Garden State GLBT Tennis Tournament � September 20-21, 2003
(Rain date September 27-28, 2003)
Divisions and Draw Sizes (Minimums/Maximums)
Men�s Singles, Men's � NTRP 4.0, 3.5 and 3.0 (8/16 each)
Women's Singles � NTRP 4.0, 3.5 and 3.0 (8/16 each)
If an event is not filled, others may be increased. You will be notified if your event is closed or your entry waitlisted. The Tournament reserves the right to consolidate events less than the minimum into the next higher or lower event. In the event where a women�s draw does not meet the minimum, the Tournament reserves the right to consolidate that draw into an appropriate men�s draw. We will notify you of such a situation immediately after the entry deadline. The Tournament reserves the right to reclassify any player to a higher division upon notification to the individual. Upon notification, the player will be given the option of participating in the higher division or provided a refund of the entry fee.
Deadline
All paid entries must be received by September 10, 2003. Entrants may register via email, but their entry forms and fee must be mailed and received by the Tournament within 1 week of emailing. Otherwise, they will be removed from the draw and placed on a waiting list.
Waiver and Release Forms
ALL Waiver and Release forms MUST be signed, dated, and returned with your entry form. NO player may participate in the tournament without such forms. NO copies or facsimiles will be accepted.
Schedule
Play begins at 9:00 a.m. each day. Semifinals and finals will be played on Sunday with matches scheduled to finish around 1:00 p.m. All matches will be played outdoors on hard courts. Balls and complimentary water will be provided for each match. Trophies will be awarded to the both finalists in each draw. Trophy presentations will be made after all the final matches are complete.
Rules
USTA/GLTA Rules and Procedures will be used. Match times are approximate, so players must report to check-in at least 15 minutes prior to match time. Once a match is called, the USTA 15 minute default rule will apply. USTA penalty points will be awarded up to the 15-minute limit. At that time, the match will be defaulted. A 10-minute warm-up will be strictly enforced. A new can of tennis balls will be provided to the players for each round of the draw. A can of used balls may be utilized for the second match in the round-robin play. The Tournament has the right to alter this match structure, due to weather conditions or other unexpected complications arising from draw sizes and/or numbers.
First rounds of all draws will be a round robin play against 3 other players in your draw section. All matches will be the best out of 2 sets, regular scoring, with a 12-point tiebreak at 6-games all. If the sets are split, then a 12-point tiebreak will be used as the "third" and deciding set. The player with the best win-loss record among the 4 after round robin play will advance to the next day�s round(s). In the event where more than 2 players have the same win-loss record, then the following tiebreak procedures will be used: 1) least sets lost/most sets won (or sets won percentage), 2) least games lost/most games won (or games won percentage), 3) coin toss or additional tiebreak game. If a player is eliminated due to a tiebreak procedure, then the head-to-head match will be considered for the remaining 2 players.
Waiting List and Refunds
A waiting list will be maintained if more entries are received than can be accommodated in the draw. Once the draws are full, if entrants withdraw prior to the draw being made, players from the waiting list will be added to the draw. Once the draw is made, players from the waiting list will be notified as space becomes available. Please note that substitution may not happen for seeded players who withdraw after the draw has been made. The Tournament site will maintain a list of players on the waiting list. If a scheduled player does not show for the first match, a player on the waiting list may be substituted. Substitution is based on who is present at default time and highest on the list. Full refunds will be given to players who withdraw before the draw is made; no refunds will be issued after that time.
Seeding
Seeding will be based upon a combination of the GLTA Classification of Players in conjunction with USTA tournament results/rankings. GLTA seeding points include all tournament results for the previous 24 months. Up to 25% of each draw can be seeded. In the cases where GLTA/USTA rankings are not available or appropriate, a draw may contain no seeding.
Weather Contingency
In the event of a weather related delay, the Tournament Directors may implement changes in the location and/or format when play resumes. All efforts will be made to apply changes consistently from round to round. In the event that matches cannot be played due to inclement weather, the Tournament will be rescheduled at a later weekend. This decision to reschedule will be made the Friday before the actual Tournament weekend, and all players will be notified via email. Players who are unable to participate at the newly scheduled date will not be provided a refund of their entry fee.
Specific Tennis Center / Tournament Site Rules
All players MUST wear shirts; no one may play or walk around the Tournament site shirtless. NO chairs are allowed on the courts. Spectators may place chairs outside the courts� fences. All alcoholic beverages, glass containers, and bottles are PROHIBITED at the Tournament site. Trash and recyclables MUST be disposed of properly. Players who fail to comply with any of the rules will be asked to leave the premises and the Tournament.
