Treble-chasing Tamsin Bush completed a clean sweep in the City of York Tennis Championships at Rowntree Park on Saturday.

HIGH POINT: Tamsin Bush plays a smash on her way to the women's singles title.

She started a gruelling day with a 6-1 6-3 victory over top seed Helen Leach in the women's singles in a repeat of last year's final.

Sixteen-year-old Bush, who two days before the finals gained 10 O-levels at Manor School, was given a tougher examination this year. Leach only qualified for the final by one game ahead of Ros Wilson in the round robin stages at Poppleton, but put on a determined display in a final of long rallies.

Poppleton player Bush, who will start the new term at York Sixth Form College, then partnered Danni Baker in the doubles final against York's No1 Yorkshire League pairing Wendy Stirk and Louise Lister in a tough three-setter. They lost the first set 6-4 but won the next on a tie-break before wrapping up the match 6-2.

Bush then had to dig deep into her reserves of stamina in another three set battle as she and Steve Smith took the mixed doubles crown against the combination of Andy Cooke and Wendy Shepherd.

That denied Cooke the chance of his own treble - a feat he achieved three years ago - and Shepherd her tenth mixed doubles title. Ironically, Bush became the first woman to win all three titles in a year for the first time since Shepherd achieved it in 1990.

Cooke and Shepherd took the first set 6-3, but the experienced Smith, who had earlier partnered Cooke to the men's doubles crown, and teenager Bush fought back to win the final two sets 6-1 6-4.

Cooke had beaten top seed and holder John Moore to gain revenge for his defeat in last year's final. Cooke, who had beaten Moore three years ago to win the title for the first time, recaptured it on Saturday with a straight sets victory.

He stormed into a 3-0 first set lead before being pegged back to 3-3.

But second seed Cooke, showing greater control than his younger opponent broke again and although Moore saved five set points, the unflappable Cooke closed the set out at 6-3 in 54 minutes.

Both men had breaks of serve up in the opening eight games of the second set, but Moore, a powerful top spin player, endured a nightmare service game in which he made a string of errors and the patient Cooke clinched the match at 6-4, the title-winning point coming when Cooke made a rare sortie to the net and put away a winning volley.

Cooke then teamed up with York team-mate Smith to beat the young Poppleton pairing of Moore and Johnnie Fisher 6-3 6-2 to win the doubles crown for the third successive year, but in the treble shoot-out with Bush in the mixed was just edged out.

Trophies were presented by Steve Ellis, of sponsors Willis and Ellis, motor dealers.

City of York Tennis Championships Finals (at Clifton Park)

Men's Singles: Andy Cooke bt John Moore 6-3 6-4

Women's Singles: Tamsin Bush bt Helen Leach 6-1 6-3

Men's Doubles: Cooke/Steve Smith bt Moore/Johnnie Fisher 6-3 6-2

Women's Doubles: Bush/Dannie Baker bt Louise Lister/Wendy Stirke 4-6 7-6 (8-6) 6-2

Mixed Doubles: Bush/Smith bt Cooke/Wendy Shepherd 3-6 6-1 6-4

Men's Veteran's Singles: Kevin Todd bt Howard Pallister 7-5 6-4

Men's Veteran's Doubles: Todd/ Phil Spencer bt Pallister/Andy Potter 6-4 7-5

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.