DAKAR (AFP) - Young tennis players from all over the Senegalese capital Dakar exchanged groundstrokes with US tennis star Serena Williams, at the end of former world number one's first visit to Africa.

"Being inspired by people like Serena Williams" is one important step toward producing world-class Senegalese tennis players, said Issa Mboup, president of the Senegalese Tennis Federation.

Williams was wrapping up a five-day humanitarian visit to Ghana and Senegal organized by the
United Nations.

Greeted by African drumming and dozens of children from kindergarten through high school, Williams, 25, arrived at the Olympique Club in the Mermoz district of Dakar early Saturday morning.

Following a brief drumming and dancing session in which she joined in, Williams held a tennis clinic for the players, standing behind the youngest to show them proper forehand technique.

Afterwards, Mariette Mbaye, 12, said it was "super-cool" to hit balls against Williams, who she said she watches avidly on TV.

Mboup said that playing in as many tournaments as possible is important for the young players, and that tennis programs are "often suspended due to insufficient resources."

Williams' visit included a tour of a
UNICEF-supported education NGO, a meeting with Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade, and a trip to Goree Island, known for its slave-trading history.

In Ghana, Williams participated in a UNICEF immunization health campaign.