Micah Franklin won Bermuda’s first match in the men’s team event at the Pan Am Games against Chile at the Vedina Sports Complex last night.

Franklin, the island’s No 2 seed, came back from two games down to beat Max Camiruaga 9-11, 6-11, 12-10, 11-3, 11-7 — although Bermuda still ended up losing the ninth to twelfth-place match 2-1.

Noah Browne, the No 1 seed, lost a heated opener against Arias Pinto 11-2, 11-8, 11-4 before Franklin levelled the score with a gutsy performance.

Franklin said Camiruaga’s aggressive style caught him by surprise in the first two games but was able to punish his opponent, who appeared to be carrying an injury, from the third game onwards.

“[Camiruaga] started off with a highly attacking game and that caught me off guard,” Franklin said. “I didn’t expect that kind of shotmaking. I think he was carrying a bit of a knock so he was trying to finish off the rallies as quickly as he could.

“In these cold conditions, it favours someone who is trying to go short first. I didn’t have an answer until the third game.

“I snuck the third game and with that had a sense of confidence. Going into the fourth and fifth [games], I noticed he started to tire and had an issue going on. At that point, I had a one-track mind and just tried to steamroller him.”

It set the stage for Nick Kyme, the former leading man of Bermudian squash, to try and secure a maiden win for the island, which is competing in squash at the Pan Am Games for the first time.

Kyme always looked in control against Nova Lacroix but continually let his opponent off the hook at crucial moments of the match, losing a close-fought encounter 11-8, 11-6, 13-11.

“I’m a little disappointed because I felt like I was in control,” Kyme said. “I didn’t feel as though I was under pressure and yet somehow ended up losing 3-0.

“It’s not a good feeling. I really wanted to win for the boys. It would have been nice to get a win under the belt. It wasn’t to be, I guess.”

For Chile, the victory avenged their defeat to Browne and Franklin in the first round of the doubles last Thursday.

Earlier yesterday, Bermuda lost 2-0 to Argentina in their round of 16 match.

Browne lost 11-5, 11-4, 11-7 to Roberto Pezzota, while Franklin was beaten 11-9, 11-7, 11-8, 11-4 by Leondro Romiglio.

Bermuda, who lost 3-0 to Brazil and Colombia in pool B, will face El Salvador in the eleventh to twelfth-place match today.

“The four teams in the ninth to twelfth positions are pretty close,” Kyme added. “If we had played these guys on a warmer court, I think the three of us would have done better. “On a warmer court, like we play in Bermuda, the ball is a little bouncier. It’s just a different style of play.”