Bermuda got their Davis Cup week off to a flying start with a clean-sweep victory over Barbados in Trinidad yesterday.

Singles victories by Ricky Mallory and Michael Way settled the tie before doubles pair Jensen Bascome and Dean Mello completed the whitewash.

Mallory kept his cool in on-court temperatures of over 90 degrees to beat Kodi Lewis 7-6 (7-3), 6-1, before Way battled to a 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 triumph over Bernard Frost.

Davis Cup debutants Bascome and Mello then raced to a straight-sets doubles win, 7-5, 6-4.

Team captain Steve Bean said: "I'm delighted with a 3-0 win. Barbados are one of the stronger teams here and we expected quite a tough challenge.'' He praised the veteran/youngster combination of teenager Bascome and 38-year-old Mello, a late replacement for the unavailable James Collieson.

"They had never played together before, so we didn't know what to expect, but they pulled together really well to win.'' Bermuda Lawn Tennis Association spokesman David Lambert, who travelled with the team to the Caribbean on Saturday, said: "The training and the preparation is really showing. All that hard work is paying off in these tight matches.'' Mallory streaked into a 5-1 lead in the opening set, but soon found himself trailing 5-6 after Lewis adopted more aggressive tactics.

Lambert said: "Kodi changed his strategy and started to serve-and-volley more and he got back to lead 6-5, but Ricky was able to raise his level again and put in some strong first services which Kodi could not handle.'' Mallory continued to serve well and cruised through the tie-break, which he won 7-3 to take the first set.

Lewis was then blown away by a rampant Mallory, 6-1 in the second set, as the Bermuda player dominated from the baseline.

Way had a tougher battle on his hands against the tall, big-serving Frost.

With Way 4-2 and 40-0 up in the opening set, rain intervened and kept the players off court for two hours, but Way maintained his concentration after the resumption to take the set 6-4.

Frost got in a higher percentage of first serves in the second set, which the Barbadian took 6-4 to square the match. Way bounced back to take the decisive third set 6-3 as he got to grips with his opponent's serve.

Lambert said: "Michael is known for his return of serve and in the third set he started to get his rhythm and dominated with a lot of drop volleys and lobs.'' Way sealed his victory in style, passing Frost on match point with a perfect cross-court forehand.

It was the first of six ties in seven days in the Group IV competition for the Island team aiming to gain promotion to Group III.

Today's opposition is the Organisation of the Eastern Caribbean States, whom Bermuda beat on home soil in 1997 when they last achieved promotion to Group III.

Bean said his intention was for Mallory and Way to play the singles matches again.

"There is no point changing a winning formula and providing nothing happens to those players, we will be following the same plan. But we will not be naming our doubles pairing until 20 minutes before the match as usual,'' said Bean.

Tomorrow the team have a rest day, before ties on Thursday and Friday against host nation Trinidad & Tobago and St. Lucia respectively.

On Saturday, the Bermuda foursome take on the opponents tipped to be the toughest, Puerto Rico, before rounding off the week against the US Virgin Islands on Sunday.