David McBeath’s Texas Smash were unable to defend their Major League Table Tennis (MLTT) title as they lost in the final to Carolina Gold Rush.

The match was delicately poised at 3-3 after the opening two singles and McBeath then took to the court for the doubles alongside Hiromitsu Kasahara, a partnership which had served Smash well during the regular season.

But on this occasion they were defeated, going down 6-11, 9-11, 11-9 to Enzo Angles & Edward Ly.

Smash moved in front when Angela Guan beat Hong Lin in all three games, but Gold Rush’s Satoshi Aida then won all three against Kasahara to put his team 8-7 up going into the Golden Game, where every team member is involved – the sides nominating a playing order and then rotating through their squad every four points. The first team to get to 21 wins and gets six points towards the final match score.

McBeath was first out, against Ly, and as Gold Rush were 8-7 up, Ly had a one-point head start and the pair contested only three points. Taken across those points and their later four-point set, Ly prevailed 5-2 over McBeath.

The Golden Game did remain close, though, but Gold Rush won it 21-18 to complete a 14-7 victory and take the title, the trophy and the $50,000 prize money.

There was a double celebration as Aida was named the leagues Most Valuable Player (MVP) for the season.

On the previous day of the Championship weekend in Philadelphia, in the semi-final against Chicago Wind, it was victory for McBeath & Kasahara in the doubles which kick-started Smash’s 14-7 victory.

They trailed 4-2 after the first two singles matches, but McBeath & Kasahara beat Emmanuel Lebesson & Sean Zhang 2-1 (11-5, 11-7, 7-11) and Smash then won the following two singles ties to take an 8-7 lead into the Golden Game.

McBeath won his match-ups against Damien Provost 4-3 to help Smash to an 18-21 win to seal their final place.