Bermuda's top squash player Nick Kyme, who recently turned professional, will be heading to America later this month to compete in the Oklahoma City Open.

The tournament will mark his first major step on what promises to be a long and arduous journey into the cut throat world of professional squash.

The 22-year-old is, however, unfazed by the size of the task that confronts him. Indeed, he is positively revelling in the prospect of being able to challenge himself against the world's best.

It was at the 1997 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur, when he was only 17 and by far the youngest player in the competition, that Kyme gained his first proper insight into life on the professional tour. He returned home inspired.

"Playing against those guys and the enjoyment I got out of the challenge convinced me that I should give turning pro a shot. From that point on I wanted to know whether I was good enough to cut it with the best," he said.

The young Bermudian was quick to acknowledge the advice of his coaches at Trinity College in Connecticut, from where he graduated in May, in helping him reach his decision, as well as the significant and invaluable input of Bermuda based professionals Ross Triffitt and Gary Plumstead.

"They have always pushed me and encouraged me not to waste my youth and my talent. For that I am very grateful," he said.

Throughout his squash career Kyme has had much to live up to, coming as he does from a family with a long history of domestic squash success. Both his father and his mother, Eddie and Denise, dominated the game on the Island for many years and have since been very supportive of their son's burgeoning ambitions.

"I guess you could say it is in the genes! Both my parents are excited about having a professional squash player in the family and have helped me enormously both financially and emotionally," he said.

Kyme's immediate plans will see him remain in Bermuda until the new year in order to complete his rigorous training schedule. He will also be representing the Island at the Caribbean Championships in Barbados at the end of August and at the World Championships in Austria in October.

In 2004 Kyme will look to base himself in Belgium, where many other tour players have also relocated. He will then be embarking on a demanding schedule of tournaments which will see him competing throughout Europe as well as in Australia and New Zealand.

"The problem with training solely at home is that there is a serious lack of competitive exposure in between tournaments. In order to improve, I have to base myself abroad so that I can regularly compete against players better than myself," he said.

Currently ranked 172nd in the world, Kyme's primary goal is to break into the top 100 by the end of his first full year on the world tour. However, in terms of his long term future in the professional game, Kyme is understandably realistic.

"Right now, the plan is to play for the next couple of years. If I do OK, I might well stay on. But I won't be kidding myself," he said. "There is not a lot of money in squash unless you are consistently in and around the top ten. Still, if I do not grab the chance to play now, while I still can, I know I would regret it forever."