TTT30 Spring 2023

Payet had two monumental matches to reach the semi-finals beating Megan Jones 7, 4, 5, -8, 7 before
overcoming the new Under 21 Champion, Wong, -12, 4, 8, -5, 5, 7. Patterson did not have an easy first round
match but got the better of Anaya Patel -9, -7, 9, 5, 1, 11 before a more comfortable victory against Anna
Green 3, 2, 3, 8 to reach her semi-final spot.
There were more surprises in the Men’s Singles as the two top seeds both lost at the semi-final stage, Pitchford
to Walker and Drinkhall to Jarvis. Neither Drinkhall nor Pitchford played in last year’s event. Drinkhall was
injured and Pitchford elected to play in a WTT event instead. You have to go back to 2006 for the last time that
neither one or the other of these two, and often both, were in the final which shows their dominance of the
men’s game for nearly twenty years and gives a scale of the achievement of Walker and Jarvis in their wins.
And so, the final, as last year, was Jarvis versus Walker and for the second time it was Jarvis who won the
contest to give him his second Men’s Singles National Championships title 10, 8, -4, 6, 8.
Men's Singles Champion Tom Jarvis and runner-up Sam Walker
Photos by Mike Rhodes
It hadn’t been an easy ride for the two finalists earlier in the tournament. Walker had a close match against
David McBeath in the quarter-finals, a match he eventually won 9, -8, 8, 4, -7, 9. Whilst Jarvis had beaten the
ever improving Connor Green -15, 12, 2, 2, -8, 7 also in the quarter-finals. Chris Doran was another quarterfinalist
and it was one more match between Darius Knight and Drinkhall in the fourth quarter-final match.
Seeing these two meet each other took us back many years to when they first played, partnered and
represented England in their very early days.
There were a number of invitation showcase para matches which were won by Jack Hunter-Spivey (Singles
Class 2-5), Ashley Facey-Thompson (Singles 6-10), Jack Hunter-Spivey and Megan Shackleton (Para Doubles 2-
5) and Billy Shilton & Ross Wilson (Para Doubles 6-10). With the Para National Championships coming up
shortly we will report in more detail on their Championships in our next issue.
The prize money this year was enhanced with thanks to the main sponsor, Mark Bates Ltd., for adding to the
pot for the players.
Overall, a good Championships, although many would like to see an increase in the number of participants in
all events, especially in the Under 21s and Doubles, which are restricted to 16 players or pairs, also for the
Qualifying Event to accept entries from all who wish to play in it.
A quirky fact: Paul Drinkhall was 10 years old when he played in his first National Championships which meant
21 of the entrants in the Men’s Singles weren’t even born when he first played. Apologies Paul if that makes
you feel old! He won his first title in 2006 in the Men’s Doubles with Alan Cooke. He has gone on to win 24
titles – so far. Only Desmond Douglas has more at 30.
TTT: Issue 30: Spring 2023
7