SINGAPORE'S SEA Games-bound tennis players spent an hour on Thursday training 21 juniors at the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) Future Stars Clinic at Yio Chu Kang Tennis Centre.

Stefanie Tan, Wee Khee Yen, Sarah Pang and Angeline Devanthiran took the participants through a series of tennis drills during the clinic, which is one of many organised by the WTA in a pledge to nurture grassroots tennis throughout the region.

Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia have already enjoyed such training benefits, while the WTA plans to introduce such clinics to China and India in the latter part of the year.

WTA Finals tournament director and Asia-Pacific vice-president Melissa Pine said that the WTA also aims to provide valuable chances for young players to interact with and be inspired by their tennis idols.

She said: "(They were able to) provide invaluable insight into what it is like to play and compete at a high level. It is all about helping young girls and boys to create pathways for success in life, through tennis and sport."

Singapore will also play host to one of 18 qualifying events for the WTA Future Stars tournament, which will see the region's Under-14 and Under-16 female tennis players compete in the lead up to October's main event, the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global.