Natalie Cummings and Christopher Franklin defended their titles in the 2020 edition of the Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA) senior national championships which ended Sunday evening at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH).
Franklin accounted for Shemar Britton 4-2 in the final.
Two of the more recent outstanding performers for Guyana – Britton and Franklin – scrapped it out in the first two sets with the latter winning both 11-6, 11-6.
Britton, though, was in no mood for charity; he pulled the third set back, taking it 12-10, however, it was not enough as Franklin closed out the match 11-7, 11-7 to retain his crown.
At the semi-final stage, Britton made light work of Nigel Byran 4-1 while Franklin accounted for Joel Alleyne by a similar margin.
The boys’ 21 years and under final which was contested between Elishaba Johnson and 13-year-old Jonathan Van Lange, ended in Johnson’s favour to temporary halt Van Lange’s fairy-tale run on the local scene.
Their exchanges were the most exciting of the evening and turned out to be the perfect opening act for the men’s final as Johnson, who looked far superior, took the first three sets 11-7, 11-5, 11-5.
However, Van Lange got into his game and clinched the next two sets 11-8, 11-8 to leave the score on 3-2. In end, Johnson closed out the match by winning the final set 13-11.
The duo met up once again in the ‘B’ class final where Van Lange redeemed himself by exacting a measure of revenge, winning the contest 4-3.
Van Lange, the Under – 15 and 18 champion, was laser-focused from jump street and took the first two sets 11-5, 11-9.
The 21 and Under champ, Johnson, didn’t down arms; he matched Van Lange shot for shot and clinched the next two sets 12-10, 13-11 but that was the last of his success as Van Lange closed out the match 11-5, 11-8 in emphatic fashion as he roared at the behest of his supporters.
Meanwhile, the women’s title went to the defending champion Natalie Cummings who defeated the field in the round robin final.
She got past Thuraia Thomas (second place), 11-4, 11-5, 11-7; Crystal Melville (third) 11-5, 11-3, 11-2 and Jasmine Billingy 11-4, 11-6, 11-6 to retain her title.
The ‘C’ class title went to Kyle Chung who defeated Troy McRae 11-9, 8-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-9 the first final of the day.
