WEEHAWKEN, NJ: April 16, 2013 – Eleven-year-old Adam Neff of Bradenton, Fla., won the fourth annual Longines Future Tennis Aces – On the Road to the French Open U.S. qualifying tournament on Friday, April 12, at the USTA Boys’ & Girls’ 12s National Spring Championships presented by Longines, hosted by the City of Delray Beach. Neff defeated top-seeded Brandon Nakashima of San Diego, Ca, 6-1, 6-4 in the championship match and will represent the United States when he competes against finalists from 15 countries around the world at the global event in Paris, France during the first week of the French Open.
The USTA Boys’ & Girls’ 12s National Spring Championships presented by Longines, hosted by the City of Delray Beach served as the U.S. qualifier for Longines Future Tennis Aces with the winner of the Boys 12s singles division earning a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Paris to play against qualifiers from 15 other nations. In addition to winning an all-expense-paid trip and the opportunity to play tennis in the center of Paris, Adam will compete to receive financing for his tennis equipment until his 16th birthday, courtesy of Longines.
Neff, who will turn 12 on May 30, competed against 128 other top-ranked U.S. players in the week-long USTA-sanctioned event. En route to the title Neff was nearly flawless and never dropped a set to any of his competitors.
Full results from the U.S. finals of the 2013 Longines Future Tennis Aces tournament can be found at: http://tennislink.usta.com/tournaments/TournamentHome/Tournament.aspx?T=121633
Last year, Rachel Lim of Briarcliff Manor, N.Y., won the Longines Future Tennis Aces all-girls event and the trip to Paris, where she fell to the top-seeded Russian national champion in the first round of play.
Longines is the proud Official Partner 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. All the players who qualify for the tournament will have the opportunity to visit the red-clay courts of Roland Garros and attend a French Open match.
Countries participating in Future Tennis Aces program include Australia, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italia, Japan, Mexico, Poland, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, United Kingdom and the U.S.
LONGINES
Longines has been based at Saint-Imier, Switzerland, since 1832. Its watchmaking expertise reflects a strong devotion to tradition, elegance and performance. It has generations of experience as the official timekeeper at world championships and as a partner of international sports federations.
Longines is a member of The Swatch Group S.A., the world’s leading manufacturer of horological products. With an excellent reputation for creating refined timepieces, the brand, whose emblem is the winged hourglass, has outlets in over 130 countries.