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No stopping Mallory: Ricky races to third title of year

Saturday to claim his third national singles title of the season.Mallory, the number one seed, defeated his doubles partner and Davis Cup team-mate Jenson Bascome 6-1, 6-2 to follow up his Heineken Open and Colonial Open triumphs.

Saturday to claim his third national singles title of the season.

Mallory, the number one seed, defeated his doubles partner and Davis Cup team-mate Jenson Bascome 6-1, 6-2 to follow up his Heineken Open and Colonial Open triumphs.

"I've never won all three before and I don't know if anyone ever has,'' said Mallory.

But his thirst for victory is not yet quenched -- he still wants to win the Coral Beach Open later in the year to gain a 1999 clean sweep and round off an all-conquering season.

Mallory summarised how he managed to beat 19-year-old Bascome so comprehensively.

"I tried to end the points as quickly as possible and it worked,'' he said.

"My serve was pretty good and I was getting a lot of big first serves in.

"Jenson told me that he was trying to go for his shots and he made a lot of unforced errors.'' For Mallory, it was an early birthday present -- he turns 34 tomorrow -- and he was not sure for how much longer he could maintain the form which has enabled him to dominate men's tennis in Bermuda this year.

"I don't know how long I can keep it going,'' he said. "I'm already taking a lot of flak for the amount of time I spend practising and training. But you only get out of this game what you put into it.'' Belco employee Mallory, who will marry next month, also won the mixed doubles, teaming up with Danielle Paynter to defeat Laverne Stowe and Stuart Smith 6-2, 6-4. And yesterday, Mallory repeated his achievement of the Colonial Open, by winning all three events he had entered, thanks to victory in the men's doubles final.

He and partner Bascome finally prevailed 7-6 (7-2), 6-7 (7-3), 6-4 over Mark Cordeiro and Stuart Smith in a thrilling match.

The ladies title went to 18-year-old number one seed Paynter, who saw off Stowe 6-2, 6-3.

For Paynter, who studies in the US and is a member of Bermuda's Federation Cup team, it was a sweet triumph after the disappointment of losing to Jill Finnigan in the Colonial Open final a month ago.

In the men's B final, Coleridge Place defeated teenager Craig Bean 6-2, 6-2.

Paynter and Bean had to play their finals on Saturday so they and two of Bermuda's other top juniors, Tara Lambert and Jevon Roberts, could fly off to an International Tennis Federation camp in Florida yesterday.

The schedule changes left the unfortunate Stowe being forced to play three finals on Saturday and she came off second best in all of them.

In the ladies' doubles, Stowe and Lambert went down to Wendy Gelhay and Sheila Gomez, 7-5, 5-0, retired.

The 18-year-old Lambert was more successful in the ladies' B final, recovering from an early setback to defeat Shonette Wilson 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.

The senior titles went to Vernal Davis, who beat Leslie Stowe 6-3, 7-6, to win the men's trophy, and Barbara Lambert, who won the ladies' championship with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Iola Rocker.

Top lady: Danielle Paynter, who defeated Laverne Stowe in straight sets to win the Port Royal Open ladies singles title.