the Island overseas.

Players chosen for the Davis Cup and Federation Cup squads are playing in trial matches to decide who makes the two teams of four players, to be announced by early February.

Bermuda's men will travel to Trinidad on March 2 to take on the host nation, Barbados and Puerto Rico in the Davis Cup, American Zone Group IV, after they were relegated from Group III last year.

And the women will make the trip to Costa Rica on February 20 to compete in the Federation Cup Americas Group II qualifying event.

Bermuda will be one of 16 nations taking part in the competition which opens with round-robin matches in four groups of four. The top two in each group will progress to a series of play-offs, with the winning country gaining promotion to the Americas Group I event next year.

Also competing in the trials are top junior players, at least four of whom will get the chance to represent Bermuda in tournaments played in the Caribbean.

The pool of players competing in the trials earned selection by way of their performances in tournaments last year.

They were brought together with Davis Cup captain Steve Bean, Federation Cup captain Kelly Holland, junior captain Terry Smith and Sports Minister Dennis Lister at the Government Tennis Stadium on December 27.

BERMUDA'S BEST -- Players from the Island's Davis Cup, Federation Cup and junior squads met up recently with team captains and newly-appointed Sports Minister Dennis Lister.