While Bermuda's tennis players are in West Palm Beach this week honing their skills ahead of the CAC Games, Bermuda Lawn Tennis Association have their eyes on much better opponents.

In the past Bermuda's efforts overseas have largely focused on the Fed Cup and the Davis Cup, but now the BLTA are looking at the CACs as a stepping stone to a push for a spot at the 2012 Games in London.

And Ian Gordon, tennis representative on the Bermuda Olympic Association committee, said the BLTA were working to a four-year plan they hoped would eventually lead to the Island competing on the biggest of world stages.

"Traditionally tennis here has gone to Fed Cup and Davis Cup at senior level, that's it. I think James Collieson went to (the) CACs five, six years' ago, and in the dim and distant past we have had people at Pan-Am Games.

"But the way it works in today's world is that we have to do the CAC Games to be considered for the Pan-Am Games, and we have to do the Pan-Am Games to be considered for the Olympics."

However, before they can think about the Pan-Ams in Mexico next year the team must first take on their regional rivals in Puerto Rico, and while hoping for a good showing Gordon, who is accompanying the team as manager, wants supporters to have realistic expectations of what they can achieve.

"I know we always expect our athletes to win gold medals here, without being properly prepared," he said. "Our athletes will be well prepared (this time), but it is a very high level of comeptition and I think we need to be realistic with our expectations, otherwise our athletes come back, have put their heart and soul into it, and someone says 'well, you didn't even win a medal'.

"If any of our players, and probably Gavin (Manders) has got a good a chance as anybody, were to get on the podium, it would be a combination of good luck, the draw being in their favour, and some exceptional performances.

"That would be the equivalent of them winning an Olympic gold medal in my opinion.

"It's not unreasonable to expect them (Bermuda) to get through a few rounds. They are playing against players from the region who they are familiar with, but there are one or two bigger countries like Mexico, Venezuela and Puerto Rico who are strong."

And Gordon believes that facing the likes of regional powerhouses Mexico, Venezuela and Puerto Rico will only benefit Bermuda's players in the long run.

"Puerto Rico ladies' team for example have the number four world-ranked junior in their team, Monica Puig, she's a superstar in the making. But what an opportunity to play someone like that.

"There's some tough competition but we have to do things like CAC Games to bring ourselves up to that level."