Ecseki & Madarasz are historic first champions

Hungarian top seeds Nandor Ecseki & Dora Madarasz are the first ever champions of a WTT event held in England.

They defeated Ukrainian pair Anton Limonov & Solomiya Brateyko to win the Mixed Doubles title in five games in front of hundred of spectators at the WTT Feeder Manchester.

With a good number of those spectators on the infield, just feet from the court, plus more in the stands at the National Cycling Centre, the final had a vibrant and intimate atmosphere and did not disappoint in terms of quality.

The top seeds were a little slower starting and trailed 5-2, but they won four in a row and were never again behind as they took it 11-8.

The second was finely poised at 9-9 but the Ukrainians won the next two points to level up – but Ecseki & Madarasz then pulled ahead again, only trailing to the first point of a game they won 11-6.

They led all the way to 10-8 in the fourth, but missed both match points as net-cords took the ball long, and two more points later they had lost the game and we were heading for a decider.

Limonov & Brateyko took the early advantage and led 6-3, but from 7-5 down, Ecseki & Madarasz stamped their authority by winning six points in a row to take the trophies, the match ending on a sour note for Limonov as his serve bounced on the wrong side of the centre line at 9-7. Although he disputed the call, it brought up three match points, and only one was needed.

The Women’s Doubles and Men’s Doubles finals kick off session 2 from 4pm, with British interest in both in the shape of Tin-Tin Ho & Anna Hursey and Tom Jarvis & David McBeath.

Result

Mixed Doubles
Final
Nandor Ecseki & Dora Madarasz (HUN) bt Anton Limonov & Solomiya Brateyko (UKR) 3-2 (11-8, 9-11, 11-6, 10-12, 11-7)

Ecseki & Madarasz are historic first champions Table Tennis England.