Pawel turns tables during busy holiday period

On December 29, it hosted the Under 21 Christmas Cracker table tennis tournament and on January 2 the Ulster Open was also played at the centre. There was local success at both of these prestigious events.

At the Christmas Cracker, Rasharkin lad Mark McGuiggan came top of the pile winning with much aplomb.

The six weeks he spent at the Chinese table tennis training camp over the summer paid obvious dividends.

Credit must also go to Larne's Philip Jamison who was second at the event. Both players ply their trade in Division 1 of the County Antrim Table Tennis League.

At the Ulster Open Dubliner John Murphy was at his ruthless best when he dispatched the entire Ulster team one by one to claim the Ulster Open title in spectacular fashion.

The popular Na Liu once again dominated the main ladies' event while local man and Academy Strongtower ace Pawel Sulcowski lived up to his No1 seeding in the veterans' class.

In the final Pawel defeated Mayo battler Kevin Devaney by three sets to one. This was an excellent result for Pawel as Kevin is a Connacht inter-provincial star and a much feared opponent in Irish tournaments.

The cold weather played havoc with the post-Christmas County Antrim Table Tennis League schedule with several matches rightly postponed due to dangerous travelling conditions. However some local derbies did survive.

DIVISION ONE

Ballyclare Methodist A 4, Academy Strongtower Legends 6: The first encounter between these two teams had been a very tense and tight affair with Academy Strongtower Legends scraping a narrow 6-4 home victory at Ballymena Academy.

The Legends managed to repeat this score away at the Methodist Hall in Ballyclare but it was a very close run contest.

The opening match had the two top players in each club pitted against each other. Ballyclare's Andrew Davis was slow off the blocks and a razor sharp Pawel Sulkowski won the first set 11-4.

The second set was a real cracker with Davis loops finding the corners of the table and Pawel countering at every opportunity with loops of his own. Andrew took this set 16-14.

Pawel upped the ante in the third set and his fleetness of foot and consistent forehand and backhand loops gave him the third set 11-7. Andrew however could not be kept down for long and he played inspirational table tennis to take the fourth set 11-9.

The final set proved a bit of an anticlimax as Pawel took an early lead which Andrew could not close despite his best efforts - Pawel winning the deciding set 11-7.

Inspired by Pawel's efforts the next two games went to the AS Legends with Dawid Sulkowkski defeating Philip Jamison 11-7, 8-11, 11-8, 11-6 and Wayne Charleton pulling a rabbit out of the hat with a sensational four sets victory over Richard Davis 11-5, 11-3, 7-11 and 11-6.

Philip Jamison brought the Methodist's back into the match with a straight sets victory over young Adam McIlmoyle.

The next match proved pivotal for the final outcome of the match. Andrew Davis took the first set of Dawid Sulkowski 11-6. David responded by winning the next two 11-8 and 11-6. Andrew drew the game level with a fine 11-9 win in the fourth set.

The deciding set was a joy to behold as both players hit loop after loop some distance back from the table. It was Dawid who managed to out-power Andrew 11-9 in the fifth set.

In the sixth singles, Pawel defeated Richard Davis in straight sets to secure at least a draw for the visitors.

This seemed to spark a revival as the Methodists won the next two singles Richard Davies defeating Adam McIlmoyle and Andrew Davis defeating Wayne Charleton.

In the ninth and final singles Pawel ensured full points for the AS Legends in another titanic battle against Philip Jamison eventually taking the game 11-5 in the fifth set.

The doubles also went the distance with the Methodist winning in the final set 11-8.

Three of the singles went to five sets and all were won by the AS Legends – on another day the score could easily have been reversed.

This result effectively makes the Division 1 title a two horse race with the undefeated Restaurant 1608 A and the undefeated AS Legends due to cross paddles for the first time at the end of January.

Man of the Match – Pawel Sulkowski (AS Legends).

DIVISION TWO

Restaurant 1608 B 5, AS Towers 5: "At last" the AS TowerS players might sigh as they eventually secure a first point of the season.

The Towers have been unlucky not to have managed a few points previous losing to 6-4s and 7-3s in previous matches.

The draw was all the more impressive as it was away from home in Ballymoney – a difficult place to get any kind of result at the best of times.

The team was inspired by captain fantastic Kenneth Johnston who won all three of his singles against Paul McGuigan, Ruth McGilligan and Aaron Douglas. Norman Bowman and David Witherspoon managed a singles win each against Aaron Douglas and Ruth McGilligan respectively to get the five games required. The doubles could have gone to either team but the duo of McGuigan and Douglas held on to win in four sets over AS Towers' Johnston and Bowman 12-10, 11-6, 13-15, 12-10. Man of the match Kenneth Johnston (AS Towers).

DIVISION FOUR

Academy Strongtower Blaze 7, Academy Strongtower Thunder 3: A local derby involving two teams vying with Restaurant 1608 C for top honours in Division 4.

It was the AS Blaze that silenced the AS Thunder by foisting the first defeat on them. The Blaze's captain Dermot McElroy proved to be on top form winning all three of his singles against Jonny Moore, Jonny Wilson and Andrew Herbison.

The surprise packet in the match however was John Robinson who won both his singles playing aggressive attacking table tennis.

Rachel Johnston also won a singles to secure the Blaze's victory and the duo of McElroy and Robinson underlined the result with a fine win in the doubles over Moore and Wilson.

Best for AS Thunder was Andrew Herbison who had two creditable victories over Emma and Rachel Johnston.

The AS Blaze match against Restaurant 1608 C may well decide the outcome of the Division – both teams having already shared a 5-5 draw in Ballymoney.

But the AS Thunder still lead the Division having played two more games and have both the AS Blaze and Restaurant 1608 C to play again – so they still have a chance of th title. They will need to ensure that Peter McCrum their number one player is available as his absence in the match against AS Blaze may well have been the deciding factor in the result.

Man of the match:- John Robinson (Academy Strongtower Blaze).

Academy Strongtower Eagles 1, Restaurant 1608 C 9: A convincing away victory for the Ballymoney outfit that proved too strong for the battling AS Eagles youngsters from Ballymena Academy.

Only Eva Richards tasted success for the Eagles as recorded a fine victory over Restaurant 1608 C captain David McMichael.

The Eagles Kathryn Moore and Michelle Taylor both had chances to win games but the more experienced squad of Noel McCann, Thomas McCann and David McMichael proved too canny on the vital points.

Man of the match:- Noel McCann (Restaurant 1608 C).