Yi Ching Yu’s 12-10 win in the decider against Mindy Gao proved crucial as North West earned the title of inaugural Under-13 Girls’ Pathway Development Cup champions.

North West also won the corresponding boys’ competition, while there was also a double at Under-11 level as South East won both boys’ and girls’ events.

The U11 & U13 Pathway Development Cup is a new addition to the competition calendar for the 2025/26 season at Highfields TTC in Wellingborough.

All matches are best of three games due to the large number of matches played over a single day and all five matches in each fixture are played, with the victor earning one point towards the final league table.

The format made for a thrilling climax in the Under-13 Girls on Sunday, when it came down to the wire between North East and North West.

Both arrived at their meeting in the fourth round on the back of three victories – North East with 4-1 wins over South West and London and a 5-0 margin against East Midlands, while North West beat East Midlands and South West 5-0 and South East 4-1.

North East took first blood against North West a Gao beat Nyasha Roberts 2-1 (11-1, 5-11, 11-6), but North West hit back to lead as Yu beat Sophie Dodds 2-1 (11-9, 6-11, 17-15) and the doubles was won 7-11, 11-7, 11-5.

Dodds and Roberts played out a tight match which Dodds won 10-12, 12-10, 12-10 to level up the overall score, but Yu’s 2-1 (11-9, 9-11, 12-10) win over Gao sealed it for North West.

There was still time for a twist as North West found themselves 3-0 down to London in the final round, but Yu and Roberts won the final two singles, against Real Kola and Iliona Kola respectively.

Meanwhile, North East led 3-1 against South East, but Rabani Ahluwalia beat Mila Gao 2-1 (4-11, 11-8, 11-8) which, coupled with North West taking their final two matches, tipped the balance in the Halton-based team’s favour and they won with 19 points to North East’s 18.

South East finished third on 13pts, one ahead of London, while East Midlands were in fifth with 9pts, even though they won one more match than the two above them. South West ended with 4pts. Yi Ching (Janet) Yu topped the averages with nine wins out of 10.

In the Under-13 Boys, North West were a class above as they won at a canter, their final total of 19pts a full seven ahead of East Midlands.

They only dropped one individual match all day, when Daniel Delgado of South East defeated Oliver Glowacki 2-0 (11-6, 12-10) in the third fixture.

South East were third on 9pts, one above North East, with South West finishing on 4pts. Ronan Lamont Tierney of North West won all six of his singles matches to lead the averages, with team-mate Lok Hei (Hayfield) Lam also unbeaten with four victories.

South East were almost as dominant in the Under-13 Boys as they won all five fixtures for the loss of only three individual matches, finishing on 22pts, three clear of East Midlands A, with North West A one point further back.

The champions’ closest match was against North West A, as they came from 1-0 and 2-1 down to win 3-2.

Lam defeated Ayansh Pahwa 2-0 (13-11, 11-6) to put North West ahead, but Noah Clarke overcame Danel Hoang Ortuoste 2-1 (7-11, 11-9, 13-11) to level. The doubles went 2-0 (11-6, 13-11) to North West, but Pahwa’s 2-1 (11-9, 5-11, 11-9) victory over Hoang Ortuoste levelled it up again and Clarke then defeated Lam 11-9, 11-9 to seal the win for South East.

East Midlands B were fourth with 9pts, North West B ended with 4pts and North East with 3pts. Three players won 9/10 at the top of the averages – South East pair Pahwa and Clarke, and Lam of North West A.

In the Under-11 Girls, only four teams competed and the individual matches were therefore played as best of five.

South East won all three of theirs, for the loss of only three individual matches, to finish with 12pts, with London on 10, North West on 5pts and East Midlands on 3pts.

Every result was 4-1, apart from London’s 5-0 margin against North West, and the player who finished top of the averages was Swara Mahabhashyam of South East, who was unbeaten in her four matches.