PORT Macquarie’s Hastings Secondary Campus table tennis team had a third place to show for its efforts at the CHS Championships in Sydney.
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The team of George and Nick Rudd, Ryan Campbell and Flynn Broughton beat some much more fancied rivals to make it into the playoffs for the top four positions.
The boys knew it was going to be hard to come first or second in their pool and they could only afford to lose one match.
Unfortunately, reigning champions Sydney Boys High School were on the boys’ side of the draw as well as other Sydney teams.
The other side of the draw was mainly country teams and looked like an easier passage.
The first match was against Cabramatta High in which the boys won four games to two.
The second match was against Sydney Boys High.
This team consisted of several highly ranked NSW players including the NSW number one under-15 player and their own professional coach.
A comprehensive loss was the result but it was a good lead-up to the vital match against last years third-place James Ruse High.
This match was the highlight of the whole tournament with many of the other teams watching on.
The result hinged on the Rudd brothers’ doubles combination coming from two sets down to win the remaining three for the victory.
The first match in the finals was against 2016 runners up Killara High who were too strong for us.
Killara were then comprehensively beaten by Sydney Boys in the final for the title.
We had to play Murray High from Albury for third place.
Our boys were far too strong and beat them easily in just four games.
