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Monday
7 June 2004

 BVTTC

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TOURNAMENT ATTRACTS A CROWD

Held over a series of Monday evenings during April and immediately following the end of the table tennis season, the 2004 Club Tournament took place for the first time at the Newlands Spring venue. The main event the Tom Burns Handicap trophy attracting an entry of 44 members. With such a large entry a new positive handicapping approach was used by organiser Ryan Pitt, which had the effect of shortening matches even though the old 21up scoring system was used. The shorter matches made it particularly tough for the Club's better players with long handicaps. Overall the event went very well, and it was good to see a new member come through to take the title in the main event at his first attempt! Perhaps being new his handicap was a little light! We'll know better next time! The first stage of the main event, The Tom Burns Trophy, was played in groups divided into two halves. A total of 15 groups with the group winner going through to the straight knockout stage. The groups saw some fierce battles. Despite this, in only one group was the slide rule needed to decide the top spot, with Adam Pitt just ousting former champion Neil Gooday on points count back. Details of the qualifiers from the groups and how they fared in the knockout stage are given below. With the odd picture or two!    

To find out about the Doubles event or the Youth Trophy take these links. 

TOM BURNS HANDICAP SINGLES (Main Event)

2nd Round
Alex Stone bt Simon Webber 15,4
Norman Purkiss bt Bob Francis 16,17
Barry Pritchard bt Waseem Qureshi 13,17
Rykki Vansertima bt  Gareth Joice 16,16
Adam Pitt bt Martyn Chattey -18,16,10
Steve Clift bt Colin Gooday 8,-18,10
Ryan Pitt bt Frank Neill 19,-16,14
Mike Johnston bt Eric Clift 16,16

 

Still smiling, tournament organiser Ryan Pitt throws up his hands , exasperation perhaps as players fail to report to the control table and return score cards promptly!  depite frustrations Ryan did an excellent job bringing the tournament together.  

Ryan himself had a pretty good groups and first round, before falling to the eventual winner. So perhaps the gesture is, "ah, well, win some lose some".

 

Play gets underway, with 3 of the 4 tables in use in shot.

 

Has umpire Bob Francis fallen asleep? There was certainly no time for it in a gripping quarter final match as Norman Purkiss (far end) launched a ferocious bid to reach the Tom Burns final for the second year. But this time Alex Stone, showing discipline well beyond his years, was not to be denied. making his handicap advantage really work in his favour. 

Quarter Finals

Alex Stone bt Norman Purkiss -21,18,15
Rykki Vansertima bt Barry Pritchard 11,0
Steve Clift bt Adam Pitt 15,19
Mike Johnston bt Ryan Pitt -16,13,10

 

New boy, Alex Stone (in blue on left), put in perhaps one of the best and most surprising performances in the main event, and this is only his first year of table tennis. Rykki Vansertima (right) had to use all of his greater experience to just edge Alex out in the first semi final.

Semi Finals

Rykki Vansertima bt Alex Stone 14,20
Mike Johnston bt Steve Clift 17,11

FINAL

Mike Johnston bt Rykki Vansertima 15,19

 

In his first year with the Club Mike Johnston proudly    receives the 
Tom Burns trophy from Club Chairman, Peter  Revell, at the Club AGM. 
Mike was a convincing winner, capping what has been a very good 
return season for him. 

There is a separate page covering the Purkiss Robinson Doubles and the youth event, The Ted Harris Trophy.