Island Table Tennis Player Reaches Career-Best Mainland Final

Nineteen-year-old Isle of Wight table tennis player Ryan Cates has recorded the best mainland result of his career after reaching the final of the Burgess Hill 2-Star Tournament.

Competing against a field featuring experienced senior players and international opposition, Ryan progressed to the final of the morning event with a series of strong performances.

His run included a 3-1 semi-final victory over Senior British League A Division player Ryan Farthing before setting up a final against Tunisian international Bourass Aboubaker, a former world number 126.

Although Ryan was beaten 3-0 in the final, two of the three games went to deuce as he pushed his higher-ranked opponent closely.

Ryan also enjoyed success in the afternoon competition, winning three further matches before losing 3-1 to the tournament's second seed.

The match was closely contested, with Ryan level at one game each and leading 10-8 in the third game before his opponent fought back.

The result earned Ryan around 50 national ranking points.

Speaking after the tournament, Ryan said he was pleased with his performances and that the ranking points represented "a significant step in the right direction" for his development.