Leading seeds Nick Kyme, Richard Brewer and Janine Bentley all cruised through their opening matches as the Bermuda Squash Racquets Association club
In one of the best matches in the Men's A division, Norman Furtado edged Mel Caines 9-10, 9-7, 9-2, 10-9 in an explosive contest. Both players hit their share of outright winners but these were often followed by a series of unforced errors.
Simon Boddy scored his first ever win over Tony Prentice, 6-9, 9-7, 9-3, 9-5, while club professional Jane Parker took an unexpected 9-4, 5-9, 9-7, 9-7 victory over the 1996 club champion Murray Brewer.
In the Ladies A, the ever-determined Val Protheroe battled her way to a 6-9, 10-8, 9-3, 9-2 win over Nicky McMartin while in the other half of the draw Anita Yates fought off a close challenge from Carol Ferris, winning 4-9, 10-8, 9-6, 10-8.
Full results, see Scoreboard.
HARNESS RACING RAH Daniel Greenslade's veteran gray stallion Hoe Down Don bowed out in style with two victories as the harness racing season ended at Vesey Street on Sunday.
Hoe Down Don won both heats in the 1:10/2-1:13 time bar and was then officially retired from racing, a ceremony taking place in front of the judge's stand after his final victory.
Meanwhile, the most exciting race of the day was the eighth when Greenslade's Ponderbabe and Championne County, driven by David Lopes, finished in a dead heat in a time of 1:12.1.
Eddie Roque's Tuxedo Bowtie was third in a time of 1:12.4.
Lopes finished as the day's top driver with four wins, two with Championne County and two with Motown Scott who has been moved up to the next time bar.
Other double winners were Crunchtime (Colby Sousa), Tina's Princess (Derrick Seymour) and Eddie the Great (Samantha Hayward).
Fastest time of the day was turned in by Murray Terceira's Carolina Jubilee, clocking 1:07.2 in the Free For All.
TENNIS TEN The draw takes place today for the sixth annual Bermuda National Trust tennis tournament which will be played this weekend at Coral Beach Club.
Contested in just three events -- mixed, ladies and men's doubles -- the tournament partners players according to ability in an effort to balance the competition.
And on Thursday evening at Coral Beach a Calcutta auction will be held when players and others will be invited to bid for the seeded pairs, with part of the eventual auction pot being contributed to the National Trust.
First round ladies doubles matches will be played on Friday morning with the rest of the matches taking place over the weekend. Organiser Robin Blackburne notes that while the entry fee is a steep $100 ($150 for two events) much of the proceeds are donated to charity.
Late entries can be called into Blackburne today on 292-2670 or Patsy Phillips on 295-4510.