Feb 2013 - Doncaster Grand Prix

Alice Loveridge, Garry Dodd and Andre De Carteret were competing in the Doncaster Grand Prix this weekend. Loveridge experienced the greatest success as she won the Women's Singles event. Please see a summary below of the weekend's results for the Guernsey players; 

Alice Loveridge (pictured) won her first Grand Prix of the season after comprehensively beating English Number 5 Woman Emma Vickers in a one-sided straight game final. Tournament 2nd seed Loveridge had impressed throughout the tournament and comfortably progressed through her group courtesy of 3-0 victories over Natalie Slater, Gillian Edwards, Pavlina Polakova and Lucy Budworth. Another straight game win followed in the Quarter Finals over Maria Lebedeva. The Semi Final clash with England Number 8 Chloe Whyte proved to be the Sarnian’s biggest test, but from 1-1 she powered through in 4 games to reach the final. Victory in the final was never in doubt as the Guernsey girl cruised to an 11-6, 11-5, 11-9 triumph.

CI Number 1 Garry Dodd was also in action in the Men’s Open Singles and he was the tournament’s 9th highest entrant. Dodd navigated his group stage but came up against England International and England Number 6 Chris Doran. Despite the quality of opposition, Dodd gave an excellent account of himself and went down in a hard fought encounter by the scores of 13-11, 11-7, 19-21, 11-6. Dodd had held a game point at 11-10 in the first and had he taken this the outcome could have been different.

The final Sarnian competing was Andre De Carteret, in his maiden ETTA Grand Prix outing. He was competing in the Band 5 and 6 events on top of the open. His best success came in Band 6 where he managed to reach the Quarter Finals.

Extract from the English Table Tennis Association Website about Loveridge’s win;

Alice Loveridge successfully won her first Grand Prix title of the season with a consummate performances in which she dropped just one game throughout the entire tournament.

Coming through her group with four 3-0 wins was the beginning as she secured the second seed spot in the knockout stages with few problems. It wasn’t quite the same for top seed Karina Le Fevre who only progressed on countback in her group.

Le Fevre came out as winner despite losing her last match as her 5-4 games record was enough to beat Inta Zdanovska (4-4) and Tressa Armitage (4-5) to the lead. Zdvanovska’s 3-1 (10-12, 11-9, 11-9, 11-9) win over Armitage taking her through and leaving the English girl out of the singles.

The top seeds also progressed in groups three and four although not before Emma Vickers had to battle her way past Sue Collier 3-2 (12-10, 9-11, 9-11, 11-6, 11-9).

From the quarter-final stage Loveridge took control. Beating Maria Lebedeva 3-0 and then Chloe Whyte 3-1 to reach the final. There she met Vickers who had seen off Natalie Slater (3-0) and Karina Le Fevre (3-0).

The final was full of evenly contested close to the table rallies but, most importantly, most of which were won by the girl from Guernsey. Leaving Vickers without a Grand Prix title yet this season, she won the Tees Sport Doncaster Grand Prix final 3-0 (11-6, 11-5, 11-9).