NIGEL Bryan and Curtis McRae stormed to a 3-0 win in their opening clash of the Seniors Partners with Juniors Table Tennis Team tournament last evening at the Malteenoes Sports Club.

The two-day event, which is organised by senior national players Shemar Britton and Joel Alleyne, attracted 18 players (nine juniors and nine seniors who have paired up to form nine teams). Group One has four teams and Group Two five. Last evening the round robin battles took place with the semi-finals and finals scheduled for this evening at the same venue.

In their opener, former national champion Bryan and McRae were able to better the pair of Elishaba Johnson and Christopher Barrow 13-11, 11-1 and 11-8.  

The 3-0 win was followed up by a tense senior clash with Bryan and Johnson. Johnson had played excellent table tennis to surge to a 2-0 lead (11-9, 11-7), but Bryan fought back hard to win three consecutive games (11-7, 11-5, 11-7) to keep his side flawless.

The clash ended when McRae overcame Barrow in an exciting clash 13-11, 5-11 8-11, 11-6 and 11-8.

Britton and Yeudistir Persaud claimed a 3-1 victory when they challenged Orin Hickerson and Niron Bissu.  In an exciting doubles clash, the eventual winners prevailed 3-2 (11-7, 11-3, 5-11, 6-11 and 119), while Britton thrashed Bissu 3-0 (11-6, 11-8, 11-3). Persaud was competitive against Hickerson, and won two games, but the senior emerged victorious 3-2 (8-11, 11-6, 11-13, 11-6, 11-6).

In the battle of the seniors, former Caribbean U-21 champion Britton made no mistakes as he won 11-8, 11-6, 11-4, for a 3-1 overall victory.

The lone female in the competition, U-18 champion Thuraia Thomas and seasoned senior player Christopher Franklyn also got past the team of Warren Hackshaw and Isaiah Layne.

Franklyn and Thomas won the doubles 3-1 (7-11, 11-7, 11-7, 11-8), while Franklyn defeated Hackshaw 11-8, 11-4, 11-6 before U-18 National Schools’ male champion Layne got the better of his female counterpart Thomas 11-8, 11-8 and 11-9.

National captain Franklyn then eased past Layne 11-7, 11-9 and 11-6.

According to Alleyne, the idea of the competition was to bring greater camaraderie between the seniors and the juniors.  He added that the event was geared to help the players learn from each other.

The GTTA, which has sanctioned the competition, sponsored the trophies, while the entrance fee of $2 000 per team will go towards a social gathering today at the same venue.