Tennis player Ricky Mallory's decision to quit singles will not automatically rule him out of selection for the Bermuda Davis Cup team.

Responding to news that Mallory had lost the desire to compete locally in singles, Bermuda Lawn Tennis Association (BLTA) president David Lambert said there would still likely be a spot for him on the squad that will travel to an as yet unnamed destination next February.

Mallory made his pronouncement soon after disposing of Jensen Bascome 6-0, 6-2 during the men's final of the Colonial Open last weekend, citing a lack of desire.

"I've known Ricky for many years,'' said Lambert. "I've seen Ricky grow up and travelled with Ricky recently as Davis Cup captain and now as president of the Association and we all know the value of having Ricky Mallory on the team representing Bermuda, because he's definitely one of our top players.

"Ricky keeps mentioning that he's 34-years-old and he wants to give the younger players an opportunity. But Ricky is a young 34, he's very fit and I think a reason for his being so is that he cross trains all the time, particularly with soccer and he also runs a lot.

"We always would like to say that we can have the services of Ricky Mallory for at least another two years of international play, because we've seen what he can do.'' Lambert certainly values that which an on-song Mallory brings to the court, having watched the Bermuda number one put on a virtuoso display during this year's Davis Cup tournament in Honduras, where he inspired the team to promotion to American Zone Group III.

Bermuda won five of six ties againt Antigua, St. Lucia, US Virgin Islands, Barbados, Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States and the host nation, with Mallory the inspiration. That despite a troublesome neck injury brought on by the climatic change going from Bermuda to Honduras.

"If Ricky is interested and is fit and able to play we're sure that his name will be raised,'' said Lambert, noting that training for the as yet unnamed squad will commence in the next few weeks.

"Because of his experience... and because of his knowledge of how to win those big, tough matches we hope that we can keep his services available, or accessible for a couple more years.

"We have a group of young players coming along that we will be looking to in a couple years, or maybe even next year, but right now when you have a commodity like Ricky Mallory that has proven his ability to almost carry the team to promotion you cannot look past him.

"So he will be asked again to represent us if he is fit and has the desire.

If you want to play, want to win, and have talent of a Ricky Mallory you become very hard to stop.'' Talent is something Mallory has no shortage of, having become the first player to win every singles tournament during a season in 1999 and being cited by Government for such efforts.

Yet, there is now brimming a need to pass on the knowledge to the next generation of players, hence Mallory's dedication to instructing youngsters at several facilities throughout the Island and his teaming with various up and coming stars in doubles for tournaments.

Said Lambert: "I think that Ricky has reached a point where he feels the need to direct most of his energies in a particular direction, that being giving back to the juniors and moving away from singles competition, which is honourable.

"But we always receive that with mixed feelings because we definitely appreciate and look forward to working with Ricky in a coaching facility -- he and I have been working together for the last three years developing that programme over at Elbow. Still, we would like to see him play singles as long as he so desires.''