SOUTH Essex tennis players will get a chance to get coached by the man behind top players including Andre Agassi next weekend.

American tennis coach Nick Bollettieri will spend two days at Thorpe Bay Lawn Tennis Club sharing his knowledge before heading to Wimbledon.

And Thorpe Bay head coach Jon Lee believes it will be a good opportunity for local players.

“It will be great to have him here because Nick has a huge amount of knowledge and I think it will be good for the players he works with,” said Lee.

“I went to his academy about 25 years ago when Agassi was training there. I think he changed the game by introducing a work ethic.

“He is a tough coach when on court because he comes from an army background but he instills self-belief in players and that’s what makes the difference at the top end of the sport.”

Bollettieri, 83, will be doing four sessions on Saturday, June 27, and another quartet on Sunday, June 28, working with players in different age groups.

He will have coaches-only sessions on both days and there will be a dinner event with Bollettieri on Saturday night.

Each session will feature 16 players and four coaches working on four courts at the Thorpe Hall Gardens club.

Bollettieri will use a microphone and PA system to deliver his tips during each session.

Bollettieri’s visit came about because Royston Kymberly of Southend-based British Tennis Coaches Association told Lee that he was looking for a venue for the event and Lee suggested Thorpe Bay.

Players signing up for the sessions so far include those playing in the Essex leagues and Leigh & Westcliff LTA divisions.

New York-born Bollettieri started coaching in the 1950s and set up his academy in Florida in the 1970s.

His earliest success as a coach came with Agassi, Jim Courier and Monica Seles.

But he has also worked with Venus and Serena Williams, Boris Becker, Mary Pearce, Anna Kournikova, Maria Sharapova and Jelena Jankovic.

For more information and to book coaching sessions with Bollettieri go to www.uktennis.co.uk.