Newton, Lindley toast top titles

TABLE SERVICE . . . the Oldham Table Tennis Closed Championships at Hulme Grammar School

TABLE tennis enthusiasts were treated to a feast of action at the Oldham Closed Championships.

From the young guns to the over-50s/vets, a plethora of titles were up for grabs at a busy Hulme Grammar.

Alex Darlington was denied back-to-back junior honours by the excellence of Sophie Newton.

It was a terrific effort from Sophie, who claimed her first individual Closed title 3-1 in sets, after earlier losing to Darlington in the group stages.

Darlington also lost out in the final of the Division Three Handicap.

Darren Lindley shone as he scooped the Open crown.

Spectators were in awe as Lindley, from the Saddleworth club, defeated Kyan Chin in three sets.

Other performances of note came from Jacob Sharp, who reached the last 16 after beating a player three divisions higher than him in Andy Hey.

Sophie was unfortunate in her defeat to eventual losing finalist Chin, while Jacob Reilly-Cooper beat Winston Duff.

On the other side of the draw, Darryl Meredith was beaten in three by Kim Lee, who lost to Andy Jackson in the quarters, before Chin got the better of the eventual over-50s/vets winner.

OVERCAME

Lindley was the man to beat in the over-40s section and he duly prevailed as he overcame Brian Hallsworth, who endured plenty of five-setters in the open singles, 3-0.

He took the scalps of Karen Hill and Kim Lee. Hallsworth had beaten Simon Hardwick in the last four.

In the over-50s/vets, victory went to Jackson in four sets against Chin, who again had to settle for runners-up spot.

Jackson defeated David Buckley, whom he hadn't played for many years, and Duff en route to the final.

The doubles event was incredible with the unlikely pairing of Matty Evans and Gary Crossley entertaining the crowd.

They beat the Dunnings, Naz Ahmed and Miles Benjamin, but then lost to Meredith and Simon Hardwick in the quarter-finals.

Victory went to Majid Tubasum and Khamal Hussain as they overcame Ian McLean and treble-seeking Lindley in a close-fought encounter.

The duo beat Paul King and Nathan Buckley, and Meredith and Hardwick in the run-up to the final.

The Divisional Handicaps saw Gareth Hey claim the Fifth, the Dave Greenwood the Fourth, Josh Hudson the Third, Ped McKinstry the Second, and Paul King defeated Evans, last year's winner, in the First.

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