Strong start to season for Daniel Clarke
Posted by on 17 September 2015
Warrington Table Tennis Club's Daniel Clarke got his season up and running to finish runner up in the season's first junior open in Blackpool.
Daniel Clarke in action in the Junior Open final in Blackpool
Daniel made his way to the final with a series of convincing wins, dropping just one game to Daniel Olsberg in the quarter final. A further 3-0 semi final win against Zak Cantor, one of the region's strongest players, set up the final everyone wanted to see against the number one seed Joe Pilkington who had also progressed to the final dropping just one game.
In the final Joe took the first two games and while Daniel pushed Joe hard all the way and won the third game, Joe built a 5-0 lead in the fourth and took the match 3-1.
After the match Daniel Clarke said: "I'm very happy to have made it to the final - a good start to season, there were some tough matches. I've been training hard over the Summer and always played well against Joe. I needed to get ahead and nick the first to give myself the best chance. I came close in the second and took the third, but Joe was too strong and I found his serves really tricky since I last played him. He stopped me getting in with my attacking game and forced me into a lot a errors. Joe fully deserved the title today."
Daniel Clarke plays in the Junior British League for Halton, the Senior British League for Warrington and plays Junior County League for Cheshire. In 2015 he won the silver medal at the British College Championships. He competes locally in the Warrington and Oldham leagues. Daniel will also compete for the first time in the Manchester League in the 2015-16 season playing for Stockport.
Daniel is next in action in the Senior British League with his Warrington club on the 26 and 27 September.
