There is a NEW tennis offering coming this Fall to the local Wilmington area: the Compass Draw Tennis Tournament League! This has the structure and excitement of a tennis tournament, but with the one-match-every-two-weeks flexibility to meet even the busiest of schedules.
It utilizes a “compass draw” format that ensures your matches get more and more competitive each round and that allows you to keep playing, even when you lose.
The tournament league takes place in two phases: the Seeding Draw and the Final Draw. The Seeding Draw is the first three or four rounds and uses the compass draw format. When these matches are complete, we rank (i.e., seed) the players or teams based solely on their performance in the Seeding Draw and then post the Final Draw based on these seedings. The Final Draw includes a consolation bracket if you lose in the first round. We use prizes in the form of e-gift cards from Tennis Warehouse for the winners of the main and consolation brackets.
We post the initial draws on the website () when we are ready to start the tournament.
Players will login to view the draws and to see who they are playing in round one. Contact information is displayed and players/teams contact each other directly (no need to schedule matches through a Coordinator).
For each match, there is a home player/team (shown in bold on the draw) and a visiting player/team.
The home player/team will secure a court in the local Wilmington area where the match will be played. The players setup a mutually agreeable date and time within the two-week period allotted to play the match.
Both players/teams bring a new can of balls to the match; one can is used and the unopened can goes to the winner.
All matches are best two out of three sets with a 10-point tiebreaker in lieu of a third set. By convention, the winning player/team posts the scores on the website, although either team can do this. The system then automatically moves both players/teams along in the draw.
Key Features and Benefits
Easy to use website lets players and fans follow the action by viewing the draws. This is also where users can setup their own accounts and register for events.
Scores entered directly into the website by the players, so no need to email anything to a League Coordinator.
Automated Match Notification System emails players when their next opponent has been identified and also reminds them when a deadline approaches.
Flexible doubles subbing policy where teams can use a sub for one of their players as needed for any given match (as long as they are of the correct playing level and gender for the division
Key Information for the Fall Tournament League
Player’s USTA ratings may not exceed the event level selected.
Players may play up one level above their current USTA rating however, only one player per doubles team may be rated below the event level selected.
Events and Levels offered:
Women’s 3.0. 3.5, and 4.0 Singles
Men’s 3.0, 3.5, and 4.0 Singles
Women’s 3.0, 3.5, and 4.0 Doubles
Men’s 3.0, 3.5, and 4.0 Doubles
Mixed 3.0, 3.5, and 4.0 Doubles
Singles: $30 per player, Doubles: $25 per player
Round One starts September 11 and the tournament league lasts 12-16 weeks (one match every two weeks), depending on division size.
