British Land Open Singles and Doubles Championship 2007

Queen's Club 19 November

Rob Fahey (Aus) vs Steve Virgona (Aus)

The old sages have been nodding of late and predicting that Rob Fahey's crown was beginning to lie a little uneasy. This would be the year when 29 year old Steve Virgona would come of age and wrest the British Open title from the 39 year old World Champion. The sages had a point- the portents were plain to see- Fahey had struggled against Camden Riviere in their bruising five set semi-final 6/4, 6/3, 5/6, 5/6, 6/1. Virgona had on the other hand cruised through 3 matches dropping only 16 games in 9 sets.

Slimmer and sporting a more conventional hairstyle, Virgona buckled immediately under a Fahey hurricane in the first game. Announcing his intent, the World Champion beat chase worse than a yard with a rasping volley off Virgona's serve. The barrage continued unabated as Fahey played immaculate tennis to win the first set to love and allowing his opponent only two games in the second set.

Virgona had struggled to find a serve that put Fahey under pressure and once he had eschewed serves from the main wall, his shorter serves from nearer the penthouse begun to reap some rewards. After a long injury break Virgona came out fighting in the third set, helped by a lack of focus from the World Champion.

However, it was business as usual in the fourth, as Fahey continued his master class to win his 33rd Open Final and eighth British Open Championship.

Fahey is still a peerless performer and will be chasing down Pierre Etchebaster's record of World Championships. His play emphatically proved to the sages that their reports of his impending demise were greatly exaggerated. He cannot be written off for some time yet and claimed afterwards that his standard of play in the first two sets was the best he had ever achieved at the Queen's Club during his long career.

It was fitting that the period of Sir John Ritblat and British Land's sponsorship of the British Open should end with another scintillating performance by the greatest player ever to have played real tennis.

R. Fahey beat S.Virgona 6/0, 6/2. 0/6, 6/2

British Open Doubles Final sponsored by British Land
Queen's Club 20 November 2007

Rob Fahey (Aus) & Ruaraidh Gunn (GB) vs Steve Virgona (Aus) & Spike Willcocks (GB)

R Fahey & R Gunn beat S Virgona & J Willcocks 6/0, 6/4, 4/6, 6/4