Whilst the state and national tournament season continues to provide plenty of tournaments for keener members of the Rockhampton Table Tennis Association to take part the local open grade weekly fixture, as well as regular playing and training sessions, continue to be the major weekly focus for most leading players to hone their skills and keeping their games as competitive as possible.
After a few weeks of play in the second season for the year in the top grade competition the teams that are likely to head the leader board at the business end of the season towards the end of June should start to emerge soon in both divisions.
The top section sees the combination of Joel Coughlan and Erica Nolan currently heading the field by four points however this pair are entering a phase where they will be tested so this handy lead may be eroded soon. The side sitting in second spot consisting of Matthew Pettett and Nolan Hao has a one-point margin over Dane Coughlan and Ann-Louise Stewart who are sitting in third spot only one point to the good of Rayden Smith and Relly Pingol.
The teams of Pam Clarke and Geoff Geddes and Monica Deeth and Chris Leitner are tied in first place in the second division with three sides equal third only two points in arrears. Incredibly the outfit running last in the fixture is only another notch in arrears so effectively the field of six teams is separated by a margin of three points.
In the first fixture outing since the successful Rocky Open Championships often proven sayings around players only being as good as their last match visited Rayden Smith who had a wonderful tournament including his exceptional win over Matthew Pettett in the final of the Chauvel Industrial Services men’s open singles. In the first fixture round since this tournament Smith narrowly failed to head off a very good challenge mounted by Joel Coughlan and a great match ensued with Coughlan coming home too strong over four very competitive sets 9-11, 12-10, 11-9, 11-6.
One of the city’s leading junior players in Judd Carr continued his solid performances in the Bolsover Radiology ratings events and Lawless-Pyne Electrical junior events at the Rocky Open when he returned an impressive win over the much-improved play of Leo Lai in a straight sets result in this fixture outing. Carr also prevailed over Linda O’Sullivan but obviously the experience of his opponent came through as she was in her come-back match after a lay-off following some injury concerns and put up a great fight to take a set. O’Sullivan also had too many answers for the defensive play of Joe Clifton who also is on a come-back to the after a lengthy lay-off due to work commitments.
The very consistent game possessed by Monica Deeth was really tested but she still returned a scorecard that reflected an undefeated effort. Deeth survived a scare from relevant late-bloomer Warun Wilkinson when she withstood the challenge 8-11, 11-8, 11-9, 8-11, 11-4 and when pitted against fellow front-runner in the section she narrowly prevailed over Glen McDonald in another clash that went to the maximum of five sets. McDonald had earlier withheld a strong challenge from Chris Leitner to win over four long games.