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Men and Women's

Men's Singles
The top two men's seeds, Ryan Jenkins and Gavin Rumgay were both out to replicate last season's appearance in the final, although, in Rumgay's case, with a different outcome. The pair, as expected, sailed through the group stages, the Welshman dropping a total of only 39 points in his nine games with the Scot conceding just two more. Jenkins continued his mean streak, smoothly qualifying from the knock out section to the final, without the loss of a game while Rumgay, dropped three games en-route which left him recovering from a 2-1 deficit against against Ashley Robinson in round three.
Rumgay, the Liverpool GP champion four times from 2006/2009 until losing to this year's top seed a year ago, opened the knock out stage with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Daniel O'Connell (Wales) and followed up with much stiffer encounter against Robinson. The Irishman took the first and third games, before losing 11-9 in the fourth - the relieved Scot moving into the last eight thanks to an 11-6, fifth game victory. Matthew Dodds was his next victim, the Yorkshireman going down 3-1. Another four games set followed when Garth Kinlocke took the third game and stood at 12 all in the next Rumgay, though, pulling out a couple of good shots to reach his sixth successive Liverpool final, winning 14-12.
Jenkins followed a similar path to the final, quickly disposing of the Scotland pair of Willie Mabon and Chris Main, both without the loss of a game. Lancashire's stylish Victor Shi was a touch more successful in terms of points but, he too, was dispatched in straight games in the quarter's. At the same stage, England number 10 Damien Nicholls was ousted 3-0 by Ireland's Paul McCreery who then saw his fine run ended in ruthless fashion by Jenkins, with another straight games performance.

The stage was set for another sparkling final, contested by two of the most consistent and reliable GP tournament players in England, Jenkins having been crowned as the overall champion on a record five occasions. The opening game was a cat and mouse affair with neither player gaining more than a two points advantage until with Rumgay serving at 7-5 up, Jenkins took took command and polished off the next six points to forge a 1-0 lead. The next game took a similar pattern but, after taking a 2-1 lead, Rumgay failed to consolidate and the Welshman forged an 8-4 lead and although the second seed won the next three points, Jenkins opened up a 2-0 advantage winning 11-8. With the crowd hoping the contest would be extended, the holder took a 3-1 lead and it looked as though the contest would follow the path of the first couple of games. Rumgay, though, had other ideas and after taking the next five points, maintained his lead to win 11-9 and it was 'game on'.

After Jenkins opened up a 4-1 lead in fourth, arguably, the destiny of the title was decided at 6-5 to the holder when Rumgay forced the holder away from the table with a series of fierce forehand top spin drives which looked good enough to level matters. Jenkins, though, stunned the four times champion and the packed court-side, replying with a tremendous back hand return to win the point. Amazingly, the Welshman won the next two points with the same shot to establish a 9-5 lead. Rumgay snatched three of the next four points before the man from Pontypridd, made it 11-8 to retain the title he won for the first time, twelve months ago. The players received rapturous applause for again turning on a memorable final encounter, both being a credit to the game and their respective country. The men's title has now been claimed by a Celtic nation player for the last eight years and it's nine years since we last had an English winner. There was no time for Jenkins, the Wales' Coach and Team Manager, to bask in glory for after driving home his party to South Wales, the following day he and his young charges' were off at 5am to Rumania for a week long training camp, the group having days before the GP, returned from a similar camp in Hungary.

Men's singles
Round 1.
D. O'Connell bt J Taylor -4, -6, 8, 3, 10; G Campbell bt J Jonah 14, 9, -4, 6; A Robinson bt L McTiernan -2, 5, 8, 8; M Dodds bt T Hill 8, 4, 10; A Laws bt, W. Y. Chan 8, -9, -9, 10, 6;
D Cundy bt J Hurdley 9, 9, 8; C Lewis bt A Hodges 9, 2, 5; G Kinlocke bt D Marshall -10, 4, 8, 7; T Rzeszotko bt P Taylor 3, 10, -10, 10; W Pegg bt E Mpundu 9, 5, -5, 6; M Fraser bt G Foster -7, -7, 7, 7, 6; P Marshall bt N Owadally 10, -7, 11, 8; B Fowler bt Z Chambers 9, 8, 7; K Daybell bt W Gallagher 4, 2, 7: K Dolder bt D Walton 8, 5, 3: A Tsuji bt R Beattie 4, 7, 5: C Dalgeish bt
A Whelan -8, -7, 4, 7, 8: J Magnall bt R Lawanson -5, 9, 9, 6: R Placid bt I Johnston 6, 7, -4, -9, 4; C Main bt M Horrocks 8, 2, 5; W Mabon bt M Finlay 8, 7, 9; R Main bt A Phoenix 4, 5, -12, 6;
Round 2.
G Rumgay bt D O'Connell 10, 4, 3; Robinson bt Campbell 4, 3, 6; Dodds bt S Perry -7, 9, 9, 6; A Laws bt G Dodd 9, 9, 10; M Marsden bt D Cundy 6, 9, 7; Kinlocke bt Lewis 3, 11, 6; Rzeszotko bt Pegg 10, 5, -9, -10, 5; Fraser bt N Gilmour 7, 8, 6; P McCreery bt Marshall 5, 4, 3; Daybell bt Fowler 6, 7, 9; A Tsuji bt K Dolder 9, -8, 8, 7; Nicholls bt Dalgleish 3, 5, 5; P Smith bt Magnall 12, 7, 11;
V Shi bt R Main 7, 4, -6, 9; C Main bt Placid 4, 8, 5; Jenkins bt Mabon 3, 7, 3;
Round 3
Rumgay bt Robinson -8, 8, -10, 9, 6; Dodd bt Laws -9, 9, -9, 4, 8; Kinlocke bt Marsden 8, -7, 12, 7; Fraser bt Rzeszotko -7, -8, 8, 10, 5; McCreery bt Daybell 9, 7, -10, -8, 3; Nicholls bt Tsuji 6, 2, 5;
Shi bt Smith 7, 10, 10; Jenkins bt C Main 4, 6, 2;

Quarter-finals:
Rumgay bt Dodds 6, 11, -9, 8; Kinlocke bt Fraser 11, 4, 7; McCreery bt Nicholls 10, 9, 5; Jenkins Shi 4, 8, 8;
Semi-Final: Rumgay bt Kinlocke 4, 10, -5, 12; Jenkins bt McCreery 3, 6, 8;

Final: Jenkins bt Rumgay 7, 8, -9, 8;

 

 

Women's Singles:


With holder and Wales' number one Naomi Owen unable to defend her crown, the top seeded position went to her international team mate Charlotte Carey with regular visitor to the event, Ireland's Amanda Mogey, seeded to meet her in the final. Miss Carey topped her group, for the loss of just one game, Chloe Whyte (Cv) taking the opening game 14-12, the Welsh player recovering to win the next three, 7, 2, 7 - Miss Whyte qualifying for the knock out stage in second place. Devon's Liz May finished in third place in that group but, as the founder of her Breast Cancer charity, PinK PonG, her weekend wasn't wasted since she left with a healthy cheque following an exhibition on the eve of the tournament staged by Kevin Dolder and Liverpool Closed champion, Jonathan Taylor - ably assisted by Janay Gibson and Liverpool junior champion, Michael Lunn. A good night was had by all present and Liz thanks all who donated to her worthy cause.
A surprise package emerged from qualifying group 4, when Yuko Tsuji (Japan) topped the table with a 100% return which included wins over the third and fourth seeds, the other player,
Yolanda King (Sx) taking second spot. Without a known playing record, Ms Yuko wasn't expected to reach the final but she proceeded to oust the Welsh pair of Nicole Hall and Megan Phillips, which earned her a last four crack at Jessica Dawson who put paid to the hopes of favourite, Miss Carey in the last eight. Amanda Mogey accounted for Miss Whyte in the quarter's before recovering from 2-1 down in the semi's to dismiss Wales' number 3 Angharad Phillips 13-11, 12-10 in the next two games, setting up a meeting with with Ms Tsuji. Hopes' the title would remain on these shores' were dashed when the Emerald Isle player was beaten 3-0, gathering a total of just 4 points in the second and third games, the crown landing on the Island of Japan, the furthest it's travelled since 1973 when it was won by Canada's Violetta Nesukaitis.

Women's Singles KO stage
Round 1
J Dawson bt J Gibson 10, 7, -1, 7; M Phillips bt G Muda 5, 9, 0; Y Tsuji bt N Hall 6, 5, 4; K Shepherd bt S Timlin 4, 10, 5; A Phillips bt Y King 4, -8, 8, -6, 5; C Whyte bt C Thomas 8, 9, 5;

Quarter-finals
Dawson bt C Carey 4, -3, 7, 9; Tsuji bt M Phillips 11, -9, 7, 5; A Phillips bt Shepherd -10, -9, 9, -10, 2; A Mogey bt Whyte -7, 8, 3, 4;

Semi-Finals
Tsuji bt Dawson 7, 6, 6; Mogey bt A Phillips -10, 8, -6, 11, 10;

Final
Tsuji (Japan) bt Mogey (Ireland) 8, 1, 3;

 

 

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