Richard Helme, a newcomer to the Island from Southport in England, wasted little time introducing himself to the local tennis fraternity when he rebounded from a set and 1-4 down to stun Benjamin Lau 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 on the first day of the Argus Open at the Tennis Stadium.

In a match that got underway after more than two hours delay because of rain, Lau jumped all over Helme, taking 10 of the first 14 games to move within two games of the match.

But both players, using a similar hard-hitting, attacking game, changed their strategies. For Helme it was a brilliant decision but for Lau it proved disastrous.

"He changed his game and with it he became more consistent," said Lau afterwards. "He started to be more accurate with his top spin and this began to tire me somewhat and when he took some of the power off, it surprisingly slowed my game."

Helme, playing in his first tournament since arriving in Bermuda, was unsure how he was able to bounce back to win. Asked what he was thinking when 1-4 down in the second set after having lost the first, he replied: "Defeat and an early exit."

But it wasn't to be. "I noticed that he was becoming more and more tentative, and I didn't know if it was from nerves or tiredness, so I started to be more deliberate in my strokes and he became more erratic."

That became evident in the eighth game of the second set when Lau set up consecutive easy overhead put-aways and hit each of them into the bottom of the net, giving Helme a 5-4 lead instead of being a game away from victory.

The tournament wasn't so welcoming for another newcomer to the Island as women's B top seed Zina Edwards came back from a disastrous second set to topple unseeded New Zealander Jo Tucker in another marathon, 6-2, 0-6, 6-4.

Edwards, playing her usual aggressive game, won the first set in only 14 minutes, but that took more out of her than her opponent who quickly levelled the match at one set apiece.

"I don't know what happened exactly," said Edwards. "I was completely out of it in that second set, and even now I don't know how I was able to recover. She was tough. We both play a similar style game. We love to hit the ball hard and I guess I was just more consistent than she was in that third set."

In other action, former junior champion Karl Roberts made a triumphant return to competitive senior tennis when he took less than an hour to defeat Leslie Stowe 6-2, 6-2, while Denton Leader had to call upon all of his ability to oust Terry Smith in straight sets 7-6, (7-1), 6-1. Natalie Nesbitt ousted Angela Egbert 6-1, 6-0 and Alan Reid beat Lamar Cross 7-5, 6-2.

The family combination of Sylvan Girrard and Yuko Girrard had successful starts in their respective openers, when Sylvan defeated Michael Skinner 6-2, 6-3 while Yuko had an even easier time in getting past Pat Heaven 6-0, 6-1.

Tournament organisers have moved the event forward from its usual slot in September in an effort to entice more of the Island's top young players to participate. With the competition in September it is normally too late for the top players who return to school abroad.

However, while both Zara DeSilva and Ashley Brooks are home for the summer neither are defending their crowns this time around. But Donald Evans has arrived to participate and should make things interesting in the Men's Open where he is seeded second to Jenson Bascome.

Action continues all week at the Tennis Stadium.