New Seeding Rules For 2014

[tennis5]

Well, while I actually agree with the new seeding rules for 2014,
it is again a mystery to me why this is not announced and explained to the junior membership.
A google search pulled up nada.

Early in the week, a ranking went up on the National list that when I checked it,
my immediate thought was that it was full of mistakes
( and yes, folks, I have caught them in the past).
After careful examination of it, I realized it was JUST singles....
(I heard that list is already down btw.)

Then, the seeding for regionals was based on singles this week.....

So, my confusion was finally cleared up by parenting aces and one of their posters who explained:

NEW RULES FOR 2014 SEEDINGS:

1) Entrance into the tournament is based on a combined singles/dub ranking.
( good......).

2) Single seeds are based on singles rankings only ( makes sense) and dubs seeds will be based on dubs rankings only..

So, this is all great and finally makes sense, but shouldn't the USTA do a better job of explaining this?

I am wondering if anyone knew about this before this week?

Do I have all the details correct?

[Rina]

I knew about doubles rankings and selection but only due to the fact that tournaments director of a doubles only tournament had to e-mail all the parents since there were complaints about seeding and selection process a week and a half ago. He explained it that it is now doubles rankings determining who gets into doubles. Needless to say, many ticked off parents of high ranked kids who rarely play doubles.

[INTO10s]

how are they determining the doubles ranking since most kids usually play with different players. Is it solely based on the total points (best 6) they have accumulated in doubles over the past year?

[Chemist]

Looks like USTA has just started to show a separate doubles national ranking list this year. The total ranking points are just the summation of our kid's 6 highest doubles points. I could not find a separate singles only ranking list. I guess the combined list will still be there in 2014.

I am wondering if sections would start to do the same, namely, to generate a doubles only section ranking list and seed players using that list for doubles draw.

[tennis5]

Originally Posted by Chemist

Looks like USTA has just started to show a separate doubles national ranking list this year. The total ranking points are just the summation of our kid's 6 highest doubles points. I could not find a separate singles only ranking list. I guess the combined list will still be there in 2014.

I am wondering if sections would start to do the same, namely, to generate a doubles only section ranking list and seed players using that list for doubles draw.

The national singles list was up this week, but then after it was used for seeding it was taken down.

[Chemist]

Originally Posted by tennis5

The national singles list was up this week, but then after it was used for seeding it was taken down.

I missed that I will pay more attention before L2 next month

[tennis5]

Per Lisa Stone - Parenting Aces -


One TD expressed the following: “The biggest problem with this scenario is not that the seeding change was made,
but that it was not communicated to the tournaments.
When a substantial procedural change occurs, it is best that all involved be informed.
While informing the player may be easier said than done, certainly notifying the directors should have been an early order of business, not an afterthought.”

He goes on to say, “I don’t see that this seeding procedure will discourage doubles play because selection to each tournament will still be done using the ‘combined’ standings and not the ‘singles seeding’ list. Being selected for a tournament is certainly more important than being a singles seed, since you can’t be seeded if you aren’t selected.”

Honestly, the biggest concern I have over this latest rule change is the lack of communication behind it.
The only way I knew about it was because I happened to be logged into Facebook when it came across my newsfeed (
by the way, the USTA JrComp Facebook page has fewer than 150 “Likes”).
Given the recent outcry by the tennis community as a whole over the behind-closed-doors methods used by USTA to create the 2014 Junior Comp schedule, you would think USTA would’ve been sensitive to the fact that a heads-up over the seeding rules changes might be important.

I am still at a loss to understand HOW or WHY USTA isn’t more communicative and open and forthcoming with its members,
especially with all the simple electronic methods at its disposal.
I keep asking the question and hope, one day soon, to be able to report the answer.

[Chemist]

Just saw something new on Tennislink. When I signed up my son for the National Spring Championship, a new screen popped up asking for ATP, CoSAT (South America), ETA (Europe), ITA and ITF rankings for both singles and doubles. I expect that USTA will start to take into account of professional rankings into super national seeding.