05/05/2026
Youth Closed Tournament Report – 2026
This year’s competition saw 21 players compete at Ark Alexandra across six tables, welcoming many new players following the success of the Junior League and the introduction of Division 4 this season.
The tournament began with the Youth Cup group stages, with players ranked 1–5 in each group. Group winners progressed to the main Youth Cup event, while all others entered the consolation draw, setting up some fiercely contested table tennis.
The knockout rounds were played through to the quarter-finals. In Round 1, Fraser Dick lost narrowly to Rufus Pawson-Davies 11–8 in the fifth, setting up a tie with number one seed Liam Higgins. In the other Round One match, Alex McEwan lost out to James Butcher 11–8, 8–11, 8–11, 3–11.
The remaining players received byes into the quarter-finals.The last eight was set, and the top two seeds progressed in straight sets, with Liam defeating Rufus and Vincent Ridley beating Hadrian Pain. The other quarter-finals provided high-quality table tennis. Noah Devine took an early 2–0 lead against Dylan Gorridge, who responded by winning the third 12–10, before narrowly losing 11–13 in the fourth despite holding a 10–9 lead.
The last quarter-final saw a five-set thriller between James Butcher and Samuel Lloyd, with Samuel progressing 11–9 in the fifth.The semi-finals, played later in the day, went as seeded, with both Vincent and Liam progressing in straight games (3–0) against Samuel and Noah respectively.Consolation EventIn the consolation event, three Round 1 matches determined the quarter-final lineup, all ending in straight sets. Charlie Funnell defeated Faris Tumi, Finlay Horsman beat Kieran Bacor, and Woody Wi******er overcame Yusuf Tumi.
In the quarter-finals, Charlie Funnell continued his fine form to reach the semi-finals for the second year in a row, defeating Josh Ho 11–9, 11–4, 7–11, 11–7. Sandro McQuade and Milo Gibbs both won their quarter-finals in straight sets against Finlay and Woody respectively.
Leo Westwood-Lee faced Harry Parris in the match of the round, with both performing strongly and top in Junior League Division 2. Harry recorded his first win over Leo 12–10, 8–11, 11–7, 11–6.In the semi-finals, Sandro progressed 3–0 against Charlie.
In the other semi-final, Harry raced into a 2–0 lead, but Milo produced a strong comeback, winning three consecutive games (7, 5, 😎 to reach the final, amazing resilience!
Under 11s
Two groups of three determined the semi-finalists. From Group A, Sandro McQuade and Yusuf Tumi progressed. In Group B, Harry Parris progressed alongside Kieran Bacor, who defeated second seed Faris 11–9 in the fifth in the match of the group.
Both semi-finals were won in straight sets eliminating Kieran & Yusuf, setting up a final between Sandro and Harry. After sharing the opening games 1-1, Harry pushed on to win the next two and take the title.
Under 13s
Players were split into three groups of three, with the top two progressing to the knockout stages and the top two group winners receiving byes.Dylan Gorridge and Hadrian Pain contested a five-set thriller, with Dylan coming back from 2–0 down to progress, before losing to Liam Higgins in straight sets.
On the other side, Alex McEwan defeated Josh Ho 15–13, 11–8, 15–13. This set up an epic semi-final with Noah Devine, which went the distance, with Noah eventually winning 11–9 in the fifth after multiple forehand rally exchanges point after point.
In the final, Liam Higgins and Noah Devine produced high-quality table tennis, with Liam winning 3–0 to take the Under 13 title.
Under 19s
With several players moving on from table tennis from 2025 and three top players now age ineligible for the competition, the Under 16s and Under 19s were merged this year. Two groups of three were played, Vincent Ridley leading Group A with James Butcher topping his Group B.
In the semi-finals, Fraser Dick produced a strong performance against Vincent, levelling at one game each after winning 11–2. Vincent responded to win the next two games 11–6, 11–4 to reach the final.
In the other semi-final, Samuel Lloyd defeated James Butcher three games to one.The final saw Vincent Ridley prove too strong, defeating Samuel Lloyd 3–0 to claim the title.
Division 1 Singles
Group A, consisting of Liam Higgins, Noah Devine, Samuel Lloyd and Rufus Pawson-Davies, followed a straightforward pattern, with all matches ending 3–0 contested.
Group B was far more competitive, with Hadrian Pain, Dylan Gorridge, James Butcher and Alex McEwan all recording wins. On countback, James finished top, with Dylan in second place on games and head to head results.
The semi-finals saw Liam defeat Dylan, while Noah beat James. The final was a repeat of the Under 13 event. Liam took a 2–0 lead, with Noah responding strongly in the third, before Liam regained control to win the fourth 11–6 and secure his second title of the day.
Division 2 Singles
Eight players competed in two groups, followed by knockout rounds. The first three quarter-finals all ended in 3–0 wins: Leo Westwood-Lee defeated Charlie Funnell, Milo Gibbs beat Josh Ho, and Sandro McQuade overcame Yusuf Tumi.
The standout QF match saw Harry Parris face Finlay Horsman. The match swung back and forth, with Finlay pushing hard in the fourth mostly leading before losing it 12–10, and Harry going on to take the fifth 11–6.
In the semi-finals, Harry defeated Sandro 3–0. In the other semi-final, Leo Westwood-Lee and Milo Gibbs produced a classic contest, with Milo winning 13–11 in the fifth, a true epic.
The final saw Harry and Milo meet again, having previously faced each other in the consolation event. This time, Harry adjusted well and won in straight sets 11–9, 11–5, 11–7 to claim his second title of the day.
Doubles
The final event of the day was the ever-popular drawn doubles, with players paired by ranking high and lower together.In the first round, several strong pairings emerged early on. Leo Westwood-Lee and Harry Parris set the tone with a confident performance to progress, while Vincent Ridley and Woody Wi******er also came through their opening match to reach the quarter-finals.
James Butcher and Milo Gibbs were particularly impressive from the outset, recording a convincing 3–0 win in their opening match to move comfortably into the next round. Elsewhere, Liam Higgins and Kieran Bacor were pushed in a competitive match but did enough to progress.
The quarter-finals saw the level increase further. Liam and Kieran were taken the distance by Fraser Dick and Yusuf Tumi in a five-set battle, eventually coming through 11–4, 7–11, 11–9, 11–9, 11–3. James and Milo continued their strong form, edging past Samuel Lloyd and Charlie Funnell in three straight sets, 11–8, 11–6, 12–10.In the semi-finals, Leo and Harry produced one of their best performances of the day, defeating Vince and Woody 11-9, 12–10, 11–2 to reach the final.
In the other semi-final, James and Milo maintained their consistency, overcoming Liam and Kieran in 4 sets, 11–7, 11–7, 7-11 & 11–4
The final saw Leo Westwood-Lee and Harry Parris face James Butcher and Milo Gibbs. In a well-contested match, Leo and Harry proved slightly stronger in the key moments, winning in straight sets 11–7, 12–10, 11–6 to take the doubles title.
Youth Cup Consolation Final – Milo Gibbs vs Sandro McQuade
The consolation final between Milo Gibbs and Sandro McQuade proved to be one of the standout matches of the day, with both players producing high-quality rallies and showing clear development from their earlier rounds.
Milo started strongly, taking the opening game 11–7 with confident attacking play and good use of placement. However, Sandro responded immediately in the second, levelling the match by taking it 11–2, finding his rhythm and applying consistent pressure.
The third game was the turning point of the match, with both players locked into chop and push rallies. Milo edged this crucial game 15–13, showing composure under pressure in one of the longest games of the tournament.
Carrying that momentum into the fourth, Milo continued to dictate play, with a series of extended forehand rallies wearing Sandro down at key moments. Milo closed out the match 11–8 to secure the victory and take the consolation title in a high-quality contest.
Youth Cup Final – Vincent Ridley vs Liam Higgins
The Youth Cup Final between Vincent Ridley and Liam Higgins showcased the two strongest players in the competition, delivering a match of excellent standard throughout.Liam made the brighter start, taking the opening game 11–8 with controlled attacking play. Vincent responded immediately, taking the second game 11–6, adjusting well and beginning to assert himself in the rallies.
From that point on, the match was characterised by long, intense exchanges, particularly on the backhand side where both players demonstrated remarkable consistency, often engaging in rallies of 7 to 9 shots before looking for an opportunity to finally finish the attack.
Vincent took the third game 11–6, maintaining pressure and limiting Liam’s attacking opportunities. The fourth game again swing with this time Liam winning 11-6. It was however the final game of the match and day that proved to be the most exciting, with both players trading points in another series of intense fast rallies. Vincent held his nerve at the crucial stages, edging it 16–14 to secure the match 3–2 and claim the Youth Cup title.
Trophy Summary
Under 11s
Winner: Harry Parris
Runner-up: Sandro McQuade
Under 13s
Winner: Liam Higgins
Runner-up: Noah Devine
Under 19s
Winner: Vincent Ridley
Runner-up: Samuel Lloyd
Ranked Drawn Doubles
Winners: Harry Parris / Leo Westwood-Lee
Runners-up: James Butcher / Milo Gibbs
Division 1 Singles
Winner: Liam Higgins
Runner-up: Noah Devine
Division 2 Singles
Winner: Harry Parris
Runner-up: Milo Gibbs
Youth Cup Consolation
Winner: Milo Gibbs
Runner-up: Sandro McQuade
Youth Cup
Winner: Vincent Ridley
Runner-up: Liam Higgins
