again.

The former Bermuda number one -- ranked among the top 200 players in the world during the 1980s -- captured the inaugural Shell Tennis Challenge yesterday with an emphatic 8-4 victory over Michael Way on a steamy afternoon at the Tennis Stadium.

Alger, trailing 3-4 at one stage before grabbing five games in a row to defeat Way, capped a successful homecoming which saw him claim all three of his matches in an entertaining round-robin event.

On Saturday, Alger walloped rising star James Collieson 8-1 to get the ball rolling and then cruised to an 8-4 triumph over Ricky Mallory before a steady rain forced postponement of the final two matches until yesterday.

A disappointing crowd of just under 80 spectators watched on Saturday as Way overwhelmed Mallory 8-0 in his first match, but struggled against Collieson, losing 8-6 to the 18-year-old phenom.

Collieson was clearly on a roll -- with a righthanded stroke almost as effective as Benedicte Tarango's -- but that rhythm was shattered when the programme was halted at 5 p.m. on Saturday.

Way avenged his loss to Mallory a week ago in the Pomander Gate final, never permitting his arch-rival's game to gain any kind of momentum.

In the first game Mallory doubled faulted twice opening the door for Way to break his serve, a preview of things to come.

In the next three games Mallory was able to come up with only two points, then in the fifth game -- ahead 30-0 on his own serve -- Way roared back to break Mallory again.

Way, Bermuda's number one player, would not enjoy similar success again in the tournament, although he bravely fought back from a 1-3 deficit against Alger to jump out to a tenuous 4-3 lead.

"I started to rush a little bit when I was leading and psychologically I calmed down when Michael levelled the match,'' Alger said after the 50-minute clash, receiving a $400 cheque and glass trophy for winning the event.

"I think in the back of my mind I realised I was just pushing too much, so I just slowed the game down a little bit and started to rally with Michael from the baseline, mix my shots up a bit and try and get him to commit to a few more things.

"I felt that I was giving him stuff at the start and then, fortunately, I was maybe a shade fitter than he was which definitely helped. I was able to work the ball around and capitalise when he showed me some weaknesses.'' Alger's success came largely from a crunching serve, frustrating Way even further with a number of aces.

At one point Way good-naturedly turned to a spectator and said: "It'd be nice to have a serve like that.'' More than anything, however, Alger proved he hasn't lost his touch in the nine years he's been living and working in England.

At 37, the competitive fires continue to burn bright. Alger plays for his county team in Surrey and is also a member of England's Over-35 team.

Prior to Saturday's match he was wearing his England jacket while warming up for Collieson.

Although Alger had a good idea of what to expect from Way and Mallory, he didn't know much about Collieson -- also back home from the US where he is attending school.

In beating Way, Collieson showed hustle and heart -- while his father, Will, watched nervously, but proudly, from the grandstand.

"Against Steve it was kind of a reality check,'' said Collieson as poised with a reporter as he is on the court. The teenager is also competing this week in the Ace/Pomander Gate junior tournament, which begins today. "I'm not quite where I want to be yet. I was glad I had to play (Alger) first. He just beat me up real bad and then when I got to play Michael the ball wasn't coming at me as fast. So I got a chance to see it a little better and play it a little better.

"I'm real disappointed with my game against Rick. I thought it was my turn to win something but it just didn't happen.'' Collieson mounted a stoic desperation drive after trailing 2-6 in the tie-breaker. He eventually lost 7-8 (5-7) against the more experienced Mallory.

"I think he has tremendous potential because he's got in-built natural strength, which means he doesn't have to go to the gym and pump weights to build himself up,'' said Alger of Collieson. "What he must do now is concentrate on his foot speed and get as much international experience as he can against top players.

"Without being rude about it, the longer he stays out of Bermuda the better it is for his tennis. In Britain there's a 20-year-old named Tim Henman who everyone's tipping to be their next superstar. He's very talented and he could be a phenonmenal player, but what he doesn't have and which James has is that natural physical strength.'' Despite the empty seats -- menacing clouds kept spectators away on Saturday -- an upbeat Bermuda Lawn Tennis Association president David Lambert said the tournament would become a fixture on the local calendar.

"We wanted a chance to see how everyone would do against Steve,'' said Lambert. "I think we need more of these events.'' Way, Collieson and Mallory each finished with 1-2 records, with Way claiming the second place prize of $300 as a result of winning 18 games. Collieson, with 16 triumphs, was third while Mallory was fourth on 12 victories.

Said Alger: "I'm very happy. I wasn't sure how I'd do, I wasn't sure how I'd handle the conditions. I knew they'd be tough and I knew that Michael and Ricky are vastly improved.'' Photos by Tony Cordeiro CHANGING OF THE GUARD -- One of the best players in local tennis history, Steve Alger (right) showed during the Shell Challenge how he hasn't lost a step, but James Collieson (left) showed how a bright new era is about to begin.