Bermuda’s best tennis players, including defending champions Gavin Manders and Tyler Smith, will be vying for honours at this week’s Elbow Beach Tennis Challenge.

Previously known as the Crystal Family Cup Invitational Tennis Challenge, the competition will feature matches from 5.30pm to 9pm and showcase Bermuda’s top eight men and women in a singles round-robin format.

Manders expects the tournament to be fiercely competitive but is confident of prevailing for the second straight year.

“Whenever I go into a tournament on local soil I feel pretty confident I can win the title,” said Manders, who won the Open Singles Challenge at Coral Beach Club in April.

“All the best players are in this tournament like Jenson [Bascome] and David [Thomas], as well as the younger guys who are doing well in high school.”

Manders, who was part of Bermuda’s Davis Cup team in Panama last month, has become the head of junior development at the Bermuda Lawn Tennis Association and admits his focus has changed since his appointment.

“I have been putting a lot of emphasis on the junior players this year and it probably has taken a bit away from me,” said the Island’s No 1 player.

“It’s been my first step into national coaching and I now feel I have that down and know what it takes.

“Hopefully it will be a bit easier for me to blend the two next year and play and coach at a high level.”

Manders will be up against David Thomas, Jenson Bascome, Neal Towlson, Jack Keyes, Christopher Weeks, Bill Boyle, Courtland Boyle and Jovan Whitter in the men’s competition.

Tyler Smith has returned to the Island from her studies at the ASA College in New York and is expected be the player to beat in the women’s contest.

“It’s been my first year in college tennis and I’ve been doing pretty good,” she said.

“It’s been intense; we played 48 matches and lost just three, winning the national tournaments with me winning the singles and doubles flight.

“Our college made history as we didn’t lose a single match during the nationals.”

Smith, who will face Cayla Cross, Jacklyn Lambert, Zaire Simmons, Tara Lambert, Kaila Harvey, Imani Phillips and Lauren Way, said she was thrilled that so many of the Island top youngsters would be taking part in the tournament.

“I’m excited to play and it’s great to see a lot of the junior players involved,” she said.

“This is the first time I have come home for a tournament this year and I’m expecting it to be really competitive with some really good close matches.”

In order to be eligible each player must have represented Bermuda on an international stage in events organised by the International Tennis Federation and be a Davis Cup or Fed Cup squad member.

A mixed doubles knockout segment will also be played.

Today’s games start at 5.30pm with Smith v Harvey; Way v Jacklyn Lambert; Bascome v Billy Boyle; Towlson v Whitter, Manders v Boyle and Thomas v Weeks.

In the men’s doubles Bascome/Towlson face Whitter and Weeks, while Manders/Thomas take on Billy Boyle/Courtland Boyle.