Stand by for the new and improved Michael Chang.

The former French Open champion has been in somewhat of a slump in recent years and has yet to win a match on the ATP tour this season.

But the 30-year-old is keen to reinvent himself and hopes an appearance at the XL Capital Bermuda Open next week will be the start of an upward trend.

As a 17-year-old in 1989 he destroyed some of the best known names in the game to claim victory at Roland Garros, becoming the youngest player to win that or any Grand Slam event.

His upset win snapped a long drought for American men in France as none had conquered the Grand Slam circuit's lone clay surface since 1955.

This stunning start to his career was the fulfilment of the potential he showed while repeatedly setting "youngest player" records, including becoming the youngest to win a main draw match at the US Open and the youngest to reach a Tour semi-final, both in 1987.

However, Chang, who enjoyed his highest singles ranking - number two - in September 1996, has had a dismal start, in terms of results, this year.

In Auckland, New Zealand in January he lost to Marat Safin in three sets and followed that with a loss to Roger Federer at the Australian Open.

A visit to Waikola in Hawaii for a Challenger event saw him defeat Kevin Kim and Alex Kim before going out to Vince Spadea in the quarter-finals.

But that improvement was not built on and he lost an International Series match in Copenhagen in February to Axel Pretsch.

Promising American James Blake beat Chang in Memphis before Wayne Arthurs got the better of him in San Jose.

March saw him lose twice to Paradorn Srichaphan, at Indian Wells and then Miami.

And the run continued last week when he crashed out to Brian Vahaly in the Tarzana Challenger.

Chang, who is competing in Calabasa, California this week, before travelling to Bermuda, is under no illusions as to how important a win here would be.

"I think it's very important for me. For one it's the first clay court tournament of the year and obviously the French Open is not too far off," he said.

"It's important to get off to a good start. This year has been tough for me and I need matches. I need to win some matches and gain some confidence in order to really have any chance to do well in the rest of the year.

"It's been a rough start but all in all it's more important how you finish than how you start."

Chang said he could not identify the reasons behind his lack of form.

"It's a little bit hard for me to pinpoint right now. I know I have lost a lot of close matches, my last two were both 7-6 in the third. I just feel like I am not quite winning the key points that I normally should be winning," he said.

"I think a lot of it is the confidence factor. If I am able to get that back and get my rhythm back then I think it's a whole new ball game. It's just a matter of finding it."

As far as names are concerned, Chang is the top draw at the XL, but he knows that an illustrious past counts for nothing when you go out on the court for your next game.

"I really don't go into tournaments thinking whether I am favourite or not. Right now, I am just going out trying to concentrate on each match," he said.

"I think one thing I do have going for me is that when I get on the clay I know I am a dangerous whether I am seeded or not.

"I have had some great results on clay and it's a surface that I am pretty familiar with. I think when you have it does give you some confidence going up against the other players. The other players know what you have done and know that you are not lost on the surface. I think those things are important."

If Chang can get a victory under his belt here, he sees no reason why he cannot undergo a career transformation similar to that of Andre Agassi.

The American went from the top to the bottom and back to the top again, and while being realistic enough to know he won't be troubling the likes of Lleyton Hewitt, Chang sees no reason why he can't be a threat on the circuit again.

"That is essentially what it is. Right now I am trying to get back down to basics. Andre has done a tremendous job in revamping his career, if you will, and taking it to a whole new level. It is something that should be highly commended," he said.

"I know Andre and I are very different but it would be great to be able to get back and be able to play at that level.

"Right now, it's not so important to try to take leaps and bounds, you try to take small steps in the right direction. I know that small steps in the right direction will get me going."

Chang is a deeply spiritual person and his faith has been of great help to him in recent times.

"I think that obviously holding on to the Lord through good times and bad times, particularly bad times, definitely gives me a lot of strength," he said. "I still have a great deal of faith and a great deal of hope.

"If I didn't have that inside I would probably just call it a day, call it a career."

Thankfully for the fans, this intensely likeable player refuses to quit and he believes success could be just around the corner.

"That is what I feel, whether or not that will happen I really don't know, it's not for me to say only time will tell," he said.

"I feel like I have been blessed with a tremendous career and for the most part I think my career has been a gradual climb. I have been very fortunate in the respect that I haven't had any kinds of valleys really, until these past few years.

"Since I turned pro, up until 1997 everything was a steady climb, I really didn't have any ranking drops or let downs.

"Obviously, if I didn't believe that I could play better tennis than what I have been playing or what I have played then there really is no purpose in me going out and continuing.

"I think you definitely have to look at the positives as well as the negatives."