Steve Cooper, last year's beaten finalist, has been made top seed to regain the men's singles crown at this weekend's York and District Table Tennis Association Closed Championships.

Bootham Conservative Club player Cooper, who won the title in 1994, is seeded to meet 1997 champion Chris Nicholls, of York League champions Sessions, in the final on Sunday night.

The championships are at York RI gymnasium, Queen Street, on Saturday and Sunday.

Last year's men's singles champion Andrew Nicholls, brother of Chris, is not defending the title.

There are 42 entries for the men's singles, the highest number for any one of the 16 events to be played over the two days.

The next highest is 37 entries in the hardbat singles.

Betty Norman of York RI is number one seed to retain the women's singles title, with fast improving youngster Joanne Somers of Poppleton the second seed.

Chris Nicholls is top seed in the division one singles, with his Sessions club colleague Mick Wilcockson number two. Nicholls and Norman are top seeds in the mixed doubles.

Cooper and Paul Eastwood are top seeds in the men's doubles, with Chris Nicholls and Ian Williams at two.

David Atkinson, the association's competitions secretary, is referee for the championships.

Players' averages in league matches this season were among the factors taken into account when the following list of seeds was made:

Men's singles (42 entries): 1 Steve Cooper (Bootham Conservative Club), 2 Chris Nicholls (Sessions), 3 Mick Wilcockson (Sessions), 4 Paul Eastwood (Bootham), 5 John Farmery (Fulford Road WMC), 6 Jo (correct) Suchecki (Bootham Conservative Club) 7 Ian Stansfield (Coneysthorpe), 8 Graham Hatfield (Fulford Road WMC).

Women's singles (7 entries): 1 Betty Norman (York RI), 2 Joanne Somers (Poppleton).

Men's doubles (22 pairs): 1 Steve Cooper and Paul Eastwood (both Bootham Conservative Club), 2 Chris Nicholls and Ian Williams (both Sessions), 3 Mick Wilcockson (Sessions) and Steve Ayres (Poppleton), 4 John Farmery and Graham Hatfield (both Fulford Road WMC) .

Women's doubles (5 pairs, round-robin group play to decide finalists): 1 Betty Norman (York RI) and Adele Lobley (South Bank Social Club).

Mixed doubles (10 pairs): 1 Chris Nicholls (Sessions) and Betty Norman (York RI), 2 Steve Cooper (Bootham Conservative Club), 3 John Farmery (Fulford Road WMC) and Adele Lobley (South Bank Social Club), 4 Mick Wilcockson (Sessions) and Joanne Somers (Poppleton).

Hardbat singles (37 entries): 1 Charles Allenby (Coneysthorpe), 2 Mick Wilcockson (Sessions), 3 Graham Hatfield (Fulford Road WMC), 4 John Hughes (York RI), 5 Ian Stansfield (Coneysthorpe), 6 John Farmery (Fulford Road WMC), 7 Trevor Wright (York RI), 8 Jonathan Wooldridge (Bootham Conservative Club).

Veteran singles (24 entries): 1 Mick Wilcockson (Sessions), 2 John Farmery (Fulford Road WMC), 3 Jo (correct) Suchecki (Bootham Conservative Club), 4 Ian Stansfield (Coneysthorpe).

Veteran doubles (13 pairs): 1 Mick Wilcockson (Sessions) and John Farmery (Fulford Road WMC), 2 Mick Wadsworth and Jo (correct) Suchecki (both Bootham Conservative Club), 3 Trevor Wright (York RI) and Ian Stansfield (Coneysthorpe), 4 John Hughes and Adrian McClaren (correct) (York RI).

Div 1 singles (13 entries): 1 Chris Nicholls (Sessions), 2 Mick Wilcockson (Sessions), 3 Paul Eastwood (Bootham Conservative )Club), 4 John Farmery (Fulford Road WMC).

Div 2 singles (10 entries): 1 Ian Williams (York RI), 2 Russell Hill (York RI), 3 Richard Moss (Poppleton), 4 Richard McCarthy (York RI).

Div 3 singles (round-robin play to decide finalists): 1 Martin Symons (York INL), 2 Brian Walton (York RI).

Div 4 singles (10 entries): 1 Graham Hood (Bootham Conservative Club), 2 Matthew Ayres (Poppleton).

Div 5 singles (7 entries): 1 Carol Wright (Fulford Road WMC), 2 Alan Milner (Fulford Road WMC).

Junior singles (6 entries, round-robin play to decide finalists): 1 Richard Moss (Poppleton), 2 Richard Leafe (York RI).

Intermediate singles (6 entries, round-robin play to decide finalists): 1 Richard Moss (Poppleton), 2 Richard Day (South Bank Social Club).

Cadet singles (2 entries): 1 Richard Moss (Poppleton) v Jason Parker (Millthorpe).

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