BOOMING Martin Lowe scaled the heights to beat top seed and defending champion Richard Moss in the men's final of the York Closed Table Tennis Championships.

Both players decorated a five-set thriller with some of the best hitting seen in York for many years.

But it was Lowe whose crashing forehands ultimately held sway to wrest the crown from Moss.

Signalling his intent from the start Lowe's power yielded the first set only for Moss to level in the second.

Lowe again nudged ahead with the third. But Moss, who has recently returned from an intensive coaching course at Lilleshall, bounced back with a series of delicate shots which tied the game at 2-2.

All was down to the final set and after getting the start he needed Lowe relentlessly wore down his opponent. If he did not nail the first shot then he almost always nailed the second to land the title in a final that drew long and loud applause from the delighted audience.

Moss gained some consolation when he and Mick Willcockson teamed up to take the men's doubles final from Doug Bartle and Richard Crowther by a 3-0 set margin.

It was to be the first of four successes for the evergreen Willcockson, who had been ousted in the men's semi-finals by Moss.

Willcockson won the veterans' doubles final with Bartle to add to the veterans' singles title in which he beat John Farmery (Holgate WMC).

The Sessions star also teamed up with Jill Rounce to top Bartle and Marian Broadbent in the mixed doubles final.

For Rounce it was her third title of the day. After partnering Holly Lewis to the ladies' double crown in which she was the strongest of the four contestants, the York RI player won the ladies' singles final, where she overcame Helen Standish (Shepherds).

A double triumph was notched by York RI junior Stephen Robinson. He beat James Parker to land the junior singles title and then got the better of Poppleton's Mark Hughes to capture the Restricted Singles title for those players outside the top 16.

Parker (Sessions) gained some consolation in winning the cadet final against Luke Blackburn.

Before all the finals, the first day of the championships was led by Nestl Rowntree's Keith Webster.

In winning the super veterans' title he overcame three players from division one, including Bartle in the final, and was awarded the coveted Cifford Trophy.

The prizes were presented by G Grainge (vice-president) and his wife, and Steve Tindall, facilities manager of NEDL, who sponsor the league and both the Shepherd and Machell trophies.

Updated: 08:57 Wednesday, February 02, 2005