Eager audience members, cameras in hand, crowded the main concourse at Ocean Terminal while intrigued shoppers looked down from the second floor waiting to see the presentation of this year's Longines Future Tennis Aces award.
Wednesday's ceremony began with what to many was the highlight - local tennis star Venise Chan Wing-yau took the stage with four little up-and-coming tennis players. They took turns swatting imaginary balls.
Then, model Lin Chi-ling, billed as the 'Longines Ambassadress of Elegance', took to the stage and struck poses with an oversized tennis racket. She was joined by the Swiss watch brand's Hong Kong vice-president, Karen Au Yeung, and they presented this year's award to 12-year-old Claudia Ng Hei-ching, who also received a ticket to this year's French Open and a free T-shirt. She will join 16 other young tennis hopefuls from around the world to represent Hong Kong at this year's Open. Longines also presented a HK$100,000 cheque to the Hong Kong Tennis Association to start the Longines Future Tennis Aces Scholarship.
