The region's top table tennis tournament, the Newcastle Grand Prix, is held at the city's Eldon Leisure Centre on Saturday and Sunday.
Players from all over Britain will take part as well as entrants from the Irish Republic, Greece and Poland.
Saturday sees the staging of all of the banded events, starting at 9am, with the men's and women's singles, men's and women's under-21 singles and the men's veterans singles on Sunday. The singles semi-finals and finals will be held at 3.30.
Top seed in the men's singles is England international Alex Perry from Devon. His main challengers should be Dale Barham of Cambridge, Scotland's Niall Cameron and Abdul Wuroala of Surrey.
Northumberland's Eddie Smith and Andrew Wilkinson are ranked seven and nine respectively.
Lancashire's Lindsey Thornton-Reynolds is the favourite in the women's singles, with Joanna Roberts of Yorkshire expected to meet her in the final.
Brad Evans of Buckinghamshire and Shaun Marples of Derbyshire are the top seeds in the men's under- 21 singles.
Hopes are high of a local success in the under-21 women's singles, where Durham's Claire Wilson is the top seed. Her main challenge should come from Caroline Hallows of Cheshire.
Last year's veterans' winner, Dave Godbold of Northumberland, defends his title but is seeded in second spot behind Surrey's Abdul Wuraola. Fellow local veteran Geoff Salter is the fourth seed.
Eddie Smith defends his Band One title but is seeded behind Niall Cameron (Scotland), Wuraola and Marples.
Gemma Lloyd of Cheshire is favourite to win the women's Band One and Alkistis Olympiou of Greece is the top seed in the Band Two.
North East players who have a chance of success in the lower bands are Jimmy Scope, who is top seed in men's Band Four and Pauline Long, number one in women's Band Three.
