Bermuda's number one tennis player Gavin Manders admitted his disappointment at not being able to compete in the Davis Cup this year after Bermuda Lawn and Tennis Association (BLTA) withdrew from the competition.BLTA president Coleridge Place met with disgruntled players last week for clear-the-air talks following comments he made in this newspaper, stating he was pulling the team from the Davis Cup because they were “ill-prepared.”These remarks did not go down well with some players and coaches, who were confident of leading the Island back to Group III of the Americas Zone.Manders, along with Naim Azhar, Neal Towlson and David Thomas would have made up the Island's Cup contingent but the foursome must now shift their focus to the Island Games later this month.“Davis Cup is the biggest event every year for us, so not going is very disappointing,” said Manders. “We have one of the most prepared teams we have ever had.“David is training under a legendary college coach, Naim had a 9-3 record this year, Neal is at Chris Evert Tennis Academy training five hours a day and I'm more focused than ever, losing 10 percent body fat and rebuilding my game and body to be ready to lead this team. We were ready to take Bermuda back to Group III.“Being Bermuda's number one player comes with a lot of responsibilities, so even though we are not going to Davis Cup, I will have our team ready for the Island Games at the end of this month.“So even though the Davis Cup is cancelled, we have moved our focus and time on preparing for the Games in the Isle of Wight. This team is fully focused and will do Bermuda proud.”Another key factor in the decision not to send a team to the premier international team event in men's tennis was lack of funding.It will be the first time in many years the Island has not taken part in the annual knockout competition in which they were relegated to Division IV last year.Bermuda had been due to play in a round-robin tournament against Panama, Trinidad and Tobago and the US Virgin Island in Bolivia from June 16-18.Victory in the Deloitte Open at the weekend got Manders back on the winning track after losing against Jenson Bascome in last month's WER Joell Memorial tournament.He said he was relieved to claim victory in the Deloitte tournament, admitting it had been a bitter pill to swallow to lose to Bascome as it was his first defeat on local soil for three years.“Taking my first loss in three years in the WER Joell was a shock to my system as I'm more prepared than I have ever been, but honestly, I think it was good for me,” he said.“I've been training so hard, and I think it gave me an extra boost to let me know that I must keep working every day to get better and never let up no matter what.“Jenson Bascome is a competitor and I thank him for that loss as it has only made me stronger and more focused to get better every day which showed in the Deloitte Open at Pomander.“And if losing my first match wasn't enough to motivate me to win the Delloitte, I was shocked to find that I was seeded two in the tournament behind Jenson after losing one match in three years.”In the final of the Deliotte, Manders beat Ahzar 6-2, 6-0.Manders said: “I'm very pleased with the level of our guys. Neal gave me a great semi-final match, I'm proud of his improvements in his game.”“Naim beat Jenson in the other semi-final in a great battle, so I'm looking forward to competing together in the Isle of Wight and we will do everything in our power to bring Bermuda a gold medal.”Manders said he had received funding from Bermuda Olympic Association (BOA) to help prepare for future tournaments.“The lack of funding is something I've been dealing with all my life when it comes to tennis, and especially in a time where the world is feeling it financially.“But the Bermuda Olympic Association (BOA) likes my passion for the sport and have given me funds to further my preparation for the Island Games and more importantly, Pan-Am Games in October, something that I'm truly thankful for and will take advantage of the opportunity.”