BOOTHAM SCHOOL pupil Kate Empson completed a hat-trick of title doubles when she won the York Under-16 event at the York Junior Tennis Championships.

It was her fourth successive triumph in the championships and the third year running that she has won both the City of York event and the Tyke Petroleum tournaments.

Empson, 15, who will still be eligible to defend her U16 titles next season, plays for Bishopthorpe Tennis Club.

She fought her way back from 5-2 down against Jenny Rowland to win 6-5 and complete the round-robin section with 12 games, one more than Rowland. Laura McMahon was third with three games.

Due to the low number of entries from some York clubs - particularly in girls' events - the format and date of next year's championships is under review.

Chloe McLaren shook off a niggling elbow injury to top the U14 girls' standings with 17 games. Malton-based York Tennis Club player Fay Chapman was runner-up.

Scott Shepherd was a convincing winner of the U10 boys' title.

He did not drop a game in his group and defeated Jonathan Sellars 6-0 in the final.

Sellars had lost one of just three games in group one.

Chris Baughan also won the U12 final to love. He had piled up 28 games in group one and was too strong for group two winner Christopher Pillai in the final.

Pillai had beaten Ben Walker by just one game to take his place in the final.

In the U14 boys' event, group one winner Jonny Holbeck managed to sneak past Will Peeke-Vout by just one game to reach the semi-final where he beat Ben Leftwich, who had won group two with 25 games.

Group three winner Bradley Want lost just five games and beat Tom Walker to love in his semi-final.

Walker had tied with Scott Farquahar in group four but as he had beaten Farquahar earlier in the day he went through to the last four.

The final was an extremely tentative affair with some of the longest rallies ever witnessed at the championships.

Both Holbeck and Want had match points but failed to take advantage until Holbeck finally took the title with a 10-9 win.

Daniel Bruce swept to the U16 boys' title in great style.

He only lost a couple of games in six group matches to finish ahead of Wesley Casey and Simon White.

Group one was tightly fought with James Walker's 23 games just edging out James Pauw and Ben Storey.

Bruce was utterly dominant in the final, beating Walker 10-0.

All the girls' events were run on a round robin basis.

The results were:

U10 girls: 1 Emily Garland 18 games, 2 Emma Loten 15, 3 Philippa Jones 8, 4 Rebecca Turnbull 7.

U12 girls: 1 Jane Allace 6-2 6-1, 2 Emma Pauw 1-6 6-2, 3 Natalie Jones 2-6, 2-6.

U14 girls: 1 Chloe McLaren 17 games, 2 Fay Chapman 13, 3 Lizzie Ekers 10, 4 Maddie Leftwich 6, 5 Claire Cordukes 4.

U16 girls: 1 Kate Empson 12 games, 2 Jenny Rowland 11, 3 Laura McMahon 3.

Updated: 10:01 Tuesday, July 29, 2003