A STRAIGHT sets win over unseeded University ace Senri Ohara earned Coneysthorpe’s Martin Lowe a fifth York Closed Table Tennis Championship singles crown.

Lowe claimed his first title since 2008 with an 11-7, 11-7, 13-11 victory over Ohara at the York RI gym in Queen Street.

Ohara made a flying start to the final, taking the first three points, but Lowe fought back to level at 4-4 en route to an 11-7 scoreline.

Again Ohara took an early lead in the second set, but from 6-3 down Lowe took eight of the next nine points for another 11-7 result.

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 fought back to have a set point of his own at 11-10.

However, Lowe took the next three points to win the set 13-11 and the trophy.

It was the first time in seven years that Lowe had not faced Richard Moss in the singles final. Moss, who had won in 2009, 2010 and 2011, was not in the field.

Both finalists had earlier dropped a single set each in their respective semi-finals.

Lowe beat Coneysthorpe team-mate, and third seed, Joel Wright, while Ohara overpowered Bootham’s Jon Wooldridge, who was seeded four.

In earlier rounds, Ohara defeated number two seed Ashley Hodgson and James Atkins, seeded five, in matches that went to the final game.

Meanwhile, Lowe teamed up with Coneysthorpe colleague Hodgson to win the doubles final in straight sets against the University pairing of Ohara and Yuk Yin Wong.

The mixed doubles was a tighter affair, with BT’s Marian Broadbent and Wooldridge, beating University duo Ohara and Rudy Huang on a final game.

Lowe took his trophy haul to three with a 3-1 sets victory over Hodgson in a repeat of last year’s veterans’ final.

In the veterans’ doubles final, Richard Crowther, of York RI, and Wooldridge saved two match points in the fourth set before taking the decider 11-4 against Holgate WMC duo John Farmery and Graham Hatfield.

Shepherds player Jake McCarthy won the junior singles title, defeating club-mate Nathan Taylor 3-1 in sets in the final.

The final of the cadets event was a close match with Coneysthorpe’s Ethan Lowe beating York RI’s Matt Roberts 12-10 in the deciding set.

The Clifford Trophy, awarded for outstanding performance over the two days, went to Ohara – a Japanese student who is studying at the University of York for one year.

John Farmery, secretary of the York Table Tennis Association, said: “He played outstanding attacking table tennis to defeat three seeded players on the way to the final of the singles.

“He also reached the finals of the men’s doubles and mixed doubles, and he won the division two singles competition.”

The main sponsors of the tournament were GMB, while sponsors of other events were friends of the Association.

Farmery added: “Thanks to all the sponsors for their support.”

Table tennis results

Men’s singles: Martin Lowe bt Senri Ohara 11-7, 11-7, 13-11

Men’s doubles: Ashley Hodgson and Martin Lowe beat Senri Ohara and Yuk Yin Wong 11-5, 11-4, 11-7

Mixed doubles: Marian Broadbent and Jon Wooldridge beat Rudy Huang and Senri Ohara 13-11, 12-10, 7-11, 8-11, 11-8

Veteran singles (over-40): Martin Lowe beat Ashley Hodgson 11-7, 12-10, 4-11, 12-10

Veteran doubles (over-40): Richard Crowther and Jon Wooldridge beat John Farmery and Graham Hatfield 11-8, 9-11, 6-11, 12-10, 11-4

Super-veteran singles (over-55): John Hughes beat Jo Suchecki 11-8, 9-11, 8-11, 11-8, 11-8

Junior singles (under-18): Jake McCarthy beat Nathan Taylor 11-1, 11-13, 11-3, 11-6

Cadet singles (under-15): Ethan Lowe beat Matt Roberts 11-5, 12-14, 10-12, 11-8, 12-10

Junior doubles: Ethan Lowe and Jake McCarthy beat Martin Brown and Lewis McCarthy 4-11, 6-11, 11-8, 15-13, 11-3

Div 1: Jon Wooldridge beat Alfie Potter 11-4, 8-11, 11-6, 11-8

Div 2: Senri Ohara beat Mark Blackburn 11-3, 11-7, 9-11, 11-4

Div 3: Yuk Yin Wong beat Lewis McCarthy 11-9, 11-8, 11-7

Div 4: David Dunn beat Trevor Percival 11-7, 11-9, 11-5

Hard bat singles: John Hughes beat Charles Allenby 10-12, 11-9, 11-9, 11-9

Hard bat doubles: David Dunn and John Farmery beat Charles Allenby and Dave Norville 11-7, 11-5

Restricted singles: Mark Blackburn beat David Dunn 11-4, 11-3

Clifford Trophy: Senri Ohara