Curtis Humphreys jumped to the top of the local rankings with victory in the Silver Bowl Table Tennis Tournament, at the Central Regional Indoor Sports Arena, in Chaguanas, yesterday.

The University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) student proved that February's National"A1" triumph was no fluke when he stopped Andrew Alexander 11-9, 11-8, 3-11, 12-10 in the Silver Bowl men's singles final.

En route to the championship match, Humphreys was tested by Anson Wellington in the quarter-final round and Guyana's Colin France in the semis. First, Humphreys battled past Wellington 12-10, 7-11, 7-11, 11-7, 13-11. And then, in his showdown with the defensive France, the UTT player outlasted his opponent 11-8, 11-5, 6-11, 7-11, 11-9.

Alexander got past top seed Lionel Darceuil 11-7, 7-11, 11-2, 11-9 in the quarters. And in the semis, the Solo Crusaders player edged Michael Nanton 7-11, 2-11, 11-9, 11-4, 11-9.

Guyana's Trenace Lowe struck gold in the women's singles, beating her compatriot Michelle John in the championship match.

It was the third final between the two teenagers at Silver Bowl 2008. On Saturday, John won the women's under-21 singles, but Lowe turned the tables in the girls' under-18 final, beating John 11-7, 12-10, 11-7 to retain her crown.

John, who recently captured the Caribbean girls' under-18 singles title, was stopped 11-6, 8-11, 11-8, 11-9 by Lowe in yesterday's women's final.

The boys' under-18 singles final was won by second-seeded Kyle Borneo, the UTT player dismissing Rakellon Pierre of Carenage Blasters 11-3, 11-8, 11-5 in Saturday's final. Pierre had earlier upset top seed and newly-crowned Caribbean boys' under-18 champion Kenwin Small in the semis, while Borneo beat Zeke Huggins.

In the men's singles final, Humphreys seized early control, attacking effectively with his forehand to take a 2-0 lead in games. But Alexander, with a fine display of controlled aggression, pulled one back.

Humphreys, though, was undoubtedly the better man on the day, his explosive forehand proving the difference between victory and defeat. A picture-perfect short-arm forehand drive, played down the line from his backhand corner, earned Humphreys an 8-7 lead in the fourth game. Alexander managed to stay alive, but at 10-10, a couple unforced errors handed his second-seeded opponent the title. The number nine seed served in the net, and then netted a service return.

With the victory, Humphreys jumped from third to first on the Trinidad and Tobago Table Tennis Association (T&TTTA) men's ranking list, replacing Anthony Brown at the top. Darceuil is second, ahead of Nanton, Courtney Pugh, Terry Corbin and Alexander.