Action Packed Bundy Open Bears Fruit for Locals

The annual Bundaberg Open Table Tennis Championships turned out to be a huge tournament over the weekend and the Rocky club’s representatives did well, particularly in some of the upper-age and lower-ratings events. With over 100 players from clubs in the south-eastern part of the state through to Mackay in the north the organisers had to manage a very heavy schedule.

The carnival hit-off on Friday night with some events in the veteran’s category and James O’Sullivan teamed with Warun Wilkinson to win the Over-50 doubles over Moreton Bay’s Brett and Vivienne Halocha. In the Over-40 section O’Sullivan sided with Jeffrey Jordan and they did well to reach the gold-medal match but had to be satisfied with silver after failing to unseat local champs John and Lorraine Fourro.

In an all-Rocky final Glen McDonald beat Wilkinson for the gold medal in the Over-30 men’s singles, however it was partially a home-town win as McDonald - whose family still live at Bundy - moved to Rocky for university studies after year 12 some time ago and has set up a base in the Beef City. Jordan did well to make the semis in this event.

O’Sullivan capped off a good tournament when he lost the final of the Over-60 men’s singles to Jim Kenworthy who hails from the Sunshine Coast Club, after starting playing as a junior in Rocky many years ago, while he went down swinging in a five-set final in the doubles event in this age group when partnering Bundy’s David Neill. O’Sullivan and Wilkinson joined forces in the men’s open doubles comp and bowed out at the semi-finals stage.

With all players having a tournament rating based on performances these days ratings events are staged in lieu of graded competitions that fell by the wayside several years ago. Six separate divisions based on these ratings were played out at this carnival.

In the second division Glen McDonald narrowly failed to overpower one of the host club’s improving juniors in Mary Sheather in the semi-finals while in the third division James O’Sullivan and Warun Wilkinson won the doubles event over locals Dave Delpratt and young Cohen Sheather. Julien and Oliver Wright bowed in the semis in the corresponding draw in the fourth section.

Jeff Jordan, who has been in solid form lately, won the singles event in the fifth section across five close sets over another local young improver Aiken Chantarat while Oliver Wright and Hilton Kane went down in the semis of the doubles draw in this division.

Michelle Ilott did well to make the final on the singles event in division six but just failed in her bid for the win while Cheryl Fletcher went down in the semi-finals. Ilott also lost in the final of the doubles event in this section while Paul and Cheryl Fletcher went down at the semi-finals stage.  

The city’s leading players now have two weeks left of fixtures to focus on with the competitions quite tight in both divisions in open grade while the state tournament calendar continues to provide opportunities for additional competition.