Plenty to Cheer

Rising table tennis star Kate Cheer raised her game to a new level in lifting the national cadet title at the Tom Finney sports centre in Preston on Sunday.
kate cheerkate cheer
kate cheer

Despite being seeded No 3, she beat No 1 seed Denise Payet in a ding-dong semi final and then brushed past her doubles partner and fellow Sussex player Kate Nixon (rated No 2) 3-0 in the final.

The semi came down to a last set shoot-out after Payet twice matched Cheer’s 12-10 and 11-6 wins.

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The girl from Crawley, who plays regularly in the Haywards Heath League, then raced into a 5-0 lead and went on win 11-4.

From that point on there was no stopping Cheer claiming her first cadet title.

She began her challenge by winning her group with ease before beating No 4 seed Gauri Duhan 11-9, 11-9, 13-11.

Next up was what proved her hardest test as she edged out No 6 seed Janet Li in the longest match of the boys and girls quarter finals. Li seemed to be in control before the Sussex girl came back to win it 13-11 in the fifth.

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In the final Nixon fought hard but the championship had Cheer’s name on it.

The two girls were pulling in the same direction as they came together to take the doubles title despite being seeded only No 2.

Despite being still only 12, Cheer has just one year left in the cadet under 15 event.

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