Ancil Russell won both his matches as WASA I edged University of T&T (UTT) 3-2 to go top of the Division Two of the T&T Table Tennis Association Inter Team Tournament at WASA Sports Club, St Joseph on Tuesday night.
However, it was UTT which got off to the better start when Kamal Hunte upstaged Davone Joseph 12-10, 10-12, 6-11, 11-6, 11-8 for a 1-0 advantage.
But the host soon turned the tide on the visitors for a 2-1 lead when Russell stopped former national women's champion Brittany Joseph 11-8, 8-11, 11-8, 11-8 and Riad Abasali scolded Daniel Clarke 11-3, 11-6, 11-8 to put their team on the brink of victory.
Joseph then kept her team alive when she outlasted Davonne Joseph, 11-7, 9-11, 11-1, 9-11, 11-4, but any hopes of an upset was squashed by Russell who rallied past Hunte 8-11, 11-9, 11-7, 7-11, 11-7 to secure the entertaining 3-2 win, their seventh from as many matches for 14 points, two more than Carenage Blasters II which has a 5-2 record while WASA II has 11 followed by Arima Hawks, UWI, D'Abadie Youths I, Carenage Blasters I and UTT with ten apiece.
WASA II made the journey to Diamond Vale Community Centre, Diego Martin and came away with a 3-2 win over host Solo Crusaders, with national youth team starlet, Chelsea Fong, beating N'Kosi Rouse 11-9, 11-5, 11-6 in the decider.
For WASA II, Neville Cabie and Sanchez Mangaroo got the other wins, over Rouse (11-13, 11-9, 11-6, 11-8) and Richard Young, 7-11, 13-11, 11-8, 12-10 respectively.
Kwame Laurence had an impressive night, with victories over Fong, 11-6, 11-6, 11-2, and Cabie, 13-11, 11-6, 13-11.
Carenage Blasters I got the better of D'Abadie Youths I, 3-2 as well with national youth player Luc O'Young beating Edwin Humphreys 3-11, 12-14, 11-5, 11-6, 11-5 in the decider also at St Joseph to stay unbeaten as well at 5-0 for ten points.
Fellow national youngster Joshua Maxwell had given Blasters I a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five matches series courtesy his 11-9, 15-13, 9-11, 11-8 defeat of Humphreys, but D'Abadie captain Sherdon Pierre drew his team level at 1-1 when he also came-from-behind to beat O'Young 5-11, 11-2, 11-8, 11-4.
The experienced Nigel Morgan then outplayed Carlisle Cleveland 3-11, 11-3, 11-6, 11-7 to regain the lead for Blasters I at 2-1, but Pierre kept his team alive thanks to his 9-11, 11-9, 7-11, 11-8, 12-10 defeat of Maxwell to push the match to a fifth and deciding contest, where O'Young came up trumps for the team from the West.
Abraham Francis continued his impressive form as Arima Table-Tennis Club pushed its record to a perfect 6-0 in Division Three, Arima Table Tennis Club after a 3-1 triumph over previously unbeaten Petrotrin in another match at St Joseph.
Francis continued his impressive form by winning both his matches, 9-11, 11-9, 8-11, 14-12, 11-8 over Clinton Cardinal, and 8-11, 11-4, 11-6, 12-10 over Andre Sergeant.
Emmanuel Chunisingh got the other win for Arima TTC, 8-11, 11-9, 6-11, 11-8, 11-8 while Darion Phillip had Petrotrin's lone win, 11-4, 11-3, 11-4 against Kristian Khan.
It was the second win in as many nights for Arima TTC after it recorded a similar 3-1 win over Central Bank 3-1 at Warrenville, with a win each from Chunisingh, Khan and Francis.
However, it was Central Bank which took the early 1-0 lead in the best-of-five series when Andre Dickie outplayed Francis 4-11, 11-8, 11-9, 4-11, 11-6.
But, Chunisingh then spanked Ricardo Ferrier 11-7, 11-8, 11-5; Khan humbled Arvind Teemul11-7, 11-8, 12-10 and Francis overcame Ferrier 7-11, 11-0, 11-6, 11-6 to seal the come-from-behind win.
The back-to-back wins has lifted Arima TTC to maximum 12 points, one ahead Petrotrin, Carenage Blasters III and Couva Table-Tennis Club, while Montrose United I is next with ten.
At Montrose, Chaguanas, host club Montrose United II whipped Central Bank 3-1 to move to eight points, the same as Central Bank and WASA III.
However, it was Central Bank which got off to the positive start when Andre Dickie defeated Dave Ramoutar16-18, 11-7, 13-11, 11-9.
But that was the only taste of victory for the visitors as Raj Etwaru outlasted Arvind Teemul 8-11, 11-8, 14-12, 5-11, 11-9, Reeza Ali defeated Ricardo Ferrier 12-10, 11-7, 11-6, and Ramoutar redeemed himself with an 11-8, 12-10, 11-0 victory over Teemul.
Up at St Joseph, WASA III battled past Arima Hawks III 3-2 thanks to a deciding win from Jude Charransingh 7-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-9 over Curtis Williams.
It was sweet revenge for Charransingh who was upended in the opener, 6-11, 11-7, 13-15, 10-12 by Doodnath Persad.