Fighting fourth for Yolanda

The 17-year-old from Hastings won 10 of her girls’ singles matches in a round-robin competition involving the country’s top 14 players at Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire.

Her best result on paper was in overcoming current England champion and no.1 Vicky Smith (Devon) in straight games and King avenged her national championships defeat by Abbie Milwain (Derbyshire), also in straight games.

King, currently training at the Grantham Table Tennis Academy, comfortably beat lower ranked players in general, although she was taken to a deciding game by Maria Tsaptsinos (Berkshire) and Emma Torkington (Kent).

However, her most disappointing loss was to Chloe Whyte (Cleveland), England ranked just below her at no.6. The north eastern player recovered from 6-8 down to take the decider 12-10, King miss-serving on the final point.

Whyte went on to win the event, but had King won this match, she would have come equal top with Tin Tin Ho, but second through dint of losing in straight games to the Middlesex player.

While King was well beaten by an on-form Ho, who she has frequently defeated, she was up in all three games before fading at the end against Emily Bates (Lincolnshire) to go down 8-11, 8-11, 9-11.

King and Bates finished the event in equal third position, but because Bates had beaten her, King came fourth.