WIMBLEDON - DUNST AND BETTANY ALMOST GIVE COACH CASH A 'HEART ATTACK'

WIMBLEDON co-stars KIRSTEN DUNST and PAUL BETTANY were so bad at tennis when they started work on the new movie, their coach PAT CASH almost had a "heart attack".

Cash - who won the 1987 WIMBLEDON CHAMPIONSHIP - had a matter of weeks to teach the stars how to realistically play sporting champions for the film, and he's still recovering from the shock.

He explains, "The idea was that I'd give a couple of weeks' coaching, but when I met the actors, then heard that the first shoot was six weeks later, I nearly had a heart attack.

"They're actors, not athletes, so they ran awkwardly, they had no power, and after a couple of hours on court they were knackered. We got their strokes looking good, but you never knew where the ball would go.

"I remember one poor guy being hit right in the balls by one of Kirsten's backhands.

But Cash worked wonders - and the film has won the seal of approval from former tennis champ JOHN McENROE.

Director RICHARD LONCRAINE explains, "He's not a man who minces words, Mr McEnroe, but after watching the tennis scenes he just shook my hand and said, 'You've done it'."