TENNIS CANADA LAUNCHES NEW WEBSITE: LOVEMEANSNOTHING.CA   Know what a bagel is other than a bread-like substance that’s good with cream cheese? Is a buggy whip legal? Are you happy when you have insurance breaks? If you know the answers to the above obscure terminology, you are welcome in our world. With the idea of tennis code in mind, the new website where tennis is spoken was created - LoveMeansNothing.ca.   What started out as a simple task of making a new website became an evolution in the way tennis is communicated in Canada. Nearly a year ago, Tennis Canada began the tedious but necessary process of building a new site. There was no question that the national sport federation had an online presence that was one-dimensional.   After an investigative brand-repositioning project, Tennis Canada was recommended to Smith Roberts Creative Communications to build the digital platform. Located in the Distillery District in Toronto, Smith Roberts pushed Tennis Canada to think about more than just a website.   “It has been refreshing to work with Tennis Canada, an organization willing to open its mind, which sometimes means exposing yourself and taking chances,” said Liz Atkins, chief strategist for Smith Roberts. “There needs to be a long-term strategy in order for any digital platform to be successful these days. Tennis Canada sees the bold and bright big picture.”   The role Tennis Canada plays for the sport in this country has shifted from all-knowing to all-assisting.   “LoveMeansNothing.ca is about tennis in Canada, not Tennis Canada,” said Michael S. Downey, president and chief executive officer. “This digital strategy has extended well beyond the virtual world and enforced the fact that we need to act as enablers, bringing tennis mavens together.”   Downey added that providing a platform for the nearly 1.5 million Canadian frequent tennis players to engage, participate and dialogue, will help grow the sport more than any program possibly could.   In addition to news, photo galleries and videos, new features of the site, which launched at the official draw for Rogers Cup presented by National Bank on Friday, include:   Live chats – daily during Rogers Cup and throughout major times of the tennis calendar, fans have a chance to converse with the pros.   Forums – community threads responding to the latest headlines, products and programs in tennis.   Blogs – opinions spark dialogue. Media experts such as tennis columnist Kamakshi Tandon and Rogers Sportsnet’s Osmak have been hired to provide insight on and off the court. You will also hear from athletes, coaches and tennis enthusiasts such as members of the ball crew and volunteers.   Court Customization – want your page to look like the grass courts in London? Or the red clay in France? Or the hard courts in Toronto and New York? How about street tennis? Your choice.   Live scoring – follow your favourite players around the world in their quest for global tennis dominance.   Coach / Peer Advice – have a question about your game? Ask renowned coaches like Bob Brett and Louis Borfiga. Your query could be answered via video lesson.   In the coming months, an interactive feature called Courtside Canada will be integrated with the site to provide tennis enthusiasts the opportunity to find a partner, find a coach, find a court, or start their own leagues and ladders.   Promotion of the site is also taking a different angle than the historical way Tennis Canada has done business. During TSN, CBC, RDS and SRC broadcasts at Rogers Cup presented by National Bank, the launch of the site will be supported with a 30-second TV spot and valuable back wall signage on centre court. LoveMeansNothing.ca will be seen by millions of viewers in more than 150 countries. There will also be an aggressive social media and online presence.   Fans in French-speaking Canada will enjoy the new digital tennis world at www.ViveLesEchanges.ca. A soft launch will take place Friday with the official event taking place at Rogers Cup presented by National Bank official draw in Montreal next week.   The launch of LoveMeansNothing.ca is just the first step in building a truly Canadian online tennis community. With more than 1 in 9 Canadians understanding the unique tennis code, the site has potential to be an ace. About Rogers Cup presented by National Bank in Toronto Rogers Cup presented by National Bank in Toronto is a Tennis Canada owned and operated world-class tournament celebrating its 129th anniversary of the men’s event. Rogers Cup presented by National Bank takes place August 7-15, 2010 at the state-of-the-art Rexall Centre on the campus of York University. As an ATP Masters 1000 tournament and U.S. Open Series event, Rogers Cup presented by National Bank will showcase the world’s top male tennis talent in Toronto for nine exciting days. Rogers Cup presented by National Bank is the third-oldest title in tennis, behind only Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. For more information and tickets visit www.rogerscup.com.   About Tennis Canada Founded in 1890, Tennis Canada is a non-profit, national sport association responsible for leading the growth, promotion and showcasing of tennis in Canada. Tennis Canada owns and operates two of the premier events on the ATP and Sony Ericsson WTA Tours; Rogers Cup men’s and women’s events that rotate annually between Rexall Centre in Toronto and Uniprix Stadium in Montreal. In addition, Tennis Canada owns and operates six professional ITF sanctioned events and financially supports six other professional tournaments in Canada. Tennis Canada operates national training centres at the Centre of Excellence in Toronto and at Uniprix Stadium in Montreal. Tennis Canada is a proud member of the International Tennis Federation, the Canadian Olympic Committee, the Canadian Paralympic Committee and the International Wheelchair Tennis Association, and serves to administer, sponsor and select the teams for Davis Cup, Fed Cup, the Olympic Games and all wheelchair, junior and senior national teams. Tennis Canada invests its surplus into tennis development. For more information on Tennis Canada please visit our Web site at: www.tenniscanada.com. ### Media Contacts: Michael Cvitkovic, Director, Communications and Media Relations (Toronto) (416) 650-7947 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (416) 650-7947      end_of_the_skype_highlighting, mcvitkovic@tenniscanada.com Sarah Grossman, Coordinator, Communications and Media Relations (Toronto) (416) 650-7922 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (416) 650-7922      end_of_the_skype_highlighting, sgrossman@tenniscanada.com