King reigns supreme in Newcastle

The 16-year-old won the band one women’s singles at the Tees Sport Newcastle Grand Prix despite still feeling weak from a fluey bug which caused her to withdraw from the previous weekend’s Sussex Junior Open.

King, a member of the Cranbrook-based Weald TTC, scraped through early on against Abbie Milwain (Derbyshire) 14-12 in the fifth game and had a more comfortable win over Jess Dawson (Cleveland) in the quarter-finals.

Currently a member of the Grantham Table Tennis Academy, King was then taken the full distance in the semis by Welsh international Chloe Thomas, having to save a match point before triumphing 12-10 in the final game at Eldon Leisure Centre.

In the final she faced her old rival Emily Bates (Lincolnshire). Although King took a two-game lead and was up 10-9 in the third, Bates saved the match point and levelled at two games each. The final game was close, but King was able to seal it 11-8 to clinch the title.

The full article will appear in tomorrow’s Hastings Observer.