SEVENTH heaven was ascended by crack Coneysthorpe player Martin Lowe after he was crowned York table-tennis men’s singles champion, writes John Farmery.

Lowe defeated second seed and Coneysthorpe club-mate James Rule to win the title for a seventh time and for the third year on the spin.

Lowe stormed into a 7-3 lead in the first set before 14-year-old Rule won the next two points to threaten a comeback. Lowe then lost just two more points to win 11-7.

The second set was much closer. Rule led 9-7 before Lowe won five of the next six points to take the set 12-10.

Lowe took a commanding 9-4 lead in the third set before Rule took the next three. Lowe then won the next two to win the set 11-7.

In the semi-finals, Lowe defeated third seed Aidan Ranftler (Holgate WMC) in straight sets, while Rule overcame fifth seed Mick Wilcockson (York RI), also in straight sets.

Lowe also won the Over-40 singles, defeating Wilcockson.

Jane Cohen (York RI) won the ladies’ singles for the fourth time, ousting Rachel Greener (Bootham Conservative Club) 3-1.

Cohen won the first set comfortably, 11-6, before Greener countered just losing the second set 9-11 and winning the third 12-10. But Cohen surged into a commanding lead in the fourth set to prevail 11-7.

Greener earlier teamed up with Marian Broadbent (BT) to win the ladies’ doubles against Cohen and Anne Barnard (York RI), and the mixed doubles final with Jake McCarthy (York RI) against Cohen and Wilcockson.

Holgate WMC duo John Farmery and Ranftler won the men’s doubles crown in a close tussle.

They took a two-set lead against Richard Crowther (York RI) and Jon Wooldridge (Bootham CC), who then fought back to level before the Holgate pair went on to win the deciding set 11-9.

Crowther and Wooldridge also lost out in the final of the O40s doubles, losing to Andy Kirk (Shepherds) and Wilcockson.

Rule won the cadets and juniors titles, defeating Jake McCarthy and Mikey Arnold (York RI) in the respective finals. He also teamed up with Tom Warin to win the junior doubles.

Meanwhile, Arnold won the Clifford Trophy, awarded for the outstanding performance over the two days.

The 13-year-old won the division four singles title, was runner-up in the cadets singles, and performed very well against more experienced players.