David Lambert will step down as president of the Bermuda Lawn Tennis Association (BLTA) at today’s Annual General Meeting at the WER Joell Tennis Stadium.He is expected to be succeeded by Coleridge Place, who has served as a BLTA vice-president for the past four years.Lambert, 55, has been voted in as the Island’s tennis supremo on four occasions, and although it’s game set and match in terms of his presidency he still plans to work with the BLTA in the future.Stepping aside as president will afford him more time to devote to his role as director of tennis at Elbow Beach where he hopes to market the venue as a top-class tennis destination.During his time in charge Lambert has watched the Island’s current crop of starlets evolve from enthusiastic five-year-olds into Davis Cup and Fed Cup players. Many of those ‘tennis toddlers’ are now making their mark at International Tennis Federation (ITF) World Rankings Tournaments such as the region’s top under-13 female player Tyler Smith, and Evert Tennis Academy student Chris Rego, who is currently touring Central America.Lambert has been close friends with president-elect Place since the pair were youngsters, battling for local supremacy on the court. And Lambert has no doubt the BLTA will continue to prosper with Place at the helm. In a recent interview with The Royal Gazette, Lambert said: “I’m confident the growth of the sport and the strong successes will continue,” he said. “Coley and I go back a long way and have been playing against each other for 45 years.“He is one of our former top tennis players and is also a fundraiser with his Coleridge Place Birthday Golf Tournament which like the Celebrity Classic helps send Bermudians overseas to compete in ITF World Ranking tournaments.“I believe the BLTA will be in very safe hands and will continue to prosper.”During his 11 years at the BLTA helm Lambert has been bestowed with numerous honours including the Queen’s Certificate (for work in tennis) and several Special Achievement awards received from the Government.In 2009 he was honoured by the ITF for his services to the game. Today’s AGM starts at 5.45pm.n Bermuda tennis player Chris Rego has continued his impressive form at the COPA Universidad Galoleo in Guatemala. The 13-year-old, who is playing on the COTECC Junior Circuit, won his second round robin match against Juan Diego Telles, of Spain, in straight sets.Rego won the first set 4-1, 4-2 to finish top of the round robin Group 1. In the first round he beat Christopher Vleeming from Guatemala 4-0, 4-0.