January 30, 2013 at 5:54 p.m.
Analysis / Who are the island's best players?
Gavin Manders
After being crowned Argus Open champion with a 6-0, 7-5 win over Jenson Bascome on Saturday, Manders can stake a claim to being Bermuda's best.
He'll be the top ranked player in Bermuda's Davis Cup team when they begin their campaign today.
He is a graduate of Hilton Head Island College in South Carolina and a coach at Elbow Beach.
Collieson says: "Gavin is an incredible athlete. He's got a steady game and he's as fast as any player around.
"He can probably run a sub-11 100m and a sub five-minute mile. He's got all the athletic attributes. He's more of a counter-puncher, as a player, and I think that suits him when he is playing against Bray.
Jenson Bascome
The winner of the Island Construction Open, Bascome broke Bray's dominance in the Island Construction Open with a 6-3, 6-3 win in June.
In last week's Argus Open, he came from a set-down to beat David Thomas in the semi-finals before losing to Manders in Saturday's final.
Collieson says: "He's pretty tenacious and never gives up. He could lose the opening set 6-0 and still come back and win the match.
"He's another good athlete, he has good reflexes and is good at the net. His mental attitude is great."
David Thomas
The youngest of the emerging crop of players, Thomas has been a rising star since he was a schoolboy.
He now attends a highly rated tennis school - Ball State in Indiana. At 6'6 and packing a powerful serve and forehand, he has plenty of potential.
But at 19, Collieson believes it is time he was turning that potential into results. "He's got all the tools to be as good as he wants to be. I believe he has as big a forehand as anyone in the world game.
"He can also hit a 135ph serve, but he doesn't do it in matches. If he got a bit stronger he could be an intimidating physical presence on the court. "He maybe needs to do a bit more work off the court on his fitness but if he can have a good Davis Cup he's definitely the guy for the future."
Andy Bray
Bray has been top dog in Bermuda for several years with only James Collieson, who does not always enter local tournaments, able to challenge him consistently. He played National Club level tennis in the UK after reaching the top 50 in the country as a junior. He's the only local to win a match in the XL and also claimed a silver medal at the Island Games. Says Collieson: "I think Andy can play at a very high level. He really likes to bash the ball and he doesn't like to compromise his style to 'win at all costs'. "Like me, he suffers more in the heat than the other guys and I don't think he'd been hitting quite as regularly ahead of this tournament. "Having said that I was still surprised that Gavin was able to beat him. It will be interesting to see how he does in the Fairmont when it is a bit cooler.
James Collieson
Reached 900 in the world as a professional and is still rated as one of the most talented players Bermuda has produced.
In May this year Bray told the Bermuda Sun: "He's definitely been the biggest rival I've had over the years. There's a few good young guys but he still hits the ball harder than anyone else." Collieson has had to sit out many of the major local tournaments because of work commitments, but still believes he is good enough and fit enough to take on the younger guys. He showed it in the XL Open earlier this year when he reached the final before going down 6-4, 6-4 to Bray.
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