Challenger Tour

Jaffa · Challenger level

Challenger Tour

Helen40 · Grand Slam Champion

It sounds beneficial to the players, as long as they're not going to get the money to do it from the futures tour. I don't get the four players qualies thing though- what's the point?

JonH · All-time great

I think the idea is that with 48 instead of 32 draw events, most of the players who might have been in qualies will instead be in the main draw directly, not sure why bother with any qualifying as any local talent will get wildcards presumably?

Presumably some of those extra 16 places will be those coming up through the Futures/transition Tour which I did understand but to be honest have forgotten how that works.

RedSquirrel · Satellite level

This was included in a video the ITF released last week on the transition tour, and includes the composition of the ATP challenger draws (at 5:33)

The 4 qualifying spots are made up of 3 players with the highest ITF ranking that didn't get in to the main draw and 1 wild card.
The main draw has a further 4 reserved places for players with the highest ITF ranking that isn't directly accepted through their ATP or ITF ranking.

Madadman · Masters Series Champion

From a fans perspective the only weekend tennis is going to be when there are the fewest games semi-finals and finals. Whereas at the moment with Qualifying at the weekend you can watch a number of games.
At least more players will be earning money in Challengers rather than getting nout from a Qualifying draw. I assume this will result in 16 seeds who will get round 1 byes. Also with hotels needing to be paid for will be interesting if this decreases the amount of tournaments available.

JonH · All-time great

www.telegraph.co.uk/tennis/2018/07/23/challenger-tour-revamped-atp-looks-bolster-lower-level-tennis/

I think one positive is that Challengers will start on a Monday and end on a Sunday, avoiding overlaps etc and reducing cost of hotels for those not required to play for two days. I think this is good for the players to be honest, overall feels like a positive to me

Helen40 · Grand Slam Champion

JonH wrote:
www.telegraph.co.uk/tennis/2018/07/23/challenger-tour-revamped-atp-looks-bolster-lower-level-tennis/

I think one positive is that Challengers will start on a Monday and end on a Sunday, avoiding overlaps etc and reducing cost of hotels for those not required to play for two days. I think this is good for the players to be honest, overall feels like a positive to me

It says that there will be no ATP points for the ITF tour. So is this going to be a seperate points system like for juniors to seniors? So the top ITFers get into challengers, like the top juniors will have reserved places into futures? I'm confused with the bigger picture. If this is so, then surely there is a danger of only the rich getting points on the future's tour.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

The FAQ page explains a lot of it:

www.itftennis.com/procircuit/about-pro-circuit/transition-tour-faqs.aspx

Helen40 · Grand Slam Champion

Coup Droit wrote:
The FAQ page explains a lot of it:

www.itftennis.com/procircuit/about-pro-circuit/transition-tour-faqs.aspx

Thanks CD.

As far as I can figure, apart from the points changing being segregated, accomodation etc at chally level, and the definition of 'professional', there doesn't seem to be alot of change. I'm not sure I understand the pecking order between the different levels, ie how it will work in practice to help players plan their schedules. It seems like a later entry at ATP/WTA level will guzzump someone with mainly ITF points. Hmm, saying that if the entry date is still six weeks or so, I guess it won't be any different.

Helen40 · Grand Slam Champion

Hmm, I wonder how the Monday to Sunday thing works if a tourney gets rained out like the LGBT one this week.

RedSquirrel · Satellite level

Helen40 wrote:

Hmm, I wonder how the Monday to Sunday thing works if a tourney gets rained out like the LGBT one this week.

Not sure about ATP Challengers, but for ITF events it would probably be the same as now. A tournament can extend by 1 day with any player still involved that is scheduled to be in qualifying elsewhere on that day getting a Special Exempt. Any tournament that cannot be completed, points awarded to the round they got to when it was abandoned.

indiana · Tennis legend

Helen40 wrote:
Hmm, I wonder how the Monday to Sunday thing works if a tourney gets rained out like the LGBT one this week.

As mentioned in its thread, it is the the LG&T Tennis Challenger. Levene Gouldin & Thompson to be precise.

Maybe it is a slight confusion that has encouraged all the thunderbolts and lighting and general deluge from a less enlightened source.

Kolohead · Junior player

Hang on a min. I thought the point of he new transition tour was to stop the top players being able to enter. Watching the latest video apart from players losing atp poaunts I dont see any diff. Atp ranked players can enter transition tour events as they do now

paulisi · Tennis legend

You have to have a fall back if you are coming back from injury etc

-- Edited by paulisi on Saturday 28th of July 2018 07:25:32 AM

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Kolohead wrote:
Hang on a min. I thought the point of he new transition tour was to stop the top players being able to enter. Watching the latest video apart from players losing atp poaunts I dont see any diff. Atp ranked players can enter transition tour events as they do now

The rules say:

17) Who is eligible to play in transition tour tournaments?

Players of any age can play on the transition tour (as long as they are aged 14 or above).

Play-down rules will remain the same in 2019, specifically:

· Men ranked in the ATP Top 100 will not be able to play at $25,000 tournaments or transition tour tournaments. Those ranked 101-150 will be able to do so through a wild card only.

· Women ranked in the Top 10 will not be able to play at $100,000 tournaments or below.

New play-down rules may be introduced in 2020 following further research into and consideration of how the new structure is affecting playing patterns.