Perhaps the efforts of yesterday?s marathon victory over Zambia took their toll, but whatever the reason Bermuda?s squash team of Nick Kyme and James Stout were unable to repeat their earlier heroics as they bowed out of the men?s doubles event at the Commonwealth Games this morning.

Having advanced from the group stages with a gutsy 3-2 win over the African pair of O?Neil Chilambwe and Lazarus Chiluyfa in a one and a half hour slugfest, the two Bermudians lasted little more than 30 minutes as they went down in straight games to veteran South Africans Rodney Durbach and Adrian Hansen in the round of 16.

Had Kyme and Stout survived a tight first game when they led 5-4 and 6-5 before eventually being pipped 9-7, it might have been a different story.

But that setback seemed to sap their strength and drain their confidence as the last two games quickly went the South Africans? way.

Thirty three year-old Durbach, until recently ranked 28 in the world, and his 34-year-old partner Hansen, a former professional, took control of the court to grab the second and third games 9-3, 9-2.

They advanced to a quarter-final clash this evening against the Australian pair of Anthony Ricketts and Stewart Boswell.

Kyme later admitted his disappointment, conceding they hadn?t been able to raise their game in a match they believed they could have won.

?We played horrible,? said Kyme, currently ranked 69 in world singles.

?We just couldn?t get anything going, hitting everything into the tin.

?I think the first game was key, if we?d pulled through that we?d have had a little bit of confidence.

?I think we made errors at the wrong time and they capitalised.

?But they were top players, Rodney was top 30 until a little while ago and Adrian?s been the best in South Africa, so it was never going to be an easy match.

?But James and I are a little disappointed. We definitely thought we could have got through and then given it a go tonight.

?It?s been a good Games, but there?s also a few things we need to think about when we leave here.?

Kyme said he?d enjoyed the Melbourne experience and was now ready to put the focus back on his singles career on the pro circuit.

?It?s called the Friendly Games for a reason. You meet guys from countries who you wouldn?t normally play, so from that point of view it?s been enjoyable.

?Right now I?m really enjoying my squash and I just love the life I?m leading. So I want to push on and see what I can achieve.?