players began play in the second.

On the heels of the Heineken Open, which wrapped up late yesterday after a soggy two weeks at the Tennis Stadium, comes the Colonial Open, which opened yesterday at Pomander Gate.

For the likes of Mike Curry, it's almost too much to bear.

"I'm going to have to go to the doctor and get a shot of something,'' joked a sore-backed Curry, who appeared in three of the Heineken finals yesterday and is seeded fourth for the Pomander Gate tourney.

Curry was beaten 6-2, 6-2 by top seed Michael Way in the men's final, then lost in the men's and mixed doubles championships. Island newcomer Jill Finnigan was nearly as busy -- and a little more successful -- in the women's draw.

She upset top seed Kelly Holland 6-1, 7-5 in the singles final and hooked up with Wendy Gelhay for a 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 doubles decision over Holland and Gill Butterfield -- after losing in the mixed doubles semi-finals.

Finnigan arrived with husband Mark from England a little more than a year ago -- just in time to give birth to their daughter, Rosie. She finally broke into the Bermuda tennis scene at a tournament last November but has been playing only casually since.

"I used to play quite a bit back home (Bishops Stortford),'' she said. "It's nice to be back out there and I'm looking forward to playing a lot more.

There's certainly a lot going on.'' Finnigan, who like her husband also plays hockey locally, was unseeded for the Heineken, which is just the way she likes it.

"I'd rather not be seeded. There's no pressure then,'' she laughed.

Unfortunately for her, she's moved up to the number three seed for this week's hard-court tournament at Pomander Gate, where she is a member. Her ability is also no longer a secret.

Said Curry: "She's the best women's player on the Island right now.'' And Way, despite rumours of his demise, appears to still be the top men's player.

Limited to doubles duty during last month's Davis Cup win, Way beat B champion Jensen Bascome 6-3, 6-2 in the semi-finals and had little trouble with Curry, the number three seed, in the final.

"He came up with the big points when he needed them,'' said Curry, who said he lost eight break points. In the second set alone, Curry said he had 18 game points -- nine on his serve -- and won only the first two.

A bad back -- wrenched when he went to pick up a ball in a match against David Lambert last weekend -- was partially to blame. "It's still quite stiff,'' said Curry, who said he wanted to take advantage of Way's fatigue but "I couldn't get to the net fast enough to do anything.'' In the semi-finals, Curry beat Eldon Daniels, who had earlier knocked out number two seed Ricky Mallory, 6-2, 6-2.

Mallory, like Way a member of the Davis Cup team that won the American Zone Group IV title, got some revenge later when he and Mark Cordeiro beat Curry and John Moore in the men's doubles final. Later, he joined sister Alison Towlson in the mixed doubles final and knocked off Curry and Butterfield 6-3, 6-2.

Way is the top seed and Mallory number two at the Colonial but another Davis Cupper, James Collieson, back from Auburn University, has displaced Curry at number three.