In the longest squash match of these Commonwealth Games so far, Bermuda?s Nick Kyme and James Stout hung on by the skin of their teeth to qualify for the last 16 of the men?s doubles this morning.

In a marathon contest that swung one way and then the other, the two Bermudians were kept on court for almost one and a half hours by the gutsy Zambian pair of O?Neill Chilambwe and Chiluba Chiluyfa before prevailing in five desperate games ? 10-8, 3-9, 13-11, 9-11, 9-3.

Having lost to the defending champions and second seeds, Lee Beachill and Peter Nicol of England, in their opening group game yesterday before despatching the Norfolk Island pair of Gye Duncan and Duncan Gray in straight games later in the day, Stout and Kyme needed to beat the Zambians in order to advance from Pool B.

And, seeded 11th, they were heavily favoured against the unranked Africans.

But it soon became evident that seedings and rankings mean little in a doubles game rarely played outside of these Games.

As the two Bermudians stepped off the court looking totally exhausted, Stout admitted it had been much tougher than they had anticipated.

?It was a very good match, very tough . . . it could have gone either way,? said the Belgium-based coach who, unlike his partner, no longer plays on the pro circuit.

?We didn?t expect such a fight, but full credit to them, they played some good shots, they kept the ball in play, and that?s all you need to do in doubles.

?I guess we always thought we were going to win. I don?t think we realised we?d have to wait five games, though. But we were confident, whether it was three or five. We always thought we could do whatever it would take to get through.

?It?s good to have that out of the way, we can rest and recover and look to play again tomorrow.?

Bermuda?s opponents in the last 16 were unknown at Press time, but whoever they meet won?t give them a better match than Chilambwe and Chiluyfa.

Trailing 5-8 in the first game, Stout and Kyme had to pull out all of the stops to eventually win 10-8.

But they again fell behind in the second game and this time there was no coming back as the Zambians led 4-1 and 7-2 before clinching it 9-3.

With rallies often lasting up to three and four minutes, it was the third of the five games which perhaps ultimately decided the match.

Level at 2-2, 4-4, 5-5 and 6-6, it was Chilambwe and Chiluyfa who held the advantage, earning game ball at 8-7, 9-8, 10-9 and 11-10.

But each time the Island pair came back from the brink, scrambling from one side of the court to the other to make some sensational recovery shots. And it was the Zambians who eventually folded, with Bermuda taking the game 13-11.

The same story unfolded in game four, but this time after holding match ball at 8-7, 9-8 and 10-9, the African pair held on to win 11-9 and force a deciding fifth.

It was then that the right-handed Kyme and left-handed Stout finally got the measure of their now weary opponents.

Charging into a 4-1 lead, they controlled the game from then on to clinch the match 9-3.

Tomorrow the Island pair will be back on court likely at the same time as Bermuda diver Katura Horton Perinchief competes in the one metre springboard preliminaries next door.

The diving pool and squash courts are located together at Melbourne?s Sports and Aquatics Centre on the outskirts of the city.