Upsets proved the order of the day under torrential rain as defending women?s champion Ebonie Burgess and former men?s champion Robert Vallis both crashed out of the Bermuda Amateur Match Play Championships at Mid Ocean Club yesterday.

Defending men?s champion Arthur Jones, meanwhile, eased his way through to today?s quarter-finals as did club champion Blake Marshall and former professional Anthony Mocklow who will now be viewed as Jones? most serious rivals.

University student Burgess, who represented Bermuda at last year?s World Amateur Team Championships, was a hot favourite to retain her title but came unstuck in the wet conditions against fellow local Katrin Burnie who ran out a two and one winner.

Joining Burnie in today?s women?s semi-finals will be Elise Brandt who defeated Karen Smith four and three, Natasha Morgan, who got by Susie Elton seven and six, and Courtnay Montgomery who beat Mee-Lin Barbey two and one.

On the men?s side, yesterday?s biggest surprise saw Vallis, a former Strokeplay and Match Play champion and once considered the Island?s leading amateur, lose out to fellow Mid Ocean member George Hutchings two-up.

Defending champ Jones experienced no such problems as he waltzed past Gray Yancey five and four while Marshall disposed of Jim Dempsey by the same margin.

Mocklow, now resident in England where last month he qualified for the English Amateur Championships, marched into the quarter-finals with a two and one victory over Bill Cosgrove.

One of today?s most intriguing quarter-finals will be between youngsters Nick Jones and Jonathan Ingham, sons of the tournament?s finalists more than 30 years ago.

Their respective fathers, Eardley Jones and Brendan (Bees) Ingham, contested the 1971 final when Jones emerged triumphant.

Wendy Modic of the Fenway Golf Club in Scarsdale, New York, fired a 71 at Port Royal on Tuesday to claim professional honours at the eighth annual Ladies Pro-Am Classic.

Lisa Grimes of Geneva GC, who holds the tournament record of 68 set in 2003, placed second with a 78 while Maryland?s Joy Bonhurst of the Chevy Chase Club took third place with a round of 80.

In the amateur team event, the low net score of 62 was returned by the Birdie Babes team of Karen O?Neill, Judy Pendergast and Marilyn Bishop. Bermuda Crushers, consisting of Bailey Scheurer, Pressie Hoffman and Janice Calominis had the best gross round of 75.