Few get the chance to play on the same court as a Wimbledon champion.

But a trio of Special Olympic athletes from Enfield did just that last week when they were invited to take part in a tennis coaching clinic with Australian Lleyton Hewitt.

Marc Curtis, Craig Kerney and Alfie Russell travelled to Roehampton Tennis Club in London, where they were joined by four players from north Wales and three from East Sussex. The group of ten were taken through a series of tennis drills with the 2002 Wimbledon champion. They then got the chance to play alongside him to get some doubles' practice.

Hewitt rounded off a memorable day for the youngsters by signing autographs.

The Australian became involved with the Special Olympics following his early exit from last year's Wimbledon, when he travelled to Dublin to watch the tennis events at the 2003 Special Olympics World Summer Games.

The next major Special Olympics' event in Britain will be the National Summer Games in Glasgow in 2005.

Tennis will again be among the sports contested and Marc, Craig and Alfie will all be hoping to compete.