Bermuda's Davis Cup team will have to play six ties in six days in the Honduras heat next week after an unfortunate draw robbed them of a rest day.

But despite the gruelling schedule and a team missing two top players, captain Steve Bean believes his foursome can clinch promotion to American Zone Group III.

All the other six nations competing in the week-long, round-robin tournament will have a rest day.

The team of James Collieson, Ricky Mallory, Jensen Bascome and Dean Mello will fly to Central America this weekend and prepare for their first match against St. Lucia on Monday, with a tough-looking clash with hosts Honduras, relegated from Group III last year, to follow on Tuesday.

"Our rest day is the last day of the week and we could have done with it in the middle of the week,'' said Bean.

"It's so hot out there -- temperatures that we haven't experienced since last September -- and to play six matches in six days will be tough.'' Bean added all his players were fit and well, though there had been a scare over Mallory.

"Ricky dislocated his shoulder about a month ago playing football for PHC,'' said Bean. "Luckily, it was the left shoulder and all he has to do with that is the service toss and within 10 days he was back on the tennis court. He hasn't complained at all about it since.'' Mallory, who completed an unprecedented clean sweep of victories in major Island tournaments last year, is Bean's number two singles player, which means the skipper wants him to play the opening singles rubber in each tie.

"Ricky is very experienced in Davis Cup and last year in Trinidad he won four out his five singles matches and we're hoping he can repeat that,'' said Bean.

"But if Ricky needs a rest, we can use Jensen, who's been playing against tough opposition at his college in the US this year.

"Jensen was a rookie last year and played his first Davis Cup singles match against a very experienced opponent and I know he learned a lot from that.

"He has improved a lot, as I saw when he came home for the Christmas holidays. He actually beat James Collieson in a practice match.'' The presence of Bascome, 21, and Collieson, 23, gives the team a more youthful look than last year when veterans Michael Way, absent this year because of work commitments, and Mallory, succumbed to injury and fatigue as Bermuda lost their last four ties after having won the first two.

"James is young and strong and we want him to play singles every day,'' said Bean.

"It's a pity Donald Evans and Michael Way are not available because if they were, I could see no reason why we wouldn't get promotion.

"But with Jensen and Dean, a fitness fanatic who we will use as a doubles specialist, I believe we have still got a good chance.'' To win promotion, Bermuda will need to finish in the top two.