There was little or nothing Nick Kyme could hide up his sleeve when he strode onto the court to face Bernard Samper for the chance to grab a bronze medal at the Central American and Caribbean Games.

For the number one squash players from Bermuda and Colombia respectively are room-mates at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut and play each other almost every day.

Victory would have guaranteed Trinity captain Kyme a place on the podium and the chance to go for silver or gold.

But on Monday night the fates were against the 21-year-old who had come through two previous rounds in El Salvador without dropping a game.

Samper is Colombia's and Trinity's number one player and won the NCAA title last year and he simply had too much for Kyme who went down 3-0 ( 9-0, 9-2, 9-4).

After the match Kyme was philosophical.

"It was a good match, I thought I played well," he said from the tournament. "But things just didn't go my way. He played too well, his court coverage was excellent and he was able to handle everything I threw at him."

What makes matters worse for the Islander is that it is the third match in recent times that he has been on the losing end of such a scoreline to the same player.

Back home Kyme's mother Denise said she was proud of her son's efforts and said he had done everything expected of him.

"I think Nick will be disappointed that he lost 3-0 again," she said. "He said to me 'I'm sure I know how to beat him'. I think he felt he had a better chance than some of the other guys who haven't played him before.

"But having said that he lost to him 3-0 last week in the play-off to decide the number one spot on the (college) team and he lost by the same score in the Pan-Am Championships as well. The kid is just a very, very good player."

That is a fact that Paul Assaiante, Trinity's assistant athletic director and men's head squash coach, knows well.

"They are very close in terms of their friendship but the standard of play really isn't that close," he said.

"It's a contrast in style that doesn't suit Nick.

"Nick is a grinder, hits the ball to a length and plays very conservatively. Bernardo is incredibly quick and really moves the ball all over the place and just puts Nick under tremendous pressure.

"He, generally speaking, dictates the play. Because of Bernardo's quickness Nick doesn't really hurt him."

That said Assaiante believes Kyme has the potential to improve.

"Nick is making strides. Two weeks ago he played a challenge match here and used the straight drop to great effect. He won the match 10-9 in the fifth but if he had not expanded his game a little bit and started to show some of this there is no way he would have won," he said.

"It is his intent to play the circuit for a bit and while there's some luck involved - you have to stay healthy and all of that - I think there is an upside for Nick that he hasn't yet begun to realise.

"He is a very disciplined kid and you have to be disciplined to be successful on the circuit. You also have to be talented and if you are talented and disciplined then you can be a top player.

"Clearly, we know for sure that Nick is disciplined and we will have to see what happens to him from there."

Kyme's mother said she felt the CAC Games will have been a positive learning experience for her son.

"He is pretty realistic," she said. "He knows he has still got lots of work to do but I think he is improving as he goes on and is quite positive about the whole thing.

"At this time I am sure he is very disappointed, I know I am, but I think he will have given it his all and done everything he could."

Meanwhile, Kyme and his Bermudian team-mates, James Stout and Mel Caines, still have the doubles and team event to come.

The teams are not seeded in doubles as this is the first time squash doubles has been contested in the Central American and Caribbean area.

Unfortunately for Kyme and Stout their first round match today pits them against none other than Samper and compatriot Santiago Montoya!

It goes without saying that Kyme and Stout will have their work cut out, but the pair will be motivated by the knowledge that victory against the Colombians will guarantee them at least a bronze medal.