Longines Master Collection Date 42 (L2.665.4.78.3)

Sixteen children from all around the world will be playing in a mini-tournament leading up to an exciting mixed doubles final involving Gustavo Kuerten and Mary Pierce, who both won the French Open ten years ago. After this event, Longines will be continuing its support for disadvantaged children through its sponsorship of the charity foundations set up by Andre Agassi and Stefanie Graf, two of the brand's ambassadors of elegance. Finally, at a gala dinner a representative of the famous Swiss watch company will have the singular honour of presenting the Longines Prize for Elegance to a sportsperson whose commitment to helping those in need deserves recognition.

Longines has chosen to look to the future at Roland Garros this year by focusing on young tennis talent. In order to promote sport, respect for others, fair play and tolerance that the sport entails, the Swiss watch manufacturer will be hoping to find the tennis champions of tomorrow. In line with its slogan "Elegance is an attitude", Longines has become more and more involved in elegance in sport by supporting, as a first step, the charity foundations set up by Andre Agassi and Stefanie Graf, who are among its ambassadors of elegance. This year Longines will again be sponsoring the Andre Agassi Foundation and Children for Tomorrow, but also wants to help discover new young talent in the field of tennis by sponsoring promising players in the long term.

Longines will be inviting 16 children (8 boys and 8 girls between the ages of 10 and 12) from all around the world to come to Paris. Having been selected in their own countries on the basis of their tennis skills, these young hopefuls will play mixed doubles in a mini-tournament based on tie-break scoring. The children will be coached by Mansour Bahrami, who set up the Legends Trophy, as well as by Agnieszka Radwanska and Tsung-Hua Yang, who are also among Longines' ambassadors of elegance. The two winners of the tournament will then team up with Gustavo Kuerten and Mary Pierce for a show final that will take place on Saturday, 5 June 2010, on court no. 7. This match will give the children an opportunity to play alongside two tennis legends and to gain immeasurable experience: Gustavo Kuerten and Mary Pierce won the French Open ten years ago, walking away with the Musketeers Cup and the Suzanne Lenglen Trophy respectively. To reward and support the young victors, Longines will be offering them an annual stipend until they are 16 to help them to develop their tennis career. After the final, Longines will also be donating a cheque for $100'000 to the foundations set up by Andre Agassi and Stefanie Graf, which will be presented personally to two children from the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy in Las Vegas.

At the gala dinner on the Saturday of the weekend when the finals are held, Longines will have the honour of presenting an award to a sportsperson whose commitment to helping the needy deserves recognition. In awarding the Longines Prize for Elegance, the Swiss watch manufacturer will be paying tribute to a tennis player who has demonstrated true elegance in his or her heart.
 
Finally, Longines will also be taking advantage of the occasion to launch its Longines Admiral Chronograph Ceramic. The face of this magnificent self-winding, mechanical chronograph is surrounded by a black ceramic bezel and is a perfect example of beauty combined with performance. Longines' latest model in its line of elegant sports watches is mounted on a stainless steel bracelet whose central links are also in ceramic.