Curtain falls on county table tennis campaign

May 6 2010 by Eric MacKinnon, West Lothian Courier

AS is now customary, the county table-tennis season was brought to an exciting conclusion with the West Lothian championships.

An excellent entry was received by the organiser and all of last season’s winners were in attendance to defend their respective titles.

The early stages of the individual event were played in groups with the top two in each group going forward to the knockout stages while the others qualified for a separate consolation competition.

Two seeded players in each group moved on without any real problem to justify the confidence shown in them by the tournament referee.

This tournament really came to life at the last 16 stage where the main upset was when Keith MacKay accounted for current junior champion Kieran Boyle in three straight sets 11-8, 11-7, 11-6.

Young Boyle had been in excellent form of late and was expected to account for his much more experienced, but enigmatic, opponent but MacKay’s close to the table half volleying style proved to be too strong on this occasion.

In another encounter Kevin Milne beat Scotland veteran international Drew McLaren, in a keenly contested game 16-14, 11-6, 11-9.

In the quarter finals reigning champion Lewis Hills eventually put an end to MacKay’s run in a five-set thriller, and from a 1-2 set deficit, to win 11-4, 9-11, 3-11, 11-8, 11-5.

Last year’s beaten finalist, Barry Hills, was knocked out by Andy MacDougall in what was probably the latter’s best performance of the season. MacDougall showed all his fighting qualities to win in four close sets 8-11, 11-8, 13-11, 11-9.

No2 seed George Flanagan then accounted for Milne in another four setter 12-10, 11-7, 9-11, 11-9.

In yet another four-set game Scotland junior Robbie Fairley beat a strangely out-of-form John McCulloch, a former champion, 11-6, 9-11, 11-8, 11-3.

Of the four quarter-final matches three went to four sets and one to a fifth-set decider.

By contrast, both semi-final games were over in straight sets but in the case of Hills versus Fairley the result could barely have been tighter: Hills won all three sets at deuce 13-11, 12-10, 12-10. In the other, Flanagan ended MacDougall’s run in a straightforward fashion, 11-4, 11-7, 12-10.

The final reversed this trend when Hills and Flanagan served up a five-set action-packed thriller, evenly spread with nervous unforced errors, wonderful attacking play and marvellous rallies. In the first two sets Hills easily brushed aside his opponent to take a two-set lead. As Hills looked good for a victory the hard-working, determined Flanagan gradually fought his way back into the match with a win in the third set at deuce and then to even the game at two sets all.

They changed ends in the last set with Flanagan leading 5-3 but once again the pendulum swung when Hills played some spectacular shots to take the title. The winning score was 11-5, 11-6, 12-14, 7-11, 11-8.

The doubles tournament was also played in groups in the early stages with the four top seeds taking their allotted places in the semi-finals.

In the first, reigning champions Flanagan and McCulloch met McLaren and Fairley and won 11-3, 15-13, 11-9.

In the second the father-and-son combo of Barry and Lewis Hills also won in three sets against MacDougall and Milne, 11-6, 12-10, 11-9.

Although both games were won without the loss of a set, four of the six could not have been closer.

In a rerun of last year’s final Flanagan and McCulloch retained their title but not without a titanic struggle as the game swung one way then another before taking the fifth set in comfort. The winning score was 11-13, 13-11, 7-11, 11-9, 11-5.

The final of the junior event was contested by Whitburn Academy pupil Robbie Fairley, and St Kentigern schoolboy Kieran Boyle. Both are Scotland ranked — Robbie at under 18 level and Kieran at under-15 level.

With Robbie being favourite, young Kieran decided to take the game by the scruff of the neck and totally surprised his older opponent with a dazzling display of powerful attacking play to take the first set with ease.

Only then did Robbie gradually outplay and outgun his less experienced opponent to take the title 4-11, 11-4, 11-7, 11-5.

To add some fun to the day’s proceedings there is always a ballot doubles where partnerships are drawn from the hat with the referee ensuring that each pairing has a mix of skills.

Usually, a partnership from the middle rankings wins the day and so it proved again when Kieran Boyle partnered Kevin Milne to a final victory over singles champion Lewis Hills and Alec Cameron.

Bathgate Academy pupil Aaron Cameron won the consolation event, and he also finished in third place in the junior event.

What made his achievements all the more creditable was the fact that he has been playing for less than a year, and so should improve with practice, hard work and coaching.

As with last year, there was a separate primary school, event which attracted three young girls from Peel Primary, Livingston.

All three regularly attend the local club’s family night, which takes place every Friday night, with their respective dads.

Last year’s winner Rachel Milne duly retained her title, with sisters Julia and Laura MacDougall taking second and third spots respectively.

Unfortunately, none of the group of primary boys from Linlithgow was able to attend.

The championship started at 10am and did not finish until 5.30pm with only a very short break for lunch.

With most events being played in groups in the early stages, there was a lot of games to be played by everyone and a lot of administration for the tournament referee.

However, by the end of a long and eventful day most left with weary legs, though some also with trophies.

Only one title may have changed hands but the champions had to fight every inch of the way to retain their titles and there were certainly encouraging signs that others are not very far behind.