~Qualifiers to take place in Kolkata and Pune~
~ This is the third consecutive edition of the Rendez-Vous à Roland Garros in partnership with Longines~
Kolkata, March 16, 2017: The ‘Rendez-Vous à Roland-Garros in partnership with Longines’ returns to India for its third edition which will be played across three cities. The tournament gets underway with the first qualifier in Kolkata followed by the second in Pune. The final culmination of the tournament will take place in New Delhi. The City of Joy will be hosting the first leg of the qualifiers from 20th to 25th March 2017, followed by the 2ndleg in Pune from 29th March to 1st April 2017.
A clinic will also be conducted for the media with the aim of promoting clay court tennis. ‘Rendez-Vous à Roland-Garros in partnership with Longines’ has served as a perfect platform for budding tennis talents from India as they get the opportunity to compete against the best from USA, Japan, China, Brazil and South Korea. Further, the winners of the competition will get a chance to participate in the Junior French Open as wild-card entrants.
“Over the years, India has consistently produced good talent. The ‘Rendez-Vous à Roland-Garros in partnership with Longines’ aims to propel the upcoming talent in a way which would put the country on the world map. It also gives the youngsters a great chance of learning about clay courts, and potentially going on to excel at the French Open in future,” said President of FFT Bernard Giudicelli.
Unwavering support from AITA, Bengal Tennis Association and The Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association has successfully ensued the commencement of Rendez-vous a Roland Garros in partnership with Longines becomes an event to remember.
The city qualifiers will see top talent vying for a spot in the Masters’ event which will be played in New Delhi on 18th and 19th April 2017.
About Roland-Garros
Both committed sports fans and the general public alike have come to love Roland-Garros. Some 455 621 spectators flocked to the highly prestigious French Open in 2016, and the tournament was also broadcast on over 220 territories across the world, making it an event of truly global significance. Roland-Garros is run by the French Tennis Federation and held every year at the Porte d'Auteuil in Paris. It is the only Grand Slam to be played on clay – one of the oldest and most noble surfaces in the history of tennis.
About Longines
Based in St. Imier, Switzerland, since 1832, the watch producer Longines boasts a know-how forged out of tradition, elegance and performance. With its long experience as a timekeeper for world championships and the partner of various international sports federations, Longines has, over the years, established close and lasting links with the world of sport. Renowned for the elegance of its timepieces, Longines is a member of the Swatch Group Ltd., the world's leading manufacturer of horological products. With its famous winged hourglass logo, Longines has outlets in over 150 countries.
About All India Tennis Association
All India Tennis Association is the National Federation for development and promotion of Indian Tennis. It has a very strong and tiered junior tournament & ranking structure and a sound professional tournament structure for Men & Women. AITA also has a sound coach’s education programme and is the only recognized nation in Asia to have the ITF Silver Certification.
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