Curry 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5) during a two-and-a-half hour marathon at the Tennis Stadium.

The wily Australian used his superior fitness to outlast Curry, who had coasted to victory in less than a half hour to take the first set on the way to what looked like another easy victory.

But Beattie had other ideas on his mind.

Curry held a 1-0 lead in the second set when his game unravelled.

"No matter what I did, or how well I played, he just played better,'' Curry said.

After Beattie levelled the match at a set apiece Curry seemed to get a second wind running off a 4-1 lead. Beattie then roared back to take six of the next seven points for the game, set and match.

"It was easily the best game I've played since I've been on the Island,'' said Beattie.

Curry, teamed with Nick Frost, had a chance to exact a measure of revenge when he met Beattie and Tony Readwin in a doubles match last night. Beattie and Readwin won 6-4, 7-5.

For more results see page 26.