Bermuda's international tennis teams have turned boldly to youth in a bid to boost their performance on the world stage.

The oldest member of the women's team to compete in the Federation Cup next month is just 17 years-old and two of the girls, Zara DeSilva and Danielle Downey, are only 14.

And in the men's Davis Cup team to travel to Trinidad in March, 19-year-old Jensen Bascome has been drafted in to replace veteran Donald Evans.

DeSilva, who studies at Saddlebrooke, Florida, and Downey, a student of Bermuda High School, are no strangers to international tennis.

Both, with the backing of the Bermuda Lawn Tennis Association, were sent to compete in under-14 tournaments in the Caribbean last year, one of which they won, competing as a doubles pair.

Their team-mates in the squad to travel to Costa Rica on February 20 will be Danielle Paynter and Tara Lambert, both 17.

Partnering Bascome in the Davis Cup team will be Michael Way, Ricky Mallory and James Cullieson.

BLTA public relations officer David Lambert said he had no worries about whether the youngest of the girls could handle the new challenge of adult international competition.

"When they start young, they are quite resilient and if they have a good programme, then they can mature very quickly,'' said Lambert.

Paynter is the only survivor from the team which lost six of their seven Federation Cup matches in Monterrey, Mexico, last year.

This year Bermuda, captained by Kelly Holland, will be one of 16 nations competing in the Americas Group II qualifying event.

It will open with round-robin matches in four groups of four and the top two in each group will progress to a series of play-offs, with the winning nation gaining promotion to Americas Group I next year.

The Davis Cup team, captained by Steve Bean, will fly out on March 2, to take on host nation Trinidad, Barbados and Puerto Rico in American Zone Group IV, having been relegated from Group III last year.

Washington-based Evans, unavailable because of work commitments, will be missing for the first time and Lambert conceded his absence would be felt.

"It will be a loss, because Donald Evans is a strong player with a big serve-and-volley game,'' said Lambert.

"We also feel that Jensen Bascome with his youth, speed and energy will add his own talents to the team and the other three are now established international players.'' Bascome has been waiting in the wings for some time and, as the top junior player, travelled with the Davis Cup team to Bolivia last year to get a taste of the event.

There, a 2-1 loss in a relegation play-off against Antigua/Barbuda meant demotion to Group IV, almost a year to the day after the team had been promoted to Group III. Lambert felt the team was capable of bouncing straight back up in 1999.

"We are going to Trinidad expecting to win,'' said Lambert.