AMRITRAJ BRINGS PRO TENNIS TO TARZANA.

A good year keeps getting better for Vijay Amritraj.

In June, the 47-year-old Encino resident and Indian tennis legend joined his son, current USC freshman Prakash, in play at Wimbledon - the younger Amritraj competing in boys' singles and doubles while Vijay played in senior doubles.

Last week, the elder Amritraj was making another appearance in the senior division of the U.S. Open in New York, where he recently was appointed United Nations Messenger of Peace.

Next week, he realizes his dream of bringing professional tennis to Tarzana's Braemar Country Club, where his family has held membership for several years.

Amritraj's company, First Serve Entertainment, will play host to a $50,000 men's challenger tournament, TheUSBridge.com Tennis Classic, which runs Monday through Sept. 16.

``This is a great opportunity to see some of the best young professional players from various parts of the world compete against each other in the San Fernando Valley,'' Amritraj said. ``I am looking forward to this being an annual event.''

The tournament, originally set for last summer, was rescheduled for next week because of rebuilding plans at the Braemar tennis facility.

Challenger events, which offer points toward world ranking, have been starting points, and sometimes re-starting points, for players who went on to achieve tennis stardom.

Grand Slam winners Goran Ivanisevic, Pete Sampras, Michael Chang and Andre Agassi all played Challenger tournaments early in their careers, and Agassi included a 1997 Challenger win in Burbank as part of a comeback that led to a No. 1 world ranking.

Amritraj expects the singles event at Braemar to be a wide-open competition.

``I would suspect every one of them has a chance to win it,'' he said of the 32-man championship draw, which will include survivors from qualifying that takes place Saturday and Sunday at Braemar. ``It's very even - a great young field.''

Making the week even sweeter for Amritraj is that it will be another family affair, with Vijay and brother Anand - 20-time Wimbledon doubles participants - entered in the Sept. 13 Legends exhibition, and 17-year-old Prakash playing in the men's singles field.

The week-long event, which also will have a 16-team men's doubles tournament, additionally offers a Sept. 12 kids' clinic and Sept. 14 pro-celebrity doubles play.

Amritraj, who played 25 years on tour, winning 16 singles titles and 15 doubles titles, was ranked in the world top 10 in both and helped India reach the Davis Cup finals in 1974 and '87.

USBRIDGE.COM TENNIS CLASSIC

--What: Men's challenger tournament

--When: Monday through Sept. 16

--Where: Braemar Country Club, Tarzana

--Field: 32 in singles; 16 in doubles

--Purse: $50,000

--Information: [phone]

CAPTION(S):

box

Box:

USBRIDGE.COM TENNIS CLASSIC (see text)