The York Closed Table Tennis Championships were held on Saturday 5^th and Sunday 6^th March 2016 at the Railway Institute Gymnasium.

Videos of Men's Singles Final: Game 1 Game 2 Game 3 Game 4

There is a new name on the Men's Singles trophy as 16-year-old James Rule became one of the youngest winners. He defeated his Coneysthorpe team-mate and eight-times champion Martin Lowe in the final. Both players are unbeaten in the league so far this season and were the top two seeds. Top seed Lowe started well and looked to be in control as from 4-4 he dropped only two more points to win the first game 11-6 but Rule came back to win the second in a mirror-image of the first as he dropped only two more points from 4-4 to win it by the same score. James took a commanding 7-3 lead in the third but Lowe came back to within a point at 9-8 but James took the next two to take it 11-8. James took an early lead, 5-2, in the fourth game, only for Martin to come back to 5-5 and 6-6. James then won five consecutive points to win the game and the title. James defeated seventh seed Filip Wojtkowiak (York RI) and Martin beat Richard Moss (York RI) in the semi-finals.

Jane Cohen (York RI) won the Ladies’ Singles for the fifth time, defeating Rachel Greener (Bootham) in the final. The first two games were close with Rachel taking the first and Jane the second, both by 11-9. Jane then took control and won the next two, both by 11-5.

Rule and Lowe teamed up to win the Men’s Doubles. They dropped only twelve points in a straight-sets defeat of Moss and Nathan Horsley (York RI) in the final. Jane and Lowe won the Mixed Doubles, beating Rachel and Jake McCarthy (York RI) in the final. They lost the first game 10-12 but took the next three comfortably.

Rule also retained his Junior Singles title, beating Mikey Arnold (York RI) in straight sets in the final; the Hardbat Singles; and the Hardbat Doubles, with Terry Ruane (Burnholme).

Lowe defeated Jon Wooldridge (Bootham) in the Veterans’ (over-40s) Singles final. Wooldridge pulled back from two sets down to take the contest into a decider, which Lowe won comfortably 11-3. Richard Crowther (York RI) and Wooldridge retained their Veterans’ Doubles title, beating Lowe and Mike Fenby (Coneysthorpe) in the final by three games to one, the last two being very close, 12-10 and 17-15.

Matthew Lowe retained the Cadets (under 15s) by defeating his brother Sam in the final. The pair teamed up to win a very close Junior Doubles final against Lewis Harrison and Jacob Martindale (both York RI). They came back from two sets down and won the decider by 12-10. In the Under-11s Singles final Sam Lowe beat Thomas Wood (Millthorpe), who was playing in his first 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-eight players will be competing for twenty-one trophies at this year's York & District Table Tennis Closed Championships, to be held at the York RI Gymnasium on the 5^th and 6^th March 2016. In the Men's Singles Martin Lowe, eight-times champion and last year’s winner, is the top seed. Lowe’s Coneysthorpe team-mate, 16-year-old James Rule, is seeded two. Both Lowe and Rule have 100 percent records in the league so far this season so something has to give. Six-times winner Richard Moss (York RI) returns after a four-year absence and is seeded 3, with Jon Wooldridge (Bootham) seeded 4. Lowe is also top seed in the Veterans' Singles with Wooldridge seeded second. Lowe and Rule are top seeds in the Men’s Doubles and Lowe and Jane Cohen (York RI) are top seeds in the Mixed Doubles. Wooldridge and Richard Crowther (York RI), last year’s winners, are top seeds in the Veterans’ Doubles. Rule is top seed in the Junior Singles, with Mikey Arnold (York RI) second.