The Facebook group of active USTA tournament players in Texas has a periodic spirited debate over how events should be scheduled. The Level 5 “Major Zone” tournaments are historically planned as three day weekend events in that Section. The de facto start date is usually Friday which means that the finals are played on Sunday. Some people argue that all tournaments should start on Saturday which would push the finals out to Monday.
While there are a handful of people with strong opinions, it isn’t at all clear to me which option players prefer. This site’s recently concluded “Tennis Tournament Ranking System Player Survey” sparked my desire to collect some additional data on what players actually want from these three day tournaments. I am also curious about how strong the sentiment is for the various options beyond the vocal few. It might be illuminating. It may also be a starting point for seriously considering how three day tournaments should be structured to maximize participation.
I don’t believe that I have previously widely shared my own thoughts on this topic. In the spirit of not influencing the data, I will withhold my opinion until the survey is closed.
The data collection window on this one is only going to be open for a week. There is no better time than the present to click through on the link below to make your voice heard. I will also be doing a drawing for another Fiend at Court T Shirt for all people who complete the survey and provide the optional email address.
