Eighty-eight players competed for twenty-two trophies at this year's York Closed Table Tennis Championships, sponsored by GMBU, held at the York RI Gymnasium on the 2^nd and 3^rd February 2019.

University student Tsz Chung Tang won the Men's Singles, defeating Yoni Caspi (Topspin York) in the final. Tang raced into a 7-3 lead in the first game but Caspi rallied to pull back to 9-9 before Tang won the next two points to win the game. The early stages of the second game were very even and the scores were locked at 7-7. Tang then won four straight points to take the game. Tang lead 7-2 in the third game. Caspi pulled back to 6-7 but then Tang won the next three to give him three championship points. Caspi saved one but Tang won the next to win the game and the title. Caspi dropped one set in defeating team-mate Jon Wooldridge in his semi-final, while Tang overcame defending champion Martin Lowe (Coneysthorpe) in a very close semi-final that went to a deciding game. This is the first time that Martin has not reached the Men’s Singles final since he joined the York League in 2004-2005, a run that has seen him win ten and lose four; a magnificent record.

14-year-old Moke Warburton (Coneysthorpe) won three events. She won the Ladies’ Singles, defeating Ruth Purseglove (Ryedale at RI) 3-0 in the final, teamed up with Cathy Garnsworthy (York RI) to win the Ladies’ Doubles final in straight sets against the University pairing of Daria Golubova and Tia Louise Payne, and with Martin Lowe to win the Mixed Doubles, again 3-0 in the final against Ruth Purseglove and Adam Ridley (Topspin York).

The Men’s Doubles final was an all Topspin York affair, with James Atkins and Will Whattam coming back from a set down to defeat Nathan Taylor and Jon Wooldridge 3-1.

Sammy Kelly (Topspin) defeated team-mate Will Whattam in a close Juniors’ (under-18s) Singles final that went to a deciding set which Sammy won 11-5. Sam Lowe (Coneysthorpe) retained the Cadets (under 15s) Singles, defeating Moke Warburton. Moke came back from two sets down to level the match but Sam took the decider 11-3. Mia Longman (Coneysthorpe) won the Under-11s’ Singles, defeating Harry Male (Wigginton & Haxby) in the final. Sam teamed up with Arthur Sorley (Shiyi Ling) to win the Juniors’ Doubles, defeating Sammy Kelly and Adam Stone (Millthorpe) in straight sets in the final.

Martin Lowe defeated Jon Wooldridge in a very close Veterans’ (over-40s) Singles final that went to a deciding set. Wooldridge and Richard Crowther (York RI) defeated last year’s winners John Farmery and Martin Hood (both Clarence TTC), in the Veterans’ Doubles final in straight sets. John Farmery won the Over-55s’ Singles, beating Mick Wilcockson (York RI) 3-0 in the final. Keith Webster (Shepherds) retained the Over-70s’ title, defeating team-mate Peter Harpham 3-1 in the final.

The divisional singles titles were won by Joe Wright (Topspin York, Div 1), Stephen Temple (Ryedale at RI, Div 2), Sam Crutchley (Wigginton & Haxby, Div 3) and Ian Oxborough (Wigginton & Haxby, Div 4).

Filip Wojtkowiak (York RI) retained the Hardbat Singles title, defeating Jon Wooldridge in the final. Filip teamed up with Doug Muirhead (University) to win the Hardbat Doubles. They defeated Joe Wright (Topspin) and Ryan Jowsey (Shiyi Ling) in the final.

The Mixed Plate was won by Tom Thorp (Shiyi Ling). Adam Ridley (Topspin) won the Handicap Singles, and Steve Cameron and Mark Hodgson (both Wigginton & Haxby) won the Handicap Doubles.

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.

Thanks also to everyone who helped to set up the lights, tables, barriers and scoring tables at 7am on Saturday morning (and stayed to dismantle them on Sunday evening), those who ran the refreshments bar and the raffle, and committee members who collected entries, formulated the schedules and ran the Control Desk (we don’t have a Tournaments Secretary so this was extra work for them).

Preview and seedings

Eighty-eight players will be competing for twenty-two trophies at this year's York & District Table Tennis Closed Championships, to be held at the York RI Gymnasium on the 2^nd and 3rd February 2019. This is the highest entry for many years. In the Men's Singles Martin Lowe (Coneysthorpe), ten-times champion, is the top seed, with University’s Calum Goodwin seeded 2. James Atkins and Yoni Caspi, both from the Topspin club, are seeded 3 and 4 respectively. Lowe is also top seed in the Veterans' Singles, with Jon Wooldridge (Topspin) seeded second. Holders Caspi and Joe Wright (Topspin) are top seeds in the Men’s Doubles. 14-year-old Moke Warburton (Coneysthorpe) is seeded 1 in the Ladies’ Singles, with Ruth Purseglove (Ryedale at RI) seeded 2. Warburton is also the top seed in the Cadets and Junior Singles events, and in the Mixed doubles with Martin Lowe.

Note that seed 1 is placed into the top half of the draw, and seed 2 is placed into the bottom half. Then seeds 3 and 4, 5 and 6, 7 and 8 are drawn into each half of the draw.

Men’s Singles (holder - Martin Lowe): 1 Martin Lowe, 2 Calum Goodwin, 3 James Atkins, 4 Yoni Caspi, 5 Joe Wright, 6 Aidan Ranftler, 7 Jon Wooldridge, 8 Filip Wojtkowiak

Ladies' Singles (Cancan Zhang ): 1 Moke Warburton, 2 Ruth Purseglove

Men's Doubles (Yoni Caspi / Joe Wright): 1 Joni Caspi / Joe Wright, 2 Calum Goodwin / Tsz Chung Tang, 3 Nathan Taylor / Jon Wooldridge, 4 John Farmery / Aidan Ranftler

Ladies' Doubles (Marian Broadbent / Cancan Zhang): No seeding.

Mixed Doubles (Marian Broadbent / Aidan Ranftler): 1 Moke Warburton / Martin Lowe, 2 Ruth Purseglove / Adam Ridley

Under-11 Singles (Alex Widdup): 1 Mia Longman

Cadet Singles (Sam Lowe): 1 Moke Warburton, 2 Sam Lowe

Junior Singles (Mikey Arnold): 1 Moke Warburton 2 Will Whattam, 3 Arthur Sorley, 4 Sam Lowe

Junior Doubles (Arthur Sorely / Adam Stone): No seedings.

Veterans' Singles (Martin Lowe): 1 Martin Lowe, 2 Jon Wooldridge, 3 John Farmery, 4 Mick Wilcockson

Veterans' Doubles (John Farmery / Martin Hood): 1 Richard Crowther / Jon Wooldridge, 2 John Farmery / Martin Hood

Super-Veterans' Singles (Jeff Cohen): 1 John Farmery, 2 Mick Wilcockson, 3 Jeff Cohen, 4 Alfie Potter

Over-70s Singles (Keith Webster): 1 Keith Webster, 2 Peter Harpham

Division One Singles (Aidan Ranftler): 1 Calum Goodwin, 2 James Atkins, 3 Joe Wright, 4 Aidan Ranftler

Division Two Singles (Ben Lockyer): 1 Aidy McClaren, 2 Michael Connolly, 3 Ian Hilton, 4 Stephen Temple

Division Three Singles (Peter Smalley): 1 Sam Crutchley, 2 Mark Hodgson, Daria Golubova, 4 Marcin Ziolek

Division Four Singles (Doug Muirhead): 1 Ian Oxborough, 2 Kieran Podbury, 3 Nathan Fairburn, 4 Clive Pottage

Hard Bat Singles (Filip Wojtkowiak): No seeding.

Mixed Plate (Richard McCarthy): No seeding.

Handicap Singles (Mikey Arnold): No seeding.

Handicap Doubles (Russ Barton / Adam Ridley): No seeding.