Medal hopes boosted

GUERNSEY'S medal hopes in the Island Games tennis events have been boosted by the draw for both the men's and women's teams. The Bank of Bermuda-sponsored men were delighted to have avoided Jersey, who are seeded two but have possibly the strongest side of the 12 entries.

The two Channel Islands rivals are in opposite sides of the draw, which means they cannot meet until the final.

Guernsey's first-round opponents are the Faroe Islands and assuming they do not slip up against the weaker side, they will then face top seeds Rhodes.

However, non-playing captain Rick Denton is confident his team can beat the 2001 champions.

Each round is decided over two singles and one doubles.

Although Rhodes' Antonios Kountouris is one of the best players in the tournament, his pairing is not so good, which could mean the two teams are evenly matched.

Victory would see the home side progress to the semi-finals, where they would be likely to face third seeds Aland for the prize of a guaranteed silver.

Guernsey also avoided Jersey in the draw for the women's team event, which starts with a group phase.

The Creasey's-sponsored side face Gibraltar and the Isle of Man and stand a strong chance of reaching the final four.

The top two in each group will progress to the semi-finals.

Both the men's and women's teams have opted for a mix of youth and experience, with teenagers Rob West and Charlotte Koller making their Island Games debuts.

Bridget Yabsley, who picked up a silver in the team event in Gibraltar, also returns to the Guernsey team.

She is likely to pair up with number one Jolien Robinson in the doubles matches, with Chantelle de la Mare or Koller playing at number two in the singles.

West will be joined by Chris Hickling, Ian Robinson and Andy Privett in the men's team event.

All four have been involved in this season's National Club League campaign and will be looking to take that form into the games.

Although Guernsey finished bottom of their division, with a record of five defeats out of five, with a more luck they could have been challenging for the top spot.

However, they lost three matches on tie-break deciders and were forced to default a fourth.

They will be hoping for more fortune when the first two rounds of the men's tennis event are played on Sunday 29 June.

The women will get under way the same day and the semi-finals will be on the Monday.

In the individual events, Privett and Hickling will represent Guernsey in the doubles alongside regular pairing Robinson and Richard Smeed. Hickling and West will play in the singles.

For the women, de la Mare and Koller will go into the draw for the singles. Koller will also partner fellow Island Games newcomer Carly Tucknott in the doubles, alongside Robinson and Yabsley.

The pairings in the mixed event are Jolien and Ian Robinson, Yabsley and Smeed, de la Mare and West and Tucknott and Privett.

The teams have received a total of £7,000 towards their preparations for the Games thanks to kit and training sponsorship deals with the Bank of Bermuda and Creasey's.