important lesson during yesterday's semi-final of the Bermuda Lawn Tennis Club Invitational at Coral Beach -- if you talk the talk, be prepared to walk the walk.

Way breezed into the men's open final with a 6-1, 4-6, 6-1 victory over James Collieson and will now take on second seed Mike Curry, a 6-4, 6-1 victor over David Lambert on Saturday.

Going into the semi-final, Collieson, apparently trying to psyche himself up, may have given Way a little more reason to play at his best by openly saying that Way was going down.

"I can't let him beat me once,'' said a tired Way following the match, "because as soon as he breaks through and wins one, he may think that he can beat me anytime he wants to, and at my age that would be very difficult to overcome.'' Collieson, who had no time to mull over his defeat before returning to the court for a mixed doubles contest with Mary Pretty, said he felt good.

"But I just couldn't get started and keep the momentum going. I though that I was on the way after winning the second set, but when he went up three-love I just felt that sinking feeling,'' said Collieson.

Way gave an early indication of the way the match was going when he ran off four straight games in the opening set and cruised to victory in less then 20 minutes.

In one of the day's top matches, Joe Keener of Gladwyne, Pennsylvania, was unable to overcome fellow American Mike Hazard in the men's 65 finals as the Boston native squeezed out a 6-3, 7-6 win, including 11-9 in the tie-break to capture his first Bermuda tennis title.

The biggest surprise of the day came when Jill Finnigan, new to the island and tournament play, upset Kim Simmons in the women's open round-robin, winning 6-3, 6-2. Top-ranked Kelly Holland eased past Elizabeth Stewart 6-1, 6-3 and, because there are only four players in the draw, she can take the title this afternoon against Simmons.

Meanwhile, it will be an all-English final later today when Joan Hassell of Ipswich takes on Mary Pretty of Halesworth in the ladies' 50 final.

Pretty had to come from a set down to defeat American Rosemarie Asch 6-7, 6-4, 6-4 while Hassell, the defending champion, defeated Meg Charles 6-0, 6-0. In another final slated for today, top seed King Van Nostrand will take on Elmer Mangrum in an all-American battle for the men's 55 title.