Anchored to the baseline, Thomas Enqvist engineered vital breaks in either set to overcome Hugo Armando 6-4, 6-4 as first-round action continued in the XL Capital Bermuda Open yesterday.

The smooth-stroking Swede ? once number four on the men?s pro circuit ? seized three of his eight opportunities to break the fiery American?s service and they proved just enough to carry him through to the second round at Coral Beach Club.

Boasting an array of net-flirting groundstrokes and a penchant for finding the lines, Enqvist constantly traded baseline punches with a confident Armando who spared no shot, even if not the appropriate one for a particular situation, in his quest to oust the tournament?s number six seed on Centre Court.

The racquet duel saw Enqvist first break serve in the opening set?s third game thanks to successive wide forehands by Armando. Kicking the clay turf in disgust, the latter sought to remedy the issue immediately, breaking back on an Enqvist double fault in the very next game.

Each player then held to make it 3-3 before Enqvist launched another sustained attack to take his rival?s service game. The marathon, 22-point seventh game saw a mixture of winners and unforced errors at either end of the court but, ultimately, Enqvist prevailed with a stunning backhand return that gave Armando ? who squandered seven game points before losing serve on this occasion ? no hope as he watched the first set slip away.

In the second set, the match remained on serve ? despite break chances for either player ? until the ninth game. An errant backhand by Armando gifted his seasoned adversary a 30-40 advantage which culminated in a break on the next point as the server whipped a forehand long on the baseline.

That gave Enqvist a 5-4 lead and he duly held in the following game to advance to the second round, finishing fittingly with a flourish ? a polished backhand winner down the line.

A despairing Armando could only look on as the ball flew past him to the left.

?It was a good match. I felt I was hitting the ball well. We had a very long first set. At 3-2 there were two very, very long games and I won both of them. I think that was the key for winning that set,? said 31-year-old Enqvist, terming match conditions ?perfect?.

?In the second set I was serving better and I got a few more free points and was able to play more aggressively. I?m happy with the way I played.?

Looking ahead to his second-round clash with the gritty Argentinian Juan-Pablo Guzman, he acknowledged that he would have to be at the top of his game to conquer the South American.

?I watched him win yesterday (Monday) and he played well,? noted the 1999 Australian Open runner-up.

Meanwhile, emerging American teen sensation Scoville Jenkins shrugged off a first-set loss to beat Antony Dupuis 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 earlier in the day.

?I was nervous coming out here for the first time. He is a great player. I?ve watched him on television many times and he began very well which startled me. I guess it took me a set-and-a-half to get going but then I found my zone and I was fine after that,? said the 18-year-old Atlanta resident who turned pro last year.

Jenkins? compatriot Paul Goldstein did likewise, coming from behind to defeat another American Jan-Michael Gambill.

The latter captured the first set 6-2 in quick time only to self-destruct against his rival?s blossoming precision and panache thereafter.

The 28-year-old winner wrapped up the match 6-2, 6-1 in the remaining sets, looking increasingly impressive with each point including a daring drop shot from the baseline to save a break point in the third set.

Brian Vahaly of the USA progressed to the second round with a comfortable 6-3, 6-2 victory over Israeli Noam Okun. Vahaly began slowly but soon assumed control of the proceedings to easily claim success.