Lee faces vital week

Lee lost to Pete Sampras at Wimbledon

By Piers Newbery BBC Sport Online

It may seem to those in Britain that the tennis world is still consumed with Wimbledon, but the players who crashed out early have quickly moved on from SW19.

And for Martin Lee, the next week is the most important of his year.

Sampras sweeps past Lee

As the ATP and WTA tours progress, Wimbledon finalist David Nalbandian faces a clash with Andrei Pavel in the first round of the Swiss Open.

At the same time, British number three Lee heads to the grass of Newport, Rhode Island looking to at least emulate his appearance in the final of last year's Hall of Fame Championships.

Roger Federer is seeded fifth for the Swiss Open

That was Lee's best-ever result on the ATP tour and helped him into the world top 100.

But all the points won last July disappear next week in the rolling 52-week entry system, and Lee could face life back on the Challenger Circuit if he does not make the final again.

The competition will be tough.

Australian Wayne Arthurs has the game to prosper, while American trio James Blake, Taylor Dent and Jeff Morrison made their mark at Wimbledon.

Elsewhere, Roger Federer will be looking to get back to winning ways on home ground after being the first major casualty in the men's singles at Wimbledon.

Federer crashes out at Wimbledon

The world number nine heads the field at the Swiss Open in Gstaad and should find the clay courts more to his liking.

He will line up against Nalbandian, as well as Ecuador's Nicolas Lapentti and a host of Spanish clay-court experts.

Lapentti had a magnificent Wimbledon and almost made it to the last four, but three five-set matches may affect his chances in Gstaad.

French Open champion Albert Costa returns to the circuit for the first time since Roland Garros, and he will be joined by compatriots Juan Carlos Ferrero and Alex Corretja.

Spanish challenge

Also on clay, defending champion Andrea Gaudenzi will have his work cut out to keep hold of the Swedish Open title in Bastad.

Again it is the Spaniards who pose the biggest threat, with Carlos Moya and Tommy Robredo leading the challengers.

The leading names on the women's circuit take a break after their exertions at Wimbledon.

Eleni Daniilidou of Greece is the form player in the draw at the French Community Championships, which confusingly take place in Brussels, Belgium.

Young Israeli Anna Smashnova and Spanish veteran Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario look the likeliest candidates to threaten Daniilidou.

In Palermo, Argentine Paola Suarez will hope to build on her doubles final appearance at Wimbledon against the likes of world number 20 Iroda Tulyaganova of Uzbekistan.