world, will be travelling to Bermuda in mid-March to conduct a free junior clinic, The Royal Gazette has learned.

The trip is specifically intended to make amends for their last-minute withdrawal only hours before the XL Tennis Classic was to begin last month.

Connell and Galbraith, of Canada and the US respectively, were losers yesterday during first-round doubles play of the Australian Open, falling to Australian brothers Andrew and Mark Kratzmann 6-7 (8-10), 6-4, 6-4. The doubles team had been ranked number one at the Grand Slam event in Melbourne.

Galbraith was unable to make the trip to Bermuda because of an ear and throat infection and Connell did not want to team up with anyone else, tournament director Alec Anderson said this week.

"He (Galbraith) just called me up shortly before the tournament and I could tell on the phone he was really sick,'' said Anderson. "He was coughing and sounded terrible.'' Their decision to quit the tournament came on the heels of another brutal disappointment for XL Classic organisers when doubles sensations Luke and Murphy Jensen pulled out after Luke underwent an emergency appendectomy while playing in the ATP Tour World Doubles Championship in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Connell and Galbraith were participating in the same tournament.

The absence of the two marquee doubles teams opened the door for Jared Palmer of the US and Mark Knowles of the Bahamas to capture the doubles crown of the inaugural Bermuda tournament. Palmer and Knowles defeated Venezuelans Maurice Ruah and Nicolas Pereira 6-1, 6-3.

"They (Connell and Galbraith) want to come here and do the junior clinic to show that they were committed to play here, so they're trying to give something back,'' said Anderson.

Although dates for the clinic have yet to be finalised, it will likely take place following the Lipton tournament in Key Biscayne, Florida, scheduled for March 11-20.

Anderson, meantime, also said that he is hoping to land a couple of big name stars for next year's tournament. Depending on whether the proper funding can be obtained, Anderson is prepared to invite Ivan Lendl or Andre Agassi to play.