Youth and power prevailed over tenacity and experience in the final of the Belfast Senior Hardcourt Championships at CIYMS on Saturday where Przemek Stec of Poland and the Windsor Tennis Club defeated the evergreen Willie Noteman of the Boat Club 6-1 6-2 in the premier men's singles.

In a sense, it was a contest between two men at opposite poles of the game.

Noteman - twice a men's singles champion here in the 1980s - battled courageously against the superior baseline and cross court power of a Polish champion some 28 years his junior!

Stec - currently head coach at Windsor - is a former world top five player in the under 16s - and was playing against Wimbledon champion Rafael Nadal in leading junior events less than 10 years ago.

Sadly, a recurrent wrist injury curbed his climb to the very top of the game.

Nevertheless, he entertained the galleries throughout this event with power and vitality in every aspect of his game and more than proved his claim to his status as the number one seed.

Noteman, as number two seed can reflect upon a great performance in reaching the final just a few months after his 50th birthday - a remarkable achievement in itself and one from which he can draw genuine pride.

Stec also made it a personal and Windsor double by taking the premier men's doubles with Ryan Gamble, director of tennis at the same club.

Elsewhere, Julie Thompson of the Boat Club took the premier ladies singles and host club CIYMS were privileged on finals day to have the presence of the President of Tennis Ireland, Lyn Jamison of Portadown Tennis Club, on hand to make the presentations.

Lyn was suitably impressed with the new facilities at CIYMS which also now include a recently completed sixth court to complement the new pavilion that opened just two years ago.