JOHN LE FONDRE is the new Channel Islands Junior Top 12 champion as the best of Jersey dominated the competition in Guernsey at the weekend.
It was a much-needed tonic for the sport in the Island after their home at the Geoff Reed Table Tennis Centre was partially destroyed by Storm Ciarán last week in the centennial anniversary year of the Jersey Table Tennis Association.
Le Fondre won all six of his games against Sarnian opponents at Hougue Du Pommier to claim top spot, with Caesareans also filling the other top-four positions.
William Cornthwaite finished second, ahead of Theo de Poerck and Callam Allaway in third and fourth respectively.
Kevan Moreira came sixth with Alex Fernandes 12th. Aiden Ozanne was the top-ranked Guernsey player in fifth.
It was against Ozanne that Le Fondre got his winning run started, quickly racing into a two-game lead. Ozanne pulled one back but Le Fondre saw the game out by taking the fourth. He then saw off Barnaby Groves in straight games but had to dig in to see off a valiant effort from Shelby Timms winning the match 3-1. Le Fondre then blew away Oskar Cleal 3-0 before beating Connor Powell 3-1.
With the title already secured, Le Fondre could relax in his final game against Jayden Tucknott and he did just that, easing to a 3-0 win.
Cornthwaite, meanwhile, didn’t drop a game in his first five matches but, unable to catch Le Fondre, he lost to Ozanne 3-2 in his last.
De Poerck finished one point behind Cornthwaite despite winning all six of his matches against Guernsey opponents. His three defeats from the Jersey qualifiers earlier in the year that were carried forward prevented him from attaining a higher finish.
It was Fernandes’ results in Jersey that left him in last place as he won two matches in Guernsey. Only Tucknott did not win a single match out of the six.
“I am pleased that the Jersey kids were able to put on the table the hard work they have done in the last four to five months,” said Jersey’s head coach Miguel Freitas.
“I am proud they were playing at a good level. I’m always trying to make them work hard, be strong and be positive.
“Overall, I have seen a development in the skill level of the Guernsey players.
“They have improved since the last time we played against them.”
