his luck on the men's professional tennis tour.

The 23-year-old will play in a Satellite Tour event at the world-famous Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Sarasota.

Collieson will be one of 128 players competing in the qualifying rounds and battling for a prized place in the main draw.

And he was adopting a realistic approach with his main aim to pick up the ATP Tour ranking point he needs to earn himself a world ranking.

"With 128 in qualifying, it's asking a lot to get to the main draw,'' said Collieson from his college, the University of North Carolina, Wilmington.

"I'll just go there and try to win a few matches, but I know it will be tough.'' The Bermuda Davis Cup player played in his first Satellite Tour event during the summer, in Zell, Germany, when he lost a tight match 6-4, 6-4 in the first qualifying round.

That was just the start of a month-long tour of Europe during which Collieson was unable to enter any more Tour events. Without a world ranking, he had to turn up at tournament venues and hope he would be granted a place in the qualifying draw. But repeatedly, on arrival, he found there were no berths available.

Collieson expects no such problems in Sarasota.

"I have spoken to the tournament director and he said I would be in,'' said Collieson. "That's one less thing I have to worry about.'' Last month, Collieson performed well in Florida, in a US Tennis Association tournament in Boca Raton.

Although the event was at a somewhat lower level than the Satellite Tour, two victories over full-time professionals were a great boost to his confidence.

Collieson plays collegiate tennis for the University of North Carolina, but has long argued he needs more regular competition at a high level to continue to progress.

A tournament in Malibu, California, in the week after the Sarasota event, could be next in line for the ambitious young player.