team prepares to fly to Costa Rica on Sunday.

Three of the teenage foursome will be making their debuts on the senior international stage, but they do not believe lack of experience will prevent them winning matches.

Danielle Paynter is the only survivor from the team which lost six of their seven Federation Cup matches in Monterrey, Mexico, last year.

She will be joined by 14-year-olds Zara DeSilva and Danielle Downey and 17-year-old Tara Lambert.

Bermuda, captained by Kelly Holland, will be one of 16 nations competing in the Americas Group II qualifying event.

It will open with round-robin matches in four groups of four and the top two in each group will progress to a series of play-offs, with the winning nation gaining promotion to Americas Group I in 2000.

David Lambert, spokesman for the Bermuda Lawn Tennis Association, believed the team was capable of improving on the poor results of 1998.

Although Lambert had not yet heard who the group opponents would be next week, he had high hopes.

"We have heard that quite a few of the other countries are carrying young squads and with this in mind, we feel our girls will win most of their matches,'' said Lambert.

"Some countries will play juniors who have played in the International Tennis Federation 14 and under tournaments, girls who our girls have played against before.'' And it's not only youth the girls have got on their side -- they will also be backed by 28 supporters, thought to be the biggest group of fans ever to travel abroad with an Island tennis team.