Bermudian Earl Leader knocked out one of the fancied players in the Over 75 Men’s Singles on the opening day of the Bermuda Breeze Tennis Championships.

Leader beat third seed John Payne, from Canada, 6-2, 6-4 in the round of 16 at Coral Beach & Tennis Club to progress to the quarter finals on Tuesday morning, when he will face American Hugh Burris, who beat Keith Chiappa 6-2, 6-1.

Visiting American players Gary Chafetz, fourth seed Doug MacCurdy, and Marshall Hubsher were successful in the other matches in the division.

Two of Bermuda’s more famous sporting names, tennis professional Tariq Simons and former elite cyclist Caitlin Conyers, also made a successful start at the six-day Level 2 USATF tournament.

Conyers and Simons, who are seeded three in the Mixed Open doubles, overcame Nicholas Butterfield and Mandy Ralph 6-2, 6-4 in the quarter finals and will face top seeds Andreas Landgrebe, of the United States, and Canada’s Kasia Poplawska on Thursday.

Also in the Mixed Doubles competition, second seeds Jack Keyes and Sarah Jones overcame Scott Redmond and Victoria Stephens 7-6, 6-3, while Nadhira Durham and Evan Heyliger beat Arianna Parra and Romar Douglas 6-0, 6-3.

There was more Bermuda success in the Men’s Open Singles with Sebastian Pukk defeating Yuming Mei, from Great Britain, 6-2, 6-2 in the round of 32. Hugh Seymour beat Jadon Spriggs 7-5, 6-3 in the other match in the division played on Monday night.

The action continues in a number of age groups from 9am on Tuesday morning.