Real Tennis: Fahey on the brink of retaining world title

The world champion Robert Fahey of Australia needs just one more set on the final day of the World Real Tennis Championship at Hampton Court to retain the title which he has held since 1994.

Fahey, already leading by three sets to one against the world No2, Tim Chisholm of America, looked equally uncompromising on day two of the world challenge. The 34-year-old attacked ferociously from the start, taking the opening set with a string of heavily-cut ground strokes, while Chisholm, who recently ended Fahey's three-year winning streak in the British Land National Open final, struggled to find his rhythm.

Chisholm, the New York professional, began to force more accurately in the second set, drawing some rare errors from the defending champion, but despite levelling at set-all, he appeared to run out of ideas in the face of dogged retrieving from his opponent. Fahey scooped the last two sets for the loss of just three games and he starts day three tomorrow as overwhelming favourite to take the title once again.

Hampton Court World Real Tennis Championship: (Day Two) R Fahey (Australia) beat T Chisholm (US) 6-3, 3-6, 6-2, 6-1 (Fahey leads overall by six sets to two and needs just one more set to win the best-of-13 set challenge).