Jenson Bascome came back from a first set mauling to take the Argus Open men?s singles crown 1-6, 6-4, 6-1 over second seed Andy Bray in a contest that had a bit of everything from the brilliant, to the bizarre, to the inevitable controversy.

Bray, still the top-ranked player in the Island but finding himself seeded behind young Gavin Manders in this tournament at the W.E.R Joell Stadium, had a point to prove when he took to the court and started with his usual aggressive display of power tennis, breaking Bascome in the first game.

Bray didn?t lighten up and with Bascome unable to get his game in tune with the action, the first set was fast getting away from him.

That point was highlighted in the fifth game when Bray broke his opponent for the second time in the match to take a commanding 4-1 lead and when he held in the sixth game to go up 5-1 the writing was on the wall.

The tempo of the match changed at the start of the second set with Bascome finding his range, and his game. While Bray staved off three break points in the opening game, one could sense a change in the action. The pair stayed on serve until the seventh game when Bray was broken by Bascome for a 4-3 lead following a controversial line call.

The linesman indicated that he was unsighted on break point and Bascome assisted by indicating that the ball was long. Bray sought a ruling from the chair umpire, who agreed, giving Bascome the break and a 4-3 lead in the second set.

Despite this setback, Bray wasted little time in breaking back to level the set at 4-4. Then the second controversial call came in the ninth game when Bray thought a forehand in the corner was long, the linesman called it good and the umpire agreed, thus giving Bascome the crucial break and a 5-4 lead in the second set.

Bray wanted both officials to know that he wasn?t happy with the call, so he very aggressively asked if ?the overrule in line calls by players was only for Jenson??

Bascome held at 30 to level the match at one set apiece and with that ending Bray, to show his displeasure, dispatched the ball towards Front Street ? receiving a ball abuse warning from the umpire.

For a moment Bray forgot the old saying that ?one point does not a match make? and by the time he regained his composure he was down a service break, trailing 2-0 without getting a point.

He awoke briefly to hold in the third game, but when Bascome held for a 3-1 lead and then broke Bray in the fifth game to go up 4-1, it was all over.

There were rumours circulating that Bray may not play in his doubles final, but as it turned out it wasn?t because of anger from the singles final, but rather severe cramps and a bleeding big toe.

After a half-hour break, he returned with James Collieson to exact revenge on Bascome and Manders, winning the men?s doubles title in straight sets 6-3, 7-6(4).

The ankle injury suffered by Manders last Thursday was still clearly affecting his ability to move laterally and the veteran pair took full advantage of the situation. Even so, it was still an entertaining final.

Bascome bounced back from his defeat, however, to team up with Lavern Stowe to take the mixed doubles title with a 7-6(5), 5-7, 6-1 win over the highly-fancied pair of Manders and Ashley Brooks.

As expected Manders? ankle would not co-operate and the contest never reached the anticipated heights everyone in the stadium had been waiting on.

Brooks had earlier waltzed the ladies ?A? final, beating Tracey Berrell 6-0, 6-1.

Meanwhile Bascome?s partner, Stowe, was the tournament?s only triple title winner. In addition to the mixed title, she teamed up with Brooks to take the ladies? doubles crown with a comfortable 6-2, 6-2 victory over the Lambert sisters Tara and Jacklyn, having earlier won the ladies? seniors singles title.

In the seniors finals, Earl Leader doubled his winning pleasure when he defeated his brother Erwin 6-4, 6-1 for the singles crown, then teamed with Erwin to defeat Eldon Daniels and Vernal Davis 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-2 for the doubles title.

The two other finals resulted in top seeded Tony Thompson surviving the challenge of 14-year-old Na?im Azhar to take the men?s ?B? crown in a two-and-a-half-hour marathon 6-3, 2-6, 7-6(4), while Rhonda Caza captured her first title when she upset top seed 12-year-old Cayla Cross 6-4, 6-2 for the ladies? ?B? crown.