Lexus Runs Virtual Wii Tennis Open Near The Real One

In the shadow of the U.S. Open Tennis Tournament, Lexus will run its own virtual tennis tournament in New York City’s Rockefeller Center this week, with a Lexus lease as the top prize.

The Lexus Virtual Open at Rockefeller Center will pit tennis and gaming enthusiasts against each other on Nintendo’s Wii gaming console. Participants will play on a scaled-down tennis court, at Lexus-branded kiosks and out the back of Lexus vehicles that will be on display during the ersatz tourney on Sept. 4-7, with matches running from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.

The player with the most points receives a one-year lease for a Lexus IS F and two tickets for the US Open finals on Sept. 9 in the Lexus Luxury Suite. The runner-up gets two tickets for the Lexus suite at the men’s semi-finals on Sept. 8.

Long-time US Open sponsor Lexus is also donating $1 for each virtual ball served in the tournament, up to $30,000, to the Andy Roddick Foundation.

Former professional tennis players and ESPN analysts Luke and Murphy Jensen will be on hand to offer the competitors pointers and provide commentary.

Along with the vehicles, Lexus will have signage at the event. Competitors register to compete on-site. Information about the Lexus Virtual Open is available at MyOwnPursuit.com.