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York men’s 2nds progressed into the quarter-finals of the Northern Conference Cup today after playing quality table tennis to overcome a decent Leeds team.
Adam Schober Thomson showed excellent control in his opening match and was able to sustain lengthy rallies with his opponent.
However, he admitted himself he was “too passive” and that his opponent “was in total control of the match”. He was eventually defeated 3-1.
Nevertheless, he destroyed his next three opponents 3-0 showing exceptional composure in all three matches, producing some fantastic winners as well as some graceful spin shots in order to prevail.
Martin Brown went at his first opponent with a will; ferociously taking on every single shot to win the match 3-0.
However, in his second match he was totally outplayed by the Leeds player who had defeated Schober Thomson, going down 3-0 despite his best efforts.
It appeared as though he would be defeated in the third match too, losing the opening two games and going 6-3 down in the third.
Yet, he showed steely determination to claw his way back into the match and eventually triumph 3-2.
He also had a fight on his hands in his final singles game but had the fire-power to secure another 3-2 victory. Andy Bevan adopted a less intense approach at the table, producing a diverse variety of shots to prevail 3-1 in his opening match.
He produced an ever better performance in his second match, sending his opponent this way and that before finishing off points with superb accuracy.
Yet, in his third match, he came up against the Leeds player who had defeated Brown and Schober Thomson.
He battled hard, throwing himself around the court and producing some astonishing returns but eventually succumbed 3-1.
However, he triumphed in his fourth match, dispatching his opponent with consummate ease to taste the sweetness of another 3-0 victory. Mike Holmes looked like he was going to run out the easy winner in his first match after winning the opening two games but seemed to lose his focus and lost the next two.
Nevertheless, he rallied and managed to win the deciding game to prevail 3-2.
In his second game he really stepped his table tennis up a level demonstrating tremendous athleticism and strong defensive play to triumph 3-0.
Yet, in his third game, he encountered the Leeds player who had vanquished Bevan, Brown and Schober Thomson and was defeated 3-0 despite battling hard for every point.
In his final game, he prevailed 3-1 over his opponent, producing some fantastic winners.
Brown and Schober Thomson also played a doubles match to round off the evening and combined well to run out 3-1 victors.
Andy Bevan commented post match that the whole team had “played well” and believed York “just edged it through slightly superior quality”.
He also mentioned that there was a possibility that York 2nds could play York 1sts in the final of the Cup if they both progress through the quarter and the semi-finals.
If events play out this way, it will be the best possible testament to the quality of table tennis at this university.