One of American tennis's brightest young prospects will be among the major draws at this year's $100,000 Bermuda XL Open.

Justin Gimelstob, 21, a former US collegiate number one and fringe member of the US Davis Cup squad, is seen as a potential pretender to Pete Sampras' crown as the top American player.

He recently took the Australian Open mixed doubles title with teenage star Venus Williams.

The unseeded pair, who needed a wild card to enter the draw, dismissed the favoured brother and sister Czech duo of Cyril Suk and Helena Sukova, winners of three Grand Slam titles including Wimbledon last year, 6-2, 6-1 in Melbourne.

It was the first time Gimelstob, ranked 107 in the world in singles, and Williams, had teamed up.

She later described why she had initiated the partnership.

"I wanted to play with Justin because I'd seen him play before and, no matter what, he never gave up,'' she said. "He was always pumped all the time he was playing.'' The pumped up nature of Gimelstob's play has got him into trouble in the past, with his early days on the ATP tour marred by a number of on-court temper tantrums.

But with the aid of Billy Martin, his coach at the University of California, he has reportedly calmed down.

In one recent press interview, he was quoted as saying: "I'm never going to be laid back. I'm a type-A personality. I'm always going to be on the intense side but it's a matter of channelling that energy positively.'' Gimelstob first came to public notice after a superb performance at the 1996 US Open where he beat then top 50 player David Prinosit in a thrilling five-setter.

But his best singles performance to date must be the straight sets defeat of Australian Open champion Petr Korda at last July's du Maurier Open in Montreal, one of the ATP Super Nine events, so called because they are considered the most prestigious.

He beat Korda 6-4, 6-4 before being edged out in the last 16 by former Wimbledon champion Richard Krajicek.

More recently he lost to the Brazilian French Open champion Gustavo Kuerten in the first round of the Sybase Open, a tournament notable for Andre Agassi's return to form -- the popular 26-year-old beating Sampras in the final.

Gimelstob, who also reached the quarter finals of the men's doubles at Melbourne with Brian MacPhee, is expected to compete in the doubles of the XL.

However, tournament director Alec Anderson said it was not yet known who he would link up with.

"I think he's at a stage of his career where he's still trying different partners,'' he said.

Meanwhile, tennis fans who were disappointed when MaliVai Washington failed to appear last year to defend the title he captured in 1996 will be pleased to know that the 28-year-old will be back when the tournament begins on April 6.

Washington, who won the championship after fighting back from 5-2 down in the final set against Marco Filippini, and three months later went on to reach the Wimbledon final, has seen his world ranking slump over the last 18 months to 348.

But injury problems have played a large part in that drop, knee surgery forcing him off the tour for seven months last year.

The other big name to have confirmed his attendance is American Richie Reneberg who, although at the tailend of his career, has a world ranking in the 70s and is still a force to be reckoned with.