The final of Andover Table Tennis Association’s pre Christmas Handicap tournament was eventually completed when all the players became available.

This competition is for teams of two players who are drawn from two sources comprising of one Division 1 player and two Division 2 players and others. All play using the handicap system and the games are up to 21. There are two singles matches with the Division 1 and 2 players against each other and in the event of a draw a doubles is played to decide the winner.

The teams comprised Carl Wheatley [43] with Dom Raymond [40] and Tomos Hardiman [45] with Nathan Shears [8] and in the first singles Wheatley and Hardiman were very well matched, as their handicaps suggested and produced three exciting games before Carl won 21-17, 20-21, 21-19.

In the second singles Shears’ handicap gave him 14 points start per game and this proved too much for Raymond who lost 16-21, 21-20, 9-21.

The match then went to the deciding doubles, with Hardiman and Shears claiming a nine point start per game and in the first they kept their noses in front and thanks to some fine attacking shots from Hardiman took it 21-19.

The second game became a battle of attrition with Wheatley and Raymond steadily gaining points to draw level and look favourites to take the game but at that point Shears turned the match with a return from the backhand side that was very high and hard to control but he kept it in play and went on to win the point. He then played well to hit a forehand topspin winner that gave them the game 21-18 and the match.