The France-based combination of Dexter St Louis and his step-daughter Rheann Chung repeated as men and women singles champions when the curtain came down on the Solo-sponsored Table-Tennis Association of T&T (TTATT) Senior National Championships on Wednesday night.
Resuming at the Central Regional Indoor Sports Arena, Saith Park, Chaguanas after playing through to the quarterfinals at the same venue on Sunday, St Louis, also the five-time Caribbean singles champion, outlasted former champion and USA-based David Mahabir, 9-11, 12-10, 9-11, 9-11, 11-5, 11-8, 11-7 for his second straight title and sixth in tournament history.
Overall, St Louis ended the tournament with five titles after he won the Veterans Singles over Mahabir as well, the Mixed Doubles with Chung, Men's Doubles with Germany-based Khaleel Asgarali and Team title with Solo Crusaders' team-mates, Dayanand Maharaj, Asgarali and Anthony "Sandfly" Brown.
Earlier on the night, St Louis was also stretched the full distance by University of T&T's Arun Roopnarine before he won their quarterfinal, 9-11, 11-6, 9-11, 11-13, 11-2, 11-8, 11-8 and then whipped WASA's Yuvraaj Dookram 11-6, 14-12, 13-11, 11-8 in their semifinal
Mahabir, meanwhile stopped "giant-killer" Aaron Edwards of Gladiator who accounted for top ranked Curtis Humphreys and his sixth ranked brother, Alaric Humphreys in the round-of-32 and last-16, 11-1, 11-3, 11-6, 11-8 and followed up by beating two-time reigning Caribbean Junior champion Aaron Wilson of Carenage Blasters' 11-4, 11-7, 11-9, 11-5.
In the other quarterfinals, Wilson booted Himalaya Tough Guys' Terry Corbin 11-9, 11-7, 11-5, 11-4 and Dookram ousted five-time national champion and former association president, Reeza Burke, 11-6, 14-12, 13-11, 11-8.
Chung, also of Crusaders had a much easier time en route to another lien on the women's crown as she dispatched veteran Merle Baggoo of Queen's Park 11-6, 11-2, 11-6, 11-5 in her semifinal, before an 11-4, 11-4, 11-1, 11-9 defeat of 12-time winner, Aleena Edwards for the title, her sixth as well, and her third to go with the Mixed Doubles and women's Team event with Dylita "Dolly" Mahabir.
Edwards reached the title match courtesy a hard fought 11-7, 6-11, 8-11, 11-6, 12-14, 11-5, 11-8 defeat of Hawks' Linda Partap-Boodhan.
Meanwhile, the Junior Championship will serve off on August 6 at the same venue with the Under-11 and Under-15 Singles, Under-21 Doubles and Singles while on August 7, the Under-15 Doubles, Under-13 and Under-18 Singles will take place.