The recent Play Table Tennis Provincial Masters Series finished on a high note, with the top eight qualifiers invited to the final night.

A total of 33 players participated over eight legs to fight for their spots in the Top 8 Final, and they did not disappoint in producing a spectacle.

Local legend Terrence Mathole won six out of eight legs, but that didn’t mean the result was guaranteed. He was up against other big names like Lunga Vakele, Abdul Hay, Muhammad Karim and Wenjun Huang.

After some tough quarterfinal fixtures it was the top four seeded players, Mathole (1), Karim (2), Hay (3) and Huang (4) that prevailed.

The semi-finals proved much tougher, with both matches heading into a final set before a winner was decided. But again, the top two seeds made it by the skin of their teeth, to set up an epic best-of-seven-sets clash.

Everyone expected Mathole to draw first blood, which he did by taking the first set 11-6. But nobody expected the marathon encounter that was the second set. Karim fought tooth and nail, and the advantage swung back and forth, until Karim eventually sealed it 19-17.

The rest of the match continued along the same vein, with very little separating the two players. Mathole took the third 12-10, then Karim took the fourth 11-8. Mathole struck the next blow with another 11-8 in the fifth, but Karim equalized again in the sixth with another 11-8 score line.

So it was all down to the final set. The spectators were on their feet by now, and the support was split 50/50 between the new kid on the block and the veteran.

In the end the final also failed to cause an upset, with Mathole winning it 11-8 amid loud cheers and applause.

Over R5 000 in prize money was awarded throughout the series, with Mathole predictably getting the lion’s share at R2 400 in total prize money.

In the third place playoff, Abdul Hay tired pretty quickly after his marathon semi-final, and Wenjun Huang made quick work of beating him 3-0.

In the end, table tennis was the real winner. The Provincial Masters Series gave new upcoming players the opportunity to measure themselves against some seasoned veterans, and there were more than just a few surprises along the way.

Play Table Tennis in cooperation with Sports Challenges plan to host another series like this at the end of 2018 when the Gauteng North Table Tennis Board’s leagues draw to a close.

For more information please visit www.playtabletennis.co.za or contact Chris van der Walt on chris@challengers.co.za.

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