9th December-07
November BATTS Super League

Neil Brierley writes:

"A scintillating night of Table Tennis at the BATTS Club in early December surpassed all previous meetings in terms of the sheer quality of players on show. No top Hungarians this time, but four superb Chinese players, plus the elegant and unassuming Ryan Jenkins, and Pan Li-Chun, world ranked no. 143 lady and Chinese Taipei National Squad Team member. She is also the niece of former English Open Champion Tong Fei Ming.

More of Ms Li-Chun later, but suffice to say at this stage that this slight, perhaps shy lady, unknown to virtually everyone in the hall, proceeded with minimal fuss to cut a swathe through the finest players in her half of the draw.

All sixteen seeds came safely through the first round. An early taste of things to come came in round two as Pan beat Abdul Wuraola 11-3 in the fifth end of a superb match. The clash of the Scots saw Euan Liddle triumph 12-10 in the fifth over debutant Niall Cameron. Notable too was the performance of Ashley Stokes taking the young, supremely gifted Wang Zheng (look out for his Kong Linghui forehand swing) to a fifth set before losing.

Round three saw wins for Jenkins over Xu Shuying, Pan over Dale Barham, Wang Zheng over John Holland and the new London Progress no. one Hong Ming Zhang against Euan Liddle. Testimony to the strength in depth of the tournament, this round also saw round two losers Abdul Wuraola and Neil Charles playing off for positions nine to sixteen.

Round four (Semi-Final stage), with uniquely three top Asians in the draw, saw the match of the tournament. If Jenkins was under any illusion that Pan Li-Chun was fortunate to reach this stage, it was quickly dispelled as she raced into a two game lead. The Welsh wizard won the third end 11-9, stormed through the fourth 1-4, but Pan led throughout the fifth. Blocking and hitting close to the table it was a real contrast to Ryan's fierce looping from both wings and she emerged victorious by 11 points to 7.

Unfairly, but understandably, the first Semi-Final rather overshadowed the second one between Hong Ming Zhang and Wang Zheng in terms of real drama. Just as in the British League Premier Division and at the Medway Grand Prix, Hong Ming was victorious over the new BATTS Team Peniel number one in a match of the highest quality. The slim Progress star duly won the final against Pan in four games. His fierce forehand looping and lightening fast smashes must rate him as one of the finest players to grace the BATTS club since we started out in 1994. He is certainly on a par with Robert Pagonyi, Ding Yi and Carl Prean - perhaps the most illustrious of the big-name players to triumph at the BATTS Super League since it's inception.

Fast improving Ashley Stokes also caught the eye with wins over Niall Cameron and Clive Carthy. Congratulations are also due to Hieu Thanh Ngo, Will Cooney and Jide Owalabi for high finishing places on their debuts.

Thanks are extended to Alex and Val Murdoch for coming along (and doing a lot of umpiring as well) and thanks at this festive time of year go to Barry Granger, Fred Dove, John Jennings and Pat O'Bryne for all their hard work"..

Neil Brierley