GIVING away four years was no bother to a pair of Vale of Clwyd youngsters, who have become national champions.
Competing at the Welsh National Championships in Cardiff, 15 year-old Denbigh twins Angharad and Megan Phillips brilliantly claimed the U-19 doubles crown.
Having fought their way through the qualifying rounds without dropping a set, the twins comfortably saw off the pairing of Laura Price and Hannah Avery in the semi-finals, before they were involved in a tense and close final against number one seeds Chloe Thomas and Charlotte Carey.
Thomas and Carey won two of the first three sets, however the match went the full distance to the fifth set, which the Ysgol Brynhyfryd students eventually won 11-9.
It was to prove to be a hectic and, to a large extent, successful weekend for both Angharad and, particularly on this occasion, Megan.
The Denbigh youngsters reached the semi-finals of the women’s singles, as well as the final of the women’s doubles, whilst Megan also reached the final of the U-19 singles and senior mixed doubles.
In the main senior women’s singles, Angharad lost out in the last-four to Welsh ranked number one Naomi Owen, while Megan bowed out in the semi-finals versus Stevie Grech.
The ladies’ doubles event saw the Phillips twins resume their successful partnership and a four-set win against Nicole Hall and Sadie Edwards set-up yet another final appearance.
There was to be no victory this time for the pairing, though, as they lost out in straight sets to Naomi Owen and Charlotte Carey.
Doubles was yet again a successful format for Megan as she partnered Stephen Gertsen in the mixed senior event.
In the semi-finals the duo defeated Stephen Jenkins and Nicole Hall in four sets, but the final proved a bridge too far with Gertsen and Phillips losing to David Owen and Naomi Owen.
In another final fling, Megan enjoyed herself in the junior girls’ contest.
She secured a straight sets triumph versus Chloe Thomas in the last-four of the competition, but despite leading 2-1 in sets in the final, Megan suffered a narrow 3-2 loss to Charlotte Carey.
There was further Vale of Clwyd involvement in the Welsh national championships, with Denbigh Table Tennis Club’s Kath Banks finishing third in the veteran ladies’ singles competition.
Following the Welsh championship, both Angharad and Megan are ranked amongst the best half-dozen senior female table tennis players in the country, with Angharad placed in fourth spot and Megan sixth.
Last weekend, Angharad almost pushed all aside to claim the Derby Junior 4* event.
In the quarter-finals she beat English number two Emily Bates 3-1 and then went on to beat England number 13 Tressa Armitage 3-0 in the last-four.
In the final, Angharad was unlucky not to win the title as she was pipped 3-2 by English number three Lucy Davidson, losing 11-9 in the fifth.