Gary Plumstead sparked hopes of an upset, while James Stout and Tommy Sherratt gave brave performances, but all eventually fell to world class opposition at the Logic Bermuda Open Squash tournament last night.

Plumstead, from South Africa but who coaches on the Island, took the first game off world No.9 Ong Beng Hee, before going down 3-1.

Stout, the Island's top junior, held his own against world No.6 Thierry Lincou but went out 3-0, while Sherratt, an 11th hour replacement for stricken No.1 seed and world No.3 Dave Palmer (see story above), put up a valiant fight but was beaten 3-0 by Scotland's world No.5 John White.

Plumstead had the crowd on its feet as he won the opening game against Beng Hee 15-11 in 12 minutes.

The Malaysian squared the match in the second game, which he won 15-6, and as the tie progressed his superior level of fitness began to tell.

He took the third game, though not without a fight, 15-10 and finished off the match with a 15-8 win in the third.

Plumstead, who resembled the Lucky Stars' leprechaun as he bounced around the court celebrating each point he won with the excitement of someone many years his younger, said, though he had the shots, his legs would not allow him to make them by the end.

"You have always got (the ability) in you but it's the fitness," he said. "Unfortunately, I coach six hours a day and they train six hours a day."

He said he felt Beng Hee always had something in reserve, despite taking the opener off him.

"I knew he wasn't going to go full out from the start," he said. "I knew that even after winning that first game that he would still have more to give.

"I gave 99 percent in the first game and from there on he started giving more and I had less and less."

Plumstead said he had tried to change his tactics to compensate, but to no avail.

"I tried to kill the ball more," he said. "But they are just one step quicker. When you play people like Tommy (Sherratt) and Nick (Kyme) here they are one step slower so you know you have two seconds extra per shot, whereas with them you have one second less. You are always under pressure."

Beng Hee said victory was important to him, no matter who it was against.

"It's important in terms of winning matches," he said. "Though it's not a PSA event, we always try do our best and win as many matches as possible. It's good for your confidence to be able to take that forward to the next tournament."

Stout, who joins the senior ranks later this year, won the opening three points in his match, much to the delight of the local fans, and then sparred with Lincou throughout the rest of the first game before losing it 15-12 in a little over ten minutes.

He saved two game balls in the second, before Lincou ran out a 15-7 winner, and saved a match ball in the third before the Frenchman tied up the match 15-8.

Stout was delighted afterwards, having done far better than he had predicted beforehand.

"It was a great match for me," he said. "I went out there hoping to get three points in the entire match and in every game I doubled that. I couldn't have played better.

"To play someone of that calibre and get points is a great performance.

"It has really boosted my confidence. Playing like that makes me feel that I can go pro and I can compete. I am not quite up there yet but a few more years, keep going at it, and hopefully that will be me."

Sherratt, knocked out by Stout in the local qualifiers, had expected to be sat in the bleachers rather than playing last night.

He lost the opening game 15-2, grabbed five points to White's 15 in the second and improved still further in the last, losing 15-9.

"I got the call this afternoon while I was at work. I was so excited when I heard that I was going to get the chance. To play at that level doesn't happen very often," he said.

"It's always tough to adjust to the pace, those guys play at a phenomenal pace.

"But to get an experience like that is like being able to go play tennis with Agassi or Sampras. It was an amazing opportunity."

White, the tournament's No.1 seed after Palmer pulled out, said he was happy with added pressure that went with that honour.

"It's one of those things when you are the No.1 seed, everyone is out there to beat you," he said.

"But I am out to beat everyone else as well, so the pressure is on them as well."

The other first round match played last night saw Australia's Joseph Kneipp defeat England's Mark Chaloner.

Kneipp, world No.14, saw off Chaloner, world No.12, 3-2 (15-11, 15-9, 14-15, 10-15, 15-6).

The semifinals take place tonight, with the finals tomorrow.