towards the further development of youth tennis in Bermuda, thanks to Elbow Beach and tennis legend Rosie Casals.

Women's tennis pioneer Casals was in Bermuda this week to promote her Virginia Slims Legends Tour which will be featured at Elbow Beach next year -- an event that is primarily attractive to the local hotels for its prospects of being capable to lure visitors to the Island.

But it is also beneficial to local youngsters since the tour is recognised for donating regularly to the development of tennis wherever it goes.

Casals represents a group of prominent ex-players who stage Tennis Fantasy weekends at various hotels throughout the United States and Canada -- events which give guests the chance to witness these players competing against each other. And it also gives the guest themselves the chance to mingle and play against them.

While here on what was regarded as more of a business and promotion trip, Casals did get the chance to hold an exhibition and clinic which was attended by several youngsters.

But hotel professional and former Bermuda Lawn Tennis Association (BLTA) president David Lambert was thrilled with the idea of holding Tennis Fantasy weekends featuring world-renowned names on the Island throughout the year.

Lambert felt the event would be a great boost for the Island as a way of attracting visitors while it would also be of immense benefit for locals since the group also assisted in fundraising for youth development.

"It's great to know that we here are Elbow will be working with Rosie and her company throughout the year as of next year to offer these tennis fantasy weekends. Her main trip here this week was to establish a relationship with us here at the hotel, but we are so excited about the many positives that will result from this venture,'' said Lambert.

"What her company does is put on tennis fantasy weekends when people can actually come to Bermuda, stay at Elbow where they can also get a chance to play and watch exhibitions featuring people you normally have only heard about or seen on television.

"It is better than a lot of these other places where they perform, because security is so tight you can only see them from a distance, but in Bermuda it's different since its small and people will be able to come on court with them and have a good time.'' Lambert said Casals had expressed a strong desire to work closely with Elbow and the BLTA in doing fundraisers.

"That idea is good for Bermuda and good for the further development of young players. To have top names like Billie Jean King and others come down here will automatically draw people to the Island, and knowing that they will help raise money for development is a double plus,'' said Lambert.

It's also a possibility that some of the women involved in the Tennis Fantasy weekend could also be present during the Legends Tournament in April -- an event that was postponed in September because of the extensive renovations taking place at Elbow.

Lambert said tentative plans has the Legends tournament scheduled for the first weekend in April with a second event scheduled for next September still on the card -- making it two tournaments of the same nature during the year.

"It's a strong possibility that it will be held the first weekend of April.

But no matter what happens in April we are still going to also have one in September,'' he said.

The line-up of stars will remain the same and will include Ilie Nastase, John Lloyd, Tom Gorman and Ken Rosewall.