Phillips, Lewis win top titles at TT Champs
Published:Monday | August 14, 2023 | 12:09 AMLivingston Scott/Gleaner Writer
Mark Phillips and Tsenaye Lewis were crowned male and female open singles champions, respectively, at the National Junior and Senior Table Tennis Championships at the National Indoor Sports Centre yesterday.
Lewis brushed aside the challenge of Keeara Whyte to win the female final 4-1, (11-7, 11-6, 11-5, 8-11-, 11-6) while Phillips beat Roberto Byles 3-0 to also secure his first National title
“It’s a wonderful feeling. I played him before and saw him play through the rounds, so I knew what to expect, and I just adjusted my game to get the victory,” Phillips said.
Phillips defeated Byles 11-1 in the first set but only managed to edge the second set 13-11 before he put the match to bed with an 11-8 win in the third.
“It has always been a dream of mine to be the national champion, and here it is. I would like to thank God because everything I do I put Christ first,” Phillips said.
Meanwhile, last season’s beaten female finalist, Lewis, said she always fancied her chances with last year’s champion Solesha Young absent from the championship.
However, she insists that the greatest challenge was with herself and staying focused through the match.
“The score was 4-1, and in the end, I became national singles champion and remained unbeaten throughout the tournament.
“The match was very tactical. I had to do a lot of thinking. I had to stay focused and just stick to the tactics. But it’s very emotional for me. I put in a lot of work, and it’s very emotional to see the work pay off,” she said.