King serves up regal display

The 17-year-old from Hastings won five of her six singles contests in the Elite South Division of the Swedish Women’s National League.

There is a much stronger big club structure in Sweden than England and King was representing Malmo IF, who drew both their matches 5-5 against Falkenberg BTK and BTK Frej at the Falkenberg Club.

In the Falkenberg match, King, the England number nine woman and currently training at the Grantham Table Tennis Academy, started strongly by overcoming Karn Lomander 11-6, 11-5, 11-7.

She was taken the full distance in her other two singles before coming through 11-7, 6-11, 3-11, 11-8, 11-9 over Anna Mansson and 6-11, 6-11, 12-10, 11-6, 11-9 against Jennie Gustafsson.

King, a member of the Cranbrook-based Weald Table Tennis Club, and Sandra Andersson dropped the doubles 6-11, 11-4, 8-11, 11-13 to Gustafsson and Mansson.

She also began well against the Frej Club, getting the better of Tilda Johansson 9-11, 11-9, 8-11, 11-7, 11-7 and Linn Sandstrom 11-8, 11-9, 11-9, but in her last singles, King was defeated 8-11, 5-11, 11-13 by Sofie Herbertsson.

King and Sandra Andersson had a comfortable 11-4, 13-11, 11-7 doubles win over Johansson and Alice Tolstoy. King said: “The Malmo coach was surprised but pleased I did so well, but following weekends will be tougher.”