Beijing: Mark Knowles and Andy Roddick Open Doubles, China. Photo: Getty Images
Nassau, Bahamas - (December 1, 2009) The following is an important message from Mark Knowles Celebrity Tennis Invitational:
Mark Knowles received the following
statement from Andy Roddick today,
“It is with deep regret
that I am announcing that I will not be able to participate in the Mark
Knowles Celebrity Tennis Invitational. Due to my existing knee injury,
I am still unable to compete and am continuing a detailed daily rehabilitation
program on my knee in order to expedite my recovery for the upcoming
2010 season. I hope to visit the Bahamas in 2010 and again I am
very sorry to miss this year’s Invitational. Wishing you a very
successful event,
Sincerely,
Andy”
Mark Knowles said that he is obviously
very disappointed that Andy cannot be with us this year, but unfortunately
injuries and the recovery from them is something that professional athletes
live with on a daily basis. Despite the fact that Andy will not be here,
Mark emphasized that we still have a tremendous line-up of players such
as Benjamin Becker who is currently ranked #40 and Robert Kendrick on
the singles tour and Anna-Elena Groenefeld, the reigning Wimbledon Mixed
Doubles champion with Mark. Also Don Johnson and Jared Palmer,
former #1 Doubles ranked players and Wimbledon champions.
It is expected that the schedule
for the public Exhibition at 3 p.m. on Saturday 5th December at
the National Tennis Centre will consist of the following matches:
Mens Singles: Benjamin Becker
v Robert Kendrick
Mens Doubles: Mark Knowles
& Marvin Rolle v Don Johnson & Jared Palmer
Mixed Doubles: Mark Knowles
& Anna-Lena Groenefeld v Martin Damm & Olga Savchuk
4.30 p.m. Junior Players Interactive
with the Pros.
The public is encouraged to come out and watch.
Admission is Adults $10 and
Children Free.
Tickets are on sale at:
The National Tennis Centre;
The Atlantis Tennis Centre;
Village Squash Club;
Lyford Cay School;
H. G. Christie.
Once again, the
proceeds of the event will go
to aid local children’s charities such as The Cancer Society, the Sassoon
(Bahamas) Foundation for Pediatric Heart Care, The Special Olympics, The
Association for the Physically Disabled, The Chance Foundation and the Mark
Knowles Tennis Scholarship Fund.
To date
over $400,000 has been distributed to various charities. The aim this year is to increase total donations to $500,000.
The major sponsors to date include: Atlantis Resort & Casino, Lombard Odier Darier Hentsch Private Bank & Trust;
Pictet Bank & Trust Ltd; Serenity Point, Abaco; The Balmoral; The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism; American Airlines;
The Bank of the Bahamas; Everkey Global Fund;
Templeton Global Advisors; Odyssey Aviation; H3O; TheBahamasWeekly.com; and The Ministry of Youth Sports & Culture.
About the Mark Knowles Celebrity Tennis Invitational: The
Mark Knowles Celebrity Tennis Invitational is a Charity Event hosted by
Mark. It was first held in 2001. The event is held in December at the
National Tennis Centre in Nassau (New Providence), Bahamas. The purpose
of the event is to raise money for various charities, such as The
Sassoon Pediatric Heart Foundation, The Cancer Society, The Association
of the Physically Disabled, The Childrens Emergency Hospital, The Boy
Scouts of Bahamas, The Special Olympics and scholarships for promising
junior tennis players. Visit: www.markknowlestennis.com
