Tennis club nets an ace teacher (From Penarth Times)

Tennis club nets an ace teacher

DINAS POWYS tennis club has received some priceless coaching lessons from Lleyton Hewitt's former mentor.

Tennis guru Pat Smith flew in from Hungary, where he was working with the Australian disabled tennis team, to show local youngsters how to master the intricacies of the game on the eve of Wimbledon.

Pat agreed to make a flying visit to the club because of his ties with Matt Wright who runs the XL Tennis Academy.

Matt met Pat at the David Lloyd Next Generation tennis centre in Adelaide and he asked him to visit the club on his way to the world's greatest tournament.

Wimbledon began on Monday and we caught up with Pat a few days before Hewitt's shock first round exit at the hands of unknown 6ft 10 giant Ivo Karlovic.

Pat told us: "I think the competition could be quite open this year and there are a few who could win it. Lleyton is a contender as well as Roger Federer, Andre Agassi and Andy Roddick."

But what of the British contingency, does he think we have a chance of a winner?

"Tim Henman is a great player and should be praised for getting to so many semi-finals at Wimbledon. There are only a few with his record there but I think the British public is very demanding.

"He was unlucky with a lot of his draws and all champions need a bit of luck to win.

"As for Australian tennis, we would be in the same state as Britain if we did not have a one-in-a-million player like Lleyton. Apart from him we have few great tennis stars."

By the sound of things Dinas could soon produce some first-class players.

"I think the set up at this club is very much like the way we do it in Australia and the facilities are good," said Pat.

"I tend to teach kids who are 16 or over but I've coached some children while I have been here and I've enjoyed it."