Fifth seed and heavily favoured Randy Bean became the first casualty of the 2001 Argus Open tennis tournament yesterday.

Bean was upset in the Men's B Division by unranked Kris Frick, forced to retire through illness in the second set while 4-1 down having lost the first 3-6.

However, he hopes to return this afternoon when he's scheduled to take on Mike Smith in the Men's Seniors Division at 5.30 p.m.

With most of the Island's big names bypassing the singles, the main action will feature the youths - something the tournament sponsors are hoping will pay dividends in the future.

Tournament director Philip Nearon said they were looking for a "nice, competitive tournament, blending the youth with senior players in the hope that down the road all tennis players on the Island make this a must on their calendar."

He said that some of the young players to watch would be Ryan Swan, the aforementioned Frick, Romar Douglas, Jovan Whitter and Kyle Smith.

However, while the young men will be seeking honours this year, many of the top young women will be absent. Players such as Zara DeSilva, Ashley Brooks and Sasha Fisher are all away at school.