Former four-time Grand Slam winner and one of the world's top coaches, Hana Mandlikova, will conduct a tennis clinic at Elbow Beach for Bermuda's juniors next month.

The clinic, open to any youngster, will take place on Saturday, September 18, at the hotel's courts, where Mandlikova will be aided by coaches from the Island.

The following day, the Czech-born 37-year-old, who now coaches 1998 Wimbledon winner Jana Novotna, will take a workshop with Bermuda's own coaches.

Also present will be Bermuda's top ranked juniors from under-10 level to under-18s, who will be able to talk about technical aspects of the game with Mandlikova, now an Australian citizen.

David Lambert, the tennis coach at Elbow Beach, and a BLTA past president who is co-ordinating the weekend, has previously attracted other top women's players to the resort in Virginia Wade and Rosie Casals.

He said: "In the tennis world, Hana has not just been a great player, she is now one of the world's top coaches because her student, Jana Novotna, is still winning. I know one thing I'll be wanting to ask her is how she takes such a talent like Novotna and continues to keep her motivated.'' Lambert will also be travelling to the US Open next week, where he hopes to meet with other names from the tennis world and negotiate their possible attendance at Elbow Beach in the future to help with the development of young players here.

Mandlikova, a tall right-hander, won the Australian Open twice, in 1980 and 1987, the US Open in 1985 and the French in 1981 in a career that brought 27 singles titles on the women's tour and career prize earnings in excess of $3.3 million.

She was a Wimbledon finalist in 1986 and ended four successive years, from 1984-87, ranked number three in the world. She retired in 1990 after a 13-year playing career in which she also helped Czechoslovakia to three consecutive Federation Cup titles.

Youngsters interested in attending the clinic are asked to approach organisers through their individual coaches.

Those who are keen to play but are not enrolled on any of the current junior programmes can contact David Lambert on 236-3535.

A singular success: Hana Mandlikova won four Grand Slam titles in a career lasting 13 years.