I dont think national tournaments should get itf points. National tournaments give you a National ranking which is used after ITF ranking for entry purposes. Also as you say a bit unfair for someone who is from a country with few tournaments. Also th strength of the tournaments will widely differ.

The ITF press release about the August changes mentioned a new "affordable" entry level tournament type - but didn't give any detail. Not heard or seen antything about it since then.

"Subject to consultation with National Associations and key stakeholders, a new more affordable level of development tournament is currently under review for introduction below the ITF World Tennis Tour, between $15,000 tournaments and the ITF Junior Circuit, to ensure players from as many countries as possible have the opportunity to join the player pathway. These tournaments will offer ITF ranking points and enable all players, including those from college tennis and other pathways, to progress to professional tournaments based on results."

Don't hold your breath.

Yes, it was being followed in the UTR events thread and Madadam put the final result up:

"Marshall Tutu & David Wright came out victorious at Sutton. Full results: courthive.com/t/34413032-d3dd-417f-bd28-e4ad6c82c646"

(Full info being:

Don't know if this quite counts as UTR but the Murray Doubles Challenge takes place today (and seems to be Barry Fuller's baby so should go here whatever).

Lots of our college boys, and other good players, all involved.

And there's THREE THOUSAND pounds in prize money - £3k 

I think it's £1500 for winning team, £800 for finalists, and £350 for SF team. And kit prizes too.

Also, an ATP 80 MD WC on offer.....

There seems to be four groups of four pairs:

Jamie Murray Group

Ben Jones/Charlie Broom
Tutu/Wright
Beecher/Brookes
Golesworthy/Mackinlay


Fleming Group

Brandon Murphy/James Story
Davis/Summers
Pudney/Caddies
Morgan Phillips/Alex Ward (the 'black horse' pairing, says Barry )


Jonny Marray Group

Dias/Mark Whitehouse
Hyman/Carroll
Dan Little/Sacha Modica
Tom Hands/Harry Wendelken


Dom Inglot Group

George Houghton/Mike Shaw
Jordan Gray/Higgins
Henry Patten (former NCAA doubles champion)/Nolan
Bartley/Markiewicz

 

-- Edited by Coup Droit on Sunday 25th of August 2019 05:53:04 AM

Our entry lists aren't this far in advance but here is the entry list for the Murray Trophy: twitter.com/Jacques_Ukraine/status/1166079419867455488


@tennisontelly
The singles entry list for the "Murray Trophy" Glasgow Challenger includes Jay Clarke, Jack Draper, Evan Hoyt and Lloyd Glasspool. The top seed before wildcards will be Malek Jaziri.

Is anyone going to this from the board btw? I'm going for the Monday.

i may be going along to scotstoun one day, probably the tuesday or wednesday. went last year and saw evo and glasspool among others

Coup Droit wrote:

---

By the way, to an uninitiated southerner, is 'Scotstoun' just 'Scots town' written 'wrong'/with a Scottish accent ????
Are there other 'touns' up there?

---

One of the things the wiki comes up with.

A toun is a kynd o settlement reengin frae a pickle tae mony thoosand (whiles hunders o thoosands) indwallers, awtho it micht can be applee'd lowse e'en tae muckle metropolitan areas; the preceese meanin chynges atween kintras an isna aye a maiter o legal defineetion. For ordinar, a "toun" is thocht o as lairger nor a veelage but smawer nor a "ceety", tho thare's exceptions tae this rule. The wirds "ceety" an "veelage" cam intae Scots frae Laitin via French. "Toun" an "burgh" is o hamelt Germanic oreegin, frae Auld Inglis burg, a fortifee'd settlement, an tn, an enclosed bit grund.^[1]

In Auld Inglis an Auld Scots, "Toun" (or "town", "ton", etc.) oreeginally meant a fortifee'd municipality, whauras a burgh wisna fortifee'd. But that disteenction daedna last lang, an "Edina Burgh" or "Edinburgh"nou cried a "ceety"wis a fortifee'd "toun" frae its foondin.

 

 

Strongbow wrote:

---

The ITF press release about the August changes mentioned a new "affordable" entry level tournament type - but didn't give any detail. Not heard or seen antything about it since then.

"Subject to consultation with National Associations and key stakeholders, a new more affordable level of development tournament is currently under review for introduction below the ITF World Tennis Tour, between $15,000 tournaments and the ITF Junior Circuit, to ensure players from as many countries as possible have the opportunity to join the player pathway. These tournaments will offer ITF ranking points and enable all players, including those from college tennis and other pathways, to progress to professional tournaments based on results."

Don't hold your breath.

---

So, following the information that Oracle will be funding a US based series of professional tournaments for people wanting to get into pro tennis, which will carry ATP and WTA points, maybe there is some movement to globally look at affordable entry level tournaments? 

 

Reading further, it seems though that Oracle are just funding a bigger US based ATP challenger and Womens higher end ITF tournaments presence.  They talk of tournaments from $25K but of course the current entry level tournaments are only $15K today so it is not looking at providing more entry level tournaments at all!!

-- Edited by Simon on Wednesday 4th of September 2019 12:36:34 PM