TENNIS: A CHESTER tennis coach is bidding to set up an indoor academy in the city.

Keith Roberts has teamed up with Spain's Roberto Rubio, a former professional player and international coach, to launch the project he hopes will help produce a Wimbledon champion.

Currently based at Overleigh St Mary's School in Hand-bridge, the duo are hoping to develop a multi-court indoor facility in Chester and are looking for corporate sponsorship to kick-start the plan.

Roberts, who lives in Westminster Park, has been coaching youngsters at the school's courts for some time and his academy is an LTA-accredited Performance Club and mini tennis centre.

He said: 'This is one of the most exciting tennis opportunities in Chester and the North West. We are inviting all parents to come along and meet us, check out our facilities and hear our plans. We are committing ourselves to providing the best training programme possible for each budding star.'

At the moment the academy is run from three newly-surfaced outdoor tennis courts at the school, with a gym for wet weather. They need to raise £50,000 from local businesses and sponsors to attract enough funds from the LTA to build the new indoor centre.

Rubio has coached Spain's top professional players, including Carlos Moya who was world-ranked number two as a youngster. He said: 'I can't believe that a city the size of Chester does not have an indoor tennis academy. In Spain, the tennis and general sporting facilities are much more comprehensive.

'If we want to give our kids the chance of making it to the top, then we need to build an indoor tennis academy. We have the coaches, the experience and the desire, we just need the facility.'

For more details about tennis coaching and the academy project, contact Keith Roberts on 01244 678248.