Quality competition as annual event draws wide field

Table tennis enthusiasts from around the State gathered in Busselton for the annual South West Open Table Tennis Championship.

Forty players, ranging from juniors to veterans, enjoyed doing battle in more than 20 events.

Geographe Bay Table Tennis Club president Reg Peet said he was impressed with the sportsmanship and high quality of competition.

“We had more than half our club members compete against State players from Geraldton, Mandurah, Harvey, Fremantle and Armadale and all achieved excellent results,” he said.

In the juniors, local Riley Nelson won the under-11 division and Busselton’s Obie Herring won the under-13s, with Brandon Mailes the runner-up.

Perth junior Jessika Nichols-Neale narrowly defeated Herring for the under-18s title. In special A-grade singles, Charles Foss defeated Otti Beerli and in the special A-grade doubles, Mary and Jack Dombrose beat locals Les Dearden and Norman McBratney.

In special B-grade singles, Herring defeated Nichols-Neale in a tight game.

The two then teamed up to win the B-grade doubles from Yvonne Cleal and Nhien Tran.

In the country singles, the final was a close battle between eventual winner Chris Hibbert from Geraldton and Harvey’s Tony Gablinez.

In country doubles, Hibbert and Klee teamed up to defeat GBTTC members Les Dearden and Norman McBratney. Locals Franks Nordhoff and Les Dearden defeated Mike Dombrose and Ima Rose in the drawn doubles.

The final winner in the backyard singles was Brian Graham, with Alfie Foster runner-up.

The finals of the open events produced some exciting and high-class action, and although most of the winners came from Perth, a highlight was local player and organiser Yvonne Cleal reaching her maiden open final.

However, she lost to former State representative Mary Dombrose from Morley Club.

Craig Campbell defeated Phil Ranger in the men’s open final, while in the men’s open doubles, Campbell and Hibbert teamed up to defeat Ranger and Mike Dombrose.

Women’s open doubles was won Mary Dombrose and Tjen Jeong, who defeated Cleal and Tran.