It was a baptism of fire in which Nick Kyme and Tommy Sherratt had fully expected to get badly burned.

And world class opponents David Palmer of Australia and Greg Tippings of Wales, both of them professionals, had no hesitation in fulfilling those expectations.

In less than half an hour on adjacent courts at the impressive newly-built national squash centre, the two Island youngsters were unceremoniously bundled out of the men's singles main draw -- and that more than 24 hours before these Commonwealth Games officially begin.

Making its debut at these Games, squash has arguably attracted the strongest field of any of the 15 participating sports with the world's top five and most of the top 20 in attendance.

It was just Kyme and Sherratt's misfortune that they had to get drawn in the opening round against two of those big guns -- Australia's ninth seeded David Palmer and rising Welsh star Greg Tippings.

The scores weren't pretty.

Kyme, after starting promisingly, quickly succumbed to the tall, talented and extremely nimble Aussie, 0-9, 1-9, 0-9.

Sherratt had no more luck against the feisty Tippings, going down 0-9, 2-9, 0-9.

Tippings has a reputation on the circuit for throwing tantrums whenever he's under the gun. But it was a weakness which Sherratt admitted he was never given chance to expose.

"I was hoping to get a few more points and give him a better game but I think I was just a bit nervous,'' said the 21-year-old son of Hamilton Corporation secretary Roger Sherratt who, as squash team manager, witnessed yesterday's double thrashing.

"He was just too consistent today. But I feel tired and that's a good sign.

You never like to get beaten without giving your all, and I think I gave it my best shot.'' Kyme, at 17 the youngest competitor in the field, agreed it had been a learning experience.

"It's not the best feeling to get beaten like that,'' said the Caribbean junior champion. "But I'm not disappointed with the way I played.

"I was kind of hoping to get five points a game, maybe even snatch a game.

But he was a world class player, definitely the toughest I've ever played in a tournament.

"He's a professional and he plays like it. He doesn't give any freebies, mentally he's very strong.'' The Bermuda pair now enter Saturday's consolation plate and can look forward to the rarely-played doubles next week when they face the might of Australia and New Zealand as well as Zambia in round robin play.

In the consolation their opponents are likely to be familiar faces from the Caribbean and African nations.

"I hope we can win a couple of games at, least,'' said Kyme. "I know a lot of the players who have been beaten today and I've beaten some of them in previous tournaments.

"I think we also have a good chance of beating Zambia in the doubles.'' Meanwhile, in one of yesterday's other sports to get underway before the official Games opening, full bore rifle shooter Sinclair Raynor finished an encouraging 31st in a field of 44 in the Badge (qualification) event.

Team-mate Walter Trott placed 40th. The small bore shooters -- Carl Reid and Nelson Simons complete Bermuda's quartet -- are based on picturesque Langkawi island more than an hour's flight north of Kuala Lumpur. But all four will return for tonight's opening ceremony.