International Open champion yesterday, defeating number three seed Brian Way in straight sets 7-5, 7-5.

Patience was the name of the game for MacDonald as he anchored himself behind the baseline for much of the afternoon and waited for his more aggressive opponent to make the mistakes. Way obliged by committing numerous unforced errors along with five double faults -- three in the first set.

However, as the scoreline indicates this was a close match which could have gone either way with neither player leading by more than two games throughout.

After MacDonald had held to start the first set, breaks were exchanged for the next six games before Way managed to maintain his serve with a sizzling forehand down the line that evened the score at 4-4.

The right-handed Way looked devastating at times with his powerful array of groundstrokes and passing shots. And he rolled through the next game to beat MacDonald at 15. But the pendulum swung back in the opposite direction with Way double-faulting the 10th game to MacDonald.

As the pressure began to mount, it was Way who crumbled, missing on first serves and over-hitting his ground-strokes to lose the set 7-5.

But he quickly surged to a 2-0 lead in the second set before MacDonald came back to tie it 2-2 with another game ending on a Way dou ble-fault.

They stayed on serve until Way made a crucial breakthrough for a 5-4 lead and a chance to serve for the set. But he squandered the opportunity and never recovered as MacDonald closed things out with his eighth service break.

"I'm happy with the win,'' said MacDonald. "I was quite conservative, just taking my chances when I had an opening and was lucky enough to win some key points.'' A frustrated Way said of the new champion,"He keeps the ball in play, moves you around and lets you make the errors.'' Meanwhile, in the women's final involving the top two seeds it was veteran Gill Butterfield who outlasting defending champion Donna Bradshaw in three sets, 6-1, 5-7, 7-5.

Butterfield swept through the opening set as her much younger opponent found it hard to settle down and keep the ball in play. Bradshaw double-faulted three times in each of her first two service games to give Butterfield the early advantage.

Bradshaw's more powerful groundstrokes came more to the fore in the second set but Butterfield made her earn every point with some fine returns. Bradshaw was able to force a third set by reeling off three games in a row after falling behind 5-4 at one stage.

But the defending champion's revival was short-lived with Butterfield taking the decider 7-5.

KEN MACDONALD -- The ABTC Open champion.