Opening Ceremonies of one of the largest International Amateur Tennis Events in the World at The Gardens Mall – Sunday April 27 – Palm Beach Gardens, Fl. April 25, 2014 – The Gardens Mall, Palm Beach County’s ultimate shopping destination for South Florida, will gain a new world title on Sunday, April 27, 2014: Host of the Opening Ceremonies of one of the largest International Amateur Tennis Events in the World.

From 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 27, against the colorful background of a Parade of Flags of some 54 countries competing in the 34th ITF Seniors Individual World Championships, the Gardens Mall will entertain hundreds of tennis players from all over the world, shoppers and invited guests.

World class food samplings from the restaurants of P.F. Chang’s, BRIO Tuscan Grille, Nordstrom Cafe Bistro and Carefree Catering, as Ceremony Presenters, will provide a fitting welcome to the international tennis players and their American counterparts. “When we were thinking of a public showcase for an international event of this stature,

The Garden’s Mall was the obvious choice and we are so grateful to have such a generous corporate sponsor and host for the opening ceremonies of the 34th ITF Seniors Individual World Championships,” said BallenIsles Tennis Director and Tournament Chairperson, Trish Faulkner. At 6:00 p.m. Faulkner will announce each country during the Flag Bearing Ceremony, followed by remarks from representatives of the ITF, USTA, Palm Beach County Sports Commission, The Gardens Mall, and a local tennis player representing both the USA and Florida in the tournament.

Jonathan Doring, a member of Team USA at the Special Olympics World Games in Athens, Greece, will also speak about Special Olympics-Florida as Community Partner of the tournament. Finals in Team events, currently underway, began 11:30 a.m. Friday, April 25, 2014 at The Polo Club of Boca Raton, Boca West, Boca Grove and Woodfield along with North County country clubs BallenIsles and PGA National Resort as host sites. Main draw matches in Individual events begin 10:30 a.m. Sunday April 27 and include additional prestigious North County locations, with Mirasol Country Club, Jonathans Landing and Palm Beach Gardens Tennis Center staging many of the Individual Championships along with BallenIsles and PGA continuing as host sites. Frenchman’s Creek is the host practice site for the world ranked athletes. The Palm Beach County Sports Commission, has projected that the economic impact of the tournament could exceed $2.5 million. For more information, visit www.ITFSeniorsWorldChampionships2014.com.

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561-852-5767 mhopkinson@newsmarkpr.com