Latest update April 7th, 2025 12:08 AM
Munroe retains singles title, Lowe wins first as Vita Malt National Championships end
Despite dropping a game to United States-based Paul David in a dramatic final round showdown, Godfrey Munroe retained his National Men’s Table Tennis Singles title last night in an emphatic and dominant finish at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.
National Men’s Singles Champion, Godfrey Munroe (left) prepares to take the pace off a backhand loop from Christopher Franklin during the title game at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall last night to bring the curtains down on the Vita Malt National Championships.
Munroe, who entered the competition as the giant, being the title holder, was sublime in his final game against Christopher Franklin in the round-robin final as he extended his unbeaten run at the national senior level in the New Millennium.
Munroe, David, Franklin and Colin France were the final four players who vied for the title in an entertaining round-robin final that produced excellent tennis. Under pressure, Munroe brought all his experience to the fore to maintain his unblemished record.
David had beaten Munroe 11-3, 12-10, 11-4, 12-10 and 11-5, but loss to Franklin 5-11, 16-14, 11-9, 8-11 and 10-12 setting up a deciding game between Franklin and Munroe since they all had 3-0 wins against France in the competition.
Munroe had to beat Franklin either 3-0 or 3-1 to secure the title and the route he chose was the emphatic one as he thrashed Franklin 13-11, 11-9 and 11-7 to guarantee that he is the only player to hold on to the Men’s Singles title since earning his first in 2000.
Playing with lots of spin and occasional power, Munroe retained the title he last won in 2008. He had beaten Sydney Christophe in 2000 before the competition had an eight-year hiatus then it returned in 2008. There were no Championships last year.
In the final placing, David finished second and Franklin third. In the women’s competition, clear favourite, 1998 runner-up, Trenace Lowe played unbeaten to win her first Women’s Singles title against Chelsea Edghill, Saskia Chung and Natalie Cummings.
Lowe defeated Edghill 3-0 with 11-9, 11-7 and 11-3 scores; she won against Cummings 11-6, 11-6 and 12-10 and Chung 11-5, 14-12 and 11-4. The 12-year-old Edghill defeated Chung 11-8, 11-8 and 11-7 before beating Cummings 11-7, 11-6, 8-11 and 11-8.
In the final placing, Edghill finished second with senior Cummings slipping to the third position as Chung ended in the cellar of the group. The competition wrapped up with the Presentation Ceremony last night at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.
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