Australian star Patrick Rafter has given the XL Capital Bermuda Open tournament a huge boost by indicating he wants to play in the doubles in this year's event.

The former US Open champion intends to team up with fellow Aussie and old friend Paul Kilderry, resuming a partnership which proved a big hit with the fans at Coral Beach last year.

Rafter has not played singles since a shoulder injury forced him to retire from his first-round US Open match against Cedric Pioline last September, ending his effort to achieve a hat-trick of triumphs at Flushing Meadows.

His appearances since then have been limited to one tournament in Sydney last month when he played doubles with Wayne Arthurs.

But the 27-year-old, who has a home in Pembroke but has spent recent months rehabilitating in Australia, hopes to be back to full fitness soon and is keen to appear in the Open in April.

"I have spoken to Patrick and he says he wants to play,'' said tournament director Alec Anderson yesterday.

"He likes the event and he knows it's a huge boost for the tournament and for the sponsors, XL. And he wants to do something nice for Bermuda.

"He will have played four or five tournaments by then and it will be a rest week for him.'' Last year at Coral Beach, Rafter and journeyman pro Kilderry reached the doubles final, where they lost 6-4, 6-4 to Richey Reneberg and Doug Flach.

Rafter also played a one-set exhibition singles match against Reneberg on semi-finals Saturday and afterwards he told the crowd over the microphone: "This is the least I could do for the community of Bermuda and it really doesn't feel like I've done very much.'' And later in the day, he reaffirmed his commitment to the Island by strolling out on court for the doubles semi-final with Kilderry, both wearing traditional local attire of Bermuda shorts with collar and tie.

Anderson said it was unlikely that Rafter would play an exhibition singles match again this year.

"That is not really expected, because it will be a rest week for him and he is trying to look after his injured shoulder,'' said Anderson.

For Rafter, playing in front of a few hundred fans at Coral Beach provides a welcome break from the pressure cooker atmosphere of big tournaments and high expectations on the Association of Tennis Professionals Tour.

The Queenslander, in his sixth year as a Bermuda resident, was catapulted into the ranks of the tennis elite when he won his first grand slam title, the 1997 US Open.

After last year's Open, Rafter said: "It's been good, I've been able to continue my training. And it's been fun, with the introductions and everything, it's been light-hearted and I think that's what I needed.

"It's been a good combination of relaxation and training. There is pressure here, but it's a different kind of pressure.'' Rafter's form picked up after the Open to the point where he took over as world number one for a week and reached the Wimbledon semi-finals.

He looked well set to make a strong challenge for another US Open title, before the intervention of the shoulder injury, a one-centimetre tear to the rotator cuff, which also forced him to miss Australia's Davis Cup final victory over France.

Anderson is working on signing up players for the event, which will take place on freshly resurfaced courts at Coral Beach from April 24-30.

Patrick Rafter: Will resume his partnership with Aussie friend Paul Kilderry, who made it to the finals of the doubles last year where they lost to Richie Reneberg and Doug Flach.