Bermuda have been handed home advantage for their Davis Cup World Group II play-off against Syria early next year.

The draw, conducted at the World Tennis headquarters in London on Monday, pitted Ricky Mallory’s 71st-ranked side against world No 65 opponents Syria for a spot in Group II. The tie is scheduled to be played from February 5 to 7, 2027.

Like Bermuda, who lost 4-0 to Mexico in Group II this month, Syria went down by the same scoreline to Lebanon.

“It was exciting to watch the Davis Cup Group draws on Monday, especially seeing the process unfold as the seeds were placed and each country was drawn against their opponent,” Mallory told The Royal Gazette.

“Being drawn against Syria was a huge surprise, but an even bigger surprise was learning that Bermuda has once again been selected to host.

“From a tennis perspective, every country in our group presents a tough challenge and we know that we will have to prepare to the highest possible standard over the next five months.”

Mallory hailed all those who played a part in the successful return of Davis Cup to the island after close to three decades.

“The Bermuda Lawn Tennis Association is extremely grateful to HSBC, our title sponsor for our Davis Cup tie against Mexico, Department of Sport and Recreation and the Bermuda Tourism Authority,” the coach said.

“Without the support of these organisations and our other sponsors and partners, I honestly don’t know how we would have been able to successfully stage the event.

Now, we have to do it all over again in February when we take on Syria and we need all the support.

“From a coaching perspective, preparing our players for the next five months will require a significant commitment, not only from the players and coaching staff, but also from corporate partners willing to invest in the team’s preparation.

“We are looking for sponsors to support areas such as high-performance fitness training, including the excellent work of Evans Performance Training [Liam Evans], who was a tremendous addition to our preparation for the Mexico tie.

“Preparation will also include recovery sessions, high-performance tennis coaching, travel to various professional tournaments, which gives opportunities for our players to gain the match play and match fitness required to compete at the Davis Cup World Group II level.

“The success we have experienced has shown what Bermuda is capable of when we come together and invest in our athletes. Our goal now is to build on that success and give our players every opportunity to be fully prepared when we step onto the court against Syria.

“If there are companies, organisations or individuals who would like to come forward and sponsor the Bermuda Davis Cup team’s preparation, we would love to hear from you.

“Please reach out to me directly at rmallory@blta.bm or daviscup@blta.bm. We have five months to prepare, so let’s make every day count.”

BLTA president Michael Wolfe has welcomed the opportunity to host Syria at home.

“On behalf of the Bermuda Lawn Tennis Association, we are thrilled by the opportunity to face Syria in the upcoming Davis Cup World Group II play-offs,” he said.

“To be competing consistently at this level in the World Cup of tennis is a privilege, but it also reflects the tremendous standard of competition we now face.

“Every nation in World Group II play-offs brings exceptional depth and calibre and Syria will be a tough, highly capable opponent. Our team knows we have to bring our absolute best to the court.”