All things considered

Given the heats were set up so I couldn't fail to progress to the finals, I did have serious reservations about how well I would do at yesterday's tournament, especially when it became clear that the other heat winners had actually won their heats. What's more, I lost my only warm up game, here.

My first match didn't start well when I did an air shot for my first serve and didn't land my second serve on the table so I was 0-2 down and it was first to five. Fortunately, I was able to turn things around and won the match 5-3. I won my second match 5-0, lost the third match 0-5 (my opponent used the pen-holder grip) and won my last match 5-3 which saw me top the group having won 3 matches and reach the quarter-finals. The matches were truncated to first to three and I won my first match 3-0. In my second quarter-final match, I was up against another pen-holder grip opponent and lost 1-3 to the person who would go on to win the tournament. In conversation afterwards, he mentioned that he plays for his firm so I thought I acquitted myself rather well.

Next up was a chance to practice stroke consistency with a robot and I had two goes at each table before taking my leave.

The organisers had provided me with a brand new bat when I registered and on the red side was a sticker saying, PLEASE, PUT ME BACK! As I was on my way out, I asked one of the organisers who I should return the bat to and was very surprised and delighted when he said I could keep it.

Now I have a bat and balls, I just need to find myself a club.

2 year countdown begins

Over the weekend, "I took part in the London 2012 Open Weekend challenge" by playing table tennis at different venues in London. Having last played in 2005 on the rooftop of a famous Manhattan building, overlooking the East River, I was pretty rusty on Saturday, at Brunswick Square, and it showed when I lost my opening game (I wasn't fully focused), but won my next 2 games before losing my final game to the best player. On Sunday at The Hub in Regent's Park, I lost both double series (best of five) that I played in, but won my singles series. I also picked up some tips on how to refine my strokes - now I just need to find an indoor table so that I don't have to compete against the elements as well.

Being serenaded by a preocious, bilingual 2+ year old was the pièce de résistance of a weekend full of highlights.