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Draw Format for National Level USTA Tournaments

On By Teresa Merklin

Feed in Consolation through the Quarterfinals (FICQ) should be used for all National Level Amateur Tennis Tournaments. For anyone not familiar with that tournament format it is a close approximation of double elimination. A player who loses a match in the quarterfinals or earlier could still finish as high as 5th in the tournament. Players who lose in the semifinals play a match that decides 3rd and 4th. That is a significant match for a Bronze Ball in a National “Gold Ball” event.