Canterbury Take Two Titles

New Zealand Table Tennis Championships - held at Walter Nash Stadium, Hutt Valley

Canterbury has taken out the finals in the New Zealand table tennis championships teams events winning both the men’s and women’s Open A Grade titles at Walter Nash Stadium in Hutt Valley.

It was the first win for the Canterbury men since 2003 as they defeated Auckland 5-3 in an upset. The victory came on the back of veteran player Jong Eub Han who is understood to have never lost a match in New Zealand. Han, who only played in the over-35’s last year won all three of his matches in the final including beating Commonwealth Games rep Shane Laugesen.

Han will be the second seed in the individual Open A Grade champs starting Wednesday night. Individual finals will be played on Saturday

As expected the Canterbury women featuring the strong team of Jenny Hung, Tutty Taufana and Sun Yang were too strong for Waikato winning 5-1 with Hung, the winner of the national junior title already this week accounting for both of her finals opponents in straight games.

Results:
Open A Grade:
Men’s final:
Canterbury bt Auckland 5-3
Yi Sien Lin bt Nathan Lowe 6-11 11-5 11-5 11-13 11-8,
Jong Eub Han bt Simon Wallis 11-8 17-15 11-9,
Jonathan Yam lt Shane Laugesen 11-7 8-11 11-9 5-11 1-11,
Han bt Lowe 11-4 11-4 11-7,
Lin lt Laugesen 2-11 5-11 10-12,
Yam lt Wallis 7-11 11-6 3-11 11-4 8-11,
Han bt Laugesen 15-13 11-9 11-9,
Yam bt Lowe 11-9 11-7 8-11 13-11.
One match not played
Women’s final:
Canterbury bt Waikato 5-1
Jenny Hung bt Michelle McCarthy 11-4 11-5 11-9,
Tutty Taufana lt Amy Chiu 6-11 7-11 11-8 7-11,
Sun Yang bt Sarah Ho 11-4 11-3 11-8,
Hung bt Chiu 11-6 11-8 11-9,
Yang bt McCarthy 11-3 8-11 11-13 14-12 11-8,
Taufana bt Ho 9-11 11-8 11-9 11-5.

Men’s B Grade winners – Wellington(2)
Men’s C Grade winners – Waikato(1)
Men’s D Grade winners – Canterbury (4)
Women’s B Grade winners – Southland.