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A round-robin tennis match format kept the competitive tension in check during most of the competition. The excitement of competition escalated in the finals when Alex Miller and John Festa, ex-mayor of Key Biscayne, won the competition. The runners-up were the young Javier Briceno of Burma Jewelers and Nicolás Lorenzzini. The spectators enjoyed a celebrity tennis tournament sponsored by Merrill Lynch. Nicolas Pereira, who won Wimbledon, Roland Garros and the US Open in the Junior Category played with Pilar Basquez, who is in the top 30. The team fought until the end for the victory over Pablo Arraya, ex #23 in the world and Nathalie Rodriguez, national doubles champion.
The proceeds from this event will provide 6 months of assistance for nutrition and medical aid in Hogar (Home) Jose Gregorio Hernandez in Macarao y Hogar Bambi en Antimano, Distrito Capital. The Second Annual Tennis Cup will be held during the second semester 2004. |
The
Diageo Tennis Cup was the first annual doubles tennis tournament
to benefit the children of Venezuela. Professional, seasoned and
amateur players attended this social and competitive encounter at
the Arraya Tennis Academy in Key Biscayne. The event was sponsored
by Ocean Bank and Alejandro Rotholc, representative of MetLife.
In
the awards ceremony, Manos del Sur acknowledged the sportsmanship
of Alberto Villegas, member of the Venezuelan-American Chamber of
Commerce and his partner Thomas White. Later, the guests enjoyed
a dinner prepared by the well-known French Restaurant Brasserie
Les Halles in Coral Gables.