2009 McDonogh Junior Open L3

to everyone, the winners especially, but a special congrats to the 2009 Joe Shapiro Sportsmanship Award winner Jack Welch! See you in 2010!

Turned out to be a good day today, so we will start at 9 a.m. in the morning. As usual, let us know if you see mistakes in the scores they do happen. Thanks!

Now we are getting calls about the weather . . . . If there is a weather issue in the morning, we will have a message up by 6:15 or so, earlier if possible. The latest things we are seeing suggests it may move out of the area nice and early for us. Please keep checking draws we are getting defaults and may not be able to call all of you who are affected.

We did manage to meet most special requests that were received before the draws for this weekend were made and published. While we continue to receive them, our policy (enumerated below) is to do our best with requests made in a timely fashion (before draws are made), but we generally cannot accommodate requests made later, especially, as is the case this weekend, when we have multiple rounds to play in an event. Check draws again Friday evening we are still receiving withdrawal/default notificdations.

Computer gave us some fits last night, and we had to hand schedule a bit, so draws are finally posted for the weekend. Be sure to read the notes below they often answer lots of the questions. See you this Saturday!

Thanks for your patience the past few damp days. After looking at our numbers and consulting with USTA, we have decided to discontinue the consolation draws (which were only going to play out to the quarterfinals in any event) so we can finish the tournament main draws and doubles on schedule. Those few consolation matches in progress will not be completed. Results from this weekend have been posted. As usual, if you see any mistakes, please email us. The schedule for next weekend will be posted soon, probably Tuesday evening, including the doubles. Thanks again.

As of now, we are going to start Sunday at 10 a.m. So all 8 am matches are scheduled for 10, all 9 am matches for 11, etc. If we need to start even later, we will put a message on the weather phone 410 581-4760.

G16 matches scheduled for Saturday September 26 are now being moved to Saturday October 3. B12 matches in progress will continue at 10:30 a.m. Sunday September 27. B18 matches in progress will be played at 10 a.m. Sunday September 27. (The next round will be played next week.) NO matches for next weekend are scheduled we need to wait for doubles sign-ups to close and for tomorrow's matches to conclude. Those draws will be posted by Monday or Tuesday. To confirm the start of play Sunday, call the weather phone in the morning 410 581-4760. If it is busy, too many people are calling at once. So be patient and call again. We will have a message - or the first message - posted by 6:30 a.m. If we are forced to extend the day, those players who emailed us about Yom Kippur who are scheduled to play later than they can stay, should email us so that we can designate you as something other than a default/no show (which would involve penalty points). SCORES: As usual, if you see any mistakes in the scores, please just email us and we will update them promptly. Thanks. And thanks for your patience today . . . and tomorrow! See you on the courts.

Yes, we had some. We will post new draws and details for Sunday as soon as we can - it's complicated. A few things now: Call the weather phone in the morning 410 581-4760. If it is busy, too many people are calling at once. So be patient and call again. We will have a message - or the first message - posted by 6:30 a.m. If we are forced to extend the day, those players who emailed us about Yom Kippur who are scheduled to play later than they can, should email us so that we can designate you as something other than a default/no show (which would involve penalty points).

Draws for this weekend are now posted. PLEASE check the draws again Friday evening as we do get withdrawals (already have had some) and draws do occasionally change (NOTE: SOME HAVE). 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 draws are still open. Doubles draws and next weekend's singles draws will be made and posted early next week. If you need to withdraw, email us immediately. 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.")

Being worked on. Over 60 special requests, so that's slowing us down (we hope we won't have more we cannot accommodate them all). If for some reason you were unable to pay by credit card (some didn't go through, for instance), please bring a check to the site. Again, if you have a request for any other than the first day, please remind us at the desk before or after the last match you play on the previous day.

With record numbers, we have two 128 and five 64 draws and one 32. With only four days, we can't skip days, so we will probably not be able to accommodate those who can't play 10/3 and 10/4. Sorry. Be sure to read notes below for more information.

Please see the notes below on the making and posting of the draw. We have a record number of applicants, almost 400, only four days, shortened days (we are a little later in the year than usual), and other scheduling constraints. Hence, we will do our best to meet the special requests we have gotten, but may not be able to handle them all. Also, if you have a legitimate need to play early or late on Sunday, please remind us at the desk after your last match on Saturday. We will probably not be able to get to special requests made from here on out nor will we be able to entertain late entries, but we will do what we can!

If you are interested in playing McDonogh but also other tournaments that run Sunday or Oct. 3-4, you may enter this tournament IF you email us at llevy@mcdonogh.org and tell us when you are unavailable for play. If we can accommodate you, we will. If we cannot, we will withdraw you from the tournament without penalty and refund your entry fee. NOTE: You MUST email us your special request before the draws are made.

No notification of first round match time or draw by mail or phone. Draw will be made Wednesday September 23 and will be posted by Thursday September 24 evening at the latest at USTA.com only. (It takes a LONG time to schedule large tournaments: 2008 had 400 + singles and doubles entrants, some 150-175 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 modified consolation draw (which does count for ranking points). As was true in 2007 and 2008, the consolation matches will be 10 game prosets. 2. Singles matches are best of three tiebreak sets with regular scoring with a 10-point match tiebreak in lieu of the third set in the main draw. Doubles are an 8 game pro-set with regular scoring and a 10-point match tiebreak at 8 games all. Singles consolation will be a 10 game pro-set with regular scoring and a 10-point match tiebreak at 10 games all. 3. We will have USTA roving umpires, a certified trainer, a stringer, and a food concession stand (run again by the Stowers) on site. 4. Play will take place on the two Saturdays and Sundays but not on any weekdays. Singles will take place on BOTH weekends. Doubles will take place on the second weekend. 5. WITHDRAWING from the tournament: Up until Monday September 21, you can go to the left and click "Edit Registration" and withdraw - with no fee or penalty. If you withdraw after that, email us immediately. Note: There are penalties for those withdrawals without adequate reason, doctor's statements, etc., and USTA policy states no refund of entry fee if one withdraws within six days of the tournament start. Click here for more info

Please do not sign up on line. Doubles sign up will be open on site until 2 p.m. Sunday September 27. Play will not begin before 11 a.m. Saturday October 3. Draws will be posted on line and on this USTA site as soon as possible. You must pay for doubles by 2 p.m. Sunday to be placed in the draw. If you do sign up on line, you should confirm your intention to play on site if you sign up on line and decide not to play, you must tell us on site by the 27th (and we will refund your entry fee). Also, if you decide not to play after the tournament has begun, we cannot refund your doubles entry fee (in accordance with USTA guidelines).

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 11 a.m. Wednesday. 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.YOM KIPPUR: If you need to finish early on Sunday September 27, you must request special scheduling BEFORE the draw is made. 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 bring a signed USTA Release Form with you when you check in. This will save time when you come to register for your first match. 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, is 410 935-8331.)

Our tournaments are hosted by McDonogh School, 8600 McDonogh Road, Owings Mills, MD 21117. For more information, click: more info

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.

As a player, there are things you need to know about your rights - and responsibilities - during a USTA tournament. To learn more, go to more info

For more great tennis action, be sure to attend the PNC Tennis Classic, the annual Baltimore charity tennis event hosted by McDonogh graduate and Internations Tennis Hall of Fame member Pam Shriver, presented by PNC. Click here for more info