Davis Cup coach Steve Bean has applauded Bermuda’s tennis team for preserving their spot in Americas group three.

Bermuda finished sixth of nine teams in Paraguay, with crucial pool B wins over Guatemala and Jamaica securing their position in the group. Last year, the island’s team finished fifth, their best ever result.

“We achieved our main objective which was to remain in group three,’’ Bean told The Royal Gazette.

“This gives me great satisfaction, the boys are I had a wonderful time. It was so great working with these players, I had no attitudes to deal with because all of them are friends.

“We beat Guatemala and Jamaica and these are countries we never beat on a regular basis. Beating those teams was a huge success for us.

Bermuda’s campaign ended in disappointment as they suffered 3-0 losses against Puerto Rico and Costa Rica. The defeat to Puerto Rico meant they finished third in the pool, which resulted in a game against Costa Rica in the fifth-place play-off.

“We were so happy on that last day that we weren't playing to avoid relegation,’’ the non-playing captain said.

“What I’m happy about is that in the last two years, we've played well enough to stay in group three and countries are now recognising that Bermuda are not easy opponents.”

Bean conceded that with such a small pool of players to choose from, it will be tough for Bermuda to achieve promotion.

“We don’t have too many options to choose from like other countries,’’ he said.

“We have some players on the island, such as Wayne Montgomery and Sam Butler. They’re very good tennis players, but they cant play for Bermuda even though they’ve been living here for years.

“We’ve got an 11-year-old girl named Chloe McBrearty. We want her to play for our under-12 girls team and she was born in Bermuda, her parents have been living here for a long time, but they can’t apply for a Bermuda certificate unless they've been here for 20 years.

“In other countries they’re a lot more lenient and that’s why they can pull players from different places.”

Ricky Mallory, the Bermuda Lawn Tennis Association national tennis director, also hailed the team’s efforts.

“I couldn't be prouder of our boys during this Davis Cup campaign,’’ Mallory said.

“I must emphasise the significance of what our local players have achieved once again in Paraguay.

“With most countries fielding ATP players, we knew our boys would need to dig deep to compete.

“Daniel and Trey, both playing top-level Division One tennis for their respective universities, along with Tariq, James, and Jack, who train regularly in Bermuda, contributed significantly to our success.

“Playing spectacular tennis, Bermuda made history by defeating Guatemala for the first time and upsetting Jamaica, the top-ranked team in our group.

“Looking ahead, the BLTA plans to host three consecutive professional tournaments in Bermuda next summer.

“These events will not only provide our boys the chance to earn professional points and enter more pro tournaments but also help them continue playing at a higher level.

“To achieve this, we need the support of our local and corporate communities. Any financial assistance offered will help these boys maintain their competitive level.”