Ong Beng Hee hopes his victory in the Logic Bermuda Squash Open will be the catalyst for greater things.

The Malaysian, currently ranked No.9 in world, saw off France's world No.6 Thierry Lincou 3-1 (15-13, 9-15, 15-14, 17-16) in front of a capacity crowd at the Bermuda Squash Racquets Association's Devonshire courts last night.

It was fitting end to a tournament, staged with Logic Communications in association with ACE Group of Companies, Endurance Specialty Ltd and the Bank of Butterfield, that has seen five of the world's top 20 battle it out over three days.

Last night's finale had the crowd on their feet, holding their breath and at times looking on in disbelief as the two players managed to find angles that Pythagoras would have been proud of.

In the end it was Beng Hee, conqueror of Bermuda's Gary Plumstead and Scotland's world No.5 John White en route to the final, who won the day.

"I am very, very happy to have won the tournament," he said afterwards. "I think it's great for my confidence. Hopefully, this will be the start of new things for me. I haven't played very well in the last six or seven tournaments so, hopefully, this is a big step for me towards the top four or five.

"I will definitely mention something about Bermuda if I do really well in the next couple of tournaments."

In the first game the two players were really feeling each other out, but several unforced errors towards the end by Lincou gave Beng Hee some breathing space and he was able to take it in just over 22 minutes.

The intensity began to pick up in the second and it was the European who was able to get his winners in down the stretch to level the match after a further 13 minutes.

Though the Open is not a Professional Squash Association tournament and does not have a bearing on rankings you would not have believed it after witnessing the titanic struggles of the third game.

Referee and fellow pro John White also made his presence felt refusing to give Beng Hee a 'let' early on and then replying in kind to Lincou - the incident causing the latter to hurl his racquet.

After 25 minutes of blood, sweat and tears it was Beng Hee who took a decisive 2-1 lead into the fourth game.

His rival had given everything but now needed to produce a superhuman effort to stay in the contest.

At 14-13 the players scurried from front to back and back to front and then Lincou produced a magical shot to the far right corner which Beng Hee, diving full length, was just unable to reach.

The Frenchman pumped his fist and you wondered whether he might be able square things.

But it was not to be, the energy expended had taken its toll, and though he was able to save two match balls, he could do nothing about the third, Beng Hee hammering a return of serve low into the wall to take the title.

"Today was still very close. I think if we were both fresh he probably would have got away with it, so I was very lucky to win today," Beng Hee said, adding that he wondered whether he could pull it off after Lincou drew level.

"I had doubts in my mind, obviously. In the third game he went 9-4 up and he played really well. I just thought 'this is unbelievable, I'm not going to beat him now," he said.

"But then I think he got a bit tired and I was quite lucky to win a few quick points and that's how I got back into it.

"To win the third game 15-14 and then 17-16 in the fourth - luck was definitely on my side today."

Lincou, out but not down, believed the exertions of reaching the final of the Tournament of Champions in New York last week were partly to blame.

"I was trying, naturally, trying to fight, even though I was really exhausted" he said. "Mentally, I wasn't that hungry. He was much more hungry than me.

"I don't know if I have recovered well from New York - physically and mentally. I also didn't play too well yesterday and I think I spent too much energy winning then. Today, he was more fit and attacked more. But, you know, it was really pretty close."

Lincou said there was one key point in the game that may have cost him.

"Maybe in the third game when I was up. I just lost a little bit of my focus," he said. "He came back and I had a few mistakes and especially that serve out at 13-all - that really killed my brain."

The loss in the final aside, Lincou said he was happy with the way things had gone recently.

"It's a good run of matches and wins," he said, adding he was glad he came to Bermuda. "I have really enjoyed being here. It's been good training and it's been a good experience. I definitely want to come back and be ready for this again."

Earlier in the evening, court jesters John White and Australian Joe Kneipp played in the final of a highly entertaining Lightning contest for those knocked out in the tournament's previous rounds. Kneipp, it was, who emerged victorious.