Tennis News April 11, 2021
Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers will be contested this weekend, an under the radar major coaching change, and another sign of the end of civility in tennis.
Even More Rankings Calculations Issues
After my examination of the rankings points issues from the Men’s 3.0 brackets at the USTA National 18+ NTRP Singles Championships, I had planned to dig around other brackets to see if previously reported issues with the rankings points awarded had been resolved. I kind of already knew the answer and it didn’t take long to find more illuminating examples.
2 responsesRankings Issues (Still) Unresolved
I am going to start this post with a provocative statement. Whoever came up with the USTA Adult Tournament Ranking System does not understand how tournament rankings should work. Period. I am astonished that these errors ever existed in the first place. It is profoundly disappointing that attempts to highlight these issues have gone unaccepted and unacknowledged.
2 responsesNTRP National Championship Primer: Senior Tennis Edition
I have previously written a lot about the the USTA NTRP National Championships as well as the shortened scoring format used at that event. Today’s post is an executive summary specifically written to bring Senior competitors up to speed on this (relatively) new USTA initiative. I am an active Senior age group Level 1 tournament player who has also participated in the NTRP National Championship tournament. I don’t think there are a large number of people that have competed in both event types.
Baby Boomer Tennis
The review of the tennis documentary “Gold Balls” last week prompted me to focus attention on books specifically targeted at older players. “Baby Boomer Tennis” was the first in the queue. I plucked my copy off the shelf at a used book store on the basis of the testimonials on the back cover from Rosie Casals and Pam Shriver. Baby Boomer Tennis has a few redeeming qualities, but for the most part is an unpolished effort.
Calling the Referee
In officiated matches, tennis players have the right to call the referee to court if they disagree with the umpire’s interpretation of tennis law. Unless the referee is sitting on-court, the chair umpire has the final decision authority on questions of fact that might arise during the match. The referee may only rule on interpretation of tennis law when summoned to a court.
Tennis Trunk Locker
My tennis racquet bag tends to run on the heavy side because I carry a lot of gear onto the court that might be needed during a match. I also keep a lot of things in the back of my car that could be essential situationally or in between matches. Today I am providing a glimpse into the items I have at the ready as well as my system for organization.
1 responseTennis News April 4, 2022
Weekly tennis news from outside the lines features Will Smith spoiling the King Richard moment, more racquet smashing, and a display of sportsmanship.
Off-Court Tennis Training
The April “12 Gifts” challenge is to add a new tennis skill to your personal arsenal. When this topic came up in the rotation my initial reaction was that I would be challenged to participate. On-court high-impact activities are simply not in the cards for me at the moment. However, while the wording of the April “gift” is to add new shots to the arsenal, I do think that there are classic skills that a player can develop to improve their competitive level without setting foot on a tennis court.
Shot Selection
The April 12 Gifts “Challenge” is to select one shot to add (or enhance) in your tennis arsenal. Today’s post is a primer on sources of ideas and information that can guide that selection. If you are struggling to identify your top tennis improvement priority, this post is for you.
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