An engineer overthinks tennis in a daily journal.
The NCAA Division I Championships gets underway in May with free live and on-demand streaming opportunities. Boris Becker is in jail after being convicted of hiding assets to avoid paying debts. The Citi-Open gets a shocking new sponsor.
The USTA’s point-per-round philosophy is readily apparent when examining the ranking points tables for single group round robin tournaments. The fact that tables is plural isn’t a typo. Two tables were in effect for different time periods in 2021. Both the original tables and the changes that were made reflects a misguided dedication to a points-per-round philosophy. The USTA is making the problem much harder to solve than it needs to be.
Paul Fein is a USPTA teaching professional with an Elite rating. He is also an accomplished tennis writer with a litany of award winning tennis articles and best-selling books. In addition, Fein is an excellent Senior tennis player with a history of high national rankings. Fein recently published hit latest book filled with his copious wisdom on how to elevate a player’s competitive level. The book is also packed with first person perspectives from other renowned tennis coaches and pros.
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Wimbledon takes a hard line stance on Russian and Belarusian players as the US-Ukraine Billie Jean King Cup qualifier generates dramatic tennis and heart warming story lines.
Against my better judgement, I decided to don my “Peril Sensitive Sunglasses” and create a points calculation table for the back draw participants in a recent tournament division. In retrospect, a helmet would have been a good idea as well.
I made a startling discovery in the USTA Adult Ranking System document last week. There are actually two Round Robin tables that were in effect in 2021. Additionally, the change opens a tiny window into the thought process of the USTA Adult Competition Committee. (ACC) To top it off, I also realized there is an alternate way to look at a recent error I documented in Round Robin tournament ranking points calculations.
The “Role of Court Officials” section of the ITF Rules of Tennis contained in the USTA Friend at Court describes the roles and authority that various officials have during a USTA officiated match. The rules are clear that questions of fact, such as whether a ball was in or out, can only be ruled on by an official based on direct observation. However, the rules surrounding overrules also reveal that sometimes officials with direct observation disagree on the correct call.
The tennis community is always quick to share advice and experience when a player is injured. I benefitted from that first hand when I recently attended the National Senior Women’s Clay Court Championships on a knee scooter. One of the best recommendations I received for treating my own condition was from an umpire who implored me to try the OOFOS branded sandals. I wish they had come into my life sooner.
A major leadership change is announced for the USTA. The Billie Jean King Cup should have been center stage this weekend, but television coverage in the US was terrible. Ash Barty’s sudden retirement hit Tennis Australia where it hurts – in the wallet.
If I had to guess, most avid tennis players are not aware that the USTA has been searching for a new CEO. Additionally I believe that most couldn’t name his predecessor even if their lives depended on it. Today is a paragraph by paragraph dissection of the USTA press release announcing the selection of Lew Sherr as the new CEO. Specifically I am looking for clues about what the new era might portend for the organization. As a reminder, overthinking such things is the hallmark of this site.
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