GINA NILAND stumbled to a third successive Carlsberg Irish Close tennis championship title with victory over her younger Federation Cup colleague Claire Curran at Donnybrook on Saturday.

The uncertainty of it all from the second set onwards added to a mix that provided the most competitive and exciting women's decider in years. Both players had match points in the final set tie-break before the spoils fell to Niland after over two hours - 6-0 3-6 7-6 (8-6).

Curran's match-point came first at 6-5. The chance evaporated when the ball refused to climb clear of the netcord.

Three points later Niland grabbed her chance to clinch it.

It may well have proved a different story had Curran not taken so long to find her true form. She suffered a first set whitewash because of this but subsequently served well, got to the forecourt and generally looked the more rounded player.

"I didn't play well and yes, you could say I am suitably relieved," said Niland.

Curran broadly showed that she is improving after her first term at the University of California where she is on a four-year scholarship with an option to suspend her studies and sample the circuit.

Apart from her weak start and her bad luck on match point, she could be faulted for not consolidating her ability to win the fourth and fifth games of the final set, for a 3-2 lead.

Owen Casey predictably took the men's title, beating Harvard student John Doran from Dublin, 6-2, 6-4. Casey said that he has decided to quit the satellite circuit. Instead he will concentrate on getting involved in a coaching career with his brothers Paul and Conor.

Doran started well, holding his serve to love, and a better match seemed in prospect. Casey's only trouble subsequently was largely created by his own tendency to relax and lose concentration after leading 2-0 in the second set