 |  Table tennis - 19.03.2008
Defending champs at it again
THE defending champs have done it again. Last Sunday inside the Roche Caïman Omni-Sports Gym, Anniessa Benstrong and Godfrey Sultan captured the ladies’ and men’s division one titles to bring to two their number of wins this year in the Monthly Challenge.
Their first win came in the Curtain-raiser tournament which also counted as the first challenge of the year.
Last Sunday, Benstrong, women’s singles bronze medallist at the Seventh Indian Ocean Islands Games (IOIG) held in Madagascar in August last year, defeated former number one Janice Mellie for an umpteenth time in her young career.
Women’s singles gold medallist, women’s team gold medallist, women’s doubles silver medallist and mixed doubles silver medallist at the first edition of the Zone 7 tournament in Mauritius in December 2007, Benstrong dropped two sets in the best-of-seven final but still won 4-2 (11-7, 9-11, 11-5, 12-10, 7-11, 11-4) against Mellie.
“I’ve known a very good start to the 2008 season and I hope I continue in the same vein and win all the titles like I did in 2006 and 2007,” the young player told Sports Nation after last Sunday’s triumph.
Like Benstrong, Sultan displayed his superiority in the sport of table tennis here. With former player Jude Marie, who is said to be attempting a comeback, among the crowd, possibly to do some scouting before deciding to start competing again, Sultan was pushed to the limits and he beat all the odds.
After being stretched to the limits by Achille Dodin before wining the semifinal encounter 4-3, Sultan had Vincent Isaac for opponent in the best-of-seven final which proved to be another tough and interesting match. He won 4-3 (12-10, 11-13, 11-8, 11-13, 6-11, 11-7, 11-4).
“Vincent gave me a good run for my money today (Sunday). I also had to work hard in the semifinal against Achille. That’s very good. I’ve not played tough matches like those ones for a while. It’s good for me,” Sultan, a seven-time male table tennis player of the year award recipient, told Sports Nation.
The girls’ division three was won by Laura Sinon who defeated Rubby Arrisol 3-0 (11-9, 11-6, 11-9), while Jean-Yves Pothin won 3-0 (12-10, 11-9, 11-1) against Greg Valmont in the boys’ division three final.
Hughes Fostel needed five sets to get the win on a 3-2 (9-11, 11-4, 9-11, 11-2, 11-8) score against Mohamed Barreau in the boys’ division two final and Christy Bristol won by the same set score of 3-2 – 11-9, 7-11, 6-11, 11-6, 11-4 – against Hazel Robert in the girls’ division two.
G. G. |
