Bermuda's tennis star resident Patrick Rafter last week hit a ball for the first time since surgery on an injured shoulder.

But the 26-year-old revealed that he did not intend to enter next year's first grand slam event, the Australian Open in Melbourne next month. Rafter has been in his native Australia embarking on the long road to recovery since undergoing an operation to repair a one-centimetre tear to the rotator cuff of his right shoulder.

The injury troubled the Pembroke resident before his attempt to win a third successive US Open title in September. And it resurfaced in his first-round match at Flushing Meadows, forcing him to forfeit in the fifth set against Cedric Pioline.

Rafter, who reached the world number one ranking for the first time in career in August, missed out on Australia's 3-2 victory over France in the Davis Cup final earlier this month.

"I could be ready for the Australian Open, but do I want to put myself through a five-set match when I haven't even tested it (the shoulder) out yet?'' Rafter told the Sydney Morning Herald .

"This is something I just can't jump into the deep end with because if I do it, I'm going to miss all next year as well.'' Rafter did not rule himself out of an appearance in Melbourne, but said he would be relying on a wildcard entry from Tennis Australia.

That way, if he felt ready to play in the tournament, he would be able to defend his doubles title -- won last year with Swede Jonas Bjorkman -- even if he didn't feel his shoulder was up to the rigours of singles play.

"A wildcard is going to be presented to me if I need it, because if I'm not ready for it, maybe I can play doubles,'' said Rafter.

"That's what I may end up doing, because if I enter in singles and I pull out, I can't play the doubles. Doubles is not much pressure, not much stress.

But if I'm not ready to play doubles, I won't play doubles either.'' Rafter's fight back to fitness included a tough workout with the rugby league side Melbourne Storm -- at just about the time his Davis Cup team mates were enjoying a champagne celebration after their triumph in France.

And watching television coverage of his compatriots Mark Philippoussis, Lleyton Hewitt, Mark Woodforde and Todd Woodbridge win the final seemed to have left Rafter with a burning desire to repeat their achievement.

"My goal for next year is to do well in the grand slams, obviously and do the Davis Cup. Just seeing the way those guys played Davis Cup this year and the way they won it at the end, at this stage I think that's my only goal,'' said Rafter.

Patrick Rafter: Glad to be back on court after lay-off.