Tennis Canada – Montréal, July 21, 2016 – When Mini Rogers Cup got underway a few months ago, tennis clubs and associations across Québec organized qualifying tournaments so that as many players as possible would get the chance to play. The winners of the qualifying events will now play in the finals of Mini Rogers Cup, which will be held on July 23 and 24. Several participants were on hand today to meet world no.5 Simona Halep and rising Canadian star Bianca Vanessa Andreescu (Mississauga, ON), who launched the event at a press conference on the kids’ tennis courts on the Esplanade of the Olympic park.
 
Halep and Andreescu spoke with the young players to share their experiences on the professional tour and hit a few balls.
 
The Mini Rogers Cup finals, which lead up to Rogers Cup, will feature kids between the ages of 5 and 10 years old who play progressive tennis: matches on smaller courts with racquets and balls that are adapted to the level of play.
 
The some 90 winners from the qualifying events will now play on the courts on the Esplanade of the  Oympic park and in Parc Louis-Riel to claim the top honours. The players are divided into three categories: 5–6 years old, 7–8 years old and 9–10 years old. The winners will receive a VIP package to Rogers Cup presented by National Bank, including private salon tickets and special access to the site. They will also be honoured Monday night July 25^th, on Centre Court.
 
Again this year, Mini Rogers Cup is jointly organized by Tennis Canada, Tennis Québec and Tennis Montréal.
 
Tickets for Rogers Cup presented by National Bank are on sale now. Go online at www.RogersCup.com, call 1-855-TENNIS-0, ext. 11 or purchase tickets at the ticket office at Uniprix Stadium in Montréal.

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About Rogers Cup presented by National Bank
Rogers Cup presented by National Bank is a Tennis Canada owned and operated world-class tournament celebrating its 136th anniversary of the men’s event from July 23-31 at Aviva Centre in Toronto and its 124th anniversary of the women’s event from July 22-31 at Uniprix Stadium in Montreal. As an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament, Premier 5 WTA tournament and Emirates Airline U.S. Open Series event, Rogers Cup presented by National Bank will showcase the world’s best players. Rogers Cup presented by National Bank is the third-oldest title in tennis, behind only Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. For more information and tickets visit www.rogerscup.com.
  
About Tennis Canada
Founded in 1890, Tennis Canada is a non-profit, national sport association with a mission to lead the growth of tennis in Canada and a vision to become a world-leading tennis nation. We value teamwork, passion, integrity, innovation and excellence. Tennis Canada owns and operates the premier Rogers Cup presented by National Bank WTA and ATP World Tour events, 10 professional ITF-sanctioned events and financially supports 12 other professional tournaments in Canada. Tennis Canada operates national junior training centres/programs in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. Tennis Canada is a proud member of the International Tennis Federation, the Canadian Olympic Committee, the Canadian Paralympic Committee and the International Wheelchair Tennis Association, and serves to administer, sponsor and select the teams for Davis Cup, Fed Cup, the Olympic and Paralympic Games and all wheelchair, junior and senior national teams. Tennis Canada invests its surplus into tennis development. For more information on Tennis Canada, please visit our website at www.tenniscanada.com and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
 
 
Media contact – Montréal
Valerie Tétreault, Regional Manager, Communications and Media Relations       vtetreault@tenniscanada.com, 514 273-1515 ext. 6259