The Nelson Mandela Bay table tennis league brought its season to a fitting close at the Malabar Community Centre on Saturday, with a full day of competitive action producing some outstanding performances and several memorable results.
The Nelson Mandela Bay Closed Championships began at 9am and ran until 5pm, with six tables in use throughout the day.
The men’s Open drew 18 players, split into three groups of six, ensuring every competitor got plenty of action before the knockout stages.
The leading seeds largely lived up to expectations, although Michael de Kock was given a major scare by Tariq Ketshwanetse. Leading 9-3 in the deciding game, Ketshwanetse looked set for victory, only for De Kock to produce a remarkable comeback and win 11-9.
The top four seeds eventually reached the semifinals, with Andy Mudie defeating Zeenal Bhana and Ridhaa Jawitz overcoming De Kock to set up a final between the top two seeds.
The final provided a fascinating contrast in styles, with Mudie’s attacking game coming up against Jawitz’s defensive approach.
On this occasion, attack proved too strong, with Mudie securing a convincing 4-0 victory to claim the title at his first Closed Championships.
In the women’s competition, six players contested a round-robin group, with the top four advancing to the semifinals.
Carlynne Kroutz and Saranon Govender produced one of the closest encounters in the group stages, but it was Kroutz who again came out on top when the pair met in the semifinal, winning 3-1.
Eugene Stallenberg booked her place in the final with a 3-0 victory over Armiena Muller and continued her impressive run in the title decider.
Despite Kroutz’s best efforts, Stallenberg completed the tournament without dropping a game to claim the women’s title.
Kroutz would, however, get her hands on a trophy later in the day.
Partnering Mudie in the mixed doubles, she exacted revenge on Stallenberg by defeating her and De Kock 3-0 in the final.
Mudie and Kroutz needed all their fighting qualities to reach the final, coming from 2-0 down against Ridhaa Jawitz and Saranon Govender in the semifinal to eventually scrape through.
Mudie also enjoyed success in the men’s doubles, teaming up with De Kock to defeat Dean Bailey and Shahied Mamojee 3-0 in the final.
Bailey and Mamojee had survived a tight semifinal against Tiger Pather and Zeenal Bhana, while one of the biggest surprises of the championships came in the quarterfinals.
Jawitz, who had reached the men’s final, and his partner Ashley Human were eliminated by the father-and-son combination of Rodger and Thegan Rockman.
The championships also provided opportunities for players competing in the lower divisions.
In the first division singles, Rodger Rockman claimed the title with a 3-1 victory over Claud Lewack, reversing the result from their group-stage meeting when Lewack had prevailed.
Lewack defeated Stallenberg in the semifinals, while Rockman survived a five-set battle against Jayvan August to book his place in the final.
The second division was decided by a round-robin competition, with Nolan Bentley taking the title on countback ahead of Tiago Rockman.
Bentley’s victory over Rockman proved decisive, although he also suffered a surprise defeat to Melanie Burjins during the competition.
This was also a memorable first Closed Championships for nine-year-old Aabied Alqudah, who gained valuable experience competing alongside more established players. – NMBTT
