Scarlett Anders, a rising star in the table tennis scene, made a remarkable achievement by claiming two titles on the second day of the Mark Bates Ltd Cadet, U17 & Junior National Championships. The young talent first partnered with Tianer Yu to secure the Junior Girls’ Doubles crown, and then went on to clinch the Mixed Doubles title alongside James Hamblett, defeating Yu and Joseph Hunter in a closely contested final.
Hamblett and Anders showcased their exceptional chemistry on the table, overcoming a formidable opponent in Hunter, who had won the U17 Boys’ Doubles with Hamblett the previous year.
The match was a true nail-biter, with Hamblett and Anders going up 2-0 before Hunter and Yu mounted a strong comeback. In the tense finale, Hamblett and Anders missed two match points but ultimately prevailed 3-2 (11-6, 12-10, 3-11, 5-11, 12-10), denying Yu’s hopes of a clean sweep.
Earlier in the day, Hamblett and Anders had also ended the dreams of Connor Green and his twin sister Anna, who were aiming to replicate their sibling’s success from last year. The second-seeded duo were defeated 3-0 (11-7, 11-9, 11-8) by Hamblett and Anders in the semi-finals.
In the Junior Boys’ Doubles, Felix Thomis and Toby Ellis bid farewell to their junior careers in style, claiming their maiden National titles. They faced a thrilling final against Jakub Piwowar and Larry Trumpauskas, overcoming a match point in the fourth set to triumph 3-2 (13-11, 7-11, 11-8, 10-12, 11-6).
The tournament witnessed numerous captivating matches, with the semi-final between Thomis/Ellis and top seeds Connor Green/Ben Piggott being a particular highlight. The left-hand, right-hand combination of Thomis and Ellis staged a remarkable comeback, recovering from a 2-0 deficit to secure a memorable 3-2 victory.
As the curtain falls on another edition of the Mark Bates Ltd Cadet, U17 & Junior National Championships, the table tennis community celebrates the emergence of new champions and the continued growth of the sport across the country.
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