After ten straight years of Davis Cup competition for Bermuda, former Island number one James Collieson is giving the international tournament a miss this summer.

And Collieson, winner of more than a dozen domestic singles and doubles competition, is also bowing out of local tournaments for the remainder of the year due to fitness concerns and coaching commitments.

The 28-year-old?s one local appearance this season was shortlived after he pulled out of the XL Open qualifying when 5-0 down to Israeli Harel Levy ? citing golfer?s elbow, an injury that had hampered his preparation for his wildcard appearance in the tournament.

A lack of match practice and a disillusionment with his own game prompted his decision to pull out of next month?s Davis Cup, ending ten straight years in the prestigious international event.

?I?m just not in a position to play this year either in the Davis Cup or even locally,? said Collieson, who is now coaching at Coral Beach.

?It?s a great event but I think we have lost a bit of focus towards it in recent years. It should be the pinnacle of local tennis but somehow it doesn?t feel like that any more, which is a real shame.

?I?ve enjoyed my time playing and hopefully in the future I can play in it again, perhaps as player/coach, but certainly for this year I am going to give it a miss.?

The team are set to travel to El Salvador between June 12 and 18 to take on Barbados, the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States, Panama, St. Lucia and the US Virgin Islands in the Americas Zone Group IV and will do so without Collieson who holds a 15-35 record for his country in both singles and doubles.

Collieson?s injury and inability to train properly due to his heavy coaching schedule has contributed to his decision to pull out of domestic tournaments for the ?next year or two?.

?It?s hard to get up for these tournaments, to be honest,? continued Collieson, who remains unbeaten domestically at doubles with partner Andrew Bray, who has succeeded him as the Island?s number one.

?I don?t really have the motivation for them. I?m not a big fan of some of the tournaments and I?m not great in the heat so I tend not to do too well in them.

?I?ve won a few over the years and even though I?m not a great doubles player, I have won plenty of doubles titles with Andy.

?For me it is a case of either coaching or playing, I can?t really do both and be able to compete as a player. And what makes it harder is that I know that I am not the player I was four or so years ago and that frustrates me a lot.?

Collieson began his Davis Cup career in March 6, 1996 when he went down 3-6, 4-6 to Juan-Pablo Herrera of Panama in a 2-1 defeat to the Central Americans. His first win came the following year on home court, when he beat Gary Eugene of the Eastern Caribbean States 6-2, 6-2 at the Fairmont Southampton ? one of two years he helped Bermuda to promotion to Group III.