Alister Robinson took his first Lacoste Open Singles title at Queens Club when he defeated Harry Foster, by four games to 2, 15/5,8/15,4/15,15/12,17/14,15/6.

Robinson was the third first time winner of this competition in as many years, following Foster in 2002 and Guy Smith-Bingham in 2003. Robinsons win was achieved the hard way beating the No1 seed, Guy Smith-Bingham, in 5 hotly contested games 7/15,16/13,15/10,12/15,15/10.

This match, which produced much high quality ball striking from both players, was also noticeable for the large number of unforced errors from the defending Champion, both when volleying and also when trying to hit winners, as he seemed unwilling to allow himself any margin of error. Guy also served much less effectively than one has come to expect from this player, producing only a handful of service winners. Robinson was the more looked determined of the two throughout the match, retrieving many seemingly impossible balls, and keeping the ball straight down the walls, hitting it hard and low at every opportunity.

The first game of the final started with both players feeling for an opening, like boxers feeling each other out at the beginning of a fight. Robinson was the first to take charge. Moving up the court, cutting the ball off by taking it early he denied Harry any opportunity to kill it and from 5 all went to 13/5 in one hand. He put Foster straight out, served an ace to go to match point and won the game in the next rally. The next two games, which went to Foster for the loss of only 12 points were the complete obverse. Harry was much more aggressive, dominated the front of the court, served to a better length, which prevented Ali from having the chance for an early kill off the return. In the fourth game, which he won 15/4, he served 6 aces and was at game point before Robinson had moved on from the one point he won in the second rally of the game.

The fourth and fifth games produced the best rackets of the match, both players at their sparkling best, thrilling the gallery with wonderful hitting and breathtaking gets of seemingly unreachable balls.Robinson went to an 8/2 lead before Foster pegged him back and then went ahead 10/8. Ali in his turn won four points to reach 12/10 and then Harry caught up to level the scores before he was put out by a stunning back hand return from Ali, who then capitalised on this by winning the next three points, two of them with ace serves to win the game 15/12.

The penultimate game was even closer,Robinson reaching game point to twelve before Foster fought back to level the scores at 14/14. This turned out to be an effort in vain as Robinson put him straight out to take the next three points and the game 17/14.

The final game was dominated by Ali who was always ahead, first taking an 8/2 lead then 10/3, then reaching 12/6 before serving two aces to win game 15/6 and the Championship by 4 games to 2.