their opening-round loss against hosts Mexico yesterday.

Unable to score even one point in losing two singles matches, Bermuda now head into the remainder of the American Zone Group II competition in Monterrey knowing they have already played the strongest team in the tournament.

"It was a good way to get our feet wet,'' said Kelly Holland, who was ripped 6-0, 6-0 by Karin Palme in the opening match. "They're the toughest team so at least we got them out of the way.'' In the other singles match, Danielle Paynter lost 6-0, 6-0 to Jessica Fernandez while the doubles team of Liz Osborne and Alison Towlson played late last night in a meaningless match.

Both Mexicans are ranked on the WTA tour -- Fernandez at number 239, Plame at 418.

"The way the girls are looking at it is, if that's the toughest team here, then we're looking forward to the other ties,'' said coach Jerome Bradshaw.

"The early jitters and nerves are gone.'' Today's match against Barbados is expected to be significantly easier. With other matches remaining against Antigua/Barbuda, El Salvador, Guatemala, Costa Rica and Haiti, Bradshaw said the team was aiming for at least three wins.

At 17, Paynter is easily the youngest of the four Bermuda players and impressed Bradshaw with her play yesterday. But because of the speedy hard courts -- "much faster than the hard courts we have in Bermuda'' -- Holland struggled.

Holland is a veteran of all three of Bermuda's Fed Cup teams while Paynter is making her second straight appearance. Towlson, 29, and the sister of Bermuda Davis Cup player Ricky Mallory, and Osborne, 26, are new to the team.

Osborne is a veteran Island player and was ranked as high as number three playing under her maiden name of Stewart. She also plays for the national ladies hockey team.

Meanwhile, the Bermuda Davis Cup team is currently in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, where they are preparing to begin play in American Zone Group III competition.

Their opening-round tie is on Wednesday against El Salvador, expected to be the toughest team in their group.

Mallory, Michael Way, Donald Evans and James Collieson are representing the Island for the second straight year.