Longines - Michael Chen Zhao at Roland Garros
WEEHAWKEN, NJ - May 25, 2011 - Michael Chen Zhao, the United States' representative for the 2011 Longines Future Tennis Aces Tournament at Roland Garros, June 2-4, has been preparing both on and off the court in advance of his first international and clay court competition. The 12-year-old Princeton Junction, NJ native qualified for the Tournament following a victory at last month's U.S. Future Tennis Aces Tournament at Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, site of the U.S. Open, in Flushing Meadows, NY.
Zhao, currently ranked No. 11 in the USTA national 12-and-under division, will compete against athletes from 15 countries for a chance to play in a doubles exhibition match with tennis legends Andre Agassi and Jim Courier on the historic red-clay courts at the French Open, and receive financing for tennis equipment until their 16th birthday, courtesy of Longines.
"I'm really excited and a little nervous about this really cool experience," said Zhao. "There will be a little pressure as well since this will be my first time at an international tournament. I'm preparing by training really hard and maybe getting a chance to hit on red clay before I go."
Zhao began playing tennis at 5-years-old and entered his first tournament by age 8. His best finish is a third-place result at a National Open event at the National Tennis Center and he has reached the quarterfinals of the USTA Winter National 12s Championship played the first week of January in Tucson, Arizona. He dominates his opponents using his powerful backhand and claims to model his ground strokes after his idol Novak Djokovic. "I like the form of his strokes and how much energy he has when he plays," he said.
Longines Future Tennis Aces is part of the brand's global commitment to support and develop tennis' superstars of tomorrow. All the players who qualified for the Paris event will have the opportunity to attend the French Open Women's Final on June 4. Longines is the official timekeeper and partner of the French Open.
A complete schedule of events follows:
Longines Future Tennis Aces World Championship
Date: Thursday and Friday, June 2-3
Time: 11:00 am - 6.00 pm local time Paris
Location: Roland Garros courts 16
Longines Future Tennis Aces World FINAL
Date: Saturday, June 4
Time: 10:15 am local time Paris
Location: Roland Garros courts 7
Andre Agassi and Jim Courier Exhibition Match featuring finalists from Longines Future Tennis Aces Tournament
Date: Saturday, June 4
Time: 11:15 am local Paris time
Location: Roland Garros courts 7
Press Conference with Andre Agassi, Jim Courier and Longines President Walter Von Känel
Date: Saturday, June 4
Time:1:00-1:45 p.m. local Paris time
Location: Tenniseum at Roland Garros
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