TOP seeds Damion Johnson and Tinesta Rowe captured the Men’s and Women’s titles respectively at the Jamaica National Building Society (JNBS) Open Table Tennis Championship that ended at the Liguanea Club in New Kingston last Saturday.

Johnson, the defending champion and the number one seed in the men’s open singles, defeated arch-rival and seconded Dominic Pagon in three sets 4-6, 7-5, 6-1, while Rowe, the top seed in the women’s singles, easily disposed of second seed Shellita Haughton in straight sets, 6-0, 6-1.

For winning the men’s title, Johnson walked away with $150,000 with Pagon pocketing $75,000.00. Rowe picked up $50,000 for winning the women’s crown with Haughton receiving $25,000.

Saturday’s men’s open final, which went way past the scheduled time, was one of the best matches played in local tennis competition. It brought out the best from both players as they thrilled spectators with brilliant displays of tennis.

Both Johnson and Pagon, who both are baseline players, went on an all-out attack with powerful serves, hard returns and speedy foot work.

Johnson, in all his matches, only dropped one set, and that was to Pagon in Saturday’s final.

Meanwhile, in the women’s final, Rowe blasted Haughton with a number of fast aces, lightning serves and powerful forehand and backhand smashes down the line that her opponent found very hard to retrieve.

Joseph Dibbs, a former president of the Jamaica Table Tennis Association (JTTA) defeated top seed Leighton Burton in straight sets 7-6 (8-6 tie-breaker), 6-3 to win the Men’s Class Two singles title.

Fifth-seeded Alvin Wint captured the Men’s Class Two singles title with straight sets 6-4, 7-6 (7-2 tie-breaker) win over fourth-seeded Norman Marshall.

Top seed Donovan Crumbie of GC Foster College of Physical Education and Sports won the Intercollegiate men’s singles title with a 6-3, 7-6 (7-1 tie-breaker) over Daniel Gyles of University of Technology (UTech).