Nassau, Bahamas -A fabulous time was had by
all as the weekend’s activities of the 9th Annual Mark Knowles Celebrity Invitational drew to a close on Saturday afternoon,
December 5th at the National Tennis Centre.
Stands were full of spectators as the event opened with a Junkanoo performance and matches were soon underway with the professional players hitting in intense mixed-doubles or singles games. Each of the visiting pros received a trophy plate at the end of the exhibition.
Visiting pros that played along with Bahamian tennis star Mark Knowles were
Benjamin Becker, Robert Kendrick,
Don Johnson, Anna-Lena Groenefeld, Martin Damm, Olga Savchukand Jared Palmer.
Bahamian Marvin Rolle also participated.
All matches were
extremely closely contested as can be evidenced by the scores and
provided great excitement with the wide variety of shot-making
displayed.
Closing out the
event, some of the top junior players had the opportunity to hit with
the Pros and afterward obtained autographs and photos with them. This
proved to be the highlight of the afternoon for the some 50 children
involved
including 2 junior players from Eleuthera and Andros.
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.
Major sponsors of the event were: 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.
Anna-Lena Groenefeld during the exhibition at the National Tennis Center in The Bahamas on November 5th, 2009. Photo: MarkDaCunha.com
RESULTS of the EXHIBITION at National Tennis Centre
:
Mark Knowles & Anna-Lena Groenefed beat Martin Damm & Olga Savchuk 5-4
Benjamin Becker beat Robert Kendrick 5-4
Mark Knowles & Martin Damm beat Donald Johnson & Jared Palmer 5-4
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
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