then had some words of encouragement for his young opponent.

"He can take me -- I know he can and he probably does -- but I'm not going to let him,'' Mallory said after triumphing in two tie-break sets in the semi-final of the Heineken Open.

"In a way I want him to win a tournament. On the other hand if he's playing against me I'm not going to give it to him.'' It is that kind of competitive spirit that should be of benefit to Collieson in the long run, although right now he may not be able to see it that way, having found it impossible to take the intiative in tight games.

Mallory beat him in three sets in the final of the Colonial Open a year ago and last month the 21-year-old had to retire during the tie-break in the third set of their ABTC final with a wrist injury.

At the Davis Cup in Bolivia in April, he got the wrong end of a four-hour marathon against Puerto Rico's Gilberto Rivera, losing 10-8 in the third.

"He told me if he lost another match like that he was going to throw his racket out of the Tennis Stadium,'' joked Mallory. As it was, it was just a ball that felt the full weight of Collieson's frustration after Mallory had taken the second tie-break 7-3, having clinched the first 7-4.

"But I think it's just a psychological thing, really,'' added Mallory. "When you get into a tie-break situation you just have to take one point at a time.

He sort of tightened up, whereas in most of the games he was relaxed and had me running from side to side.'' Collieson actually had a great chance to take the first set after three double faults by his opponent in the eighth game gave him a 5-3 lead with his serve to come.

But he played a shocking service game containing four unforced errors to allow Mallory back into it.

However, Collieson, suffering from a flu virus, showed commendable fighting spirit as he faced defeat in the second set. Mallory had broken him for a 5-3 lead, but Collieson produced some of the big shots everyone knows he is capable of to break back immediately.

Unfortunately, the Auburn University student failed to find consistency with those shots and Mallory was again able to take control of the tie-break.

"I think when he has the guy in trouble he doesn't come to the net enough,''said Mallory. "He had enough chances to come to the net and put the ball away when he had me running around.

"A couple of times there were easy smashes I popped up that he just hit into the net. When you miss shots like that it messes with your mind.'' Mallory wasn't entirely happy with his own form. "I didn't think I was at my best today,'' he said. "I had a chance to close it out in the second set at 5-3 but I had a lot of double faults. And my slice was off with the high shots he was hitting out to my backhand. I just did what I had to do to win the match.'' Mallory's win sets him up for a showdown with another Davis Cup team-mate, Michael Way in Saturday's final. Way was a 6-3, 6-4 winner over friend Gregg Frigerio in yesterday's other semi.

Meanwhile, Collieson must build himself up for the Colonial Open which begins at Pomander Gate next week. He might be pleased to know that his Achilles heel -- last year's winner Mallory -- will be absent at a wedding.

ONE FOR THE AGES -- Experience once again overcame youth yesterday as Ricky Mallory (above) defeated James Collieson in a match of top Island players in the Heineken Open tournament.