NUMBER one seed and champion for the last two years, Nick Hinnigan, was well beaten in the semi finals in the BSF Tennis Championships on Thursday night.

He was up against the number five seed John Lister, who at 18 years of age is improving all the time. Full-time tennis in a coaching capacity has improved his game beyond belief, and the consistency of length, particularly his forehand drives and combined fierceness were too much for the champion.

Nick managed to stay in the game to 5-5 in the first set, but John found the shots and never looked back to run out the winner by 7-5, 6-2.

In the other semi final Simon Roberts, the number two seed had no trouble in ensuring that there would be an all teenager final.

He was in such good form that he never let the number three seed Jonathan Davies settle down.

It was a similar story and scoreline in the ladies singles semi-final, where number one seed and 15 times winner Lisa Cartwright overwhelmed her clubmate and number 11 seed Rachel Branagan.

RESULTS:

Men's Singles Semi Final: R Roberts bt J Davies 6-0, 6-0; J Lister bt N Hinnighan 7-5, 6-2.

Ladies Singles Semi Final: L Cartwright bt R Branagan 6-0, 6-0.

Boy's Singles Semi Finals: A Nolan bt M Pearson 2-6, 6-3, 6-2.

Girl's Singles Third Round: S Shacklady bt E Scannell 6-1, 6-0; C Clare bt E Cunningham 6-0, 6-0.

Mixed Doubles Third Round: M Robinson/S Howell bt A Livingston/D O'Brien 6-2, 7-5; J Davies/L Cartwright bt R Worth/S Lawson 6-0, 6-2.

Handicap Ladies Doubles Third Round: I Kilburn/S McClelland (-15) bt J Wilson/J Holmes (-0.3) 2-6, 6-2, 6-5.

Handicap Ladies Doubles Semi Final: G Blackburn/L Morley (-15.3) bt J Crompton/P Taylor (-15) 6-4, 5-6, 6-2.

Handicap Men's Doubles Third Round: A & I Westmoreland (-15) bt P & J Shacklady (-30.3) 6-5, 6-2; C Nutter/A Nixon (-15) bt S Horridge/N Senior (-0.3) 6-2, 6-1; P Haslam/B Millington (-15.3) bt D Bedford/G Gill (-15) 6-2, 6-0.

Handicap Mixed Doubles Third Round: B Millington/S Prendergast (-30) bt B Woodcock/J Cooke (-30) 6-3, 2-6, 6-2.

Handicap Mixed Doubles Quarter Final: L Sharples/K Kay (-30) bt A Worsely/Z Chadowitz (-15) 6-4, 6-5; J Lever/W Birchall (-15) bt I & C Hartopp (-15) 6-3, 6-3.

Handicap Veterans Men's Doubles Semi Final: C Delvard/B Kirkbright (-30) bt R Coward/P Smith (-15) 6-2, 6-2; S Bleakley/K Nixon (-15) bt T McEwing/R Latham (-15.3) 6-0, 6-2.

Handicap Veterans Mixed Doubles Second Round: G Edgington/J Walsh (-30) bt B Roscoe/S McClelland (-15.3) 1-6, 6-3, 6-4; P & J Henderson (-15) bt D Gregory/I Kilburn (-30) 4-6, 6-4, 6-5.

Boy's U13 Singles Semi Final: C Gregory bt P Christie 6-4, 7-5.

Girl's Doubles Semi Final: C Clare/E Cunningham bt N Ullathorne/B Lamprey 6-2, 7-5.

Junior Mixed Doubles Second Round: M Evans/B Lamprey bt R McKnight/N Settle 6-1, 6-2; M Pearson/S Shacklady bt A Beswick/J Harrow 6-2, 6-0.

Handicap Veterans Ladies Doubles Second Round: J Pendlebury/N Wood (-30) bt J Wilson/B Edge (-15) 6-3, 6-4; P Teasdale/R Howell (-0.3) bt B Arnold/J Lambert (-0.3) 6-2, 6-2; F Biggins/B Richards (-15) bt R Cartwright/J McEwing (scr) 6-5, 6-1.