2009 Maryland State Junior Outdoor Championships L3

To all for a successful completion of the massive tournament - some 450 entrants! All matches, including the finals of the mixed doubles, were completed despite the prediction of rain (50%) for today and the actual rain (100%) Sunday! Special thanks go to the staff, umpires, trainer, parents, and players. And special congrats go to the winner of the 2009 Sportsmanship Award: Scott Sculley! See you back here next year - if not earlier at the September 26 start of the McDonogh Junior Open!

1. Great day today! Looks as if we have a real shot at finishing all draws! 2. Practice courts (all 20) will be available from dawn to 8 a.m. and 6 courts from 8 to 9 a.m. 3. Format for 3/4 play-offs will continue to be 2 of 3 sets with a 10 point tiebreak in lieu of the third set.

Note: Draw had to be remade. No major changes, however.

Bleary eyed, doubles draws have been attempted. Only Tuesday rounds are scheduled - just too late. Any rounds not scheduled will be played Wednesday after doubles.

Singles scores should finally be up. Email if you see errors - they happen. Now double seedings and draws - will take a while. May want to check in the morning. The first DOUBLES matches will be scheduled after noon. Doubles will be FOLLOWED by Mixed Doubles.

Thanks to the weather, the players, and the use of some pro-sets in consolations, an all-time record 188 matches scheduled today! The last match finished before dark, and we are now home and showered and fed. So . . . we will be adding scores and posting doubles draws soon.

While players may sign up for both doubles and mixed doubles (the latter is free to tournament players), you can only sign up for one age group in each. Several have signed up for two please let us know (by email or at the desk tomorrow) which you prefer to play. Thanks.

Are now posted. There may be more changes this evening, so please try to check later tonight - and tomorrow if possible. And be sure to read the message below.

Draws will be posted this evening. The plan is to continue regular scoring for main draw singles (2 of 3 regular with-ad tiebreak sets with a 10 point match tiebreak in lieu of the third set). We then will go to an 8 game pro-set with a 10 point match tiebreak if it goes to 8-all for all NEW rounds of singles consolations the rounds in progress - Boys 14, 16, and 18 2nd round Consolation - will be completed as started. All doubles will begin Tuesday. As stated earlier, they will also be 8 game pro-sets. Sign-up for doubles will continue till noon Monday, but draws will be limited in size to ensure completion. With the number of matches and number of rounds needed to be scheduled Monday, some of you planning to attend the JTT event at the Legg Mason may not be able to play. After the draws are posted this evening, please email if this applies to you so we can remove you from the draw without penalty. (And all of you recheck the draws as late this evening and early tomorrow as you can.) Please also haves patience Monday - rescheduling tournaments of this size is difficult. As for today's rainout, this marks only the second time in 25 years we have cancelled and had the forecast betray us. It is more pleasant than the opposite - keeping everyone at the courts but having to continually get wet, come off, squeegie, go back on, etc., etc., but, yes, it is as frustrating for us as it is for you! See you tomorrow.

Bad thunder and rain this morning, with bands of showers likely through the afternoon, so we have cancelled play for today. NOTE: New draws and instructions - including information about doubles sign-up and play - will be posted this evening. Sorry for the change, sorry for the weather, sorry we have to spend all day redoing draws! :)

We continue to get some withdrawals, so check the draws. We will have a weather update shortly. Just some overnight drizzle where I am, which would mean we can start on time, but we are not at the courts yet. We will have a new message here and on the weather phone shortly. Chance of rain during the day being put at 50 or 60%. So check the weather message 410 581-4760 during the day.

Some (typical?) computer problems, but we think all draws updated on line (we'll check). See you tomorrow! As usual, if you're worried about the weather, check the weather phone (number below). Also as usual, let us know of mistakes in the draws - scores get mis-entered and even the wrong winner's drop down box can be clicked.

Despite last night's storms we anticipate starting and staying on time Saturday (Sunday's weather report not as good at this point). Draws have been updated with several changes, so keep checking them. Please note that as of Saturday morning, we do not have Internet access at the courts, so we cannot receive email and may not be able to update the draws with scores until Saturday night. We will be working on the problem. If you think there may be weather problems, just check the weather phone, 410 581-4760, to see if there are updates.

Late entries are now closed. Draws are now posted. PLEASE check the draws again Friday evening as we do get withdrawals (already have had some) and draws do occasionally change (one already has). Also, PLEASE read the other messages below this one and go to the tournament web site for important information you need to have before you come to the site. Doubles and Mixed doubles draws will be posted later. As will Wednesday's schedule.

On-line sign-up closed last night. We will accept late entries, but MUST be a Maryalnd state resident. Must receive entry by 10 a.m. Wednesday. MUST email player's name, USTA number, and event to llevy@mcdonogh.org. MUST bring a check made out to Laurance Levy for $54 to the desk. Thanks, and see you this weekend! (For doubles entry information, see note below.)

If you need to withdraw, email us immediately - as seeding and draws will be completed Wednesday afternoon (and posted on this site by Thursday evening). Note: There are penalties for withdrawals without adequate reason, doctor's statement, etc., and USTA policy states no refund of entry fee if one withdraws within six days of start of tournament. (According to FAC: "Player shall not withdraw from a tournament . . . except for illness, injury, personal emergency . . . . If . . . not playing because of an injury or illness, the player shall deliver written verification . . . from a medical professional . . . no later than the last . . . day of the tournament. If . . . a personal emergency, the player shall deliver a written deion . . . no later than the last . . . day of the tournament.")

No notification of first round match time or draw by mail or phone. Draw will be made July 29 and will be posted by Thursday July 30 evening at the latest at USTA.com only. (It takes a LONG time to schedule large tournaments: 2008 had 450 singles and doubles entrants, some 150-180 matches per day.) The draws will be updated on line and on site regularly during the course of the tournament. Be sure to check the draw Friday night as we do get last minute withdrawals which can affect starting times.

Just to avoid some of the inevitable emails and phone calls, some of the information from our web site is being reproduced here. HOWEVER, P L E A S E click on the link to our web site for more complete information. (We will also be distributing a tournament brochure with information and draws on the first day.) 1. In singles, there is a mandatory consolation draw (which does count for ranking points) that will feed in through the quarter-finals of the main draw, and there will also be a play-off for 3rd and 4th place. 2. In singles, trophies will be awarded to sixth place. 3. Singles matches are best of three tiebreak sets with regular scoring with a 10-point match tiebreak in lieu of the third set. Doubles are an 8 game pro-set with regular scoring and a 10-point match tiebreak at 8 games all. 4. We will have USTA roving umpires, a certified trainer, a stringer, and a food concession stand (run again by the Stowers) on site. 5. As perhaps should be obvious, this tournament is a State Championship and thus is restricted to Maryland State residents. Click here for more info

Don't worry about signing up on line. Doubles sign-up is open on site until noon Sunday, and play begins after 11 a.m. Monday. Fee ($50 per team) due at sign-up. If you do sign up on line but decide not to play, tell us at the desk so we can remove your name (and refund your fee). Mixed Doubles sign up is on site also, by noon Monday. Mixed play begins Tuesday. NO FEE for Mixed Doubles to players entered in any event at the tournament. For more information click more info

We do try to accommodate special requests (for scheduling and the like) if we can and if within reason. If for a first round match time, you must email (llevy@mcdonogh.org) your request BEFORE the draw is made (draw will be made sometime AFTER Wednesday July 29 noon). If we can accommodate, we will if we cannot, we will remove you from the draw without penalty and will return your entry fee (if that is your wish). If your scheduling request is for a subsequent round, you must make your request at the tournament desk immediately after your match, and again we will try to accommodate - but cannot guarantee. Live far away? Email us with details BEFORE the draw is made and we will TRY to give you later start times daily, but no promises and start times can be affected by weather. NOTE: USTA policy prohibits entering more than one tournament at a time. Therefore, a conflict with another tournament's draw is not sufficient reason to alter our draw.

PLEASE be aware that the 2009 Friend At Court mandates that all matches scheduled for a particular time must be called at once as soon as that time has come and an open court exists. Even if only one court is open, ALL players are required to be ready for play, and those who are not will be put on the clock. This is a new policy for USTA which changes the manner in which we call matches. Note: You are always supposed to check in 15 minutes before your match is scheduled to be played.

Please bring a signed USTA Release Form with you when you check in. To download the form, click more info

Due to a new policy from the USTA’s legal department, tournament directors will no longer have access to phone numbers and email addresses of the tournament participants unless the player re-enters their contact information at the time of event registration. This means that if a player does not enter their phone and email information each time they register for a tournament, the tournament director cannot contact them for any reason, including alternate status, withdrawals, defaults, byes, rain delays, etc. Your cooperation will ensure that tournaments can continue to communicate necessary information to you. Thank you.

Call 410 581-4760 for weather and schedule updates during the tournament. If you get a busy signal, keep trying - it simply means too many people are calling at once. (On-site phone, for emergency use only, is 410 935-8331.)

Our tournaments are conducted at McDonogh School, 8600 McDonogh Road, Owings Mills, MD 21117-0380. For a map: more info

Your Rights: As a player, there are things you need to know about your rights during a USTA tournament. To learn your rights, more info

For more great tennis actions, be sure to attend the PNC Tennis Classic, the annual Baltimore charity event hosted by McDonogh graduate and International Tennis Hall of Fame member Pam Shriver, presented by PNC more info