A rainy morning, a ball boy being sick on centre court, baking sunshine, off-putting wind and corporate boxes full of businessmen in suits and sunscreen can only mean one thing ? the XL Capital Bermuda Open is back.

Day one of the $100,000 Challenger kicked off yesterday with six singles games and plenty of fast-paced action.

The closest game of the opening session saw Juan-Pablo Guzman of Argentina dispose of Ecuadorian Davis Cup player Giovanni Lapentti for the second straight year. The short, stocky dirt-baller had little trouble coping with his lethargic opponent in the opening set, controlling every rally and consigning his lanky, lean rival to a 6-1 defeat.

Lapentti, whose older brother Nicolas is the former world number six, failed to even chase down Guzman?s withering drop shots in the first but recovered his composure and commitment to the cause in the second to actually make a game of it.

He battled his way back into the match, although still seemed to be chasing the game somewhat against his built-for-clay opponent. But despite sneaking the tiebreak 7-4, he couldn?t alter the inevitable outcome against the more hungry and determined Guzman.

The third set resembled the first, with the Argentine dominating and closing out Lapentti junior 6-2.

?I felt I play well in the first,? said Guzman, whose English is far less proficient than his devastating groundstrokes. ?But he came back in the second and I felt nervous, how do you say?, tight.

?I worry that he might come back but I play well again in the third and beat him ? I am happy.?

After the morning rain, the tournament proper opened with young Russian-born American Alex Kuznetsov taking on Mashiska Washington, younger brother of former world number 11 MaliVai.

With many of the daytime corporate crowd either at lunch or typing away on their Blackberries, the two fought out an interesting game that became more competitive as time passed.

Washington, already playing in his third game after battling through qualifying over the weekend, appeared slightly overwhelmed in the opening set, constantly finding the middle of the net and going down 6-1.

The wind picked up in the second and frightened Kuznetsov into not going for his shots, creating longer rallies and allowing the veteran Washington back into the match. He broke the wildcard teenager for a 5-4 lead but Kuznetsov broke back in the next game before triumphing 7-5 in the second.

?The wind held me back a little,? said first-time visitor to Bermuda Kuznetsov, who moved to the US when he was three. ?I didn?t really feel confident about going for my shots. I like clay although the courts are a little slower than I would like.

?In the second set he got more balls in and I know I am going to have to be more positive in the next game if I am going to survive.?

The final match on centre court in the day session was decided in the first set tiebreak. Regular Bermuda visitor Franco Squillari, yet another Argentinian, took on young Swede Michael Ryderstedt.

The battle of the left-handers went to 6-6 and despite the veteran blowing a 5-1 lead, he eventually clinched the tie-break 10-8 after Ryderstedt wasted two set points.

Squillari, appearing to play within himself, then blew the youngster away 6-2.

Another youngster to choke was Canadian hothead Frank Dancevic, out on court seven. The 20-year-old rising star, beaten in the second round here last year, blew leads of 5-2 and 4-0 over eighth seed Ivo Minar to go down 7-6, 6-4.

Dancevic, who later advanced 6-0, 6-4 in the doubles with Serb Dusan Vemic over Gregorys Chambaz and Zavialoff, took out his frustration on towels and racquets during his defeat.

Minar will take on Squillari in the next round.