Dilemma: 4.0, 5.0, or Open?

[Fuji]

Hey All! I have a bit of dilemma!

I'm looking to start entering tournaments this winter, and as some of you may know, I am now competing at 4.5 for the last while now.

The only tournaments offered are 4.0, 5.0 or Open level. Open has the smallest draws of less then 8 people usually, 5.0 is a mixed bag of large and small draws, and then 4.0 is huge, since a lot of people play up and down.

I'm stuck on where I should be registering as a 4.5. Should I just play up at 5.0 and try my luck, or should I play down to 4.0 like quite a few people here. It's so difficult since there are no .5 tournaments to my knowledge.

My gut is telling me that I should be playing up at 5.0, but I'm just looking for some input from you wise people!

-Fuji

[nickarnold2000]

Play up - you'll improve more quickly.

[Fuji]

That's what I was thinking. Plus they aren't overly expensive to join. I just have to find out if I can enter them being a junior!

(I haven't played tournaments for 2-3 years now I think, and before I just played by age category. It's very different now!)

-Fuji

[nickarnold2000]

I thought 4.5 tourneys in Canada were very popular. I used to live in Sask before but now live in Asia.

[Devilito]

you're in Alberta right? So 4, 5 and Open. Unless you wanna get rick-rolled by Carson Bell or Dennis Simsek 6-0 6-0 in about 30 min for your $50 entry fee i'd stick to 4s and 5s until you can win one

[Fuji]

Originally Posted by Devilito

you're in Alberta right? So 4, 5 and Open. Unless you wanna get rick-rolled by Carson Bell or Dennis Simsek 6-0 6-0 in about 30 min for your $50 entry fee i'd stick to 4s and 5s until you can win one

LOL Pretty much! I'm just seeing what the best plan of attack here is.

Btw, you seem pretty knowledgeable about Albertan tennis. Can juniors just go and enter these tournaments? I couldn't find anywhere where it said it.

I think 5.0 is going to be the best option so far. It lets me play up a bit above my level, but I hopefully won't be totally outclassed. I just don't want to be a sandbagger at 4.0 and roll through!

-Fuji

[Devilito]

Originally Posted by Fuji

LOL Pretty much! I'm just seeing what the best plan of attack here is.

Btw, you seem pretty knowledgeable about Albertan tennis. Can juniors just go and enter these tournaments? I couldn't find anywhere where it said it.

I think 5.0 is going to be the best option so far. It lets me play up a bit above my level, but I hopefully won't be totally outclassed. I just don't want to be a sandbagger at 4.0 and roll through!

-Fuji

Anybody can play 4, 5 or Open events. However there are far more junior events. If you're still a junior you should play those. 4s and 5s can still be tricky if you don't have much match experience. You'll get some 55 year old guys taking you out to the woodshed if you're not prepared for it. I play Open events in Alberta. I took 10 years off tennis after juniors and just now started playing again in my mid 30s. I don't know how familiar you are with tennis in Alberta but i know pretty much all the older top players that i played with in juniors or Open back in the late 90s like Dietmar, Eduardo and the Spiers brothers who all had ATP rankings. Biggest tournament in Alberta every year is the Calgary Tennis Club Open where they put up 20k or more and bring in ATP ranked money players during the summer. Next year you should come down to Calgary for that and get a good glimpse of some top tennis action. I played it this year and lost to Chris Wettengel who is ATP ranked and won Futures. He went on to win the tournament. It's not fun trying to return a 130mph + serve

One advice i'll give you is if you're serious and have the cash, play all the tournaments you can. Nothing is a replacement for match play.

[LeeD]

My strategy as a B player in 1977 was to stay a B, but enter Open tourneys to get the experience. I could always stroke my ego by going to a B or 4.5 tourney, but do we want to look ahead or behind?
And sure, you end up getting pummelled, but that's not so bad if you can go a few rounds in most of the tourneys.

[Devilito]

Originally Posted by LeeD

My strategy as a B player in 1977 was to stay a B, but enter Open tourneys to get the experience. I could always stroke my ego by going to a B or 4.5 tourney, but do we want to look ahead or behind?
And sure, you end up getting pummelled, but that's not so bad if you can go a few rounds in most of the tourneys.

I agree but as far as i'm aware he is just starting out playing tournaments. So it's not like he's been playing 5.0 for years and wants to play up to Open events. I play Open tournaments in his province and unless you're an established junior (top 5 in your age category) or an Open player from another province he will get zero benefit from getting demolished in the first round of every tournament he plays. 5.0 will be plenty hard as is and for someone without tournament experience 4.0 will be where you’d want to start out.

[LeeD]

Actually, there's a clause where I stay a B player, but I enter Open events.
So I can play B tournies when my ego get's bruised. I didn't, but could have.
So OP can self rate to 4.0, and also enter Opens! When he's confident, when he needs his ego bruised, or when he just likes to play against a really good player.

[yonexpurestorm]

do one 4.0 and if you win then go to 5.0 and if you win that then try open. untill you win at a certain level you probably shouldnt move up. unless you have the money for the entry fees. i tried to jump to open too quickly and lost, but i at least had some decent matches. i also had the money to pay the fees and it was worth it to see what youre gonna be up against.

[Kenny022593]

I tried entering a USTA 4.0 tournament here in NY and they told me that I couldn't play because I was a junior. =/ Idk what will happen where you are Fuji

[LeeD]

Juniors can still play Open, as can anyone of the right gender. If you plan to play competitive tennis, the smart move is to try a few Open tourneys to get some experience playing potentially good players. You won't get anywhere staying at your own level in every tournament.
Registering in Open tourneys doesn't affect your prior ranking status.