XL Open competitors beware - Andrew Ilie is on the comeback trail.

The shirt-ripping Australian, who won the tournament in 2000, will be back in Bermuda next month when this year's Coral Beach tournament gets underway.

After a year hampered by injury, Ilie was hoping for better luck in 2002 but has had somewhat of an indifferent start.

He lost to Andy Roddick in the first round at the International Series in Sydney, Australia, in January and a week later went out of the Australian Open, also at the first hurdle, to Albert Portas of Spain.

The right hander, ranked 90th in the world, was then called up to Australia's Davis Cup side for their round one match against Argentina in Buenos Aires and crashed to Gaston Gaudio and Juan Ignacio Chela.

Ilie took part due to the late withdrawal of Lleyton Hewitt and was Australia's highest ranked player.

He blames his form, in part, on the knee injury he suffered towards the end of last year and to representing his nation.

"My last tournament was in Memphis. It was not good. I went out in the first round," he said of last month's first round International Series Gold exit at the hands of Andre Sa, another former XL Open player.

"It was partly down to the injury but I was also a little burned out from preparations for the Davis Cup, which didn't go that well either.

"I had never played before. It was very hard to get going. There was a lot of pressure especially as we were playing away in Argentina.

"The crowds were loud and it was tough to get thrown in like that. But it was a great experience and hopefully I'll get another chance."

Looking forward and not back, Ilie is targeting Bermuda as an opportunity to finally put his injury behind him and get back to winning ways.

"I had a tough year last year and a really bad start this year so, yeah, you could say this was the start of the comeback," he said.

"Last year I couldn't come because I qualified to play in Monte Carlo and being compulsory I couldn't get around it at all. This year my rankings have slightly dropped and I've been really looking forward to playing Bermuda."

Ilie, who admits he is only at 50 percent fitness with less than a month to go, will have some tough competition this year with young Taylor Dent and the vastly experienced Michael Chang already confirmed.

"The competition always gets tougher but that is something else you have got to look forward to - great matches," he said. "If you get through you are in good shape."

Ilie, who says his chances of success on his favourite surface are good, is confident there are more titles in store for him in the future.

"There is plenty more to come. I am 25, 26 this year and this is when you peak. So there's plenty more to come," he said.