2010 McDonogh Junior Open L3

The rain held off today! Just a little drizzle as we ended about 6 p.m. Congratulations to all the participants, especially the 2010 Joe Shapiro Sportsmanship Cup winner Peter Kasper. As usual, if you see any mistakes in the scores, please let us know right away. See you next year!

Great sunny day today! See you tomorrow! If you see any errors in the scores (they do happen), please email. Thanks.

Singles are rescheduled. There MAY be some changes, but we think most have been made. As always, however, we strongly recommend you check the draws again Friday. We are only cancelling one round of consolations in only the very largest draws. However, all consolation matches will now be 8 game pro-sets (not 10-game). There are some doubles matches scheduled for Saturday - those that need more than two rounds. Doubles are also 8 game pro-sets. The Doubles draws NOW POSTED. Main Draw singles format is not changing. (Of course, all this assumes the weather will cooperate!)

Play has been canceled for Sunday - the rain started promptly at 8 a.m. and has not let up at this time. Because this tournament is limited to four days, we may cancel some consolation rounds (the draws will be updated as soon as possible). Doubles sign-ups will remain open until Tuesday night, however, and doubles will begin on Saturday. You can see who is signed up for doubles on this site under Competitors, which will be updated every day. Some others did sign up as Looking for a Partner. You can email to learn who they are. Doubles draws will be made Wednesday and the schedule posted Wednesday or Thursday. SIGN UP FOR DOUBLES BY EMAILING LLEVY@MCDONOGH.ORG. If you have not yet paid, just make sure you pay on site before your first match.

Good day today! Thanks for your patience as we did run a tad later than planned, but all matches finished by 7 pm or so. As usual, if you see any errors in the scores, let us know - with some 150 matches a day, it happens! Just email. See you tomorrow!

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 written verification. . . no later than the last . . . day of the tournament.")

Entries closed midnight Monday. We are accepting late entries until 11 a.m. Wednesday. To enter, send an email with name, usta #, and singles event to llevy@mcdonogh.org. To pay for a late entry or if your credit card was refused for whatever reason, bring a check for $54.25 made out to L. M. Levy LLC to the tournament site. Also, see note below: Special requests (for late starts, for instance) will only be considered if submitted by email by 11 a.m. Wednesday.

No notification of first round match time or draw by mail or phone. Draw will be made Wednesday September 22 and will be posted by Thursday September 23 evening at the latest at USTA.com only. (It takes a LONG time to schedule large tournaments: 2009 had 500 + 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 the case the last three years, the consolation matches will be 10 game prosets and will only be played out through the quarterfinals. 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 20, 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 26. Play will not begin before 11 a.m. Saturday October 2. 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. 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, 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.)

http://www.mapquest.com/maps?address=8600+McDonogh+Road&city=Pikesville&state=MD&zipcode=21208&country=US more info

PLEASE be aware that the 2010 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

Join us for a tribute to 25 years of McDonogh graduate and International Tennis Hall of Fame Pam Shriver's Charity Tennis Challenge, November 17, 2010. Call 410 628-0795 or email info@tennischallenge.org for more information.