The 26-year-old beat Depak Patel, of Wellington, in the quarterfinals before eclipsing Paul Whitehead, of Waikato, 11-7, 11-5, 11-3, 11-8 in the semifinals.
Lee, 17, who is Ball's regular training partner, beat Palmy-born Natalie Paterson, of Napier, in the quarterfinals 7-11, 11-5, 11-7, 12-10, 11-9 before overwhelming Shane Wilson, of Wellington, 11-1, 11-6, 11-9, 11-5.
Ball, who started playing table tennis from the age of 10 but didn't take it "super seriously" until almost a decade later, jets off to Dunedin in a fortnight for the Otago Open before setting his sights on the North Island Open and the Wellington Open late next month.
"Table tennis used to be my serious winter sport but it was second to cricket which I played up to senior level until about a couple of years ago," said the bloke who finds mentoring the young in the indoor code not only keeps him involved but also enhances his game.
With a "quite spinny" forehand topspin his main strength, Ball also is able to control rallies and generate pace.
The lucrative $40,000 Wellington Open doubles up as national-qualifying tourney for the Oceania Championship but he goes to Otago because the organisers subsidise his travel costs.
Teng Teng Liu, of China, is the NZ top seed after arriving in Auckland in 2010 as a 17-year-old.
"He's waiting to become eligible for New Zealand so he probably has another two years to go but he's the No1 by a margin," says Ball who relished winning two sets against him last year despite losing.
Taiwan-born Yi Sien Lin, in his 30s and living in Christchurch, is the country's No2.
Ball has ambitions to make the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games after finding himself down the pecking order for the 2014 Glasgow Games.
"The Olympics is probably unrealistic for New Zealand with the way the criteria is set out but maybe in the future [it's a possibility]."
Paterson's attempt to challenge the Bay Open constitution will have wait until next year after the Taradale Intermediate School teacher again bowed out in the quarterfinals when she was granted dispensation to compete against men for the second year.
Wendy Zheng, of Napier, clinched the women's final after coming off a decade-long dormancy to beat Paterson 11-9, 9-11, 3-11, 11-8, 11-6, 7-11, 11-7.
"My service was better and I like had to [overcome] her forehand," said the 31-year-old mother of four who stopped playing after getting married in Auckland and settling here nine years ago.
The former U19/U21 Auckland rep, who hails from Xiamen in southern China, has been playing the game since she was 6. It was her first entry in the Bay event.
"On Tuesday I played Natalie but I hadn't been training so she asked to play and I did," said Zheng, who is contemplating getting back on the proverbial horse although finding time from motherhood may pose its challenges.
She beat Abbey Webb, of Manawatu, 11-5, 13-11, 11-7, 11-6 in the semifinals.
Paterson beat her title-winning Sri Lankan doubles partner, Menaka Samarasinghe, who only moved to Palmy a year ago, 11-3, 11-5, 11-7, 11-2 in the semifinals.
The New Zealand No5 didn't think she played badly at any stage of the numerous back-to-back games.
"I think by the time I got to Wendy I was pretty knackered," said the 23-year-old who was mentally tested when they were locked at 2-all.
"She had a good serve and just killed me with the third ball," she said, keen to coax a fast-paced Zheng into training with her regularly.
Paterson combined with Ball to claim the mixed doubles honours while Ball and Lee won the men's double from Whitehead and Dave Scott (Waikato).
