A display of anger helped Ricardo Schlachter spark a stirring fightback to qualify for today's first round proper of the Bermuda Open at Coral Beach.

Schlachter seemed to be on his way out in a second-round qualifier yesterday, when he was a set down to Raemon Sluiter and trailing 3-4 in the second set, having just lost his serve.

Such was his frustration, that Schlachter threw his racquet hard into the ground -- so hard it bounced into the air, flew into the umpire's chair and earned him an official warning for racquet abuse.

But the incident seemed to inject new energy into the Brazilian, who afterwards visibly stepped up his tennis and won the next six games to set him well on the way to victory.

After completing a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 triumph, Schlachter said angry outbursts did not usually help his game, but admitted: "I don't know why, but today it was good for me.'' Dutchman Sluiter, ranked 259 in the world, 11 places above Schlachter, battled back to win the opening set 6-4, after trailing 2-4.

Schlachter was struggling to cope with his opponent's more powerful serve, backed up by his his ability to get to the net fast and volley with either power or subtlety.

After the racquet-throwing incident, Schlachter broke serve to level the second set at 4-4, aided by Sluiter's double fault on break point.

Another break of serve gave the South American the second set and yet another, in the second game of the final set, put him well in command.

"He (Sluiter) has a very strong serve and a very good volley and it's tough to beat a guy like that, but I played well from the second half of the second set,'' said Schlachter, who had beaten Bermuda's Ricky Mallory in the first qualifying round (see story below).

Other qualifiers to make the field of 32 for the first round were Paulo Taicher, another Brazilian and Schlachter's doubles parter, Mariano Hood of Argentina and Max Mirnyi of Belarus.

Taicher, who had beaten American Keith Brill 6-4, 6-1 on Saturday, played better as his match went on against Mike Russell yesterday.

Taicher, serving at 30-40 and 4-5 down in the first set, pushed his luck with an ambitious backhand, cross-court passing shot which dropped close to the line.

American Russell clearly thought it was out, but managed a wry smile when no call emanated from the line judge.

After his narrow escape, Taicher went onto to win the first set 7-5 and the early stages of the second set produced the best tennis of the match.

In the second game, Russell rounded off a breathtaking rally with a stunning back-hand pass down the line to earn a break point. But Taicher held his nerve and his serve with a brilliant angled volley off his toes.

Russell's game went downhill from there, as Taicher won five successive games to seal his first-round berth.

Mirnyi's passage to the last 32 came when his opponent Marcelo Charpentier of Argentina retired after pulling a stomach muscle.

Charpentier, a quarter-finalist last year, started well, breaking Mirnyi's huge serve in the 12th game to take the first set 7-5.

But his injury problem was affecting his game before the end of the second set, which Myrnyi won 6-1. Despite treatment from his physio, Charpentier continued to deteriorate and retired at 4-0 down in the final set.

Mirnyi's service is a formidable weapon -- it has been clocked at 136 miles per hour.

Mirnyi said: "I knew he (Charpentier) was a good player on this surface and I didn't play the way I wanted to against him in the first set.

"But I knew if I could hang tough with him, I could win, because I've seen him play before and he's not a very stable-minded player.'' Hood, the 6-3, 6-4 conqueror of Mashiska Washington on Saturday, qualified comfortably yesterday by defeating Frenchman Rodolphe Cadart in a one-sided contest, 6-0, 6-2.