An under-strength Bermuda Davis Cup team suffered a crushing 3-0 defeat at the hands of St Lucia on Wednesday in El Salvador.

Without the likes of James Collieson, Jensen Bascome and Gavin Manders ? all of whom were unavailable for the Americas Zone Group IV matches ? Bermuda travelled to Central America severely lacking in experience and appear to have paid the price, losing to St Lucia for the first time in four meetings.

In the opening singles rubber on the red clay courts of the Maya Country Club in the capital San Salvador, four-time Davis Cup competitor Jovan Whitter lost in straight sets to St. Lucia's Vernon Lewis, 6-2, 6-1, while Romar Douglas was similarly beaten by Alberton Richelieu 6-1, 6-3.

In the dead doubles match, meanwhile, Douglas and Whitter went down in straight sets to Sirsean Arlain and Richelieu, 6-3, 6-3, completing a miserable day for the young team which also includes Davis Cup debutants David Thomas and Tony Thompson.

Bermuda were due to take on Barbados yesterday afternoon, although the result was not through by press time last night.

The other teams in the Americas Zone Group IV include Panama, the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States and the US Virgin Islands.

Only the top two finishers in the round robin competition will be promoted to Group III.