New York, April 14, 2012 – 12-year-old Elena Van Linge of Menlo Park, California finished as the third-place consolation victor at the third-annual Longines Future Tennis Aces – On the Road to the French Open U.S. Qualifying Tournament on Saturday, April 14 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, site of the U.S. Open, in Flushing Meadows, NY. As the consolation draw winner, Van Linge was presented with two loge tickets to the 2012 U.S. Open.
Van Linge competed against 15 other top-ranked players from the USTA Eastern, Middle States, and New England Sections, as well as the Harlem Junior Tennis League in the USTA-sanctioned event on Saturday, which was hosted in partnership with TENNIS Magazine. 11-year-old Rachel Lim of Briarcliff Manor, NY won the tournament and will represent the United States when she competes against world finalists from 15 countries around the world at the global event at Roland Garros during the final weekend of the French Open.
Van Linge was the first of 16 girls awarded entry into the Longines Future Tennis Aces on the Road to the French Open by winning the fastest serve contest beating out 20 others in front of Tennis Legend Andre Agassi at the Stanford Shopping Center.
Former World No. 1 and six-time French Open champion Stefanie Graf, who has been a Longines Ambassador of Elegance since 2007, assisted in selecting the 16 U.S. competitors, who were asked to write a 300-word essay on philanthropy. The girls were selected on two criteria: athletic performance and commitment to give back to the community.
Countries hosting similar nationwide tournaments include Australia, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italia, Japan, Mexico, Poland, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan and the United Kingdom.
Longines is the proud Official Sponsor and Timekeeper of the French Open at Roland-Garros since 2007. Longines Future Tennis Aces – On the Road to the French Open is part of Longines’ global commitment to support and develop tennis’ superstars of tomorrow.
U.S. participants for the Longines Future Tennis Aces tournament included:
Name: Hometown:
Maria Mateas Braintree, MA
Alexis Almy Southborough, MA
Peri Sheinin East Greenwich, RI
Amanda Nord Pittsburgh, PA
Ann Li Devon, PA
Tess Fisher Vineland, NJ
Marcella L. Cruz Marlboro, NJ
Scarlett Fallon Blydenburgh Chatham, NJ
Rachel Lim Briarcliff Manor, NY
Chelsea Williams Brooklyn, NY
Michelle Sorokko Douglaston, NY
Sarah Rahman East Elmhurst, NY
Jennifer Yu Forest Hills, NY
Elena Van Linge Menlo Park, CA
Zora Hall Harlem, NY
Cameron Dunbar (HJTL) Harlem, NY