Supporting and promoting tennis in the Ann Arbor area
ANN ARBOR AREA COMMUNITY TENNIS ASSOCIATION
2014 City Tournament: Mixed Doubles Rules and Registration Information
AGE, RESIDENCY, & MEMBERSHIP REQUIREMENTS:
Age: Except for the “Open” division, EACH player must be at least 19 by the end of the year.
Residency: Players must be Washtenaw County residents, with the following exceptions:
(1) AAACTA members (you may reside outside Washtenaw County and still play in the tournament if you are an AAACTA member),
(2) Open division players (players in this division are not required to be Washtenaw County residents nor AAACTA members), and
(3) one member of a doubles team (at least one member of a doubles team must be a Washtenaw County resident).
Membership: AAACTA: We encourage all players to join AAACTA in order to show support for local tennis and to take advantage of the discounted entry fees for members (you can join AAACTA at the same time you register for the tournament). USTA: Players are not required to be USTA members, but if you are a USTA member, please list your USTA membership number on the registration form (there is a field for this). Also, please note that you must play at (or above) your USTA rating (e.g. 3.0, 4.5, etc.).
MATCH SCHEDULING: All players should report to their tournament site on the designated play date 15 minutes before the start time RAIN or SHINE, unless the tournament website says otherwise. DEFAULT TIME IS 10 MINUTES AFTER THE START TIME (when a court is available). Warm-up is limited to 10 minutes. Players should be prepared to play two matches a day.
FORMAT: Matches in the 9.0 and Open division doubles will be best 2 of 3 sets. A 10-minute break is allowed between the 2nd and 3rd sets.
All other divisions will use a Match Tiebreak (first to 10 by 2) instead of a third set. There is no 10-minute break between the 2nd and 3rd sets.
In all divisions, at 6-6, a Set Tiebreak (first to 7 by 2) will be used. All tiebreaks (both Set and Match Tiebreaks) will use the Coman (USTA league) format (click here for the procedure).
TENNIS BALLS: A new can of USTA-approved balls will be provided by the tournament for each match.
RAIN POLICY: All players should report to their tournament site on the designated play date 15 minutes before the start time RAIN or SHINE, unless the tournament website says otherwise or the Tournament Director sends emails to all players. The Tournament Director will determine whether or not to delay matches or to reschedule. If the Tournament Director determines that a match may be played on the VTC indoor courts due to weather, all players must agree to the move and are responsible for any court fees. However, the cost of final matches that must be moved indoors will be paid by AAACTA.
ENTRY FEES: Doubles: $30 per player ($25 for AAACTA members). Tournament fees are nonrefundable. Players will receive a choice of a T-shirt or tote bag. Trophies will be awarded to the finalists in each division. To register, go to the online registration site via the link at the end of this page.
DRAWS: Draws are available here. Players are responsible for checking the draws for their match start times and locations. Events with an insufficient number of entries may be cancelled or combined with other events at the discretion of the Tournament Committee. Players will be notified in advance if this is done.
LEVELS OF PLAY: The tournament is divided into divisions according to USTA (NTRP) ratings and age. The Tournament Committee intends to obtain USTA ratings for USTA players and other similar information regarding non-USTA rated players and reserves the right to move players to a more appropriate division. Misrepresentation of level of play may result in disqualification. Details of criteria for each level are provided here. Doubles events use combined ratings of both participants, rounded up. For example, 3.5 and 4.0 = 8.0.
Mixed Doubles divisions: 6.0, 7.0, 8.0, 9.0, Open, and Century (in the Century division, the combined ages of the two players must be at least 100).
Players can play in the Century mixed doubles division regardless of rating.
TENNIS PLAYER AND SPECTATOR ETIQUETTE GUIDELINES: Assisting with rules or line calls is not allowed. If players require assistance during the match, they should raise their racquets and wait for assistance from a tournament official. Coaching is not allowed at any time.
Here are a few helpful tennis spectator etiquette guidelines to follow:
- During a point, spectators are to remain quiet. Spirited cheers are welcome after a hard-earned point. All cheers should be delivered in a positive manner, particularly after a long or impressive rally.
- Applaud for a long rally, well-played point, or a clean winner. Do not applaud for unforced errors, bad serves, or double faults.
- Spectators may not, for any reason, walk onto the courts. Viewing should be outside the courts on the grass or in the stands.
QUESTIONS: If you have questions prior to the tournament, email the Tournament Director, Helen Giordani at helen.giordani@gmail.com.
WAIVER: I grant permission to AAACTA to use any photos or videos taken during the tournament for display on the AAACTA website and for legitimate marketing or promotional purposes.
