Fantastic table tennis on show at Rhondda Junior Open
The Rhondda Junior Open ran on Sunday 12 January 2025, and it was another great success for Rhondda Table Tennis Club. The entries were high and the quality on show throughout the day was exceptional.
The four categories during the day were the U11s, U13s, U15s and U19s with two events being played in the morning and two events in the afternoon.
The two events that kick started the day were the U11s and the U15s.
Cardiff’s Freddie Dacey was the winner of the U11 event with Toby Francis Li as the runner up. These two players faced each other in the group stage with Toby Francis Li winning their first match up 3-2, before Freddie Dacey came out on top later in the morning in three straight sets.
In the plate event, it was an all Rhondda affair with Sophie Williams and Evan Jones the two finalists. It was an extremely close match, with Evan Jones coming out victorious thanks to a 12-10 in the fifth scoreline.
The U15s event was won by Dylan Williams, a surprise finalist but someone who had played some incredible table tennis throughout the day. He beat Nye Evans in the final 3-0, with Nye beating number one seed Amelie David in the quarter final 3-0.
Once again, the two finalists had matched each other in the group stages and then again in the final, but on this occasion, it was Dylan who won on both occasions.
The winner of the plate event was Ollie Giles who had beaten Joshua Williams in the final 3-1. Joshua Williams had taken the first set and started the final off incredibly well, but Ollie fought back hard and took the next three sets to take the final.
The afternoon events started at 1pm with the U13s and U19s taking centre stage.
The U13s event was won by number two seed Oliver Harvey who beat top seed Dylan Williams 3-0. They had both beaten fellow Rhondda teammates Toby Young and Jessie Daniel in the semifinals.
It was a great display of table tennis in the final with Oliver fighting back after losing to Dylan in the morning’s event.
In the plate event, Gracie David triumphed with a 3-2 win over Alfie Giles. Both players went back and forth throughout the game, but Gracie David just got the better of Alfie Giles as she took the last set 11-9.
The last event of the day saw the U19s battle it out. Oliver Jordan was the number one seed, and he showed his class throughout the day as he took the title in fine form. He was up against number two seed Amelie David in the final, taking the match 3-1.
In the U19s plate event Jacob Davies was the eventual winner, beating Ollie Giles 3-1 in a tightly contested match. Both players came from the South West region, and it was a great battle for the plate title.
Table Tennis Wales would like to say a massive well done to all competitors involved with this tournament and we hope to see you at the next Rhondda Junior Open!