tournament next spring.

David Lambert, immediate past president of Bermuda Lawn Tennis Association, has been in talks with International Tennis Federation officials, urging them to allow the Island to host the 2000 Caribbean 14-and-under Championships.

And Lambert said if the proposal to bring next Easter's junior tournament here was successful, it could act as a springboard for the Island's ambitions to host the Davis Cup in 2001.

Bermuda regularly sends its young female players to the Caribbean junior tournaments, the next of which is in October at a venue yet to be announced.

The championships will involve 16 countries including the hosts, each sending four players.

Lambert said: "We feel quite comfortable about hosting a tournament of this size as the tennis infrastructure in Bermuda is strong.

"We want to show the ITF we can do it and that will help us bring the Davis Cup back to Bermuda.'' Two years ago was the last time the Island hosted the Davis Cup and it was a success -- especially for the Bermuda team which won the Americas Group IV zonal championship and promotion to Group III.

The Southampton Princess Hotel hosted that tournament and Lambert would like to see the junior event held there too, if the venue was available.

Lambert said he had been in contact with the ITF junior development officer Franco Rowe, who is based in Britain, to discuss what Bermuda needs to do to make the bid successful.