MARIA Tsaptsinos added another women’s doubles title to her honours at the PG Mutual National Championships.

The Reading star had won the title alongside Tin-Tin Ho in each of the last three years, but was this time partnering Kelly Sibley, as part of preparations for the Commonwealth Games in Australia next month.

Ho was on the other side of the net, with the fourth Team England Commonwealth player Denise Payet, for the final in the Copper Box Arena, and it was Tsaptsinos and Sibley who prevailed 3-0.

Tsaptsinos said: “I’m very happy. Our games suit each other and so do our personalities and this is good for the Commonwealth Games.

“We’ve been practising a lot together and maybe they (Ho and Payet) haven’t been able to do as much as a pair and that was something we maybe used to our advantage.”

Tsaptsinos faced Sibley in the semi finals of the women’s singles and was beaten 4-0 (11-5, 11-3, 13-11, 13-11) despite having game points in the last two games.

In the mixed doubles, she and Tom Jarvis lost 3-1 (11-3, 9-11, 12-10, 11-5) in the semi-finals to Ho and Liam Pitchford, who went on to win the trophy.

Ho was again the nemesis in the Under 21 women’s singles final, winning 4-3 (9-11, 6-11, 11-8, 11-9, 12-10, 5-11, 11-6) to defend her title in a repeat of the last two finals.

  • TSAPTSINOS returned to Kingfisher Table Tennis Club in Woodley last Wednesday to thank her former coaches ahead of her appearance at the Commonwealth Games.

She told guests how grateful she was for the support she received from the club and in particular the late Brian Halliday, Wally Allinson and Peter Charters.

Former Caversham Primary School pupil Tsaptsinos was introduced to the club by Graham Outrim, while she also thanked her previous sponsors – SSE, Sports Aid, GLL Foundation, Airwave and Table Tennis 365 – and current ones – TASS, Tees Sport and Spire Dunedin Hospital – which allowed her to attend camps abroad and to compete at international tournaments.