Chris Evert and Victoria Azarenka on the court for city youth via

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Tennis Icon Chris Evert and Rising Star Victoria Azarenka Dedicate Refurbished Tennis Courts & Host Clinic for Kids

via release:

National “Fresh Courts” Program Brings Sport to Inner City Youth

August 2011: New York: Tennis’ hallowed past and bright future met on the court in Queens, New York - home of the U.S Open - as Chris Evert and Victoria Azarenka dedicated “fresh” new tennis courts for local kids.

The new playing surfaces come courtesy of a partnership with American Express and the United States Tennis Association (USTA) for the aptly titled “Fresh Courts” program - which is a community funding effort that invests in developing communities through the renovation of existing tennis facilities in cities nationwide. Among the new Fresh Courts this year include new surfaces in Washington D.C., La Mesa, California and Cincinnati, Ohio.

The Tennis Capitol of the World....

Kids and their caregivers clamored for autographs as tennis icon Chris Evert and rising star Victoria Azaranka participated in a ribbon cutting and joined inner city youth on the two new 36-foot kid-friendly courts in Astoria Park - which is only 4 miles from the site of the National Tennis Center - the site of the 2011 U.S. Open. The two tennis stars afforded personal tennis tips to the budding players, talked about their favorite players on the pro circuit, and the importance of public courts to further the sport of tennis.

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Check out the highlight video below from the ribbon-cutting ceremony, and learn more about this exciting initiative!

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