Achievement Award for tennis to his parents, Richard and Evelyn, who passed away in the space of eight months in 1995 and '96.

But the PHC striker believes he would make his father even more proud if he could land a soccer title with the Zebras in what could be his final season in the top division.

Mallory, now 34, is also reaching the end of his tennis career and he knows that his best chance of winning an Athlete of the Year award passed him by last Thursday night when sailor Malcolm Smith, after some near-misses himself, landed the top award.

Even so Mallory's achievements of four out of five singles wins in the Davis Cup in Trinidad last year and every title he competed for on the local scene in 1999, didn't go unnoticed as he took home an Achievement Award from the Hamilton Princess ceremony.

Mallory had been up against Smith's Pan-Am Games silver medal in Winnipeg, just like Smith himself was beaten out by the silver medal achievement of bowlers Antoine Jones and Conrad Lister at the Commonwealth Games in Malaysia the year before.

"I was disappointed but my hat goes off to Malcolm,'' said Mallory, accepting that Smith's achievement carried too much weight.

"My uncle `Bummy' (Cal Symonds) was there and he said the same thing. This was probably my last chance.'' No tennis player has ever landed the top trophy and Bermuda Lawn Tennis Association president David Lambert and Davis Cup coach Steve Bean, who was also Mallory's doubles partner in last year's Heineken Tournament, were both at the Awards Ceremony to give their support.

The year was an outstanding one for Mallory domestically as he made a clean sweep of singles and doubles titles, believed to be the first such occurrence in local tennis. Mallory also helped his company, Belco, win the Commercial League title for a second straight year.

"Winning every tournament takes its toll and maybe next year I won't play every tournament,'' Mallory disclosed.

"I put in a lot of work and I'm getting up there in age so it's hard to maintain my fitness level.'' This year Mallory plans to play less and spend more time encouraging the junior players, youngsters like 14-year-old Javon Whitter, who was also recognised at the Awards Ceremony for his accomplishments in junior tennis last season, Jensen Bascome, Gavin Manders, Ashley Brooks and Tara Lambert.

"Javon comes up to Port Royal and hits with me often,'' added Mallory. "I never had that when I was coming up, playing with a top player like that. We have a team in the Winter League and he plays in our A team.'' After an outstanding Davis Cup last year when he beat players from Barbados, the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States, Puerto Rico and Trinidad, Mallory is looking forward to this month's tournament in Honduras.

Ricky eyes another title From Page 13 "I've had people coming up to me in international competition and they can't believe the level we're playing at, especially when we still have to work for a living,'' he says of the Bermuda players.

"You can only go so far here. You never know, I might have been playing on the Tour.'' Mallory's build-up to the Davis Cup has been hampered recently by a dislocated shoulder he suffered while playing for PHC in the FA Cup against Social Club last month. Fortunately it was his left shoulder on which he fell in the opening minutes of the game, though he played the whole match.

This week Mallory resumed training with the Zebras, hoping to provide that extra spark which could lead the Premier Division leaders to their first league title since 1992.

That would be an even nicer award to dedicate to his dad who was a top forward for the Zebras in his heyday, though Ricky points out that he had a love of tennis, too.

"They (parents) were always there for me, from a junior coming up,'' he remembers.

Mallory played with some top clubs without winning a league title, though he won other major trophies.

"I never won the league with Dandy Town or Vasco, but now we have a good chance. It's just a matter of the guys getting disciplined,'' he stressed.

Coach Sammy Swan came out of retirement to lend his experience to a team that was losing their way and Mallory thinks he still has something to offer.

"His presence on the field helps bring up the guys,'' he said.

Ricky Mallory: hoping to add the Premier League soccer title to his string of successes on the tennis court.

TENNIS TEN SOCCER SOC