Tennis coach Maxime Boye came to the 2003 XL Capital Bermuda Open to work with his charge, Sebastien De Chaunac.

The latter's progress into the main draw yesterday - as one of four qualifiers - therefore delighted his coach who will be working even harder with the 25-year-old.

Only one problem. Boye now has something else to think about - his own game.

Like De Chaunac, he was among the foursome who survived the weekend qualifiers and who will be among the 32 players starting the tournament proper today.

"The most important thing for me is that Sebastien plays well here. This (advancing to the main draw) is a bonus. I will take it seriously but first and most importantly is to have fun when I play point after point," declared Boye yesterday after outlasting Pavel Snobel of the Czech Republic (4-6, 6-4, 7-5) in a three-hour duel.

Explaining that he quit the ATP Tour seven months ago to coach De Chaunac, Boye said he competes occasionally "to try and keep a high level (of tennis)" but it's simply for pleasure. He did so in Doha, Qatar, in January - getting to the final stage of the qualifier - and here he has gone a step further.

Luckily, these two Frenchmen are in different halves of the draw and would therefore not clash before the final - if both were to get that far. In that event, Boye is sure he can predict the outcome.

"If I play against him he's going to win. He plays better than me," said the 27-year-old.

De Chaunac - who turned back Caymanian Nigel Mitten 6-2, 6-1 yesterday - was not as confident as his coach when asked about his chances.

"It's tough to say. At the beginning of a tournament you never really know what you can expect. So far I have served well and my forehand is doing well, everything is in place.

"I just hope I can get some more matches under my belt."

One thing in his favour is the Coral Beach Club's surface.

"I'm comfortable on clay. We have lots of them (clay courts) in France and French players like it and do well on it. I have practised for the last three weeks on clay so I am ready," said De Chaunac, who turned pro in 1998.

So far this year, the number 202 player in the world, has made the semifinals of two Challenger tournaments and would love to go two steps better this time.

Boye, whose best ATP result was a Challenger semifinal in England in 2001, was fatigued by his encounter with Snobel.

"It was tough because when you're a player you have good condition but when you stop, and become a coach, you stop training and it's tough to play. I have lost a lot of my concentration and my condition," he conceded.

Meanwhile, Dusan Vemic earned a 6-1, 7-6 victory to deny Venezuelan Jose De Armas for a place in the main draw.

The 26-year-old, originally from Serbia and Montenegro but based in Colorado, USA, is on the comeback trail. Ironically, it was in the 2001 XL Open that an injury to his right shoulder curtailed his season but he is aiming to leave with better memories of Bermuda this time.

"This year is my comeback, hopefully. I think I am very fit and my tennis is getting much better," said the 439th ranked player.

Vemic, who began playing tennis at 11 and was the age-group national champion at various levels as a teenager, would love to add to his lone Challenger victory in Macedonia in 1997.

Still he is not going to let himself think too far ahead.

"I take one step at a time. Now I'm into the first round (of the main draw). All I need to do is give my best and stay aggressive like I was today. I was playing serve-and-volley which is not usual for clay court but I like it.

"I will just think about my first match and then, if I that goes well, I'll think about my second match and keep going like that."

Asked if his chances of winning were good, he replied: "If I play well, yes."

The fourth and final qualifying berth went to Harel Levy of Israel who swept past Argentine Andres Schneiter 6-1, 2-6, 6-1.