Organisers of Bermuda's top tennis tournament are optimistic of attracting a strong field to this year's event, after winning their fight to stage it at a later date than usual.

Alec Anderson, tournament director of the XL Bermuda Open, said this year's competition on the clay courts at Coral Beach would take place from April 12-16.

The prize purse for the Challenger tournament will be $100,000, the same as in 1998, and it will be televised by the Fox Sports channel.

Last year the event started in the first full week of April, immediately after many top players had been competing in Davis Cup matches all over the world.

The prospect of flying to Bermuda to compete straight after playing a gruelling series of matches for their countries may have deterred some players and for others who might otherwise have come, the schedule left them with insufficient time to get to the Island.

But this year there will be a gap of a week between the Davis Cup first round and the XL, after the ATP Tour granted tournament organisers' request to set back the starting date.

Anderson said: "I'm sure it will be stronger field this year, with more players ranked in the world's top 100.

"We had been trying for a couple of years to play it a week later and this year the ATP Tour agreed to it. They had to move the dates for another tournament, in Birmingham.

"Normally it's held right after Davis Cup week, which meant players couldn't get here. This year it won't be, so that is one benefit.

"Also, it will be the first clay court tournament of the year this side of the Atlantic -- and it will be right before the US Men's Clay Court Championships in Orlando.

"So we are expecting more players from the US this year, some South Americans and maybe some of the European players who have bases in Florida as well.'' The tournament may be attractive to some as preparation for the French Open, which starts just over a month later.

Anderson said it was too early to confirm names, but he said discussions with some top players and some up-and-coming stars were ongoing.

One such player was Australian Jason Stoltenberg, once a Wimbledon semi-finalist and now ranked number 29 on the ATP Tour.

His fellow Australian Scott Draper, ranked 46 in the world, is another player organisers have spoken with.

Yesterday, the pair had mixed fortunes in the first round of the Australian Open.

Stoltenberg defeated Sweden's Frederik Jonsson in straight sets, 6-3, 7-6, 6-4. But Draper went out fighting, losing in four sets to the British number eight seed Greg Rusedski, 6-7, 6-2, 4-6, 6-7.

Anderson added that Argentine Hernan Gumy, last year's winner of the $14,400 first prize, would be invited back. Gumy played American Andre Agassi in Australia yesterday, but was beaten in straight sets.

But one who will almost certainly not grace the XL field is Pat Rafter, the Australian current world number four, who has a home on the Island. No players ranked in the top 10 are allowed to compete in a Challenger event.

A deal with Fox Sports to screen the tournament in New England has already been agreed and organisers are hopeful it can be extended so coverage will be broadcast to the whole US east coast.

FLASHBACK -- Argentine champion Hernan Gumy, seen here kissing the trophy after victory in last year's XL Bermuda Open, will be invited back for the 1999 event which starts later in the year than usual, on April 12.