Roland Garros, BNP Paribas and Bigben are delighted to announce the winner of the British qualifying tournament of the Roland-Garros eSeries by BNP Paribas, a tennis gaming tournament played on the Tennis World Tour video game, which was held in London on the 29th March. Eric “AceDarkBall” Panoff won the second qualifying round 3-1 / 3-1 and will have the honour of representing the UK in the grand final on 9th June at Roland Garros.
Eric Panoff, born in Paris, has lived in London for 13 years. He started playing tennis video games in 2006 and it is with great enthusiasm that he participated in the Roland-Garros eSeries by BNP Paribas this year, whereas he had missed the tournament last year.
“The international final at Roland-Garros will be much more difficult than this one.” Eric said after his victory, “Online, I am one of the best players in the UK but the best players are French, German or Spanish. But who knows, anything is possible! I’m not afraid of competitors, when I’m behind my screen I can beat anyone.”
“This kind of tournament is the future. I am convinced that in a few years’ time there will be a parallel e-tennis circuit that will bring together all the Grand Slams and tournaments.”
“I had a great time and I look forward to being at Roland-Garros in two months.”
Eric Panoff also praised the merits of esports tournaments, which can bring all generations together around a passion for the game.
A spectacular final at Roland Garros!
The winners of the national finals, who include Eric, are invited to represent their country in the grand final, which will decide the winner of the Roland-Garros eSeries by BNP Paribas 2019. The entrants will play each other on a pre-release version of the latest Tennis World Tour – Roland-Garros Edition video game, and will get a sneak peek at the game’s new additions, such as the newly-renovated Philippe-Chatrier court, centre court at Roland Garros, as it will look for the 2020 tournament.
For the second year in a row, this international grand final will be held during the Parisian Grand Slam, with spectacular staging that is designed to immerse the participants in an atmosphere that echoes that of the most prestigious professional tournaments. The participants will share an exceptional cash prize of €10,000, half of which will be awarded to the winner!
We’ll see you on 9th June for the grand final of the Roland-Garros eSeries by BNP Paribas!
Keep up-to-date with all Roland-Garros eSeries by BNP Paribas news on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram. For more information or to enter the qualifying rounds, please visit: https://RGeSeries.bnpparibas
