MASTERS INVITATION

Shocks came early in the Masters Invitation when Andy Trott, the County No1, and Steve Silk, the title holder and three times winner, were both beaten in the opening round. Earlier the six player field had been reduced to five when Carl Leeson's vehicle broke down near Liverpool and he was unable to reach the Glamis Hall venue.

Trott was always behind in his first encounter, led comfortably in the second end only to go down at deuce. He drew level at nine all in the third before the 15 year old Miles Chan completed a trio of 12-10 successes.

Silk dropped the first but led Gary Webb 6-1 in the second before the left hander fought back to win on deuce. Silk retaliated to turn a 10-8 deficit into a 14-12 success but Webb was not to be denied and gained the verdict 11-3 in the fourth.

Trott recovered to beat Chris Ross in straight games while Chan maintained his form with a 13-11 fourth end success against Silk.

It was Chan's turn to suffer in the third series of rubbers when in the longest and most closely contested match of the day he went down 5-11, 11-9, 11-13, 11-9, 14-12 to a rejuvenated Ross. Chan saved three match points and Ross one, but it was the talented veteran who came out on top.

Meanwhile Trott made no mistake against Webb and followed up with an easy win against Silk after a close opener. Ross also beat Webb but with two matches to play only two players remained in the title race.

If Chan beat Webb the trophy was his, but if he lost, and even if Ross beat Silk, Trott would win the invitation event for the first time by virtue of his earlier success against Ross.

In the event Ross couldn't prevent Silk's first win of the day. However Chan, after dropping the opener to Webb, eased through 11-7, 11-1, 11-9 to take the title and so become the youngest winner since Chris Doran in 2006.

Dennis Millman (County Press Officer)

NORTHANTS COUNTY TABLE TENNIS ASSOCIATION MASTERS INVITATION

Organiser Ken Marchant produced a strong line-up for the tenth Invitation Masters held at Wellingborough's Glamis Hall on Sunday 11th September.

Six of the top eight on the Thornton's Sport County Ranking List were participating with Andy Trott who was representing England Veterans in the Six Nations Tournament taking place this year in the Channel Islands, the only Northants absentee.

Five of the six competitors were already at the veteran stage and as anticipated the early exchanges were evenly contested. So much so that after eight rubbers all six players had suffered defeat with five of them beaten just once.

Chris Ross had beaten Dawid Przybysz, Richard Elliott had got the better of John Fuller while Steve Silk had ended the 100% record of Ross. Additionally Przybysz had ended Elliott's winning run but the Higham player quickly recovered to beat Silk 11-7, 11-3, 11-3.

The closest finish of the day saw Elliott beat a recuperating Gary Webb 12-10 in the fifth, while Silk needed all five ends before easing through 11-5 against Przybysz who had beaten Fuller in straight games.

Ross and Fuller had featured in the longest game of the day with Ross prevailing 9-11, 11-8, 13-11, 10-12, 11-6, after more than half an hour's play. Webb opened his account when he beat Przybysz in four ends and with just two rubbers to play three players could still lift the trophy.

If Elliott beat Ross in the penultimate encounter the title would be his. If Ross beat Elliott and Silk lost to Fuller, Ross would be champion. If Ross beat Elliott but Silk got the better of Fuller, Silk would retain the title by accounting for Ross in the second series of matches.

Elliott started well to take the first end 11-9 against Ross, who then moved up a gear to win 11-4, 11-9, 11-4. Now Ross could only watch and hope that Fuller, who had beaten him in the County Veterans final, could now get the better of Silk.

Silk took the first end 11-4, but Fuller responded 11-9, 11-7 to take the lead only for Silk to level the match 11-5. The decider ebbed and flowed but after levelling at six all, Silk established a narrow lead he held to the end.

He retained the trophy and became the first player to win the event three times.

FINAL PLACINGS:

1. Steve Silk - 4 wins.

2. Chris Ross - 4 wins.

3. Richard Elliott 3 wins.

4.Dawid Przybysz - 2 wins.

5. John Fuller - 1 win.

6. Gary Webb - 1 win.

PREVIOUS WINNERS:

Ryan Keates 2002 & 2004.

Kieron Dabbs 2003.

Greg Yarnall 2005.

Chris Doran 2006 & 2009.

Steve Silk 2007, 2010 & 2011.

Ian Bird 2008.

Dennis Millman

(Northants County Table Tennis Press Officer)

(Scoresheet)