With Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi both retired and an under-fire Andy Roddick struggling to break Roger Federer’s stranglehold on the professional game, American tennis has been crying out for a new generation of talent capable of challenging the Swiss master.

And in 19-year-old Sam Querrey, the number one seed at next week’s XL Bermuda Open at Coral Beach, many US commentators believe they have found just the man to spearhead this assault on the pinnacle of the sport.

At six-foot-six inches, and blessed with a massive serve and a forehand to rival anyone’s at the top level, the Californian has by all accounts the potential to become the next great American tennis player — with recent results certainly giving some indication that there is plenty more to come.

Earlier this week in Houston at the US Men’s Clay Court Championships, Querrey took world number nine Tommy Haas to three sets, losing narrowly 7-5 in the decider.

And while he actually lost in straight sets to Federer (4-6, 3-6) in the second round of the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami at the end of March, reports of the encounter make it clear that though lacking slightly in experience, he was far from outclassed or overawed by the world number one.

Having grown up on hard courts, Querrey is the first to admit he is not at his most comfortable on clay, though he’s still confident enough of living up to his billing as the tournament’s number one seed.

“I know 75 percent of the guys in the tournament and I feel as though if I play my best tennis through the week, I’ll have a fairly good chance of winning the whole thing,” he said yesterday from New York, en route to the Island.

“It’s fair to say that clay is not my best surface — I love playing on it but I’m just not as accustomed to it as I am with other surfaces. But having practised a lot on it in the last week or so, I’m happy with my clay-court game overall.

“I probably need to be a little more patient sometimes and look to slice the ball a little more — but that will hopefully come with experience.”

In the short time since he turned pro last year, Querrey has developed a reputation for being a fierce competitor on the court but almost impossibly laid back off it.

It’s this willingness not to take himself too seriously — despite his growing stardom in a sport with no shortage of prima donnas — which he believes has helped him deal with the additional pressure that inevitably comes with being dubbed a future great.

“I’ve always been very laid back — I’ve lived next to the ocean in California for most of my life which I think might have something to do with it,” said Querrey, whose best finish so far in a Grand Slam came at this year’s Australian Open where he reached the third round.

“I’m aware of what people are saying about me though, and while I’m humbled by those opinions, I try to keep things in perspective.

“Right now, all I’m focusing on is getting into the world’s top 40 by the end of the year and it would also be nice to win an ATP Tour event, which I know will be tough.”

Meanwhile, as of press time last night the draw for this weekend’s qualifying tournament had not been completed and so it was not clear who Bermuda number one and XL wildcard Andy Bray would come up against this morning on the green Har Tru clay of Coral Beach.

The English accountant has been preparing as intensively as ever for his annual moment in the pro tennis spotlight, and was yesterday hitting with former Island number one James Collieson, who recently turned 30 and will not be competing this year as he continues to recover from a recent spate of injuries.

The main singles draw will not be completed until tomorrow afternoon when the four qualifiers have emerged.

Following this weekend’s qualifying matches, the first round of the main tournament gets underway on Monday morning.