Bermuda face a date with destiny today after losing their opening Davis Cup clash in Costa Rica.

The Island team of James Collieson, Jenson Bascome and Ricky Mallory went down 2-1 to Barbados in the American Zone Group Four tournament.

But with the hosts and favourites crashing to a shock defeat against the unfancied US Virgin Islands it is still all to play for as they seek promotion to Group Three.

The top two teams from Bermuda, Barbados, Costa Rica, Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States, Panama and the US Virgin islands will go up at the end of the week long event. Antigua-Barbuda, who were scheduled to play, did not field a team.

Bascome was the first on court for Bermuda yesterday, but while not blown away by his own opponent Duane Williams, he was by the wind.

He lost the first set 6-1 as he struggled to come to terms with the conditions, but found his feet in the second, winning it 6-3. However, as was to prove to be the pattern for the day, the fightback was halted and he lost the decider 6-3.

James Collieson faired better against Damian Applewhaite, winning a close opening set 6-4, before dispatching his opponent 6-1 in the second.

With the scores tied, the result hinged on the doubles with Bascome and Ricky Mallory figuring for Bermuda and Michael Date and Akil Burgess for Barbados.

Once again the opening set went by the wayside, this time by a score of 6-4, but Bascome and Mallory rallied in the second to take it 6-3.

However, the momentum built up in the previous set once again disappeared in the final one, which they lost 6-3.

"It's going to come right down to the wire, but we can't afford to lose again," said coach and captain Steve Bean last night. "If we lose to Panama tomorrow (today) that means we are down two and we have to beat everybody else and hope that somebody else beats Costa Rica, among other things.

"Costa Rica have already lost once and if they lose again then it's a matter of numbers - whoever has the most number of points, who won head to head and all that kind of stuff.

"But to control our own destiny we have to win tomorrow (today)."

Bean said no one had played badly yesterday and Collieson had played particularly well.

"It was very windy today and Jenson lost to a guy who, on the day, played better in the wind," he said. "It was a match that Jenson feels he should have won and I agree. The guy was probably a little more used to playing in all that wind than Jenson was, because he played pretty good."

Bean thought when Bascome had levelled there was a chance he might pull out a win.

"I thought Jenson might beat him 6-2, 6-3 in the third set," he said. "But sometimes a point here and there makes all the difference in the outcome."

Collieson also had to master the elements before running out the victor in his match.

"It was a close first set but as soon as James got settled and used to the conditions he just blew the guy right away with his powerful groundstrokes," said Bean.

At that point a triumph was a definite possiblity.

"We had come from behind, split the singles and I thought our chances would have been real good going into the doubles," Bean said.

"We have played against Barbados before. They played two guys who I hadn't seen before but I thought our chances were pretty good.

"But they were very good doubles players and ended up beating us in three sets."

Being unable to close out matches when in the ascendancy proved to be the key factor.

"That seemed to be the order of the day," said Bean. "Us coming back like that. Today, it was just not meant to be. Usually, you come back in the second set like that your momentum carries you through the third. But all credit to Barbados, I think that was one of the better teams I have seen them put together."

Bean said his players, who also include teenager Jovan Whitter among their ranks, were still very optimistic.

"Naturally, we were disappointed that we lost," he said. "But our chances are still pretty good of being promoted."

Regardless of how things go this week, whether it ends on a high or a low, Bean knows that things have to change in the future if real advances are to be made in the sport.

"We were sitting around discussing that issue after our game," he said.

"The guys said first of all we need to train for a longer period of time outside of the competition.

"We didn't start until about two months before we were due to go. We perhaps need to train year round.

"The other thing is a need to try and get ourselves a little more exposure at this level - once a year is not enough."

Bean suggested events such as the forthcoming Island Games were what Bermuda should be targeting.

"If we can get our players competing in these kind of events they would be a tremendous asset," he said.