minds, local promoter Alec Anderson is set to release later this week additional plans for the Bermuda Tennis Classic, scheduled for December 6-12 at Coral Beach & Tennis Club.

The inaugural event, part of the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) Challengers tour, will feature some of the world's best men ranked in the top 100, many of whom participated at Wimbledon during the last two weeks.

Canadian Grant Connell, who teamed up with American Patrick Galbraith in the doubles final and lost to Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde of Australia, has already given Anderson a verbal commitment to play in the Classic. Connell is expected to be joined by Aaron Krickstein, MaliVai Washington, David Wheaton and Wimbledon singles quarter-finalist Todd Martin, who have expressed strong interest in coming to Bermuda.

Fan favourite Henri Leconte of France met with Anderson last week and will make up his mind after the US Open.

Anderson, an attorney with Conyers, Dill & Pearman and a tennis player, is spearheading the project, and is fresh from two weeks at Wimbledon where he was busy drumming up support.

The tournament will feature $100,000 in prize money and will be a regular fixture on the ATP Challengers circuit, a $5 million series of international events designed especially for the second tier of tour professionals. The game's top 10 players are not eligible to play.

The idea for the Classic first grew after Anderson talked to friends of the ATP almost two years ago.

"They mentioned that there would be an opening in the tour and wondered if Bermuda would be interested in hosting a tournament,'' Anderson said yesterday.

Since then organising an event on this scale has become virtually a full-time job for Anderson. He has received support from Coral Beach, the Bermuda Lawn Tennis Association and the Department of Tourism.

ATP officials toured the island in March and were impressed with the facilities at Coral Beach. Weller Evans and Mark Miles, two of the ATP's top executives, will be on hand to make sure the event runs smoothly.

Anderson is expected to announce a major sponsor for the tournament later this week. Already signed up is Prime Network of Houston, Texas, an affiliate of NESN, a sports cable network out of Boston, Massachusetts, and on channel 35 in Bermuda.

The network offers a potential viewing audience of 40 million for the Classic and the deal guarantees at least four hours of coverage -- primarily taped delay action of the finals, which will be repeated on the network at least twice.

There will also be limited coverage of the doubles and semifinals and Prime has promised to link up with a European cable network for the tournament.

Also planned during the Classic and on Prime will be a "tourist-related special about Bermuda,'' said Anderson.

The Bermuda Classic will mark the first time a major tennis tournament will be played on the island. Back in the 1970s there were exhibition matches at the Southampton Princess featuring players like Jimmy Connors and Ilie Nastase and in the 1950s and '60s there were exhibitions featuring top players of the day.

The tournament will have qualifying rounds, a 32-player draw and a doubles competition.

The Classic has received lots of support locally, with firms like Conyers Dill & Pearman, Coral Beach, Price Waterhouse and an unnamed "major'' sponsor involved.

There will also be a Pro-Am event as part of the seven-day event and a junior clinic featuring top players at the Tennis Stadium.

HENRI LECONTE -- Will make decision after US Open.