JERSEY table tennis had a successful weekend at this years British Home Nation Championships which took place in Dublin last weekend, where star Hannah Silcock retained her Senior Women’s title.
Jersey competitors claimed a gold, silver and bronze medal in the event which takes place every two years. Silcock 18, was still eligible for the Junior age category, but she opted to defend her senior title. she claimed back in 2023.
In a commanding performance, Silcock won all 13 of her individual matches over the weekend in both the team and individual events.
Women’s Singles
After winning all ten matches in the team event, the talented teenager was classified as top seed, earning her a bye straight into the quarter-final. Here she would meet Scottish second seed, Alisha Khalid, who she dispatched Alisha in straight sets with a 3-0 victory 11-5, 11-6, 11-7.
In the semi-final, Silcock was pitched against the Welsh top seed, Danielle Kelly. Silcock proved the superior again however, claiming another straight sets win 11-7,11-6, 11-9.
The final beckoned and with it came a familiar foe in Irish top seed, Mia O’Rahilly-Egan, the player whom Silcock beat in the final two years ago in Wales. O’Rahilly-Egan boasted the latest win in their rivalry however, having beaten Silcock in straight sets the previous weekend in the Woman’s British League in Wolverhampton, before Silcock turned the tables and won 3-0 in the team event on the Friday to steal the bragging rights heading into this final.
Silcock started promisingly, winning the first set 11-7 with some strong forehand play. The Irish star fought back in the second set however with a close 11-9 win to tie the match at 1-1.
The third set swung both ways, reflecting the rhythm of the match. Silcock took an initial 7-4 lead, before O’Rahilly-Egan stormed back to level the set at 11-11, before snatching the advantage 14-12 to take a 2-1 set lead.
Staring defeat in the face, Silcock showed her champion instinct to take the fourth set 11-8 and send the final into a fifth and decisive set.
With the match hanging in the balance at 5-5, Silcock again rallied to win five consecutive points and allow her five championship points. Silcock would eventually win the set 11-7 to retain her title and win a classic.
“I was really pleased to retain my British Title in Dublin,” said Silcock. “It was great to win the Woman’s event two years ago in Wales and I really needed to be at my best to retain it this year. I was feeling really good with my game and to win 13 matches out of 13 over the 3 days was particularly pleasing. This was one of my aims this year to continue to be British Champion so I am really happy to have succeeded.”
Women’s Doubles
The second medal of the championships was in the Woman’s Doubles, where Silcock was partnered by 17-year-old Freya Allaway. This was the same pairing that saw both girls win gold in the Senior British Secondary Schools in June this year.
Due to Jersey’s strong showing in the team event, they received a bye straight into the semi-final where they welcomes Scottish duo Alishia Khalid and Fay Leggett. The Caesarean pairing proved too strong, claiming a straight sets win 11-6, 11-7, 11-8.
With a spot in the final sealed, with it came the challenge of the tournament favourites, England’s Ella Pashley and Rachael Illes for the gold medal.
The Jersey pair started strongly by winning the first set 11-7, before Pashley and Illes drew level with an 11-8 win in the second set. Silcock and Allaway then pulled away in the third to lead 7-4, before the England pair found another gear and took the third set 11-9.
The tournament favourites then took the third 11-7 to take gold and leave Silcock and Allaway with a silver medal.
Cadet Boys U15 Doubles
The last medal that was won by Jersey was in the Cadet Boys doubles (Under 15), in a team made up by Theo de Poerk and Callum Allaway. In the quarter-final, they played a Welsh team made up of Oliver Harvey and Dylan Williams. In the end, the match was won comfortably by the Jersey pairing in straight sets 11-9, 11-7, 11-6.
The semi-final proved a different affair however, as they drew the English tournament favourites. In what was always going to be a tough challenge, the Caesareans fell to a straight sets defeat.
Jersey Table Tennis Association head coach Luc Miller spoke after the weekend, saying: “Jersey Table Tennis has had a really successful three days in Dublin. The British Home Nations is probably the pinnacle of most table tennis players careers and to come away with three medals is particularly pleasing.
“It’s been great watching Hannah retain her British title and she played really well all week-end and fully deserves her title. I am also really pleased of the effort put in by all the squad over the three days and hopefully this tournament will spur the players onto even greater things.”
