The Stockton-on-Tees Junior 4 star Championships were held at Thornaby Pavilion in the north east of England on the 15th and 16th of November 2008. The event was a very high standard with top junior and cadet players from all over the UK and Ireland competing.
The highlight of the Saturday was Charlotte Carey’s win over the England number one U13 player Tin Tin Ho in the Mini Cadet event. Charlotte had lost to Tin Tin the last couple of times, but looked to be cruising to an easy victory at 2-0 up. However Tin Tin had other ideas and levelled the match at 2-2 then proceeded to go 10-5 up the 5th end. Charlotte played some excellent table tennis to level at 10-10 and went on to clinch victory 14-12. Charlotte had previously beaten Estelle Purkis and Isobel Ashley to reach the final.
The Phillips sisters, Megan and Angharad, reached the final of the cadet girls’ team event beating Greenhouse Progress 3-0 and Burton 3-2 on the way before losing out 0-3 to a very strong England team of Lucy Davidson and Yolanda King.
Dan O Connell and Patrick Thomas reached the semi final of the junior team event beating Greenhouse Progress I and Sunderland both 3-2 with some exciting matches before going down 0-3 to the number one seeded England team of William Maybanks and Daniel Lowe. Huw Jones reached the last 8 of the Cadet Boys singles before losing to Sam Walker (Eng), Patrick did likewise in the Junior boys singles before losing out Daniel Lowe (Eng)
This was a high standard event with lots of matches played over the two days; all the Welsh players acquitted themselves well, often against some very strong English opposition.
Wales’s teams:
Boys: Patrick Thomas, Dan O Connell, Huw Jones, Lee Morgan, Josh Jenkins and Lewis Williams
Girls: Danielle Tyler, Megan & Angharad Phillips, Natasha Rees, Chloe Thomas and Charlotte Carey.