Thomas achieved the crucial break in the first set of the 10th game after holding serve to go up 5-4. He then took the set on the seventh point when Stewart was long on a cross-court forehand.

The second set was just as tight before the players traded service breaks in the ninth and 10th games to level the score at 5-5. Thomas broke Stewart again in the 11th game to go up 6-5 then held for the match. Thomas now faces David Powell this afternoon.

Meanwhile, Ricky Mallory -- Bermuda's number one-ranked player and top seed in the tournament -- made short work of Eric Collins in the first round in the men's A singles, winning 6-2, 6-0 in less than an hour.

Several seeds will be in action today with mixed doubles top seeds Clair and Stuart Smith facing the husband-and-wife team of Dennis and Patricia Pamplin.

Also, women's top seed Gill Butterfield will face Alexa Petty in the first match of the day.

The 1993-94 Bermuda Lawn Tennis Association Winter League is scheduled to begin November 13 for Women's and Men's B teams and November 27 for the A teams.

A meeting for all team captains is set for tomorrow starting at 5.30 p.m. at the Pommander Gate Tennis Club, where names of players must be provided. A $100 fee is also required.

For further details, contact Ken MacDonald at 295-0713.

BOWLING BOW Buy and Sell occupied the top spot in both the team high game and series category on their way to a 20-7 win over Warwick Whites in latest Barritt's Sportsmen's League action.

Buy and Sell rolled a top game of 968 and high series of 2,767 as Miles Smith was their top bowler with a top game of 225 and 600 series, which tied for third. Hilton Hayward of Warwick Whites had a 603 second high series as his team also got on the honours board with a 2,600 series.

Young Blood downed Sparks 21-6 as they claimed a second high series of 2,672 and 895 game. For Sparks, Robert Wilson had a 221 game.

Social Club beat Mini Forwarders 17-10 after their 943 game was enough for second high team honours. Dudley Brown's 609 top series and 222 game came in vain as team-mate Casey Burgess tied with Brown with his 222 second high game.

In the night's other match, Warwick Reds upset Pembroke Juniors 15-12 as Leon Smith led the winners with a third high series of 600. Reds had a good all-round team effort, rolling the third high game and series of 936 and 2,655.

Saturday's schedule: Young Blood v Mini Forwarders; Warwick Reds v Warwick Whites; Sparks v Pembroke Juniors; Social Club v Buy and Sell.

SQUASH SQU Eight teams will compete in the Sir Michael Edwardes tournament beginning tonight at 5.45 p.m. at the Squash Club next to National Sports Club.

Admission to the public is free.

The event, which is actually played on singles courts, is Bermuda's only doubles tournament and last year's champions, Colin Alexander and John Stout, will be returning to defend their crown.

Alexander and Stout captured the inaugural competition in five games over Kirk Caza and Andy McComb.

The tournament attracts some of the brightest names in Bermuda squash with racquet control considered the key since four players will be hitting the ball at speeds of over 100 miles per hour in a room just 32 feet by 18 feet.

Last year, for instance, champion Stout discovered just how perilous play can be when he received a deep gash on his head from a racquet swing.

Because of that, Bermuda's squash pro Julian Rose is insisting that players wear safety goggles this time. "We can't run the risk of someone losing an eye, it can happen so easily,'' said Rose.

Tonight's pairings: Sir Michael Edwardes/guest; Colin Alexander/John Stout; Jan Brewer/Gary White; Richard Brewer/Jeff McKay; Kirk Caza/Andy McComb; Liz Davies/Jacqui White; Richard Jenkyn/Doug Kline; Robert Stewart/Sean Kelly.

GOLF GLF The New England PGA lead the Bermuda PGA 161 -131 after two days of their eighth Challenge Cup Series, which winds up today with singles matches at Mid Ocean Club.

The first team to reach 301 points after today's play will clinch the series.

The visitors need to win 131 out of the total 30 points at stake from the 10 individual matches to retain their title while Bermuda, who usually fare well in the singles, need to take 17 points to clinch.

In seven meetings between the two teams, the New England professionals have won six with Bermuda's only win coming in 1990 here in Bermuda.

After Monday's first day at Castle Harbour, New England led 9-6 as Keith Smith and Lloyd James beat Joe Carr and Tom Tetrault 3-0 for Bermuda's only win.

That three-point lead was maintained after yesterday's second day at Castle when the teams tied 71 -71 . This time Dwayne Pearman and Keith Smith beat Tetrault and Gerry Mackedon 3-0 and Cornell Bean and Stephen DeCosta defeated Kirk Hanefeld and Jack Bohman 21 -1 .

Full, results are on Page 18.

SWIMMING SW Four records were broken on Saturday at the BASA pool when the first of three swim meets of the winter national age group championships began.

Matthew Hammond continued his sparkling year in the pool by smashing two of his own records. He broke his previous 400-metre freestyle record by seventh-tenths of a second in setting the new mark of 4:51.20.

In the 200-metre backstroke, he reduced his former record by a second and a half in setting the new mark of 2:36.97.

In the boys 15 and 16-year-old age group, Stephen Fahy demolished his own record and the national record held by Stanley Harris when he set the new standard of 5:00.32 in the 400-metre individual medley.

The next event in the series takes place on Saturday and then on November 20 at the BASA pool.

SOCCER SOC Paget Community Club will hold a general meeting today at Paget Primary School starting at 7.30 p.m.