Two of Bermuda's best young tennis players endured a tough baptism during their first ever taste of European junior ITF play, with both David Thomas and Caitlin Gordon losing in straight sets at the Danish Cup in Aahurs last week.

Thomas, Bermuda's top ranked junior who suffered a surprise loss to rival Naim Azhar in Bermuda's ITF Junior Ranking Tournament two weeks' ago, failed to win a single game against British player Niall Angus while Gordon went down 6-2, 6-2 in the first round to number one seed Anett Schutting from Estonia.

Thomas was reportedly nervous and unsure of himself in the first set against Angus and despite many games going to deuce he succumbed to love, with his opponent displaying superior consistency and the ability to clinically finish the point when given the slightest opportunity.

The Bermudian struck a number of excellent returns, but Angus was quick to cover the court and was able to get balls back which Thomas was simply not anticipating.

And though he relaxed slightly in the second set and played more solidly than in the first, his opponent gave him few opportunities to get back into the game.

Meanwhile, Gordon fared slightly better in her first round match, forcing an early 2-1 lead in the first set with some assured play and powerful ground strokes.

Schutting ? ranked 335 in the world ? came back strongly, however, to break Gordon's serve in the middle of a set characterised by long rallies in which both players traded booming ground strokes from the base line.

Gordon's serve slowly began to falter though, and Schutting took advantage to close out an excellent first set 6-2.

The second followed a similar pattern, with many long rallies, deuce points and good tennis from both players in a match watched by the biggest crowd of the day.

But as hard as she tried, Gordon simply could not live with the quality of her opponent's all-round game, losing the second 6-2 in a match which lasted over an hour and a half.

The Bermudian duo now move on to Bruchkoebel, just outside Frankfurt in Germany, for their next tournament before finishing their trip at another event in Scotland.

Veteran Sammy Maybury needed the longest third set tiebreak so far to end the challenge of 13-year-old Jack Keyes in latest Argus Open action at the WER Joell Stadium.

Top seed in the men's B singles, Maybury ultimately triumphed 14-12 in the pro set tiebreaker after the players had split the opening sets.

Maybury won the first 6-2 before losing the second 7-6 (5).

Under the new system adopted by the tournament committee no regular third set is played. Instead the players contest a 10-point pro set, needing to win by two.

"This was decided," according to tournament chairman Allan Simmons, "in order to shorten matches, as well as the evening's play and create a balance whereby everyone finds the tournament more player friendly. Participants will not have to spend half the night completing matches by playing a third set thus having long drawn out matches lasting in excess of two hours."

Ron Ganzon also used the pro-set decider to get past Michael Musson 6-3, 2-6, (10-7), while the doubles pair of Jane Minton and Jane McKnight defeated Michelle Held and Mary Leigh Burnett by the same route, 6-0, 5-7, (10-7).

Philip Cooper and Kietny Chrun had to go the distance to end the challenge of Kevin and Rhonda Caza 6-3, 3-6, (10-6).

In other action, the top seeded pair of Ashley Brooks and Lavern Stowe eased past Deborah Jhuboo and Helena Bickley 6-1, 6-0 while Catherine Cooke beat Lorena Jimenez 6-2, 6-4, Sarah Cook defeated Robin Thackeray 6-2, 6-0 and Earl Leader gave Maybury notice that he will not be giving up his top ranking in the seniors division without a battle, powering to a 6-0, 6-3 victory over Dennis Harris.

Philip Vandoninck, considered by some the 'dark horse' of the tournament, struggled before he was able to get past a determined Eugene Simmons 6-4, 7-5, while Blenn Bean made it two in a row when he beat David Tavares in straight sets 6-0, 6-1.

Mike Levon and Leslie Stowe defeated Sammy Wilson and Philip Nearon 6-1, 6-2.