Paul DRINKHALL won his seventh Men’s Singles title to dethrone double defending champion Tom JARVIS while Tin-Tin HO took a brilliant sixth Women’s Singles crown as Finals Day at the Mark Bates Ltd National Championships came to a spellbinding end.
The victories both elevate the champions into second place on the all-time lists – DRINKHALL now four behind Des DOUGLAS and HO now level with Mary WRIGHT and only one off the women’s record held by Jill PARKER.
And for Ho there was the immense satisfaction of winning the glorious treble of singles doubles and mixed gold medals.
In the men’s final JARVIS started well going 9-3 up in the first game. But he let DRINKHALL come back into it whittling away the lead and then saving three game points as part of a five-point run to take the first 12-10 – it already felt like a key moment.
The 34-year-old top seed started the second game better taking it 11-8 to move 2-0 ahead. JARVIS found his range in the third game with some lightning fast shots seeing him win it 11-7. The fourth game almost saw a repeat of the first with Jarvis going 10-6 up DRINKHALL coming back to 10-10 and then holding a game point at 11-10 – but Jarvis this time held his nerve to clinch it 14-12 and level the match.
The top seed put that behind him winning the fifth game 11-7 to go 3-2 up. JARVIS took the lead early in the sixth game going 5-2 up but DRINKHALL’S grit and determination saw him over the finish line winning the game 11-8 and taking that magnificent seventh title.
Back in the semi-finals this morning DRINKHALL made his first final for a few years with a 4-2 win over Sam WALKER. JARVIS booked his place in the final with an entertaining match with Chris DORAN.
Tin-Tin HO won her sixth Women’s Singles title with a clinical performance against Jasmin WONG. The 25-year-old is just one title away from levelling Jill PARKER on seven and demolished WONG in straight games.
Her speed and power were too much for WONG who can be proud to have played in her first final. Ho won the first two games 11-4 11-8 and went 9-0 up in the third game with WONG having no answer to HO’S precision as well as serving two faults in a row. The third game was secured 11-1.
The top seed’s relentless pressure told in the fourth winning it 11-8 to complete a clean sweep of the Women’s Singles Women’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles.
In the first game of the day WONG shocked second seed and former women’s singles finalist Emily BOLTON to make the final in seven games. Ho made the final after being pushed to the limit by women’s U21 champion Tianer YU.
Complete report here.
