Queen's Park Cricket Club (QPCC) Table Tennis team duo, Brittany Joseph and Guyana's Shemar Britton successfully defended their titles when the three-day 2019 edition of the T&T Table Tennis Association (TTT&TA) Reliability Maintenance Services Limited Super Singles Tournament concluded at the National Racquet Centre, Orange Grove Road, Tacarigua on Wednesday.
This after Joseph made light work of Chelsea Fong (11-9,12-10,12-10) of University of T&T (UTT), Imani Edwards-Taylor (11-6,11-9,11-8) of QPCC and fellow Parkites' young starlet Chloe Fraser (11-4,11-8,11-3) to end with a perfect 3-0 win-loss record in the Women’s “Top-Four” ahead of Fong (2-1) who she faced in the final match for her fourth title in the tournament overall.
Fraser defeated Edwards-Taylor (11-8,13-11,9-11,11-3) to avoid missing a top-three finish.
Joseph toppled clubmate Jordan Thong 11-4, 11-3, 11-6, Fong overcame veteran Merle Bagoo also of QPCC 11-2, 8-11, 11-5, 11-5, Edwards-Taylor stopped Derah Ramoutar of Warrenville United 11-7, 11-9, 11-7, and Fraser spanked Partap-Boodhan 11-7, 11-9, 11-7.
Last year at the same venue Joseph captured her third Super Singles title by finishing with an impressive 4-0 record in the five-player Women’s Open round-robin series inwhich she defeated 12-time national champion Aleena Edwards, Catherine Spicer, Shreya Maharaj and Linda Partap-Boodhan.
The Men’s “Top Six” was much closer with Britton, who attends the University of the West Indies (UWI) St Augustine Campus and is the reigning Caribbean Under-21 men’s silver medallist, got the nod ahead of club-mate Derron Douglas after both ended with 4-1 records.
Britton had wins against Aaron Edwards (11-5,12-10,11-5), Derron Douglas (7-11,11-8,12-10,6-11,11-9), Jesse Dookie (11-4,12-10,13-11) and Arua Roopnarine (3-2) with his lone loss coming against his bitter rival and top ranked local Aaron Wilson,11-6,9-11,8-11,11-9,12-14.
Douglas, on the other hand stunned Wilson (8-11,11-9,11-8,13-11) and also got the better of Edwards (11-6,8-11,11-4,11-9), Roopnarine (8-11,11-8,11-8,5-11,11-7) and Dookie (11-7,9-11,12-10,11-7).
Wilson who came into the competition quietly confident of his chances trounced Dookie (16-14,11-9,11-7) and Edwards (4-11,11-4,8-11,11-9,12-10), but was also stung by Roopnarine (11-13,5-11,11-7,12-10,11-13) for his second loss
When the knockout stage began last weekend, Britton was in impeccable form last year when he brushed aside his four opponents, who showed up, in Aaron Edwards, Arun Roopnarine, Curtis Humphreys and ormer Caribbean Junior medal winner Luc O’Young while the sixth player Dayanand Maharaj of Solo Crusaders was a no-show.
And this year he will once again face off with Roopnarine of Arima Hawks, Edwards of QPCC, Derron Douglas, also of QPCC, Humphreys of WASA and Carenage Blasters' duo, Jesse Dookie and top-ranked local Aaron Wilson, who missed last year's event.
When the knockout round-of-48 served off Britton defeated Kamal Hunte 11-8, 9-11, 11-4, 11-5; Roopnarine beat Declan John 5-11, 11-8, 9-11, 11-6, 11-5; Wilson punished Sameer Ali 11-4, 11-3, 11-9; Edwards came-from-behind to beat Ishwar Sookoonsingh 8-11, 11-9, 11-8, 11-5; Douglas trounced Samuel Humphreys 11-9, 11-4, 11-4 and Dookie made light work of Jahred Corbin 11-7, 11-8, 11-4.
MEN'S RESULTS
First Round
Arun Roopnarine (Hawks) bt Aaron Edwards (QPCC) 11-8, 11-8, 11-7.
Shemar Britton (QPCC) bt Derron Douglas (QPCC) 7-11, 11-8 12-10, 6-11, 11-9
Aaron Wilson (Blasters) bt Jesse Dookie (Blasters) 16-14, 11-9, 11-7
Second Round
Arun Roopnarine (Hawks) lost to Jesse Dookie (Blasters) 11-5, 8-11, 9-11, 8-11
Aaron Wilson (Blasters) lost to Derron Douglas (QPCC) 11-8, 9-11, 8-11, 11-13.
Shemar Britton (QPCC) bt Aaron Edwards (QPCC) 11-5, 12-10, 11-5.
Third Round
Arun Roopnarine (Hawks) bt Aaron Wilson (Blasters) 13-11, 11-5, 7-11, 10-12,13-11
Shemar Britton (QPCC) bt Jesse Dookie (Blasters) 11-4, 12-10, 13-11
Aaron Edwards (QPCC) lost to Derron Douglas (QPCC) 6-11, 11-8, 4-11, 9-11
Fourth Round
Arun Roopnarine (Hawks) lost to Derron Douglas (QPCC) 11-8, 8-11, 8-11, 11-5, 7-11
Aaron Edwards (QPCC) lost to Jesse Dookie (Blasters) 10-12, 7-11, 4-11
Aaron Wilson (Blasters) bt Shemar Britton (QPCC) 6-11, 11-9, 11-8, 9-11, 14-12
Fifth Round
Arun Roopnarine (Hawks) lost to Shemar Britton (QPCC) 11-8, 5-11, 7-11, 11-8, 9-11
Aaron Wilson (Blasters) bt Aaron Edwards (QPCC) 4-11, 11-4, 8-11, 11-9, 12-10
Derron Douglas (QPCC) bt Jesse Dookie (Blasters) 11-7, 9-11, 12-10, 11-7
WOMEN'S RESULTS
First Round
Brittany Joseph (QPCC) bt Imani Edward-Taylor (QPCC) 11-6, 11-9, 11-8
Chelsea Fong (UTT) bt Cloe Fraser (QPCC) 15-13, 11-9, 11-13, 12-10,
Second Round
Brittany Joseph (QPCC) bt Chloe Fraser (QPCC) 11-4, 11-8, 11-3
Chelsea Fong (UTT) bt Imani Edwards-Taylor (QPCC) 11-7, 6-11, 11-4, 11-3
Third Round
Brittany Joseph (QPCC) bt Chelsea Fong (UTT) 11-9, 12-10, 12-10
Chloe Fraser (QPCC) bt Imani Edward-Taylor (QPCC) 11-8, 13-11, 9-11, 11-3.