Newcastle Grand Prix Saturday Sunday 11-12 October 2008

Matt Ware of Hampshire was the star of the show at the Newcastle Grand Prix tournament winning both the main event, the Mens Singles and the under 21 mens singles.

In the Mens event he was seeded fourth but reached the final after a hard fought and close match against the number two seed Wang Zheng who is based in Essex . The other semi final was even closer with Damien Nicholls of Shropshire who had earlier accounted for the top seed Gavin Rumgay just getting the better of Derbyshire’s Shaun Marples. In the final Nicholls took the first two games but Ware hit back to take the next three and the title.

The same two players also fought out the Under 21 final which again went to five games with Ware again winning in the fifth. Durham ’s Mark Simpson reached the semi finals in this event before losing out to Ware.

The Womens Singles title was retained by Shu Ying Xu, the Chinese player based in Essex . As was the case last year she easily beat her fellow Chinese player Meihan Liu in the final. Liu, however, had to come back from two games down to beat Lancashire ’s Lindsey Reynolds in the semi finals. Cleveland ’s Chloe Whyte, was the other beaten semi finalist.

Whyte also reached the final of the Womens under 21’s where she was beaten by Hannah Hicks of Hampshire.

Northumberland’s Neil McMaster got through to the semi finals of the Veteran’s singles before going out to Hartlepool ’s Darren McVitie. McVitie retained the Veterans title by beating Julien Gittens of Yorkshire in the final.

Local player, Andrew Wilkinson, was in form in the graded events winning Band 2 where he put out the top seed on his way to the final before defeating Will Cooney of Derbyshire and then being runner up to Matt Ware in the Band 1 singles.

Sunderland ’s Graeme Barella got through to the semi finals of the Band 3, losing out to Scotland ’s Sean Doherty. In Band 4 Scotland ’s Calum Main, who also plays in the Northumbria League reached the final but was defeated by Paul Johnson of Lincolnshire .

The player of the tournament award went to Cleveland ’s Chloe Whyte who got through to the semi finals of the Womens Singles, the final of the Under 21’s, the semi final of Womens Band 3 and won the Womens Band 2.

Results:

Mens Singles

Semi Finals: Damien Nicholls (Sp) beat Shaun Marples (Dy) 11-7, 11-13, 9-11, 11-7, 12-10

Matt Ware (Ha) beat Wang Zheng (E) 11-5, 11-13, 11-2, 6-11, 11-7

Final Ware beat Nicholls 5-11, 6-11, 11-6, 11-5, 11-7

Womens Singles

Semi Finals: Shu Ying Xu (E) beat Chloe Whyte (Cv) 11-6, 11-4, 11-8

Meihan Liu (E) beat Lindsey Reynolds (La) 5-11, 7-11, 11-6, 11-8, 11-4

Final Shu beat Meihan 11-4, 11-1, 11-6

Mens Under 21

Semi Finals Ware beat Mark Simpson (Du) 11-6, 11-7, 9-11, 11-4

Nicholls beat Chris Main (SCO) 11-1, 8-11, 12-10, 8-11, 11-5

Final Ware beat Nicholls 7-11, 13-11, 8-11, 11-5, 11-7

Womens Under 21

Semi Finals Hannah Hicks (Ha) beat Melissa Wright (Ys) 9-11, 9-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-7

Whyte beat Caroline Hallows (Ch) 11-6, 7-11, 11-6, 9-11, 11-6

Final Hicks beat Whyte 11-9, 11-9, 11-8

Veterans Singles

Semi Finals Julien Gittens (Y) beat Mark Simon (WAL) 11-8, 6-11, 11-3, 8-11, 11-8

Darren McVitie (Du) beat Neil McMaster (Nd) 8-11, 12-10, 11-7, 9-11, 11-8

Final McVitie beat Gittens 11-5, 11-6, 11-6

Restricted Singles

Final James Brown (Y) beat Rory Scott (Sx) 11-5, 9-11, 10-12, 12-10, 11-4

Mens Band 1 Matt Ware (Ha) beat Andrew Wilkinson (Nd) 11-8, 7-11, 6-11, 11-6, 11-6

Womens Band 1 Hannah Hicks (Ha) beat Melissa Wright (Y) 11-6, 11-8, 11-8

Mens Band 2 Andrew Wilkinson (Nd) beat Will Cooney (Dy) 11-6, 9-11, 11-9, 11-6

Womens Band 2 Chloe Whyte (Cv) beat Jasmin Ould (K) 12-10, 11-7, 11-6

Mens Band 3 Daniel Lowe (Dy) beat Sean Doherty (SCO) 11-9, 11-9, 4-11, 11-6

Womens Band 3 Jasmin Ould (K) beat Katehrine Lefevre (Cv) 11-8, 12-10, 6-11, 7-11, 11-7

Mens Band 4 Paul Johnson (Li) beat Calum Main (SCO) 11-9, 10-12, 11-5, 11-8

Mens Band 5 Edward Fambely (Y) beat Robert Worrall (K) 11-6, 10-12, 11-2, 11-7

Mens Band 6 Robert Worrall (K) beat Ian McPherson (SCO) 11-9, 11-9, 6-11, 11-6