CIPPENHAM Table Tennis Club ran a highly successful open tournament on Sunday.

The Cippenham Five by Two Senior and Veterans’ One-Star Open was supported by players from across the south and midlands, and Wales, resulting in a maximum 45 entries for each of the two events.

Two new winners emerged as previous champions were eliminated one by one. The day commenced with the veterans’ events. Multi-times champion Martin Gunn was the first of the favourites to lose. He lost his very first match in the preliminary round group.

However, it turned out that his conqueror was a former Philippines international in the shape of Julious Esposo. The first games was shared, both by deuce scores, but then Esposo showed his prowess by pulling away to win 3-1.

Third seed Jojo Senorin was next to fall. He lost to Henry Arthur and, after a three-way tie was calculated, found himself in third position and out of the championship event and into the consolation.

Another of the top players, Pat Glynn was beaten by Hiroshi Furuta but this was not terminal for Glynn as he finished runner-up in the group and still qualified for the championship event.

Maidenhead player Mark Banks was also expected to win his group but he also had to be content with runner-up as he lost to Chris Maiden.

And so into the competition proper. Esposo, now occupying the place at the top of the draw made serene progress, showing his undoubted class throughout.

Slough Observer:

PHOTO: Veterans' One-Star Open winner Julious Eposo in action.

He accounted for Raj Singh, Alex Aston and Glynn without dropping a game.

Defending champion Steve Davis was a victim of the penholder style of Glynn in the quarter-finals.

Gunn’s run was ended by Rory Scott, also in the quarters, while Mike Brown, who had lost to Samson Bekele at the group stage, progressed into the semi-final by beating Phil Snelson.

Hari Gehlot’s progress into the final was spectacular. his first in the knock-out stage was against Cookham Social teammate Mark Banks. Banks won in a canter but then had to come back from 2-1 to defeat Scott in the quarters.

He then eased past Browne in the semi-final to set up a final against Esposo.

Gehlot battled bravely and took the third game but in the end was no match for the former Philippines player.

The Veterans’ Consolation was won, not surprisingly, by Senorin although he did have to fight back from 2-1 down against Gary Keers in the semi-final.

Cippenham’s Paul Baker awaited Senorin in the final but went down 3-1.

Slough Observer:

PHOTO: Senior One-Star Open winner Chris Bush, left, and runner-up Federico Viterbo, right.

Half of the veteran players stayed on for the Open Singles and pitted their skills against younger contenders. All the top four seeds came through their groups comfortably, but that was not the case for the next highest ranked players.

In Group Six, Mohammad Owadally lost in five games to the veterans’ champion Esposo. Jojo Senorin lost out to Vadym Krevs while Steve Davis succumbed to Sam Ricks.

Ricks then went on a great run that saw him beat Jacob Goss and Gunn to take his place in the semi-finals alongside the seeds Federico Viterbo, Glynn and Chris Bush.

Senorin, winner of the veterans’ consolation, beat the veterans’ champion Esposo in the first round, a reversal in form.

At the same stage Phil Snelson got the better of Davis and Rory Scott eliminated Owadally.

The quarter-final provided four top class matches. Two of these required a deciding game as Ricks defeated Gunn and Glynn put out Snelson. Viterbo eliminated Scott and Bush got through Senorin, both in four games.

Slough Observer:

PHOTO: Chris Bush in action at Cippenham Table Tennis Club.

Bush’s next two games were much quicker as he first beat Glynn in the semi-final, and then reversed the seeding against Viterbo in the final itself.

The consolation event was won by Joseph Goss who beat Akash Shah in the final.

The tournament was organised by Paul Baker and refereed by Sue Hayes.