upset when she beat one of America's top young players in the opening match of the Maureen Connolly Challenge Trophy.

In hot and humid conditions O'Donoghue, 17, saw off 18-year-old Sarah Taylor 7-5, 6-2 at the Island's Coral Beach and Tennis Club yesterday.

The tournament, for the best under-19 girls, is held annually and normally alternates between Britain and the USA. But this year the organisers opted for a neutral venue and Bermuda was given the honour of staging it.

Cheered on by an enthusiastic crowd, O'Donoghue came from a set point down to draw first blood and went on to take the decider in comfortable fashion.

Magnanimous in victory, the Lancashire lass said: "It was a tough match and I had to dig really deep today and play my best tennis to beat her.'' O'Donoghue said the win had a lot to do with the preparation put in before the tournament.

"The USA have brought out a really strong team this year after losing the last few ties against Great Britain.

"But we came out here a few days early and prepared well and anything can happen when you put the work in,'' she said.

"I was a set point down in the first but clawed my way back and hung in and made her play a few extra balls and my serve got me out of a lot of trouble.

"I got on top straight away in the second and her head went down, but she worked to the last point. It was a good game and a great match.'' O'Donoghue, runner-up at the Lawn Tennis Association Masters in Redbridge in March and a member of the LTA squad which toured South America and the Far East this year, said she had coped well with the conditions.

"It's slightly hotter (than what we are used to), but our fitness trainer has prepared us really well. We were fresh today and ready for the conditions,'' she said.

Looking ahead to the rest of the tournament, O'Donoghue said she expected it to be close -- but the British girls had fought hard to get in the squad and would give it their best shot.

"It's going to be a tough one I think. These first few ties are going to be tight -- it's too hard to call at this early stage,'' she said adding, "it's a big event and one we all talk about in England and we have worked really hard to get our place in the team.'' Taylor, ranked 260th in the world on the WTA singles tour, said her problems began when she relinquished her hold on the first set.

"I struggled a little bit there. I had a set point at 5-3 and she came up with a big serve so there wasn't a lot I could really do about that. Then serving for it I don't think I really took enough time, I lost the first point of the game, should have perhaps gone back and taken a little bit more time and didn't.'' Taylor said a change in the type of surface she has been playing on recently hadn't helped.

"I've been playing on hard court for the past six months and it was a little humid -- but it's all stuff I've got to deal with,'' she said.

Not downhearted, Taylor said she would try and redress the balance in her forthcoming matches.

"I have doubles to come so hopefully I can redeem myself there and singles another day,'' she said.

The second match of the day saw Elena Baltacha of Great Britain defeat Megan Bradley of the USA 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 to give Britain a 2-0 lead going into the third singles tie.

The first set went with serve until Baltacha was broken in the seventh. But the girl born in Kiev and living in Scotland broke back in the following game and was victorious in the eventual tie-break.

The American established a 3-0 lead in the second set, but Baltacha recovered and levelled at 4-4. The British player then broke Bradley's serve and served out the set 6-4.

The USA clawed their way back into the tournament when their number one player Laura Granville saw off Anne Keothavong 6-2, 7-6 (7-5).

Granville took a 3-0 lead in the first and although the Briton got herself into position to launch a fightback, she could not capitalise and the American took the set comfortably.

The second set followed a similar pattern with Granville establishing a 5-2 lead. Keothavong then staged a recovery, levelling at 6-6 but although the tie-break which followed was close the US player edged it 7-5.

Play was suspended for the day when the rains came during the last match, the doubles, between Taylor and Candice Fuchs of the USA and Britain's Alice Barnes and Nicola Trinder. The latter pairing had taken the first set 6-2.

Master of Ceremonies Trevor Adamson said of the day's play: "They were all very good matches, all very close and could have gone either way. I just thought the Brits seemed to have a little bit more determination.

"I've noticed in the past it takes the Americans a couple of days to get into it, although they have been together since Sunday.'' Weather permitting, play will begin at 9 a.m. today with the resumption of the doubles match and today's schedule will start around 10 a.m.