the opening day of the Caribbean Development Tennis Championships in Antigua yesterday, while Danielle Downey was eliminated from the championship round.

Downey, drawn against Anne-Lee Bryant of Barbados, one of the top youngsters in the region, lost 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 in a three-set heartbreaker in her first round robin match.

In her second match in the afternoon, Downey was beaten 6-2, 6-0 by Lisa Fungkee Fung of Trinidad and Tobago, the girl she also lost to in the semi-finals of a tournament in August. Yesterday's two defeats eliminated Downey who will now play in the consolation group.

However, her two team-mates, DeSilva and Whitter, both enjoyed success, reaching the quarter-finals of their respective groups. DeSilva stopped Keisha Roden of Grenada 6-0, 6-0 and then beat Whitney Renfern of Surinam 6-1, 6-1.

Whitter beat Kristopher Elren of the US Virgin Islands 7-5, 7-5 in a close boys 14-and-under match before winning more comfortably against Omarie Morton of Antigua 6-1, 6-3 in his second match.

Some 16 countries are represented in the ITF event, from which points go towards junior world rankings. There are 24 boys and 13 girls competing.

The current trip climaxes a successful year for Bermuda's junior tennis programme.

The year saw the establishment of a national training squad programme to assist the development of the Island's most promising young players.

Along with John Wardman, who is currently studying abroad, these youngsters tasted ITF competition in April in Barbados where DeSilva was a finalist in singles and a winner in doubles with Downey.

During the summer, Whitter racked up four titles while competing in the United States where he reached seven finals in total.

DeSilva won one title and was a finalist in another in Florida while Downey was a finalist in doubles at ITF events in St. Lucia and Trinidad. Wardman won one singles and two doubles titles in Quebec.