Top Performers Shine as Table Tennis Season 1 Concludes

The combination of Matthew Pettett and Glen McDonald claimed the first division premiership title last week at the Leichhardt Park Table Tennis Centre. The competition followed a first-past-the-post format, with the premiership flag awarded to the team accumulating the most points over the ten-week season.

At the halfway mark, Pettett and McDonald trailed slightly on the ladder, while Joel Coughlan and Leo Lai looked to be the favourites. However, as the season progressed, momentum shifted in favour of Pettett and McDonald. Heading into the final round, they held a slender one-point lead over Coughlan and Lai, setting up a virtual grand final between the top two teams.

Unfortunately for Coughlan and Lai, Coughlan was unavailable for the crucial match. Former state junior representative Matthew Steffen stepped in as a substitute, having recently hinted at a return to the sport and plans to compete at the Rocky Open Championships over the ANZAC long weekend.

Despite Steffen performing admirably after a long break, Pettett proved too strong in their encounter. Steffen did manage a thrilling five-set win over McDonald, who himself played solidly throughout. Lai also got the better of McDonald in their match, but their 2–3 result on the night wasn’t enough to close the gap. Pettett and McDonald finished two points ahead to seal the premiership. Dane Coughlan and Jakob Baker secured third place, while Rayden Smith and Erica Nolan finished fourth.

In second division, the race wasn’t as tight. Geoff Geddes and Cooper Bulow dominated from the outset and never looked back, finishing five points clear of Allan and Pam Clarke, even after taking a points-less bye in the final round. Monica Deeth and Joe Clifton tied for third with Linda O’Sullivan and Chris Leitner. O’Sullivan and Leitner started the season strongly, but an untimely injury to Leitner meant the pair relied on substitutes for much of the competition, impacting their consistency.

A new season of fixtures is currently being organised and will commence immediately after the Easter break, leading into the club’s annual Open Championships. The action at Leichhardt Park is set to continue after a short pause for the school holidays.

Meanwhile, the city’s top junior boys, Judd Carr and Cooper Bulow, are gearing up for a big showing at the Queensland Junior Championships next week at the South Pine Indoor Sports Centre in Brendale. Both have benefitted from competitive first division matches and rigorous practice sessions and will focus on the Under-17 team and individual events. This will be their biggest tournament to date, and hopes are high for a strong performance.