THE final of the Volvo World Matchplay Championship did not go quite as scripted yesterday when Mikko Ilonen, ranked 10th in the £1.8m event at the London Club, overcame top sed Henrik Stenson.

Ilonen's 3 and 1 triumph is worth in excess of £515,000 and has propelled the 34-year-old Finn into the top 40 in the world. But, on reflection, perhaps Ilonen's success was not all that surprising really, given that he is something of a matchplay specialist, having also won the Amateur Championship ay Hoylake 13 years ago.

It should also be noted that Ilonen claimed his place in the final by dint of a 2 and 1 win over Dutchman Joost Luiten, the only one of the 16-strong field to boast a perfect record in four matches after he had thrashed Spaniard Pablo Larrazabal 6 and 5 in the quarter-finals.

Having trailed after four holes, Ilonen squared the match at the fifth before going one up when Stenson dumped his tee shot in the water at the par-3 eighth.

Illonen increased his advantage when he birdied the par-4 11th from 10 feet and then put his 38-year-old opponent in an arm lock when he went three-up after getting up and down from a bunker at the 12th, where Stenson hit a terrible tee shot to miss the green on the left.

Stenson got it back to two down when he holed from 20 feet for a birdie at the par-5 13th, but Ilonen went three up again when he birdied the 14th from around 10 feet.

Although the Swede cut the deficit when he found the green in two at the par-5 15th - his rival was bunkered off the tee and had to lay up - Illonen clinched victory when he saw his approach at the 17th ran down off the bank at the side of the green to around two feet and the world No.5 missed from 20 feet for his birdie.

It was also a mark of Ilonen's over-all play for the week that he had 35 birdies and an eagle in the 105 holes he played. "The match could have gone either way really," said Ilonen. "But this has to go down as the best year of my career, winning here and at the Irish Open.

"Henrik is one of the world's top players but I was not intimidated by him as I see him as my friend and we've played so much golf together over the years, I felt quite comfortable. I've had other good years in 2007 and 12 months ago, but in terms of the world rankings and the money-list this has topped anything I've achieved before.

"A lot comes with it, the world's top 40 and the Masters and it has been a goal of mine to be able to get a schedule that you can pick and choose wherever you want to play."

Ryder Cup star Stenson, 38, who defeated South African George Coetzee with a birdie at the last in his semi-final, added: "I actually exceeded my expectations for the week for sure.

"When Jonas [Blixt] took me to the 18th yesterday, I felt like I was running low on energy, and this morning, it was same thing, so I don't know where I found the strength to finish that match off.

"I also feel like I've been battling my swing a little bit in these gusting conditions the last day and a half and I didn't play my best. I was a bit unlucky on a couple of putts, but Mikko didn't make many mistakes really and when he did, he recovered well. The best player won."

Luiten defeated Coetzee at the 19th after they had finished all-square in the match to decide third and fourth.

Australian Scott Hend edged Angelo Que in a play-off to clinch his maiden European Tour title at the Hong Kong Open. A par on the first extra hole was enough to steer the 41-year-old past the Filipino, who missed the green on the 18th and then over-hit his chip.

Que's fourth-round 66 forced the play-off after an intense back-nine battle, which ended with his birdie on the 18th tying things up with Hend at 13 under par. But the 35-year-old will be left lamenting the fact that his three bogeys on the day - to Hend's two - and a costly second-round 69 ultimately cost him victory.

Aged 41, Hend is the oldest first-time European Tour winner since Argentine Cesar Monasterio, who was 42 when he won the 2006 As St Omer Open.