Andrew Baggaley turned back the clock to sink Paul Drinkhall and qualify for Finals Day at the Mark Bates Ltd National Championships.

The three-time former title winner (pictured above) ended the defending champion’s reign in the final match of the day at David Ross Sports Village.

Meanwhile, Tin-Tin Ho remains on course for a record-equalling seventh Women’s Singles title, but if she wins it will be her only trophy at this year’s Championships.

Ho, who won the ‘triple’ of Singles, Doubles and Mixed last year, will face fifth seed Sophie Earley in the semi-finals on Sunday. Second seed Tianer Yu will play fourth seed Wong in the other semi.

Six-time champion Liam Pitchford booked his place in the semi-finals, where he will face Baggaley, Tom Jarvis will play David McBeath – who ended the hopes of Sam Walker – in the other semi-final.

It will be Paralympic medallists all the way in the para classes, with Aaron McKibbin and Billy Shilton to contest the Class 6-10 final tomorrow and Jack Hunter-Spivey meeting Megan Shackleton in the Class 2-5 final.

Ho and partner Jasmin Wong went out in the semi-finals of the Women’s Doubles to Earley & 16-year-old Eva Eccles, who will meet Yu & Mari Baldwin in the final.

The Men’s Doubles final will see defending champions and top seeds Drinkhall & Sam Walker up against second seeds Jarvis & McBeath.

Watch all the action from today on demand – visit YouTube for Table 1 and TTE.TV for Tables 2-6.

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Photos by Michael Loveder, Table Tennis England Official Photographer – view more on PhotoShelter.

Men’s Singles

Not many would have predicted Andrew Baggaley taking his place in Finals Day, but he rolled back the years to sensationally beat Paul Drinkhall in the quarter-finals.

Baggaley looks in fantastic shape for his 42 years and he turned in a performance to be proud of as he won 4-2 (11-5, 10-12, 11-9, 8-11, 11-6, 11-7, taking four successive points from 6-6 in the sixth to effectively end the contest.

David McBeath spectacularly ended the hopes of his England team-mate Sam Walker in the quarter-finals with a four-set demolition job.

McBeath was surprisingly beaten by Scotland’s Martin Johnson in a Senior British Clubs League, Premier Division match last week, but showed no ill effects as he seized control at the end of the first game, taking it 12-10 after Walker had missed his own chance at 10-9.

He ran through the second 11-4 and any hopes of a comeback were quashed in the third, which McBeath won 11-9. By now, Walker cut a dejected figure and the fourth was an 11-1 procession.

Jarvis, now a fixture on Finals Day, lost the first to Louis Price but then found his range to complete an increasingly one-sided 4-1 (8-11, 11-6, 11-5, 11-4, 11-3) win.

Jarvis meets McBeath in the first semi-final, and the second will be between Liam Pitchford and Baggaley.

Pitchford got past Connor Green in five in the quarters, though Green will reflect on three game points not converted in the second game and two in the fourth game.

The final score was 4-1 (6-11, 13-11, 11-5, 12-10, 11-7) in Pitchford’s favour as he looks for his seventh title to move level with Drinkhall.

Drinkhall and Walker both had to find their games at crucial moments in the first round as two young players had a good crack at them.

Drinkhall defeated Isaac Kingham in five in a crowd-pleasing match, the youngster growing in confidence through the match and saving several match points – as well as winning a point with a behind-the-back shot a few feet back from table – before Drinkhall got home 4-1 (11-3, 11-5, 9-11, 11-6, 17-15).

Radiven went one better and took two games off Walker. But class will out, and Walker won it 4-2 (11-6, 8-11, 11-5, 11-8, 9-11, 11-9).

The first-round upset was arguably not much of an upset – Price would have fancied his chances against eighth seed Shayan Siraj and the Bristolian duly won 4-1 (11-6, 4-11, 11-9, 11-7, 11-9).

Cadet and Under-17 national champion Abraham Sellado had his moments against Green but was beaten 4-1 (11-9, 11-7, 9-11, 12-10, 11-5), while Nahom Asgedom could say something similar about his tie with McBeath, won by the fifth seed 4-1 (11-9, 8-11, 11-3, 11-5, 14-12).

Toby Ellis took the lead against Baggaley but then managed only 14 points across the rest of the match as Baggaley romped clear to win 4-1 (9-11, 11-7, 11-0, 11-4, 11-3).

Pitchford started his quest for a seventh title at a canter, seeing off Ben Piggott 4-0 (11-7, 11-5, 11-6, 11-5), while two-time champion Jarvis dropped the first against Joseph Hunter but came back strongly after edging the second, going on to complete a 4-1 (5-11, 12-10, 11-9, 11-6, 11-6) victory.

Women’s Singles

Tin-Tin Ho’s quest for a record-equalling seventh title is on course as she came through today’s early rounds with no alarms to take her place in the semi-finals.

Ho outclassed Letitia McMullan 4-0 (11-6, 11-4, 11-3, 11-4) to take her customary place on Finals Day, where she will face a first-timer, Sophie Earley.

Earley, who will also feature in the Women’s Doubles final, earned her spot in tomorrow’s second semi-final with a 4-1 (12-10, 6-11, 11-5, 11-9, 12-10) win over Mari Baldwin.

Second seed Tianer Yu and fourth seed Jasmin Wong returned to finals day after their appearances last year with reasonably routine 4-0 wins in the quarter-finals.

Wong, silver medallist in 2024, beat Rachael Iles 11-7, 11-5, 12-10, 11-9, while Yu – defeated by Ho in the semi-finals last year, defeated Anna Green 11-8, 11-4, 11-6, 14-12.

Wong and Yu will meet each other in the day’s first match tomorrow, at 9.30am.

There was an upset back in the first round as seventh seed Ella Pashley was eliminated by Iles. It was a thoroughly earned win as Iles won it 4-2 (10-12, 11-8, 11-4, 6-11, 12-10, 11-7).

That was not the closest match of the round as Sally Hughes pushed eighth seed McMullan all the way.

McMullan recovered from 2-0 down to lead 3-2, but Hughes got the momentum back in the sixth to force a decider. In the end, the seeded player came through 4-3 (8-11, 9-11, 11-6, 11-9, 11-7, 5-11, 11-7).

Otherwise, the seeds all came through safely, including 4-0 wins for Ho (2, 3, 4, 5 against Sienna Jetha) and Wong – a more balanced encounter with Brooke Morris which she won 11, 9, 8, 7.

Baldwin dropped the first against Mabel Shute but came back to win 4-1 (9-11, 11-5, 11-6, 11-1, 13-11), and Earley also dropped a game before beating Darcie Proud 4-1 (11-7, 7-11, 11-8, 11-4, 11-1).

Anna Green had a minor hangover from winning the Mixed Doubles title minutes earlier, losing the first to Rebecca Savage but coming back to win 4-1 (6-11, 11-7, 12-10, 11-6, 11-9). Anna’s sister Erin could not make it a family double, however, as second seed Yu proved too strong with a 4-1 (11-5, 11-5, 11-8, 9-11, 11-5) victory.

Para Class 2-5

Romain Simon made a strong start in Group 1 as he defeated Chris Ryan 3-1 (4-11, 11-9, 11-7, 11-8), but then ran into a Jack Hunter-Spivey in no mood to take prisoners, completing a 3-0 (2, 4, 6) victory.

It meant Ryan needed to repeat his victory from last year over Hunter-Spivey to force a three-way countback but, in the event, Hunter-Spivey was able to turn the match his way in a pivotal third game and win it 3-1 (11-7, 15-17, 14-12, 11-3).

In Group 2, Megan Shackleton and Simon Heaps met in a decider, having both beaten Thomas Hepburn in four, and Shackleton advanced to the final courtesy of a 3-0 (5, 9, 9) victory.

Para Class 6-10

Aaron McKibbin and Billy Shilton will contest the Final on Sunday after topping their groups.

In Group 2, Shae Thakker and Billy Shilton both beat Jaiden Caldeira by similar scorelines in three straight to set up a deciding clash in the final group match.

And it was an absolute cracker before 2022 doubles world champion Shilton, who had twice been pegged back after leading, won through 3-2 (11-9, 7-11, 11-4, 4-11, 11-6).

Mckibbin showed his class in Group 1 after edging the first game 14-12 against Max Flint, and pulled away to win the next two 11-6, 11-4.

Flint had earlier defeated Theo Bishop in three, meaning McKibbin would advance with victory over Bishop, which he duly accomplished in three (7, 9, 10).

Women’s Doubles

Eva Eccles, who turned 16 four days ago, had a belated present in the shape of a place on Finals Day as she and Sophie Earley knocked out the top seeds in the semi-finals.

It was well deserved as they ended the hopes of Tin-Tin Ho & Jasmin Wong with a 3-1 (12-10, 7-11, 11-4, 15-13) victory.

Their opponents will be second seeds Tianer Yu & Mari Baldwin, who came through their semi-final against Letitia McMullan & Mya Sultan 3-1 (8-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-2).

McMullan & Sultan had ended the hopes of sisters Erin & Anna Green – the fourth seeds and finalists two years ago – in the quarter-finals. It went to five and the winners claimed it 3-2 (11-8, 4-11, 11-7, 5-11, 12-10).

Yu & Baldwin advanced with a 3-1 (7-11, 11-9, 11-5, 11-2) scoreline against Rachael Iles & Anna Piercey and it was also four as Earley & Eccles defeated third seeds Ella Pashley & Sienna Jetha 9-11, 11-4, 12-10, 11-9.

Top seeds Ho & Wong eased past the challenge of Sally Hughes & Holly Holder in three straight (2, 6, 7).

In the three first-round ties, Iles & Piercey came through in three straight against Millie Rogove & Anisha Rasan, and it was also three for Earley & Eccles over Luna Archard & Stefania Popa. McMullan & Sultan needed four against Sophie Ackred & Evie Knaapen.

Men’s Doubles

The top two pairs duly booked their places in the final with few alarms.

Defending champions Paul Drinkhall & Sam Walker kept on course to keep their title as they saw off Toby Ellis & Nahom Asgedom 3-0 (11-5, 11-6, 11-3) in the semi-finals – a match too far for the losing pair, who had earlier defeated Liam Pitchford & Ashley Facey.

Standing in the way of a successful defence are Tom Jarvis & David McBeath, who progressed through the semi-finals with a 3-1 (11-3, 9-11, 11-9, 12-10) victory over Connor Green & Ben Piggott.

The notable result of the quarter-finals was that defeat for Pitchford & Facey at the hands of Ellis & Asgedom.

It went the distance as the winning pair came from 2-1 to edge it deuce in the fifth, by a final scoreline of 7-11, 11-6, 10-12, 11-7, 12-10.

Drinkhall & Walker made serene progress with a 3-0 (11-6, 11-8, 11-9) success over the all left-hand combination of Felix Thomis and Louis Price, while Green & Piggott edged a pivotal third game on their way to beating Chris Doran & Max Radiven 3-1 (12-10, 2-11, 17-15, 11-9)

At the bottom, Jarvis & McBeath ended the hopes of last year’s silver medallists, teenagers Larry Trumpauskas & Joseph Hunter in three straight, though the first two games might have gone the younger pair’s way as they lost 13-11, 12-10, 11-5).

The pick of the first-round matches saw Trumpauskas & Hunter edge past Josh Bennett & Robert Pelc in a decider, completing a 3-2 (11-4, 5-11, 11-3, 6-11, 11-2) win in almost the definitive see-saw match.

The first and second seeds both won in three, while the remaining five matches were done in four – Ellis & Asgedom defeating Rohan Dani & Abraham Sellado.