Tyler Smith has been designated as Bermuda’s number one player for next week’s Fed Cup Americas Zone group two tournament in Puerto Rico.

The promising teenager will spearhead the Island’s bid to secure one of the two promotion spots to the Americas Zone group one.

Also flying Bermuda’s flag in Puerto Rico will be Cayla Cross and sisters Jacqueline and Tara Lambert.

Caitlin Gordon, Taylor McHarg and Kirstin Saltus will travel with the team as alternates along with Terry Smith, the Bermuda coach, who is optimistic that his charges will achieve their objective.

“Obviously my expectation is promotion and I have put that on them because we aim high and allow for the drop,” Smith said. “I want to come in at least in the top half of the field, but the eye is on promotion.

“I think we have a very deep team and they have all pushed each other to bring out the best. The team is evenly matched and it was difficult to select.”

Smith, Cross and Jacqueline Lambert will shoulder the workload in the singles while Tara Lambert, who coached the Bermuda Under-14 girls’ team at last week’s North, Central American and Caribbean pre-qualifier for the ITF World Junior Championships in El Salvador, will be relied upon in the doubles.

“What I did was base team selection on the two singles and doubles for the best of three matches,” Smith said.

“My idea is to have at least three strong singles players and then I focused my fourth player mostly on doubles.

“In the event we split the singles, I wanted to make sure we had depth for the doubles and if I needed to go to fresh legs I can call on Tara who is a very good doubles player.”

Even though Tyler Smith is one of the youngest members of the team, the Bermuda coach is confident that the 17-year-old will rise to meet the challenge.

“Tyler has a strong group around her so she has support which I think will help push her along,” he said. “This great group is very mature and I could not have asked for more camaraderie. Everybody has been great.”

The Fed Cup Americas Zone group two tournament will feature four groups of three countries that will play in a round robin.

The group winners will progress to a play-off to determine which two countries gain promotion to the group one next year.

The tournament will be held at the Palmas del Mar Resort in Humacao from April 7 to 13.

Bermuda’s team leave for Puerto Rico tomorrow.

n Jenson Bascome won the Langton Spring Open at The Fairmont Southampton last weekend.

Bascome claimed the title after coming from behind to defeat Gavin Manders 4-6, 6-4, 6-4.

En route to the final Bascome also recovered from a set down to beat top seed David Thomas 1-6, 6-4, 6-4.