FERNDOWN’S Katie Holt sealed sixth spot as she took on some of the best players in the country at the Junior National Cup.

The event saw 10 of the highest-ranked young players invited by Table Tennis England to compete against each other on a round-robin basis.

The Bournemouth School for Girls pupil was ranked fifth and got off to a great start by beating third seed and eventual bronze medallist Sarah Menghistab 4-2.

She won a further three matches, though a 4-3 upset defeat by ninth-ranked Amelia Chan contributed to her finishing one place below her seeding in sixth.

The 15-year-old said: “My seeding was fifth so I’ve done all right, I’m happy with how I played. Every game is hard so any win you get is a bonus.”

Lymington’s Matthew Daish finished eighth and picked up three victories in the boys’ event

He was unable to convert performances into wins until his fifth match, when he defeated 10th seed Artur Veeck-Caltabiano 4-1.

On the second day, he beat ninth-ranked Sam Chesterman but his best performance saw him defeat fifth seed Naphat Boonyaprapa 4-3 in the penultimate round.

The 17-year-old said: “The first day was difficult, I really struggled to get used to the conditions, which were quite hot and I think I was a bit scared to win matches.

“The next day I seemed to find a new groove and found a lot more confidence.”