by Simon Daish

Positioned second in the all-time English National Championships medal table with a total of 21 medals across all events, Paul Drinkhall has collected six gold medals in the Men’s Singles tournament the last of which came in 2017 when he beat Sam Walker at the final hurdle.

However, last year at the Copper Box Arena Paul Drinkhall suffered an earlier than anticipated departure, falling to David McBeath at the quarter-finals stage of the competition with the trophy going in Liam Pitchford’s direction.

Four-time champion Liam Pitchford will narrow the gap between himself and Paul Drinkhall to just the one Men’s Singles title if he emerges on the top step of the podium over the weekend but he’s not the only player Drinkhall will have to contend with.

There’s Sam Walker, a fine player who has proven himself at the highest level of the sport and will be hoping to leave Nottingham with his first singles title. David McBeath will once again offer up a strong fight and young star Tom Jarvis will also be looking to impress.

The dynamic Tin-Tin Ho leads the way in the Women’s Singles draw with a potential fourth successive title on the cards but there is plenty of young talent standing in the way.

Winner of three doubles trophies in partnership with Tin-Tin Ho, Maria Tsaptsinos offers up the biggest challenge for the title while Denise Payet and Emily Bolton have the perfect opportunity to shine in Nottingham.