, 11-8, 7-11, 11-3)
Green bt Kelly 4-2 (11-8, 11-3, 9-11, 9-11, 11-5, 11-6)
Davies bt Rayner 4-2 (12-14, 11-9, 9-11, 11-2, 11-7, 11-9)

Round 8
Boonyaprapa bt Tham 4-0 (12-10, 11-9, 11-6, 12-10)
Davies bt Kelly 4-0 (11-9, 11-2, 12-10, 11-8)
Piggott bt Maric-Murray 4-0 (11-7, 11-9, 11-2, 12-10)
Green bt Price 4-1 (6-11, 11-9, 12-10, 12-10, 11-8)
Rayner bt Thomis 4-3 (11-7, 11-3, 5-11, 8-11, 11-13, 13-11, 11-9)

Round 9
Rayner bt Maric-Murray 4-1 (11-4, 4-11, 11-1, 11-8, 11-7)
Piggott bt Kelly 4-2 (11-7, 11-8, 14-12, 6-11, 7-11, 11-9)
Tham bt Green 4-3 (11-13, 11-5, 8-11, 11-9, 11-6, 8-11, 11-4)
Price bt Boonyaprapa 4-3 (11-7, 9-11, 8-11, 12-10, 11-8, 3-11, 13-11)
Davies bt Thomis 4-1 (11-5, 13-11, 11-8, 11-13, 11-7)

Girls

Ruby Chan

Amy Marriott came within a set of registering the first unexpected result of the girls’ competition as she three times led Anaya Patel in Round 6, only for the second seed to win the last two games.

It meant it was ‘as you were’ at the top as Ruby Chan defeated Erin Green 4-1 and Mari Baldwin defeated Kirsty Maull in four straight to maintain the three-way tie at the top.

Millie Rogove was one win behind, and she beat Amillia Baker in five, while there was a first win of the competition for Scarlett Anders, who overcame Helena Dicken, also in five.

Something had to give in Round 7 as Chan and Baldwin met. It went the distance and Baldwin looked to have the momentum at 3-2 up, but the top seed fought back to win a decider 11-7.

Dicken got close to causing the first unexpected result of the girls’ event when she came from 3-1 down to level against Millie Rogove. Taking the sixth 11-3, it looked like a momentum shift, but Rogove bounced back to take the seventh 11-7.

It was easier for Patel, who kept her share of the lead by defeating Baker 4-1. It was also 4-1 for Green against Anders, while Marriott picked up a 4-2 victory over Maull.

After Round 8, we knew there would effectively be play-offs to decide gold and bronze. Chan beat Rogove 4-2 and Patel defeated Baldwin 4-3, meaning the winners would play to decide top spot, while Baldwin and Rogove would contest bronze.

The Patel-Baldwin clash was a marathon, which included a 20-18 game and a comeback by Baldwin from 3-1 down to level. Patel was always in front in the decider, which she won 11-7.

Anders posted her second victory, but it could have gone either way against Maull before Anders won 14-12 in the decider.

Baker look likely to get her first win on the board when she led Marriott 2-0, but the sixth seed came back to win in six. Green defeated Dicken 4-0.

And so to the medal matches, and Chan confirmed her top seeding with a 4-2 win over Patel, in which she was never behind, although the first four sets were tit-for-tat.

Rogove made up for agonisingly missing out on a medal at the same event last year, as she defeated Baldwin 4-1 to take bronze.

The other story of the final round was – at last – an unexpected win. And it really was at last – the final match to finish seeing No 8 Maull upset No 5 Green in seven, three times being pegged back in a real arm-wrestle of a match before taking he decider 11-9.

Anders finished on a high with a 4-3 win over Baker – who came agonisingly close to winning her first match, losing 11-9 in the seventh having won the sixth 14-12. Marriott finished with a 4-2 win over Dicken.

Final positions: 1 Ruby Chan, 2 Anaya Patel, 3 Millie Rogove, 4 Mari Baldwin, 5 Erin Green, 6 Amy Marriott, 7 Scarlet Anders, 8 Kirsty Maull, 9 Helena Dicken, 10 Amillia Baker.

From left: Millie Rogove, Anaya Patel, Ruby Chan and Doug Livingstone

Today’s results

Round 6
Anaya Patel bt Amy Marriott 4-3 (7-11, 11-5, 9-11, 11-8, 11-13, 11-5, 11-7)
Millie Rogove bt Amillia Baker 4-1 (11-8, 11-6, 9-11, 11-3, 11-6)
Ruby Chan bt Erin Green 4-1 (11-7, 11-4, 12-10, 5-11, 11-7)
Scarlett Anders bt Helena Dicken 4-1 (7-11, 11-9, 11-5, 11-5, 11-5)
Mari Baldwin bt Kirsty Maull 4-0 (11-6, 11-9, 11-8, 11-4)

Round 7
Green bt Anders 4-1 (11-13, 11-3, 11-5, 11-4, 11-5)
Patel bt Baker 4-1 (11-6, 12-10, 11-7, 8-11, 11-9)
Marriott bt Maull 4-2 (11-9, 8-11, 10-12, 11-7, 11-6, 11-7)
Chan bt Baldwin 4-3 (11-8, 6-11, 6-11, 11-2, 8-11, 11-6, 11-7)
Rogove bt Dicken 4-3 (11-4, 11-9, 9-11, 11-5, 11-13, 3-11, 11-7)

Round 8
Marriott bt Baker 4-2 (6-11, 3-11, 11-9, 11-6, 11-8, 11-4)
Green bt Dicken 4-0 (11-7, 11-5, 11-9, 11-2)
Anders bt Maull 4-3 (11-4, 11-7, 7-11, 7-11, 11-9, 10-12, 14-12)
Chan bt Rogove 4-2 (11-5, 11-6, 8-11, 8-11, 11-9, 11-8)
Patel bt Baldwin 4-3 (11-6, 9-11, 11-9, 20-18, 7-11, 8-11, 11-7)

Round 9
Chan bt Patel 4-2 (11-4, 5-11, 11-5, 5-11, 11-4, 11-8)
Rogove bt Baldwin 4-1 (11-5, 11-9, 11-7, 8-11, 11-7)
Anders bt Baker 4-3 (11-8, 13-15, 5-11, 11-9, 11-8, 12-14, 11-9)
Marriott bt Dicken 4-2 (11-8, 6-11, 11-9, 9-11, 11-3, 11-9)
Maull bt Green 4-3 (16-14, 8-11, 11-9, 1-11, 11-7, 11-13, 11-9)

Author: via Table Tennis England
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