DECEMBER 4th (3.0 and 4.0 levels)
DECEMBER 5th (3.5 and 4.5 levels)
Copperfield Racquet & Health Club
Summary of Rules
Teams consist of a minimum of 2 females and 2 males with a maximum of 10 total. The top 2 males and females on your team must AVERAGE the level you are participating in. (i.e. 3.0 + 4.0 = 3.5 level)
Matches: 6 set format
Women and men's doubles
Women's and men's singles
Two sets of mixed doubles
Scoring: A match consists of six no-ad sets. Each no-ad set is won by the first team to reach six games. A nine-point tiebreaker will be played at five games all in any set. After both mixed double sets are finished and scores are recorded and totaled:
A. If the leading team won set number six, the match is over.
B. If the trailing team won set number six, the match continues into overtime until the leading team wins one game or until the score is tied. If a tie occurs, a Super tiebreaker will be played to determine the winner!
Substitutions: At any point, a team can substitute a player (same gender) into a set!
Coaching is allowed and we encourage team members to stand along the court and CHEER their team! (just like Davis Cup)
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Lance P. Loken
(832) 387-8248
Recently, we had 4 teams from the Houston area travel to Indian Wells, CA for the National Championships!!! 3.5, 4.0, 4.5 and Corporate 4.5 were levels that were represented.
Will "self rates" be allowed or will the tournament actually be enforcing the ratings rules?
ReplyDeleteOr should we expect more 5.0 and 6.0 players self-rating as 3.5 or 4.0?
Good question as that has been an issue in the past...just as it is an issue in USTA/HTA league play.
ReplyDeleteI have added a clause for the local event that you MUST have an USTA rating if you are a 4.0 player or higher. However, self-rates will be allowed as a 3.0 or 3.5 level player. Hopefully this will resolve the issue stated above. Not sure what the intent of "enforcing the ratings rules" was as WTT and the USTA allows self rates.
glad to hear USTA rating is required and that should solve the majority of the issues.
ReplyDeleteThe intent was enforcing the ratings rules was around players without ratings should follow USTA self-ratings.
http://www.usta.com/Play-Tennis/USTA-League/Information/16673_When_and_how_do_I_get_a_SELFRATING/
Div I collegiate players under 45 start at 5.0 ratings. Div II start at 4.5. Leagues have the same problem, but at least they can be protested and the teams DQ'd.
This doesn't even address the joke of Ryan Anderson (ATP Tour Player) under 30, playing as a 4.0.
WTT illegal players have been allowed to play and teams have been allowed to keep their results despite everyone knowing about the illegal player.
I am glad to see you fixing this issue. I may even play the event again if this is truly enforced.
The event was not fun because of the massive sandbagging by Copperfield using one of their Pro's (ATP Player) as a 4.0.
I totally understand your frustration in regards to Ryan. I was just as frustrated as you and even confronted the team captain regarding the announced player. He did not have a USTA rating and under the WTT rules, he was technically allowed to self rate. I was never able to find his "ATP" record as several have stated that he had. However, after the event, he was disqualified and not allowed to participate on that team in the future.
ReplyDeleteHopefully, like you said, my local rule of only allowing a self rated player as a 3.0 or 3.5 rating will eliminate this scenario in the future.
I hope you participate in the December event! The more teams that participate outside of Copperfield will only enhance the event!
My goal is to grow the WTT program, not Copperfield. Yes, I am a member of that club and have the privilege of using their courts for these events, but I want Houston and ultimately, Texas represented! For this December, we already have a team from San Antonio and one from Dallas that will be participating. Very exciting!
Again, I hope you participate in December!
Guys reading the above posts. I wanted to reply.
ReplyDelete1) WTT is a great and fun event. I have played in every event since Lance brought it here.
2) Sandbagging occurs at every level. Thank you Lance for hearing the feedback and putting a requirement for a USTA rating in the 4.0+ divisions.
3) The issue of ATP pro was addressed as the rules at the time allowed. The player in question was DQ'd.
4) This was not a "Copperfield" issue but rather an individual captain. That team with an illegal player played against other Copperfield based teams. This as I understand it has been addressed with the captain in question.
So the message here is don't let the prior poster discourage anyone interested in playing. It is fun tennis and if you enter in looking to have fun, then you will have fun.
Hung
For the my comment above, sandbagging occurs in USTA league, tournaments, HTA league and not just WTT.
ReplyDeleteHung
Who was the captain?
ReplyDeletenot relevant. Issue was resolved. It is an awesome event so organize a team and register!
ReplyDeleteThese aren't the droids your looking for....
ReplyDeleteLooks like a Red special if you ask me:
http://tinyurl.com/RedLicksthesenuts
Even mention of it from last Jan on the blog.
http://tinyurl.com/RedLicksthesenuts2
Shannon McGinnis was the 4.0 Captain
ReplyDeleteIf you win the event in December, where would you advance to?
ReplyDeleteThere are approximately 8 locations to choose from if you win the event in December (including staying here in Houston)!
ReplyDeleteCurrently, the confirmed dates and locations are:
February 18-20, Houston, TX (will be held at Copperfield)
March 4-6, Daytona Beach, FL at the Florida Tennis Center (matches will be on clay courts)
April 29-May 1, Las Vegas, NV at the Darling Tennis Center
The remaining available locations will be announced as they are confirmed. 2010 locations also included Kansas City, MO., Irvine, CA,, Lancaster, PA., Raleigh, NC., Wilmington, DE.
If you win one of the National Qualifier events, you then advance to the National Championships, which will again be at Indian Wells, CA. Houston was well represented this year as 4 teams participated in the National Championships at the 3.5, 4.0, 4.5 and Corporate 4.5 levels
Just returned for WTT Nationals in Palm Springs. It was a great event. Got a chance to do drills with Billy Jean King providing tips.
ReplyDeleteShe is an incredibly nice and approachable tennis great.
In addition, got to have a picture with Billy Jean.
It is a must do and completes the WTT experience.
You can tell that from the Geico commercials that she seems approachable....
ReplyDeleteSend me the pic and I will post it.
She actually did a free clinic at the Met several years back. She was great.
ReplyDeleteWow. It's boring in here. Maybe this will wake you up. Does this count as tennis related content?
ReplyDeletehttp://giggitygreg.com/?p=9157
How did the Houston teams do at the WTT Nationals?
ReplyDeleteWTT National Championship results
ReplyDelete3.5 Winner-Hawaii (5-0)
Houston finished with a 0-5 record
4.0 Winner-Hawaii (5-0)
Houston finished with a 1-2 record
4.5 Winner-Hidden Hills, CA (5-0)
Houston finished with a 0-5 record
4.5 Corporate Winner-Saratoga Springs, NY (4-0)
Houston finished with a 2-2 record
Who was on the Houston 4.5 team? Are the results online?
ReplyDeleteI'm curious about who was on the 4.0 and 4.5 rosters. Sounds like Houstonians can't hang.
ReplyDeleteI'm not surprised the 4.5 team did not do well. They were pretty stacked with ehemmmm 4.5 Brian Smith and Ross Gehlhausen from Copperfield but the women were Crystal Bryant and Sandi Pike.
ReplyDeleteI am suprised the 4.0 team did not do as well as the majority of their team are now .5 higher in their respective ratings.
Bo and Keri Bassett
Hung Nguyen and Linh Ly
Tommy and Barb Sawaya
Julie Tolbert
The 4.5 team that ended up going to Indian Wells, CA consisted of 5.0 Brian Smith and 5.0 rated Ross Gehlhausen and 4.0 Crystal Bryant and 4.0 Sandi Pike. The original team also consisted of 4.5 David Wanja and 4.0 Beth Haines. When the local match was played, that was the ratings of those players (in 2009). They have one year from date of winning the local level to use their "ticket" to attend a National Qualifier...THEN they participate in the season ending event at Indian Wells. You could very easily have a team that wins a local event in 2009, then play in a National Qualifier in 2010 and end up in the National Championships at the end of 2010. but the rating that they won with would be from 2009, not 2010. David and Beth did not go to the National Championships so obviously the team became weaker.
ReplyDeleteUmmm Wanja is a 5.0 and was a 5.0 in 2009 also
ReplyDeleteAlso, how does not having Wanja weaken the team? Or Beth Haines for that matter. The way I see it neither player is any better than the players who went.
ReplyDeletemy bad, Wanja was a 5.0. That's why they had all 4.0 females.
ReplyDeleteIt is a lot easier to play with more than 4 players on a team as you wear down playing singles, doubles and mixed. So those teams with 6, 8 and even 10 players have an advantage.
So anybody else hear about the new office space the HTA is leasing? I bet League Fees and HTA Membership are headed way up.
ReplyDeleteTalking about WTT rules, has anybody else seen the new HTA League rules? Somebody told me they were doing a minor change to the look, but then I saw a 20 page doc that looked like it was written by an insane hobbit.
ReplyDeleteD & G committee better put on their big boy pants next season.
link, please?
ReplyDeleteAsk Kathy, htaleagues@houstontennis.org is where it was forwarded from to me.
ReplyDeleteGot a peek at the rules and here are the major changes:
ReplyDelete1. You must wear your left shoe on your right foot.
2. Left handed players will be disallowed as this is unfair.
3. Asians cannot take no-ad points as they make bad line calls (this is the Sarosh rule)
4. Lee Leclear will only have 3 of 4 working lights on at all times for night matches.
5. Lost Forest will have court side weed sales so you don't have to stop an mini-mart on Tidwell any more.
6. Homer Ford will have obligatory pick up basketball matches that break out into turf wars on Tuesdays and Thursdays for post match entertainment.
7. All of the courts on the west side of town (Copperfield and Katy) will have 6p start times so those teams can make their opponents default for being late (this is called the 'I pay higher taxes, so I should win rule')
8. Gleannloch Farms, Pecan Grove and and other outlying teams are forced to play out of city parks as that is just too far!
9. HTA membership verification has been outsourced to the TSA for cost saving measures. Expect a full pat down coming to a courtside near you soon.
10. All teams in the mens summer league will now be called the Hurricanes to pay homage to Freeman/Benzon. This is because HTA already has t-shirts made for USTA league champions and they say 'Hurricanes' on them.
11. Asians will be forced to provide two forms of government issued identification prior to signing up for league and HTA will enforce spot-check verification of Id's during league matches (this is called the Smokers rule)
12. There is one person running the whole system now, so expected wait time for a response to a question is set for 5 days.
Well played, sir.
ReplyDeleteSo, a week from today we will all learn our fate for 2011 as dictated by the USTA. I've heard conflicting opinions but does anyone know the answer to this one. I've heard that the computer takes into account the results for your last 3 years. I thought it was just the current year, however, your rating is good for 3 years. I've looked on the USTA website where it discusses how the DNTRP and Year End ratings are calculated and it's not obvious how far back the computer goes.
ReplyDeleteI am not sure but I would think it would be a cumulative moving average. Doing an annual snapshot does not make sense.
ReplyDeleteThink of it as your cumulative GPA in school....
Of course it's cumulative in that your baseline is wherever you were at the end of the previous year and then your YE Rating will be calculated off of that baseline based on your current year results.
ReplyDeleteBingo. There's no three year thing. It's one year with a baseline of your previous end of year rating.
ReplyDeletedoes everyone expect the mid-year ratings to hold true? Meaning if you were mid-year bumped down/up that will be your end-of-year?
ReplyDeleteif so, doesn't look like many of the 5.0 or 4.5 are coming down.
Any notable 5.0 or 4.5 men coming down per mid-year ratings?
likely the entire Lost Forest "4.5" team will come down. not a shot at them, just they are more of "4.2" team.
ReplyDeleteThey perpetually make the 4.0 playoff's but just are not a factor in 4.5. And they aren't able to overcome the Freeman 4.0 team. Unfortunately, last year they were caught up in the bump ups.
On the positive not, Lost Forest continued to field a team and work on their game. Unlike many 4.5 bumpups that just sat out the summer season.
"The 2010 year end rating calculation process is currently underway. It will include matches played from Nov 2nd 2009 thru Oct 31st 2010. The expected date of publication is November 29th 2010."
ReplyDeleteHistorically, MYR is no indication of what will happen year end.
ReplyDeleteThe Houston Corporate Team did the best with a 2-2 record. What team is that and who was on it? Was the competition that good at Nationals because I would have picked the 4.5 team to do better.
ReplyDeleteThat was also a pretty strong 4.0 team.
ReplyDeleteThe WTT Nationals & National Qualifiers are just as tough as USTA Nationals. It's amazing tennis. Get a team together and see for yourself!
ReplyDeleteGreat tournament over the weekend!
ReplyDeleteWe had one 3.5 Champion, captained by Bethuel Gabriel; two 4.0 champions, one captained by Julie Diep and the other captained by Michael Tran; and two 4.5 champions, one captained by Piasha Van Tho and the other captained by Brian Smith. Congratulations to all champions!