It was a gung-ho serve and volley start but Greg Rusedski?s tournament comeback crashed at the first hurdle yesterday.

The big-serving left-hander, back in action after a drugs controversy, was worn down in a 69-minute how-to-play-on-clay lesson from the effervescent German Bjorn Phau on an enthralling second day of the XL Capital Bermuda Open.

The British number two raced to a 3-0 lead playing the sort of tennis more associated with his exploits on Wimbledon?s grass, but Phau soon learned to read the big serve and the game swung accordingly in his favour.

In going down 7-6, 6-3, Rusedski was given a painful dose of how life on the Challenger circuit will be after plummeting outside the world?s top 100 by playing just three tournaments in nearly eight months.

?It was tough playing a first game out on clay,? said Rusedski, who clearly had the backing of the crowd during his rain-delayed centre court defeat at Coral Beach.

?I was pretty happy with the way I was playing to get it to 4-1 but after that I didn?t mix my serve up enough ? I just tried to go through him ? and you can?t do that on clay.

?I feel like I was lacking a bit of sharpness. I know it is going to be tough and you just have to work hard and slowly I will work my way back up.?

Rusesdski?s armoury, however impressive, isn?t matched to this surface, especially after morning rain, which delayed play until 3 p.m., made the conditions even heavier.

Phau, who described Rusedski as his second biggest scalp behind Swede Tomas Enqvist, chased down everything in the game and his dogged groundstrokes and massaged drop shots were too consistent for the grass and indoor specialist.

?The first few games didn?t go to well, but I began to read his serve after that and things improved,? said Phau, quarter-finalist here last year.

?A serve in the corner at 200 kph is always going to be a winner, but clay does break the ball a bit and made it easier to manage.

?He is very famous and very popular with the crowd and I knew that was going to be the case so I just kept playing my game.

?I am very happy with the win, I knew it would be tough against him.?

Jose Acasuso, the 2001 XL winner, triumphed in a twilight battle with fellow Argentinian Diego Veronelli.

Acasuso, who has removed a significant portion of his memorable flowing locks, came out just on top in a game of long rallies, plenty of sliding and some precise sliced winners from the front of the court.

His victory was not an overwhelming one, but he was consistent and solid throughout the 6-4, 6-3 win.

?I am very happy, yes happy,? said Acasuso, whose English fails to match his groundstrokes.

In other action, the first seed to fall this year was in a match switched from centre court to the upper courts due to the effects of the rain.

Last year?s doubles champion Robert Kendrick beat fellow American and number seven seed Jeff Salzenstein 6-4, 6-7, 6-1.

Another shock on the tournament?s second day saw qualifier Kevin Kim put an end to wildcard Michael Russell?s time in Bermuda a he won 6-4, 6-2.