Celebrities, sports stars & tennis players united to save the planet
After several days of intense rain the sun finally made an appearance, and the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters got underway today Saturday, April 14 at 11:00 with qualification matches in all five courts. Someone up there must have listened to all our prayers and decided to let the Mediterranean sun shine on the red clay courts of the Monte-Carlo Country Club!
The highlight of the day was the charity exhibition, where top tennis players and TV and other sports celebrities alike gathered on Court Rainier III to raise funds for the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, created in 2006, to respond to the challenges facing our ecosystem. The Foundation’s mission is to protect the environment and promote sustainable development around the world. (Photo below: Participants in the tennis charity exhibition @CelinaLafuentedeLavotha)
The tennis pros played with actors from the James Corden British show who were in the Cote d’Azur participating in the Cannes International Series Festival, plus other famous sport stars. Marin Cilic, Grigor Dimitrov, Novak Djokovic, David Goffin, Lucas Pouille, Dominic Thiem, Alexander Zverev and Mischa Zverev will participate in the exhibition. They faced well known Geri Halliwell of the Spice Girls, Liverpool footballer Jaie Redknapp, comedian and radio and TV presenter Josh Widdicombe and the former English Cricket team and broadcaster Freddie Flintoff, among others.
Geri Halliwell is multifaceted as she is a singer-songwriter, author, actress, fashion designer, and TV personality, who had received her first tennis training earlier that morning from her compatriot doubles tennis player Jamie Murray. Halliwell and Djokovic also took turns as Chair Umpires during the fun filled matches, where players were clowning and horsing around to entertain the public. There was even a mini-tennis exhibition when Novak Djokovic brought his little son Stefan on court to play with him, and he seems to handle the ball pretty well, life father like son.
Qualifications matches
But not all was fun and laugh as players in all 5 courts were battling for qualification.
Results of matches played on Saturday, April 14, 2018
Program for Sunday, April 15, 2018
Today’s Quote
“Tennis uses the language of life. Advantage, service, fault, break, love – the basic elements of tennis are those of everyday existence, because every match is a life in miniature.”Andre Agassi
Monaco Reporter 