BERMUDA'S Davis Cup team will fly out on Sunday bound for Honduras to compete in the Americas Zone Group IV tie against Costa Rica, Haiti and the US Virgin Islands. Trinidad, who was also in the group, decided to withdraw from the event.

Jenson Bascome, Gavin Manders, David Thomas and Jordan Talbot will represent Bermuda in the singles and doubles while the team captain will be Steve Bean.

Bermuda Lawn Tennis Association chief David Lambert said this week: "It will be a round robin format starting on Wednesday and play continues through to Friday. The teams finishing first and second will be promoted to Division III so that is what we are aiming for. The Davis Cup has been one of our most successful campaigns overseas. We have been promoted to Division III in the past and that is what we will be trying to do this time."

Of captain Bean, Lambert said: "Steve was part of our original Davis Cup team and has also been manager and captain a number of times. He has a good idea of how to play our team which is so important because you play two singles and a doubles every day. You have to know your players and also know your opponents in order to get the best results. Steve will decide who will play when he gets down there. There is a possibility Jenson will play singles and doubles. Sometimes you get a player who is hot. I remember Ricky Mallory down in Honduras in 2000 ¿ everything he hit was a winner so you played him all of the time ¿ players get on streaks and as a captain you have to take advantage of that. A lot of times we will split our singles and it all comes down to that doubles match."

Lambert said the heat will also play a part in the competition. "Bermuda will play after 3 p.m. so it will be very hot. I have been in Honduras in February and it was hot then so it will be extremely hot now. But that is the way it is ¿ that's all part of sport."

Looking to Bermuda's opponents, Lambert said: "Costa Rica could be our toughest opponent. We have had tight results against Costa Rica before. They have a very big population to pick from."

In the world rankings, Costa Rica are the only team Group IV in the top 100 with a ranking of 95. Haiti are ranked 105 with the US Virgin Islands ranked 120 and Bermuda ranked 132.

Jenson Bascome, the senior member of the team at 28 years old, said this week he will try and lead by example. "But then again you have Gavin who has seen what it is all about and David has travelled with us to the last two Island Games so he knows what to expect. Gavin, David and myself know each other quite well while Jordan is based in the States so we do not know him that well. But I know we will mesh pretty good."

Bascome feels that Costa Rica could be the toughest opponents.

Having played Costa Rica a number of times in international competition, Bascome said: "Every time they had different players. They have plenty of players to select from since they do have a large population."

Although it will be up to captain Bean, Bascome said he will probably play doubles ¿ perhaps with Manders. "Gavin has had some injuries this year but our chemistry is pretty good on the courts," he said.

David Thomas, who is only 19 years old, is certainly the biggest of the four players. Standing nearly six foot six inches, Thomas said he prefers singles. "I grew up with a singles mentality ¿ I didn't start playing doubles until later on."

Of his height, he said: "I try and use my height to my advantage. He added: "I a definitely looking forward to going to Honduras."

Thomas just finished his freshman year at Ball State University in Indiana. "It has a great tennis programme ¿ they have won a bunch of conference titles and the coach is great ¿ he has been there for over 30 years."

Thomas started playing when he was 10 years old. "My mom got me playing a lot of sports ¿ basketball, golf and tennis and it came down to tennis and golf and I choose tennis. She wanted me to do an individual sport."

And like others on the team he expects Costa Rica to have a strong team.

"Costa Rica could be very good ¿ they have a lot of players to choose from and it all comes down to who they send."

As for the heat, Thomas said: "We know it is going to be hot. The Junior Davis Cup team who went down there in March said it was hot even then. We will just have to deal with it."