Newcastle Grand Prix Saturday - Sunday 27-28 October 2007:

More than 160 players from all over England and Scotland converged on the Eldon Square Leisure Centre over the weekend of 27-28 October 2007 to take part in the regions top table tennis event, the Newcastle Grand Prix.

On the Saturday the graded events were played. with the main events taking place on the Sunday.

Scotland's Stewart Crawford, from Falkirk, won the men's singles title on Sunday. Seeded at numbrer Crawford hit top form in the final to beat Dale Barham who hads to be content with runners up place for the second consecutive year. The Scottish player beat Shaun Marples, Chesterfield in the quarter finals and Michael Marsden, Spennymoor in the semis to reach the final. Barham put out the Poish player Roman Doran and Matt Kenny (Yorkshire), who had beaten number one seed David Meads of Darlington.

 

 

Stewart Crawford, winner of the Men's Open Singles, receives is congagulated by John Donnelly, Vice Chairman Northumberland Table Tennis

 

The Essex based Chinese players Xu Shu Ying and Liu Meihan dominated the women's event after the withdrawal of top seed Helen Lower. The latter stages were an all Essex affair, with Rachel Jamieson and Abigail Embling losing out in the semis.

 

Xu Shu (Katie) Ling Katie, winner of the Ladies singles

 

The under 21 mens singles title went to Damien Nicholls of Shropshire who defeated Mark Simpson, Leeds, in the Final. Rachel Jamieson , Essex, won the under 21 ladies singles when she beat Mellisa Wright (Sheffield) in the Final. In the veterans' singles Darren McVitie, Hartlepool won the title at the expense of Eddie Smith, Northumberland.

 

The player of the tournament award went to Sheffield's Mellisa Wright who won the womens' band two and band three titles as well as reaching the final of the under 21s. A close contender was Calum Main from Lockerbie who plays for Cramlington TTC in the Northumbria League. Calum was runner up in the Band 5 and Band 6 events and progressed to the latter stages of the under 21s.

 

 

Melissa Wright, Sheffield - Player of the weekend

 

Results

Mens Singles
Semis Stewart Crawford (Falkirk) beat Michael Marsden (Spennymoor) 11-5 11-7 11-8
Dale Barham (Cambridge) beat Matthew Kenny (Yorks) 7-11 11-7 11-8 11-7
Final Crawford beat Barham 11-2 11-0 11-7

Womens Singles
Semis Xu Shu Ying (Essex) beat Abigail Embling (Essex) 9-11 11-6 11-4 7-11 11-7
Liu Meihan (Essex) beat Rachel Jamieson (Essex) 11-5 11-5 11-2
Final Xu Shu Ying beat Liu Meihan 11-6 11-6 11-3

Under 21 Men Damien Nicholls (Shropshire) beat Mark Simpson (Leeds) 11-9 12-10 8-11 8-11 12-10

Under 21 Women Jamieson beat Melissa Wright (Sheffield) 11-8 11-1 11-4

Veterans Darren McVitie (Hartlepool) beat Eddie Smith (Northumberland) 12-10 4-11 11-8
11-6

Restricted Steve Denny (Bingley) beat Aaron Fennell (Chelmsford) 11-7 11-7 7-11 18-16

Band 1 Men Nicholls beat Chris Doran (Northampton) 8-11 11-6 11-5 12-10

Band 1 Women Karina Le Fevre (Thornaby) beat Stephanie Donnelly (Saltburn) 11-4 7-11 9-11 11-8 12-10

Band 2 Men Craig Hardie (Glasgow) beat Mark Simpson (Leeds) 8-11 9-11 11-8 11-4 11-5

Band 2 Women Melissa Wright (Sheffield) beat Natasha Milliken (Glasgow) 11-7 11-5 12-10

Band 3 Men Sean Madden (Hull) beat Sean Doherty (Glasgow) 10-12 9-11 11-9 12-10 11-9

Band 3 Women Wright beat Josie Bruce (Glasgow) 11-2 11-2 11-6

Band 4 Men Graeme Barella (Sunderland) beat Chris Clinton (Yorks) 11-5 11-8 12-10

Band 5 Men Anthony Barella (Sunderland) beat Calum Main (Lockerbie) 11-4 11-5 15-13

Band 6 Men Michael Hahn (Darlington) beat Main 11-9 11-7 8-11 11-7

 

 

 

 

CTTC meets on Monday, Thursday and Friday evenings at the Sporting Club Cramlington, Cramlington Community High School.