Vaudin through on last

NIGEL VAUDIN survived a stirring fightback from Mick Marley to book his place in the semi-finals of the Deutsche Bank Island Championships. The last-eight encounter between the two good friends was the only quarter-final to reach the 18th as it brightened another windy, miserable evening on the L'Ancr-esse links.

But there was no sign of what was to come earlier in the match when Vaudin established a four-hole lead after eight.

Although Marley pulled one back before the turn, his opponent should have restored the margin on 11, only to see his short par putt lip out.

Marley then won three of the next four holes and took the honour on the 16th tee with the match all square.

He then found the fairway while Vaudin's long iron finished up against a rake in the second bunker down the right.

Vaudin played a fine recovery shot from the sand but still had plenty of work to do to make his par with his first putt having to travel up and over a hump on the green whereas Marley left his 18ft up the slope. The latter's birdie attempt was just one roll short of dropping while, from his tricky spot, Vaudin left a testing six-footer for par but held his nerve to sink it.

Up 17, Marley was on the back right-hand side of the putting surface in two and, with his opponent to the right of the green-side bunker, was favourite to take the hole.

Vaudin's chip was decent but left another nerve-jangler, however Marley mis-hit his first putt, leaving it well short of the hole.

The pressure then built on Marley when Vaudin secured his par. It was not matched as his opponent's ball ran past the hole.

Onto the last and the man with the honour found the left-hand side of the green, albeit leaving one of the longest putts on the course, before Marley landed in the long grass on the bank to the right.

His chip finished 15ft from the flag leaving Vaudin two for victory and he knocked his 50-plus-footer stone dead.

'I do not want to go through another match like that,' said a relieved Vaudin, before reliving his vital putts on 16 and 17.

'I missed one on nine from three-and-a-half foot, on 10 I had a birdie putt from 8ft which didn't drop and then I missed another from three-and-a-half on 11. Coming down the home run, I thought they were going to be costly. The one on 16 was important, but the putt on 17 was the big one - that was the one I needed.'

In this evening's semi-finals, Vaudin will meet the week's surprise package Mike Hamon, who produced another excellent display to defeat Nigel Le Noury 5 and 4.

The other semi is a repeat of last year's final between the Eggo brothers.

Defending champion Bobby overcame Jamie Blondel in a fine match 3 and 1.

Meanwhile, his brother Andy saw off Steve Mahy 6 and 5.

It was obvious that it was not going to be Mahy's evening from as early as the fourth hole, which he lost when his tee shot hit his own bag.