time to defend his US Open men's singles title next week.

"It feels good going into a Grand Slam knowing that I can put two good weeks of tennis together,'' Rafter said of winning back-to-back titles this month at the Canadian Open and ATP Championship.

Rafter beat six of the world's top 20 players in sweeping the two hardcourt tournaments. In the ATP Championship final, the number three-ranked Rafter outlasted number one Pete Sampras in three sets, breaking an eight-match losing streak to the American.

"I put together some of my best tennis ever those two weeks, similar to the way I played at the US Open last year,'' Rafter said.

"I begin this US Open with a better chance than last year, but that doesn't mean that I am going to win it,'' Rafter said at a promotional appearance Monday.

When Rafter defeated Greg Rusedski of Britain in last year's title match, he added his name to a list of fellow Australians, like Rod Laver and Lew Hoad, who have won the championship. And it was some words of encouragement earlier this year from the last Australian to win the US Open, 1973 champion John Newcombe, that helped fuel his recent strong play, according to Rafter.

"I got this fax from him right before Wimbledon saying that I was getting off the rails a little bit and that I should stop being hard on myself,'' said the 26-year-old Rafter. "I was showing too much frustration and the wrong kind of emotions.'' Before Newcombe's message, Rafter had a 19-13 won-lost match record. Since then, he has gone 21-3, losing most recently at New Haven, Connecticut, last week in the third round.

Meanwhile, squash world champion Rodney Eyles, who also makes Bermuda his base, stuttered in his opening match of the Hong Kong Open yesterday. But Eyles, like Rafter an Australian, found his rhythm after losing the first game 15-17 to English qualifier Nicholas Taylor. The fourth seed won the next three games 15-11, 15-11, 15-7 to advance.

Scotland's world number one Peter Nicol also struggled to defeat Amr Shabana of Egypt in four games in the first round.

Nicol lost the first game before adopting a "safety first'' stance and progressing 14-15 15-12 15-12 15-7.

The Scotsman, who won the British Open in April before squash shut down for four months, is a notoriously slow starter and always has trouble against fellow left-handers like the unseeded Shabana.

"I dodged a bullet out there,'' he said. "I find it hard playing against left-handers and had difficulty seeing the ball on that court.

"I have been trying to be more aggressive but I had to play it safe because I could not see the ball properly.'' PATRICK RAFTER -- Bidding for a second successive US Open title.