In a weekend of relatively few shocks, the top four seeds in the open singles all made their way through to the semi-finals of the Braintree Table Tennis League’s individual tournament

In the last four, to be played on finals night at Earls Colne Recreation Centre on Friday, eight-times champion Paul Davison, who had a tough five-game battle with Ashley Skeggs in the quarter final, will face Luke Burridge, who knocked him out at the quarter final stage last season.

In the final, he could face Scott Dowsett, who took away his unbeaten record in the final league match of the season – if Dowsett wins his semi-final against No.2 seed James Hicks, who he also beat in that match.

Davison and Hicks will face each other in the final of the veterans’ singles and team up against Skeggs and Dowsett in the men’s doubles final after beating Burridge and Sam Burrows in the semi-final.  Skeggs and Dowsett beat Colin Moss and Ian Shrubsole in the semi-final.

The junior boys’ singles did not run according to plan after Tom Verrier beat top seed Lucien Nolan-Bradford at the group stage.

That meant that Nolan-Bradford had to face No.2 seed and holder Ethan Collins in the semi-final rather than the final as anticipated – and it was Collins who emerged successful.

Verrier met his match in the other semi-final against Netts clubmate JJ Calisin, who will face Collins on finals night.

The restricted singles final unusually features a third division player, Peter Davenport, who will pit his wits against top seed David Fiddeman.

Davenport owes his place to his victory over Ben Southgate in the semi-final, while Fiddeman came through via a win over Aivars Taimins.

A number of events were decided at the weekend, as a result of which Hicks has already got his hands on two trophies. He won the over 50s singles with a victory in the final over Ian Whiteside and he and Davison took the veterans’ doubles, beating Garry Fryatt and Steve Noble in the final.

In the mixed doubles, Luke Burridge and Alesha Ellis-Austin took the title with Rev Matthews and Jacqueline Smith runners-up in a round robin.

Ethan Collins retained his cadets’ singles title with a win in the final over Tom Verrier, a repeat of last season’s final, while he and Alesha Ellis-Austin won the junior doubles with a victory over Verrier and James Howard in the final.

The under 11 singles was won by Max Chisnall. Albert Wickens was the runner-up for the second year running.

Report by Ron Fosker