Table tennis ace Tin-Tin Ho won two doubles titles at the Junior National Championships but missed out on the singles crown for the second year in a row.
The 16-year-old from Paddington took the mixed doubles crown for the third successive year alongside partner Helshan Weerasinghe and also joined Maria Tsaptsinos to defend their girls’ doubles title.
But Tsaptsinos again had the beating of Ho in the singles final in a thrilling match which went to five sets last week
It was the defending champion who was quickest out of the blocks as she took the first 11-6, only for Ho to hit back 11-7.
The pattern of one player dominating alternate games intensified as the champion hit the front again with an 11-5 scoreline, followed by Ho again levelling, this time 11-3.
But there was no suggestion of the momentum building in favour of Ho as the start of the fifth was cagey, with the players locked at 4-4.
Tsaptsinos swapped ends 5-4 to the good at the start of a run of four points which proved crucial.
It gave Tsatpsinos the buffer to eke out the three points she needed to retain the title, taking the last 11-7.
Top seeds Ho and Tsaptsinos romped to the doubles title without conceding a set – beating second seeds Lois Peake and Letitia McMullan 11-5, 11-4, 11-5 in the final.
And in the mixed, Ho and Weerasinghe were imperious in beating Tsaptsinos and Danny Lawrence 11-7, 11-5, 11-1.
City of London School for Girls pupil Ho said: “It’s been good. It was good to win the mixed doubles again and in the girls’ doubles we didn’t drop a set.
“Obviously I’m a bit disappointed with the singles final, but we both played well. It was a good match and it was very close. We know each other really well, so it can go either way.
“We’re close friends off the table. When we play each other that goes away, but afterwards we’re friends again.”
