Two Caribbean players who played an instrumental role in helping Bermuda prepare for the Davis Cup World Group II home tie against Mexico this month have praised the island’s staging of the event as flawelss.

Jamaican John Chin and Kaipo Marshall, from Barbados, spent three weeks training with the Bermuda team, assisting Ricky Mallory's side with warm-ups during matches.

Chin and Marshall are childhood friends of Bermuda player Trey Mallory, with their friendship burgeoning since their days as junior players.

“I had a great time in Bermuda training with the team and helping the boys prepare for their matches,” Chin told The Royal Gazette.

“It was the time of my life, just being within the Bermuda squad and being in their camp, seeing how they run things the right way.

“It was very different to anything I’ve seen in Davis Cup or any Davis Cup tie, with the whole community in an all-hands-on-deck effort. Everyone involved plays a part, which is amazing as everyone just wanted to see the country do well.

“That has made my experience special. Maybe I’ll go back home and try to implement some of the stuff that I learnt here.”

Chin enjoyed the vibrant atmosphere at WER Joell Stadium over the two days of action.

“It was really good to watch them get this moment for their country and playing in front of a packed house,” he said.

“I would say their preparations were top tier. Even how they brought Kaipo and I in to train, I feel like that’s very professional. Bringing in outsiders to come and train and help prepare their players. Just the work that they’ve put in the past few weeks.

“Shout out to Liam Evans for getting us fit off the court and we appreciate coach Ricky Mallory for helping us with our matches and coaching us, it was good to see them put in a lot of good hard work.”

Last year, Chin was part of the Jamaican team that lost 2-1 to Bermuda in Americas Group III, a victory that catapulted the Bermudians to the World Group II play-offs.

“I feel like they’ve come a long way,” the 23-year-old said.

“I wasn’t surprised that they beat Georgia. From what I saw and their level in group three, I always saw they had potential.”

Chin, Marshall and Trey Mallory are training in Florida with the goal of becoming professionals.

“I’ve known Trey since I was about 10 years old,” the Jamaican said.

“We met in junior tennis and just stayed friends ever since. Now he’s one of my closest friends and we actually live together in Florida.

“It was good for coach Ricky to bring us in and help prepare. It was even good for us and got me a lot better as a tennis player.”

Marshall expressed his delight at assisting Bermuda gear up for the Mexico encounter.

“I just saw it as a great opportunity for me to come and train with the guys and also help them prepare for their matches,” the 24-year-old said.

“I think it was beneficial for both sides and it was a great experience. Bermuda is a beautiful place, the people treated John Chin and I really well.

“I feel an improvement in my game, so I’m happy with the outcome. I’m super proud of Bermuda’s performance against Mexico, I think they gave it their all.

“Although the result didn’t go their way, they showed that they have the potential and they have the level.

“Now they know the things that they need to work on and the next time they come back, they’ll be even more ready.

“It was a great experience for the team and I’m happy that I was able to help in any way possible.”

Marshall, who graduated from Duquesne University in 2024, is grateful to have Mallory as a training partner.

“We were competitive when we were young with Trey, but now we’re close friends,” he said.

“We train together and we’re just trying to build a base. Once you graduate from college, you need to find a place where you can train and improve with others with the same goal and intentions as you.

“We all came together and we’ve been training in Florida, playing tournaments, travelling to places like Tunisia and all these places.

“I think it’s a good dynamic. We push each other, we help each other and we’re competitive with each other.”