measure his progress against some of the world's top pros at the Bermuda XL Open next month.

Collieson, tipped as a future number one on the Island, is one of three Bermudians to be granted wild card entry to the qualifying event prior to the tournament proper which starts on April 6.

Collieson, currently at school in Alabama, joins Donald Evans and Michael Way in the draw of 32 to play over the preceeding weekend, with four qualifying for the first round on the Monday. Ricky Mallory, who performed the best of any of Bermuda's qualifying players in last year's qualifying tournament, has agreed not to play in the singles in a bid to ensure the hamstring he injured a month ago is in tip-top shape for the forthcoming Davis Cup tournament in Bolivia.

David Lambert, president of the Bermuda Lawn Tennis Association, said: "We had a meeting and Ricky mentioned he'd prefer to play doubles, so we are trying to secure a wild card entry for that qualifying tournament. "He is getting back to 100 percent and with the Davis Cup coming up he decided he didn't want to risk straining his muscle again.'' While Evans and Way struggled to take two games off their respective opponents last year, Mallory gave Donald Caldwell a scare before bowing out 6-3, 7-6.

Meanwhile two more players have confirmed their appearance at the main tournament -- Argentinian number two Hernan Gumy, currently ranked just outside the top 100, and Germany's Dirk Dier, at 136 ranked eighteen places below his highest position achieved in April 1996.

Dier surprised Australian Jason Stoltenberg to claim a straight sets 6-4, 6-4 victory last year before losing to Marcelo Charpentier in three sets.

The highest rated player set to compete is 24-year-old Armenian number one Sargis Sargsian, currently 77th in the world, down from a high of 57 last November. He was the beaten finalist in last year's tournament, losing out in three sets to Belgium's Johan Van Herck.