Ella Pashley and Larry Trumpauskas took the Under-21 singles titles on day one of the Mark Bates Ltd Junior & Under-21 National Championships.

Pashley sunk Mari Baldwin in the final, with bronze medals going to Sophie Earley and Saskia Key, while Trumpauskas defeated Isaac Kingham, with Jakub Piwowar and Joseph Hunter taking bronze.

On a busy day in Kettering, Max Radiven & Rohan Dani won the Men’s Doubles, with Sophie Earley & Eva Eccles taking the Women’s title. The Mixed went to Kingham & Mabel Shute.

Photos by Michael Loveder, Table Tennis England Official Photographer. Click here to view more on PhotoShelter.

Women’s Singles

Fourth seed Ella defeated second seed Mari Baldwin in the final to take her first Under-21 title.

The absence of top seed Tianer Yu made Baldwin the de facto top seed and she had impressed all day, but ran into an inspired Pashley in the final, the Cleveland athlete winning it 3-0 (11-6, 13-11, 11-4).

Pashley breezed past Saskia Key 3-0 (2, 6, 4) in the semi-finals, leaving Key to claim a bronze alongside Sophie Earley, who was defeated 3-1 (10-12, 11-4, 11-6, 12-10) by Baldwin.

Key had knocked out reigning Junior champion and fifth seed Anna Green in the quarter-finals, blitzing through the first two games and then staving off a comeback to win it in the fifth, the score 3-2 (11-2, 11-4, 4-11, 8-11, 11-9).

Rachael Iles took a game off Earley before the third seed won through 3-1 (11-6, 12-14, 11-5, 11-6), while it was three games for Baldwin against Eva Eccles (3, 9, 9) and for Pashley against Catherine Lv (4, 5, 11).

In the first round, there was a cracker between Iles and Mabel Shute – not the first long match Iles had played on the day. She managed to come from behind to go through 3-2 (11-3, 10-12, 11-13, 11-8, 12-10).

Lv beat Luna Archard in four and it was three straight for Green against Jonabel Taguibao and Eccles against Evie Knaapen.

Group stage

Group 6 was reduced to three players by the withdrawal of Sienna Jetha, but it still took a long time to decide as all three matches were won 13-11 in the fifth.

It included Catherine Lv, the third-ranked player, beating top-ranked Rachael Iles from 2-1 down – she won the fourth 22-20 and the fifth 13-11, saving a clutch of match points on the way.

Lv then beat Caline Dawson from 2-1 down to ensure she topped the group, and Iles needed to chisel out a 13-11 in-the-fifth win over Dawson to also make it through.

Top seed Tianer Yu’s withdrawal meant only three players were in Group 1, and it went according to seeding – but only just.

Having both defeated Daisy Watson, Saskia Key and Eva Eccles met to decide the group winner. Eccles, ranked just one place lower than Key, opened up a 2-0 lead, but Key came back to win 3-2 (9-11, 10-12, 11-8, 11-9, 11-7) to move into the top seed’s slot in the knockouts.

Fifth seed and last season’s Junior champion, Anna Green, was defeated by second-ranked Mabel Shute in Group 5 – it was 3-1 (12-10, 11-4, 7-11, 11-9) to the victor. Green made it through in second place.

Sophie Baldwin had no issues getting through Group 3 without dropping a game, but she was joined in the knockouts by third-ranked Jonabel Taguibao, who edged out Alyssa Nguyen 3-2 (12-10, 8-11, 11-4, 5-11, 14-12), with both having match points.

It was a similar story in Group 4, which was won by Ella Pashley, with third-ranked Evie Knaapen overcoming second-ranked Rebecca Savage 3-2 (12-10, 8-11, 9-11, 11-7, 11-9) to also reach the knockouts.

Mari Baldwin and Luna Archard made it through as per seeding in Group 2. Baldwin dominated the group, not dropping a game, and defeating Archard 3-0 (11-7, 11-1, 11-7).

Men’s Singles

Larry Trumpauskas added Under-21 glory to the Cadet and Junior titles he already has in his career as he defeated Isaac Kingham in the final.

The Fusion athlete was third seed, but became de facto top seed with the withdrawals of Ben Piggott and Louis Price, and he beat seventh seed Kingham 3-2 (11-4, 7-11, 11-7, 4-11, 11-8), falling to his back in delight after taking match point.

Trumpauskas recovered a 2-1 deficit against (original) fifth seed Joseph Hunter in the semi-finals, registering a 3-2 (11-6, 5-11, 3-11, 11-4, 11-7) success.

The other bronze medallist was sixth seed Jakub Piwowar, who was defeated 3-0 (11-9, 13-11, 11-7) by Kingham.

Trumpauskas had also come from 2-1 down to newly crowned doubles champion Rohan Dani in the quarter-finals, taking the win by a 3-2 (5-11, 11-7, 5-11, 11-9, 11-8) scoreline.

The other three quarters were done in three – Kingham beating Josh Bruce 6, 6, 5; Piwowar defeating Olly Cornish 6, 10, 5; and Hunter knocking out his doubles partner James Hamblett 7, 9, 11.

The two standout ties of the first round involved two players well used to winning national – and international – titles, Abraham Sellado and Kacper Piwowar. However, both were defeated in five having led 2-0.

Sellado had match points in both the third and fourth game against Dani but his opponent saved those and took the fifth to complete a 3-2 (4-11, 8-11, 14-12, 12-10, 11-7).

Sellado, who had been battling an injury in the hip-back area all day, decided to withdraw from the rest of the competition and so will not add to his Cadet and Under-17 national titles this year.

Piwowar won the first two against Bruce in a match that was tight throughout and punctuated with superb rallies. Bruce clawed it back though, and seized the match 3-2 (11-13, 10-12, 11-9, 13-11, 11-8).

Elsewhere in the first round, Kingham turned the tide against Max Radiven in a lengthy second game and went on to win 3-1 (5-11, 15-13, 11-7, 11-5), Cornish won in four against group-stage hero Zac Greenhough and it was also four for Trumpauakas against Gabriel Schogger.

Doubles partners Hunter and Hamblett set up their quarter-final clash by beating Danie; Jones and Ryan Choong respectively and Jakub Piwowar beat Joseph Marlor in three.

Group stage

Zac Greenhough released the feline into the flock in Group 4 as he beat the two players ranked above him and won the group.

The Cleveland youngster first beat top-ranked Felix Thomis 3-2 (11-6, 8-11, 8-11, 11-9, 14-12, saving a match point in the fifth.

Having then lost to Wajid Wafiq, Greenhough then beat Under-17 national champion Abraham Sellado 3-1 (11-7, 14-12, 9-11, 12-10) to end on two wins. Sellado beat both Thomis and Wafiq, leaving the top two with two wins each and Greenhough on top on head-to-head record.

The top two were reversed in Group 8, though in truth there is not much to choose between Max Radiven and Rohan Dani in the rankings – and they are also doubles partners. Dani won their meeting 3-0 (11-2, 11-9, 11-9).

Radiven earlier had trouble with Jesse Bath in his first match, recovering to win 3-2 (10-12, 11-2, 6-11, 13-11, 11-8) having saved two match points in the fourth.

Larry Trumpauskas, as expected, won Group 3, but Joseph Marlor upset Adam Dennison to finish as runner-up. It was 3-1 (11-4, 15-13, 6-11, 12-10) in their meeting.

Marlor was taken to five by Pablo Ramirez Rioja, winning 3-2 (11-8, 9-11, 9-11, 11-8, 11-9) – the youngest player in the group also took Dennison, leading 2-0 before losing 3-2 (6-11, 11-13, 12-10, 11-4, 11-8).

In Group 7, Isaac Kingham went safely through, but Daniel Jones upset Joseph Dennison in a match which ended 3-2 (11-4, 9-11, 11-5, 8-11, 12-10) to Jones.

Group 1, minus the top seed Ben Piggott, went with seeding as Kacper Piwowar got through with Gabriel Schogger – when they met, Piwowar won it 3-2 (8-11, 11-6, 12-10, 11-13, 11-2).

It was a similar tale in Group 2, with Louis Price having withdrawn. James Hamblett stepped up to win the group, with Josh Bruce second.

Groups 5 and 6 went with seeding. The former saw Joseph Hunter and Olly Cornish advance, though Cornish was taken to a fifth before overcoming Adam Alibhai 3-2 (11-7, 9-11, 11-4, 8-11, 11-8).

In Group 6, it was Jakub Piwowar at the top, though he had to come from 2-0 down to beat Ryan Choong 3-2 (10-12, 6-11, 11-4, 11-9, 11-9). Choong made it through with Piwowar.

Men’s Doubles

They had never played together before this weekend, but Max Radiven & Rohan Dani quickly worked out the winning formula as they defeated Joseph Hunter & James Hamblett in the final.

The winners edged the two games which went to deuce, including the decider, in which they saved a match point, before beating the former Under-17 Boys’ Doubles winners 3-2 (11-5, 8-11, 14-12, 6-11, 13-11).

Radiven & Dani had to hold off Kacper Piwowar & Isaac Kingham in the semi-finals as the losing duo battled back from 2-0 down to force a decider. Radiven & Dani edged it 3-2 (16-14, 11-8, 9-11, 4-11, 11-9) in the end.

The other bronze medallists were Larry Trumpauskas & Jakub Piwowar, who were defeated 3-0 (11-7, 11-7, 13-11) by Hunter & Hamblett in the semi-final in the bottom half of the draw.

In the quarters, Radiven & Dani had to fight hard to get past Joseph Dennison & Gabriel Schogger, eventually beating the Grantham College pair 3-2 (12-14, 15-13, 11-9, 9-11, 11-9).

It was four games for Hunter & Hamblett against Adam Dennison & Olly Cornish, the winners pulling away after shading a pivotal third game to win 3-1 (8-11, 11-8, 12-10, 11-3).

Trumpauskas & Piwowar beat Zac Greenhough & Ryan Choong in three.

Greenhough & Choong had a momentous win in the first round as they fought back from 2-0 down to beat Rayan Ansari & Brandon Sangchin 3-2 (9-11, 9-11, 11-7, 11-5, 16-14), saving four match points in the process.

Women’s Doubles

Sophie Earley & Eva Eccles notched their first National titles as they defeated Anna Green & Mari Baldwin in the final.

Earley & Eccles had reached the final at the Mark Bates Ltd National Championships in Nottingham in March, having to settle for the silver medal on that occasion as they lost to Baldwin & Tianer Yu. But they went one better this time with a 3-0 (12-10, 11-6, 11-5) victory.

Bronze medals went to Anna Piercey & Rachael Iles, who were defeated in three close games by Green & Baldwin (9, 11, 9), and to Greenhouse duo Jonabel Taguibao & Luna Archard, who went down 3-1 (11-6, 11-8, 8-11, 11-6) to Earley & Eccles.

In the quarter-finals, Taguibao & Archard had to recover a 2-1 deficit to beat Brooke Morris & Rebecca Savage 3-2 (14-12, 7-11, 4-11, 11-5, 11-8).

Earley & Eccles faced spirited opposition from Cadet national champions Evie Knaapen & Catherine Lv but came through 3-1 (6-11, 11-5, 11-6, 14-12), while it was three straight for Piercey & Iles against Saskia Key & Alyssa Nguyen.

Mixed Doubles

Isaac Kingham & Mabel Shute have both been doubles national champions in their respective genders at Under-17 level, and they added to their accolades to win the inaugural Under-21 Mixed title.

With top seeds Abraham Sellado & Ella Pashley withdrawing due to Sellado’s injury, the tournament was open.

And it was Kingham & Shute who stepped up, defeating Larry Trumpauskas & Anna Green 3-1 (12-10, 11-9, 9-11, 11-5) to take the gold medals and the brand new winners’ salver.

Kingham & Shute defeated Felix Thomis & Rebecca Savage 3-0 (11-7, 11-7, 11-5) in the semi-finals, while Trumpauskas & Green fought back from 2-1 down to defeat Rohan Dani & Sophie Earley 3-2 (6-11, 11-8, 7-11, 11-9, 11-6).

In the quarters, Kingham & Shute had to stave off a comeback by Devonian duo Olly Cornish & Mari Baldwin, winning 3-2 (11-9, 13-11, 9-11, 6-11, 11-9).

At the same stage, Trumpauskas & Green recovered from losing the first game to Harry Randall & Luna Archard to win in four, and it was three straight for Thomis & Savage against young duo Dimitar Dimitrov & Hannah Saunders, and for Dani & Earley over Kacper Piwowar & Brooke Morris.

Piwowar & Morris went to a fifth game in the first round before getting past Max Radiven & Rachael Iles 3-2 (7-11, 11-9, 11-9, 7-11, 11-4).