playing tennis together to prevent their elimination from the Heineken Bermuda Open Championships yesterday at the Tennis Stadium.

The sister-and-brother tandem were forced to rally from a set down and 0-2 in the deciding set before defeating third seeds Gill Butterfield and Ricky Mallory 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7-3) to advance to tomorrow's mixed doubles final.

"Stuart was fighting a severe case of the flu, in addition to my timid start, and I really didn't think we were going to pull it off,'' later explained a surprised Claire, playing in her first tournament since back surgery late last year.

"But it really was a very good match that could have gone either way. Luckily for us, it went ours.'' Butterfield and Mallory broke Stuart in the fourth game on their way to victory in the first set.

However, the top seeds picked up their game in the second set and returned the favour in the third and fifth games on their way to a comfortable victory, setting the stage for the exciting final set.

Butterfield served to start the deciding set and reaped immediate reward by holding and then the pair broke Stuart Smith to go up 2-0.

Things turned sour though as Mallory lost his serve on two double-faults and Claire held to even the score at 2-2.

The two teams exchanged service breaks to remain level. Each then held for the next six service games to set the stage for an all-important tie-break.

Claire made a crucial breakthrough on her own service with an excellent cross-court backhand volley to give her side a 4-3 edge and the triumph was completed as they stole two points from Butterfield, leaving Stuart to serve out the match.

In the men's B singles, Graham Williams completed a three-set, three-day match by downing top-ranked Gary Weller 7-5, 5-7, 6-3, thus earning a date today with Mark Ward in the final.

There are a total of nine finals slated for today, starting with the women's singles A and B finals at 9.30 a.m. where number one seed Butterfield takes on giant-killer Debbie Darrell.

Meanwhile, the men's final features Mallory and second seed Mike Curry at 11.30 a.m. Mallory has a busy day as he will also see action in the men's doubles final when he and Steve Bean take the court against Curry and Ken McDonald.

CLAIRE SMITH -- First tournament since back surgery.

STUART SMITH