Xavier Malisse, Photo: Matt Dunn

Nassau, Bahamas - Mark Knowles is pleased to announce that  Xavier Malisse of Belgium will be among the pros participating in the 10th annual Mark Knowles Celebrity Tennis Invitational charity event to be held from December 2nd to 5th.

Xavier is one of the most charismatic and talented players on the ATP circuit. He is the best male player to come out of Belgium which is known for its excellent female players Justin Henin & Kim Clijsters.

Xavier was born in Kortrijk, Belgium July 19, 1980. At age 13, he was as good a soccer player as tennis and made the choice to play tennis. He has had an outstanding junior career and made the transition to the pros at the age of 17. He entered the Nick Bollettieri Academy in summer of 1997 and still trains there part of the season. This is the same Academy that Mark Knowles attended from the age of 10 years.  

His Highest Singles Ranking was #19 and his Highest Doubles Ranking # 28. He has won Three Singles Titles & Four Doubles Titles with a Grand Slam Highlight of being crowned the 2004 French Open Doubles Champion.

Xavier has been ranked in the Top 50 for 5 years in a row.  He has wins over World No. 3 Novak, Djokovic in 2010, and during his career has beaten World No. 1 Rafael Nadal, Lleyton Hewitt, James Blake, Fernando Gonzalez, Tomas Berdych, John Isner & Nikolay Davydenko.

The Professional Tennis Exhibition will be held at the National Tennis Centre, Queen Elizabeth Sports Centre at 3.00 p.m. on Saturday 4th December. Admission: Adults $10 and Children Free. Students in school sports shirts Free.

The annual hit with the Pros will take place with junior players selected by Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association at the Exhibition on 4th December at the National Tennis Centre ending with an autograph session with the pros.

The major sponsors to date include: Atlantis Resort & Casino, MDC-Partners, Lombard Odier Darier Hentsch Private Bank & Trust;   Pictet Bank & Trust Ltd; Serenity Point, Abaco; The Balmoral; The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism & Aviation; American Airlines; Everkey Global Fund,  Odyssey Aviation, Mark Holowesko, The Bahamas Weekly, and The Ministry of Youth, Sports & Culture.  

The proceeds of the event will go to aid local children’s’ charities. To date over $500,000 has been distributed to various charities.    

Tickets are now on sale at the National Tennis Centre, Atlantis Tennis Centre, Village Squash Club, H.G.Christie Ltd. and Lyford Cay School or telephone 242-359-2542.