BERMUDA'S young tennis players are gearing up for the biggest tournament of the year next month when the Bank of Bermuda Foundation plays host to the sixth annual ITF Junior World Ranking Tournament.

David Lambert, head of the Bermuda Lawn Tennis Association, said that 25 Bermudian players will be attempting to qualify for the tournament which will see players from 20 countries represented.

"They are all playing for those precious world ranking points and it is also a chance for our young players to see how they compare to these top juniors flying in from abroad. We have had players from all over the world play here in this tournament ¿ players from France, Italy, the US and from all over the Caribbean," said Lambert this week.

There are two divisions ¿ the 14 and under which will be a 16-player draw (boys and girls) and the Open which is for players 18 and under and which is a 32-player draw.

As hosts Bermuda will be able to have four wild cards in the tournament proper. The rest will have to qualify in a pre-tournament before the first day's play on June 16. The finals will be staged on Saturday June 21 and all matches will take place at the Tennis Stadium.

"On Sunday, June 15, we will have the welcoming and opening ceremony where the players featuring all the countries will be presented," said Lambert.

While Bermuda hosts the tournament, the International Tennis Federation is in charge and they will be sending down tournament supervisor Micky Williams from the Bahamas and also a "white badge" tournament referee who will be in charge of the local umpires and linespeople.

Lambert said: "This tournament is one of our most important components of our development programme because it gives all of our juniors the chance to play for world ranking points at home in Bermuda and then they go on to play other ITF tournaments in the Caribbean and also Mexico where we will be sending some of our players in July.

"It gives everyone a chance to see what level the juniors from other parts of the world are playing at. There are also quite a few scouts from tennis academies coming down and they are always looking for talent and some of our juniors have manage to get scholarships in the US in the past."

Anthony Butterfield is the director of the tournament and Allan Simmons is assistant director.