POWERFUL play saw Martin Lowe retain the men's singles title in a fast and hard-hitting final at York and District Table Tennis Association's Closed Championships last night.

For the second successive year he packed too much punch for former champion Richard Moss, who lost the crown to Lowe last year.

"It went much the same way as last year, though I'm glad it didn't go to five games this time. I definitely didn't want to have to play a fifth against him," said Lowe after his 11-6, 11-8, 8-11, 14-12 victory.

The Scarborough-based left-hander, who plays for Coneysthorpe in York League's top division, was quickly in the driving seat as Moss was caught out by Lowe's speed and power.

As he is a student at Newcastle University, 19-year-old Moss has played only once for his club Sessions in York League so far this season, though he was recently in top-level action for Riccall-based club Derwent in the National League.

An 11-9 11-6 11-4 semi-final win over his coach and doubles partner Mick Wilcockson, in the men's semis, sharpened Moss for the prospect of needing to step up a gear in the final, but former Surrey county player Lowe was too good for him on the night.

Moss made a determined fightback, taking the third game and battling hard in the fourth. He was never more than two points behind and it was point-for-point from 9-9 to 12-12. But he lost the next point on his serve and Lowe won his next serve to wrap-up the match.

In the semi-finals, Lowe beat York RI's Richard Crowther, the fifth seed, 11-5 13-11 11-9.

Moss went home with one winner's trophy, though, as he and Wilcockson took the men's doubles. Their opponents in the final were two of York's most promising youngsters, junior singles champion Stephen Robinson and junior runner-up James Parker. Fourth seeds in the men's doubles, the lads lost the final in straight games but put up a creditable performance and scored some excellent points.

Five winner's trophies went to Wilcockson (men's and mixed doubles, division one singles and veterans' singles and doubles.

He also got two runners-up awards, in the hard bat singles and doubles.

Jill Rounce, who retained the ladies singles title with a straight games win over York RI club colleague Jean Carter, took home two more trophies - the ladies doubles, with Marian Broadbent, and the mixed doubles, with Wilcockson.

Updated: 11:11 Monday, January 30, 2006