The York Closed Table Tennis Championships were held on Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th January 2012 at the Railway Institute Gymnasium.
In the Men's Singles final Martin Lowe (Coneysthorpe) defeated unseeded Senri Ohara (University) in straight sets to win the title for a fifth time. Ohara had a flying star, taking the first three points, but Lowe fought back to level at 4-4 and went on to win the first set 11-7. Ohara took an early lead in the second set and led by 6-3 but Lowe took eight of the next nine points to win it by 11-7. The third set was close all the way, with both players playing exciting, attacking table tennis. Lowe had a match point at 10-9, but Ohara came back to have a set point of his own at 11-10, before Lowe took the next three points to win the set and the title.
Both finalists dropped a single set each in their respective semi-finals, with Lowe beating Coneysthorpe team-mate and third seed, Joel Wright, and Ohara overpowering Jon Wooldridge (Bootham), who was seeded four. In earlier rounds Ohara had defeated Ashley Hodgson (seeded 2) and James Atkins (seeded 5) in very close matches that went to the final game.
Martin Lowe and Ashley Hodgson (Coneysthorpe) won the Men’s Doubles final against the University pairing of Senri Ohara and Yuk Yin Wong in straight sets. The Mixed Doubles was a tighter affair, won by Marian Broadbent (BT) and Jon Wooldridge, beating Senri Ohara and Rudy Huang (University) in a match that went to the final game.
Lowe and Hodgson played each other in a repeat of last year’s Veterans’ final, but this time Lowe was the victor by three sets to one. In the Veteran’s Doubles final Richard Crowther (York RI) and Jon Wooldridge saved two match points in the fourth set before taking the decider by 11-4 against John Farmery and Graham Hatfield (both Holgate WMC).
Jake McCarthy (Shepherds) won the Juniors' Singles title, defeating Nathan Taylor (Shepherds) by three sets to one in the final. The final of the Cadets event was a very close match with Ethan Lowe (Coneysthorpe) beating Matt Roberts (York RI) by 12-10 in the final set.
The Clifford Trophy, awarded for the outstanding performance over the two days, went to Senri Ohara (University). Senri is a Japanese student who is studying at York University for one year. He played outstanding attacking table tennis to defeat three seeded players on the way to the final of the Men’s Singles. He also reached the finals of the Men’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles and he won the Division 2 Singles competition.
The main sponsors of the tournament were GMB. Sponsors of other events were friends of the Association. Thanks to all the sponsors for their support.
Seedings
Sixty-five players will be competing for eighteen trophies at this year's York & District Table Tennis Closed Championships, to be held at the York RI Gym on the 28th and 29th January 2012. In the Men's Singles Martin Lowe, four-times champion and last year’s runner-up, is the top seed, with Coneysthorpe team-mates Ashley Hodgson and Joel Wright seeded two and three respectively. Bootham’s Jon Wooldridge is seeded four. Richard Moss, champion for the last three years, is not competing this year. Lowe is also top seed in the Veterans' Singles with Hodgson seeded second. The two partner each other and are top seeds in the Men's Doubles, while the top seeds in the Veterans’ Doubles are Holgate’s John Farmery and Graham Hatfield. The University pairing of Senri Ohara and Rudy Huang are favourites to take the Mixed Doubles title. Jake McCarthy and Nathan Taylor are scheduled to meet in the Junior Singles final, and Matt Roberts and Ethan Lowe are the top seeds in the Cadets event. The main sponsors of the tournament are GMB. Sponsors of other events are friends of the Association.