Frenchman Antony Dupuis was due here yesterday and was set to be the first to arrive in Bermuda for the XL Open ? but the world number 154 won?t be coming in just yet.

Dupuis ? and his family and coach?s family ? were coming in early ahead of next week?s $100,000 Challenger tournament ? with the qualifiers beginning on Saturday and the main draw on Monday ? but an unexpected victory in Texas has delayed him.

Having battled through two qualifying games ? including a three-set victory over Bermuda regular Dusan Vemic ? Dupuis took his spot in the first round of the $380,000 US Men?s Clay Court Championships where he was due to take on second seed James Blake.

And in the shock of the tournament so far, Dupuis knocked off Blake 7-6 (2), 3-6, 6-1 to claim a second round spot and a tie with Spaniard Fernando Vicente, who is also coming here.

?I am very happy that I won that match,? said Dupuis, who is now guaranteed at least $6,000 in prize money.

?It was a very tough one. It?s always a great feeling to play against a big player, and so if you win it?s even better!?

Albtert Montanes, who will be playing here next week, pulled off a surprise of his own, beating number three seed Robbie Ginepri 6-4, 6-4 and will take on fellow XL hopeful Tomas Behrend of Germany.

Another Bermuda-bound player, Scoville Jenkins, is also through to the second round after battling through qualifying and then past Igor Kunitsyn of Russia 7-5, 2-6, 6-3.

The 236th ranked player, who is coming to Bermuda on a wildcard, will be grateful for the minimum of three ATP rankings points he has now earned.

In the second round he will take on Paul Goldstein, seeded seven in Houston, who will be the top seed here for the XL next week.

Mardy Fish, who is coming to Bermuda on a wildcard put former XL player Juan Monaco, the number eight seed, out 6-2, 1-6, 7-6 (5) and faces Rainer Schuettler in the next round. The German beat XL number two seed Gilles Muller 6-0, 6-3.

Vince Spadea, an American also coming to the green clay of Coral Beach as the third seed, beat XL fourth-seed Carlos Berlocq of Argentina 6-1, 6-3.

A number of qualifiers are expected to fly in today and tomorrow ahead of the 9 p.m. qualifying deadline tomorrow night for the draw.

The opening games for those battling for a place in Monday?s main draw will begin on Saturday with locals Andrew Bray and James Collieson also involved as wildcards.