AMERICAN actress Robin Givens brought her nine-year-old son Buddy to Bermuda to have some Halloween fun - and the youngster ended up treating himself to two tennis trophies.

Miss Givens said it had been "more exciting than Wimbledon" to see Buddy claim two titles at the Reefs Junior Open.

And a trip which had begun to keep Buddy well out of the range of the sniper who terrified the Washington, DC area had a very happy ending.

Miss Givens, a movie, television and stage actress, has become a regular visitor to the island since she first came here in August 2001. A month later she returned to take part in the inaugural Lori McNeil / Elbow Beach Celebrity Classic tennis fund-raiser.

"We actually came here for Halloween," said Miss Givens this week. "We live in the Washington area and there was so much going on with the sniper, that kids were not even running around normally outside."

And even though two suspects were arrested in the sniper case just before Miss Givens and her son were due to come here, she did not change their travel plans.

That proved to be a good decision, as far as adding to young Buddy's trophy cabinet was concerned.

The youngster, who turned nine only last month, swept aside the best local youngsters on his way to claiming the 10-and-under and 12-and-under titles at the Reefs Junior Open.

"I call him the black Andy Roddick," said Miss Givens. "It was so exciting to see him making those fist pumps like Lleyton Hewitt."

Most of Buddy's victories were quite straightforward. But his 12-and-under final was something of an epic encounter.

"It was the first time he had played a tournament in Bermuda and the first time he'd ever played in two events at the same tournament," said Miss Givens.

"I think he was getting a bit tired. In the finals of the12s, he saw his opponent and said, 'He's so big'."

After winning the first set 6-4 against Nicolas Herrero, Buddy came back from 4-1 down in the second set to force a tiebreaker, and he recovered from 6-1 down in the tiebreaker to get back to 6-6. After all that, he lost the set, but recovered to win the third and decisive set.

"I was getting so nervous watching that I was sweating a lot," said Miss Givens. "I think I lost weight. Wimbledon could not be more exciting."

Buddy has been training at the Elbow Beach tennis courts with Bermuda Davis Cup player Jenson Bascome.

The local players Buddy beat have nothing to be ashamed of - the youngster, who started playing only 18 months ago under the tutelage of former Wimbledon semi-finalist Lori McNeil, reached the finals of the ATA 10-and-under US national tennis event. And he already has four tournament wins to his name.

There is every chance that Buddy will return to take on Bermuda's best juniors again, as his mother's love affair with Bermuda shows no sign of abating.

"I just love Bermuda," said Miss Givens. "It's close enough for me to go back and forth. My family's coming here for Thanksgiving."

Miss Givens has participated in both Lori McNeil / Elbow Beach Classics and last year performed her gospel show, Joy in the Morning, at the Ruth Seaton James Centre for the Performing Arts and featured several local singers.