Rockhampton Set to Crown New Champions at Annual Closed Championships

Over the next two weeks, the Rockhampton Table Tennis Association will host its annual Closed Championships – a key fixture on the club’s calendar with a long-standing tradition of showcasing the city’s contemporary champions.

This week will see the commencement of the Open Men’s Singles, which will be completed next Tuesday alongside the Open Doubles and Second Division Plate Singles. Meanwhile, the Women’s Open Singles, Veterans Singles and Doubles events will be contested this week at the Leichhardt Park playing centre.

In the Men’s Singles, the city’s top contenders are expected to rise to the top, with the remaining players feeding into the Plate event. Players to watch in the all-in round-robin format include Matthew Pettett, Rayden Smith, Dane Coughlan and Nick Green. Former club champion Joel Coughlan is unavailable this year, paving the way for a potentially fresh winner. Interestingly, three of the four frontrunners are left-handers – with Smith the only right-hander among them – creating an unusual dynamic in the draw.

The Women’s Open Singles is shaping up to be a tightly contested affair, with no clear favourite. Kelsey Pettett’s absence from weekly fixtures makes her form difficult to gauge, but her commanding victory at the Queensland Veterans – where she took out the Over-30 Singles in her debut appearance – confirms she’s in strong form. While Pettett may be the one to beat on paper, Ann-Louise Stewart and Erica Nolan are both capable of causing upsets. Monica Deeth and Pam Clarke are also strong on their day, and the likes of Linda O’Sullivan, Patricia Green and Helga Leitner can’t be overlooked for their ability to challenge higher-ranked opponents. The competition will begin with two round robins of four players, giving each participant three matches before the finals.

The Veteran Singles draw also promises plenty of action, with a strong field entered across both singles and doubles – a noticeable improvement from previous years. Based on recent form, James O’Sullivan and Ann-Louise Stewart are likely to be in the mix once again. In last year’s final, Stewart narrowly edged out O’Sullivan in a thrilling gold medal match. Other potential standouts include Monica Deeth, Geoff Geddes, Chris Leitner, Warun Wilkinson, and veteran pairing Pam and Allan Clarke.

In the Veterans Doubles, defending champions James and Linda O’Sullivan are back to defend their title, but they’ll face stiff competition. The combinations of Geddes and Chris Leitner, and Deeth and Stewart, both look strong, and several other duos could pose a threat as the draw unfolds.