A coach “tyrannised” his tennis player daughters to fulfil his own ambitions of sporting greatness, a court has heard.

John De’Viana is accused of physically and emotionally mistreating his children, Monaei and Nephe, as he spent years trying to mould them them into Wimbledon superstars.

He was accused at his trial on Monday of subjecting them to violent and humiliating acts because of his inability to “disentangle dad from coach”.

The 54-year-old told Snaresbrook crown court his daughters had fabricated the cruelty allegations out of spite after he walked out on the family.

The prosecutor, David Povall, pointed to De’Viana’s history as a decorated martial artist as the genesis of his alleged obsessive behaviour.

“Did it not concern you at any stage that you might be projecting your own ambitions on to your daughters?” he asked.

“No, that didn’t concern me,” De’Viana replied.

Concluding his cross-examination, Povall asked: “In reality you were unable to disentangle dad from coach, is that right?”

“That is not the truth,” De’Viana replied.

Povall continued: “You tyrannised those girls to fulfil your own ambitions.”

“That is not the case,” De’Viana said.

“The reality is that you became so angry, so frustrated on regular occasions that you would assault them, spit at them, insult them, humiliate them, in order to get them to do what you wanted,” Povall said.

De’Viana had earlier denied a list of abusive episodes against the children, claiming he only referred to Nephe as a “fucking dog” in performance notes because she moved like an animal.

The prosecutor suggested that several of the annotations, which De’Viana claimed his daugthers had not seen, were clearly addressed to them.

He said: “When you wrote ‘you fucking idiot, I promise I will fucking fix this,’ who are you addressing there?”

“Me and my shortcomings as a coach and a father,” he said.

The root of his daughters’ anger against him was his abrupt departure from the family home when he separated from their mother, Michelle Horne, in 2011, he said.

Asked why the girls had made the allegations, De’Viana said: “I have my theories.

“I didn’t give them the courtesy of an explanation when I left. They are not feeling too good towards me.

“I can only assume they are pretty upset with me as a father.”

De’Viana of Ilford, Essex, denies two counts of child cruelty.

Jurors were previously shown the annotations De’Viana made during his daughters’ games.

Asked about the foul language he used, he said the notes were not directed to his daughters, but to “emphasise certain points” in his own mind.

“These are coach’s notes I have made for myself and my team, and during a period of a match when a match goes on at such a rapid pace, I do not have time to make notes.”

The trial continues.