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Stokes on fire in TT Finals
25-Feb-2008
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Ashley Stokes was the big winner at the Wembley & Harrow Table Tennis League Championship Finals Night held at the Harrow Leisure Centre last week. The up-and-coming DHS London Progress starlet stole the show with first-time victories in both the Men's Singles and Doubles events in front of a large and appreciative crowd.
Stokes, a tall right-hander with a very fast attacking stroke, overcame Dov Katz in the singles final by three games to one. Katz, who had played exceptionally well to reach the final, had no answer to Stokes' onslaught. Things were much closer in the doubles, as Katz and Costas Papantoniou pushed Stokes and Vidal Graham all the way. The Progress pair had to save six match points in the deciding game before they won the match 3-2.
Katz's consolation came in the Mixed Doubles, where he joined up with Maccabi team-mate Sally Prowen to defeat reigning champions Sally Bax and Stuart Seaholme in another five-set thriller. It was a good debut championship for Sally Prowen, who also won the Veteran Ladies' Singles and Minor Singles and was runner-up in the Ladies' Singles and Doubles.
Costas Papantoniou retained his Veteran Men's Singles title with a victory against Glenn Wilkes. The real star of the family, however, was his son Mikael, who won his first League title in the Junior Boys' Singles (up to 18 years old) against Sahil Thacker - with surely many more to follow in future years. Mikael also won the Cadet Boys' Singles (up to 14) beating Matthew Ong in the final.
In the Intermediate Singles final, Felix Wong of Hillingdon underlined his potential with a 3-1 victory over former winner Nikunj Patel.
The winners' and runners-up trophies were presented by League President Michael Close and League Chairman David Hayman gave a short welcome speech, including thanks for Steve Dunn, the tireless tournament organiser.
Overall Results
Event |
Event Result |
Men’s singles semi |
Ashley Stokes (DHS London Progress) bt Steve Buck (Vagabonds)
11-8 11-4 11-4
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Men’s singles final |
Ashley Stokes bt Dov Katz
11-7 11-8 1-11 11-9
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Ladies' singles: |
Sally Bax (Sudbury Hill) bt Sally Prowen (Maccabi)
5-11 11-5 11-1 11-13 12-10
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Men’s doubles: |
Ashley Stokes & Vidal Graham (DHS London Progress) bt Costas Papantoniou (Apollo) & Dov Katz
10-12 8-11 11-7 11-2 15-13
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Ladies' doubles: |
Sally Bax & Carola Kruse (Hillingdon) bt Sally Prowen & Sue Merican (Eastcote)
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Mixed doubles: |
Sally Prowen & Dov Katz bt Sally Bax & Stuart Seaholme (Vagabonds)
11-6 12-10 8-11 11-9
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Veteran men’s singles: |
Costas Papantoniou bt Glenn Wilkes
11-7 11-5 11-8
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Veteran ladies' singles |
Sally Prowen bt Sally Bax
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ntermediate singles |
Felix Wang (Hillingdon) bt Nikunj Patel (Apollo)
11-6 7-11 11-6 11-8
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Minor singles |
Sally Prowen bt Mahesh Shah (Lowlands)
13-15 11-7 11-8 11-7
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Junior boys' singles |
Mikael Papantoniou (Apollo) bt Sahil Thacker (Lowlands)
11-7 11-6 11-1
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Cadet boys' singles |
Mikael Papantoniou bt Matthew Ong (W&HTTC)
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Men’s singles semi |
Dov Katz (Maccabi) bt Glenn Wilkes (Vagabonds)
11-8 11-8 11-4 |
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