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The loss of the XL Open would be a major blow to tennis in Bermuda, one of the island's top players has warned.

Andy Bray - the only local player to ever win a match at the tournament - said he hoped a sponsor would step in to save the tournament after XL pulled the plug on a reported $350,000 sponsorship deal.

"It's a massive event for tennis. It's a goal for everyone to get a chance to play in it and its something to work towards.

"If that's gone there is a big hole in the calendar for sure," said Bray.

"I'm lucky enough to have played in it a few times but it's also great just to go down and watch and see the top players up close."

The tennis fraternity was still attempting to digest the implications of XL's revelation that it was ending its 15-year relationship with the tournament yesterday, with just over six months to fill the financial shortfall for next year's event.

The department of tourism had already dropped its $50,000-a-year sponsorship and with tournament venue Coral Beach also changing ownership there are huge doubts over whether the tournament can take place.

Bermuda Lawn Tennis Association president David Lambert said the association would make every effort to ensure 'Bermuda's Grand Slam' remained.

"It's crucial that we try and save this event. It's important not just because of the high calibre of players it brings to the island but also because of the exposure it gives to our top players.

"We could go on forever talking about all the great players that have come to Bermuda - Patrick McEnroe, Mal Washington, Andy Roddick. The main thing it does is give our juniors the chance to see these players up close and to have clinics with legends like Roy Emerson and John Lloyd.

"There are so many facets to this tournament that are extremely important to the development of tennis."

He said it was also important from a tourism perspective, bringing in scores of visitors to watch high calibre tennis.

He added: "Alec and Maribeth (Anderson) have done a great job over the years and we'll do everything we can to help them as they look for another title sponsor."

The Andersons were not available for comment yesterday but Maribeth told the Royal Gazette on Thursday that a decision would be taken within the next few weeks over whether the event would go ahead.

""If we think we can cover the amount that XL contributed in the past, then we could go on," she told the paper.

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