2024 TOURNAMENT SERIES

Welcome back to the Laurel Park Tennis Center! We are back in May of 2024. Each event offers competition, lunch and a chance to compete and be crowned The 2024 Season Champion of your Division. Divisions for Juniors and Adults.

Boys and Girls 10’s-18’s both singles and doubles.

Here is the link to the MGP #1 Junior Divisions.

Here is the link to the MGP #1 Adult Divisions.

Entry fee varies from: Singles $35 Doubles $17.50/$10.00

 DOUBLES

If doubles only the entry fee is $17.50 per player. If doubles in addition to singles then $35.00 for the singles and $10.00 for the doubles.

FOR NON-OPEN DOUBLES ONLY:

WE CHARGE $17.50 PER DOUBLES PLAYER.

THE DOUBLES IS PLAYED AFTER THE SINGLES UNLESS WE HAVE SPECIFIC “DOUBLES SPECIALISTS” WHO SIGN UP TO PLAY. IF YOU SIGN UP FOR DOUBLES ONLY THE FEE IS $17.50 PER PERSON. IF YOU ARE PLAYING SINGLES AND ADDING DOUBLES THE FEE IS ONLY AN ADDITIONAL $10.00.

PLAYED AFTER THE SINGLES THE DOUBLES EVENTS ARE SINGLE ELIMINATION.

IF THERE IS ENOUGH PARTICIPATION FOR “STAND ALONE” DOUBLES EVENTS THE DRAWS WILL BE ARRANGED TO HAVE MORE THAN ONE MATCH. IF YOU WIN YOU CONTINUE ON TO PLAY THE NEXT ROUND.

YOU NEED TO CALL US AND LET US KNOW YOU WANT TO PLAY DOUBLES.

**FOR DOUBLES: If you do not have a partner we will try to find one for you.

DOUBLES IS PLAYED LATER IN THE DAY ON SATURDAY AFTER THE SINGLES DIVISIONS.

The dates for this year’s series of (10) ten tournaments is as follows:

March 30, 2024

April 27, 2024

May 18, 2024

June 29, 2024

July 20, 2024

August 10, 2024

August 24, 2024

September 21, 2024

October 19, 2024

November 30, 2024

TYPICAL MARIETTA GRAND PRIX SCHEDULE

10:20 am – Arrive for the Rally Ball Challenge

10:30 am – Rally Ball Challenge

10:30 – 10:50 am – On-Site Registration and warm-up.

11:00 am – Play for singles begins.

12:45-1:00 p.m – Lunch arrives and is served. Short break in play.

1:00 p.m. – Singles and Doubles play resumes.

3:00 p.m. – Final singles matches begin to finish up and players who entered doubles to play after the singles concludes begins.

4:00 p.m. – Our goal is to finish up around 4:00 p.m. or 5:00 p.m. (Depending on the number of doubles matches).

IF WE HAVE 5 OR LESS PLAYERS IN A DIVISION THERE COULD BE A ROUND ROBIN FORMAT FOR THIS TOURNAMENT. IT DOES NOT MEAN EVERYONE PLAYS EACH OTHER.

• Any player who withdraws must notify the tournament staff immediately. Players do not need to be members of USTA to play this tournament. Less than two entrants in a division will mean that event will be closed and the entrants placed in the next appropriate level up or down. The best advice we can give you is not to enter a tournament unless your calendar is open. Individuals may enter one singles and one doubles event.
• While the scoring system is abbreviated this does not apply to the court or the balls used for this tournament. All ages and levels will play with the Regulation Yellow ball and on 78′ courts. THIS INCLUDES THE 8 AND UNDER’S BOYS AND GIRLS AND THE 10 AND UNDER BOYS AND GIRLS. PLEASE NOTE THIS WHEN SIGNING UP FOR THE TOURNAMENT.
• Phone entries will cost an additional registration fee of $10 per player. Please enter online at the USTA link provided.
• The MGP tournaments will all use abbreviated scoring each Saturday and are played over one day. For these events we use a variety of scoring formats to help with the developmental process of the players. Goal is to provide at least 3 matches – which could be simply three sets. GENERALLY OUR GOAL INCLUDES: DRAW SIZES OF 8 PLAYERS. The “abbreviated formats” means modified matches or sets are played in order to complete the tournament by early evening on Saturday. Example: If the entries are high the match would be 1 set to be played with No-Ad scoring to 6 games with a 12-Point Tiebreaker at 6 Games-All. Conversely, if entries are low a format with two sets, each starting at 2-all and a full third set is a possibility.
• No refunds will be given once a tournament entry has been accepted and filed online. A credit toward the next tournament is offered if the player notifies us by Friday noon of the day before the tournament. If one round is completed in an event then the tournament will be counted as complete. No refunds will be given.
• Lunch is included and will be served to all players during the tournament. All others pay a $10.00 lunch fee.
• Entering a Grand Prix tournament and showing up to first match is worth 5 points. Each win is awarded 5 points. Each loss is awarded 2.5 points. Grand Prix points leaders in each division at the end of the tournament series will be announced after December 2024.
• During these tournaments coaching is allowed. You may speak to the players most freely at the benches during the changeovers. Quiet and limited comments may be made during points. If this becomes abused in the judgement of the tournament staff then the coaching will be limited to only during the changeovers and from the bench.

THE RALLY BALL CHALLENGE

• Pairs of players begin a rally on a full or half court (begun at the blow of a whistle) with only one (yellow) regulation tennis ball from the baseline.
• The players have one ball and one chance to keep the rally going.
• Once either player misses in the rally they are done.
• The last pair standing and rallying wins – but the credit for the rally count only goes to the one player who makes the last ball in the court.
• A player may save an out ball by rallying the ball back out of the air but the rally is over if the ball lands outside of the lines or if the ball bounces twice.
• The rally is over if the players stop the rally for any reason.
• The rally is over if the ball lands in the net.
• Players must keep the ball in a rally mode such as to be from baseline to baseline.
• If a rally begins to take place predominantly inside the service box then players will be disqualified.
• A good rule of thumb is the rally must happen where the ball is landing beyond the service box more than 60-70% of the time.

This contest takes place at 10:30 a.m. before the Marietta Grand Prix begins. YOU MUST BE REGISTERED AT THE DESK BEFORE 10:20 AM. The winner of the contest gets the recognition and his/her name engraved permanently on the enormous silver trophy kept at the Laurel Park Tennis Center. All players need to be present at 10:20 a.m. in order to review the rules for the contest. If the players are entered into the Marietta Grand Prix then they are then they are able to compete at no charge. If rally players are not entered in the MGP then the fee is $5.00.

So come join us to participate or come join us to watch the contest!