The new Tennis Europe Junior Tour 2010

There are many changes to the Tennis Europe Junior Tour from 2010. Read on to prepare for playing on the tour!

We would like to inform you that the following three documents are available now from Tennis Europe:

    * How to create an account on the Tennis Europe Website
    * How to do the online entries on the Tennis Europe Website
    * How to withdraw on the Tennis Europe Website

The link below takes you to the above mentioned documents.

http://www.tenniseurope.org/Juniors/PlayerGuide.aspx

Tour structure: The Tennis Europe Junior Tour consists of tournaments all over Europe. They are open to players from anywhere in the world. There are three Age Groups: 16&Under, 14&Under, 12&Under. The tournaments are divided into Category 1, 2 and 3 where Category 1 includes the top events, and European Championships.

The tournaments: Each tournament can have one or more Age Groups. The organisers have several draw sizes to choose from.

Category 1 events have 64 player Singles Main Draws, and 48, 64 or 96 player Qualifying draws for 8 positions in the Main Draw. Indoors there is an option to have
48 player Main Draws and smaller Qualifying draws.

Category 2 events have 32, 48 or 64 Singles Main Draws, with a variety of Qualifying draw sizes.

Category 3 events for 16&Under and 14&Under can have the same draw sizes as for

Category 2, but also smaller draws are allowed.

Category 3 events for 12&Under have 32, 48 or 64 player draws, and no qualifying. The 32‐draws can be either a round‐robin followed by a Play‐off, or an elimination draw in combination with a Consolation event.

The Doubles event is always half the size of the Singles Main Draw (e.g. if the Singles Main Draw is a 32 draw, the Doubles takes 16 teams.

Calendars: You can find full information from all tournaments in the Calendar on the Tennis Europe website and view them by week, Category and Age Group.

Everything online: All Tournament Calendars, Fact Sheets and Acceptance Lists for the Tennis Europe Junior Tour are found on the Tennis Europe website.

IPIN required: From 2010, you must have an IPIN (International Player Identification Number), issued by ITF, and have paid the yearly IPIN fee, to enter and play on the Tennis Europe Junior Tour. It is important that you sign‐up and pay for your IPIN well in advance of the Entry Deadline to be sure to have it in time. The 2010 IPIN fee for juniors is US$30.

If you don’t already have an IPIN, you can apply for your IPIN on the ITF website. You can go there by following this link: https://ipin.itftennis.com/index.asp?referrerid=4

Follow the instructions on site. You will need to supply your name, date of birth, email‐address and some other data, and then identify yourself among the names that appear on screen. Once done, you will get an email (to the address you have given), and you then have to click the link to activate your IPIN account.

Thereafter you select your password (don’t forget it) and how you prefer to pay your IPIN fee: on the internet using a credit card or in cash to the Referee at the first tournament you play. If you already have an IPIN, you must logon to your IPIN account and pay the yearly IPIN fee: on the internet using a credit card or in cash to the Referee at the first tournament you play.

Tennis Europe account required: In addition to the IPIN, you must also have a Tennis Europe account to be able to enter and play on the Tennis Europe Junior Tour.

You create your Tennis Europe account on this website: the link for this will be available soon.

Follow the instructions on the screen. You need to create your user name and password (can be the same or different from the one you selected for your IPIN). When all is filled in: click ‘submit’. You will get an email in return, and you then click the link in the email to activate your account.

Once the account has been activated, you can enter tournaments on the Tennis Europe Junior Tour.

Central entries: Entering events now takes place online, and is the responsibility of the player. Entries must be made no later than Tuesday 4 weeks (27 days) 14.00 GMT before the Tournament week. The tournament organiser no longer handles entries.

From the calendar page of the Tennis Europe juniors website you can select a tournament to enter. Once you are “inside” the tournament screen you need to verify your IPIN and IPIN‐password (it takes a few seconds) and select which event (age group) you wish to play (you can only select one for each event). Once ready,
click ‘submit’ and you are added to the entry list.

If you wish to enter another tournament, click the Tennis Europe Junior Tour logo in the top‐left corner of the screen, and select another tournament and repeat the procedure.

You can see all your active entries on‐screen.

If you cannot enter online, you can send a fax to Tennis Europe (fax no: +41 61 331 7253) to enter. You must use the official entry form and fill both your IPIN and Tennis Europe Account name.

Acceptance lists: Once the Entry deadline has passed, entries are sorted based on the new Tennis Europe Junior Ranking.

The entered players are primarily ordered and selected to the Main and Qualifying draws based on their Tennis Europe Junior Ranking. Thereafter the National Tennis Associations and the Tournament Organiser can review the entries and add information.

There are a few days (called ‘National Window’) when your National Association can review the entries, nominate National Squads and coaches, and sort players without an international ranking.

After that, the local organiser has a few days (‘Organiser Window’) to make certain selections for the Main Draw among the entered players.

Acceptance lists: From noon Monday 3 weeks (21 days) before the Tournament week, you can see the first Acceptance list for Main Draw and Qualifying, and the list of Alternates.

Once the Acceptance lists are available on www.tenniseurope.org, you can easily follow your position on the various lists. If other players withdraw, the lists are
updated several times every day, so that you can see you new position in the lists.

Withdrawals: If you need to withdraw from a tournament you do so from the same screens you used to enter. You can use the on‐line withdrawal at any time until the Freeze Deadline, but if you withdraw after the Withdrawal deadline and have been accepted to a Main Draw or Qualifying Acceptance list, you will have a late withdrawal penalty.

Login to your Tennis Europe account, and identify the tournament you wish to withdraw from, follow the instructions on screen and click ‘Withdraw’.

If you cannot withdraw online, you can send a fax to Tennis Europe (fax no: +41 61 331 7253) to withdraw. You must use the official withdrawal form and fill both your IPIN and Tennis Europe Account name.

Withdrawal deadline: After the Withdrawal Deadline at 14.00 hrs GMT on the Tuesday two weeks (13 days) before the tournament week, you can only be on one tournament Acceptance list. Until the Withdrawal deadline you can always withdraw from any tournament without a penalty.

If you entered more than one tournament, and didn’t withdraw yourself from all but one before the Withdrawal deadline, the system will automatically take you out so that you are on one list only after the Withdrawal deadline.

In case you have entered more than one tournament in a week, you have time to make up your mind about which event you decide to play, until the Withdrawal deadline on the Tuesday two weeks before the tournament week.

It is important that you make your own choice about which tournament to play; if you don’t, you will be automatically withdrawn from all but one event on the next Tuesday, and then you no longer have any influence over the selections.

Commitment to play: If you are on a Main Draw or Qualifying Acceptance list after the Withdrawal Deadline, you are committed to play that tournament, or have a penalty.

If, after the Withdrawal deadline, you are accepted to a Main Draw or Qualifying Acceptance list, you are committed to sign‐in and play in that tournament. If you
anyway have to withdraw after the Withdrawal deadline, you are subject to a penalty.

Moving in from the Alternate list: As long as you are still on an Alternate list you can withdraw without a penalty. Once you move in to the Qualifying Acceptance list you are committed to play.

Freeze Deadline: At 14:00 hrs GMT on the Thursday of the week before the Tournament, all Acceptance Lists will be frozen. This means that – even if someone withdraws – other players will no longer move from the Qualifying to the Main Draw list, or from the Alternate to the Qualifying list.

If you are still on the Alternate list after the Freeze Deadline, you keep your position on the list if you decide to sign‐in, otherwise you no longer have no commitment to sign‐in and play.

If there are gaps in the Main Draw and Qualifying Acceptance lists, these positions will be filled by players who sign‐in for Qualifying.

If you have to withdraw after the Freeze Deadline you must do so by fax to the Referee at the tournament site (fax number: see the tournament fact sheet) and to Tennis Europe (fax no +41 61 331 7253). You can no longer withdraw online. You must use the official withdrawal form and fill both your IPIN and Tennis Europe Account name.

Qualifying Sign‐in: If you are on the Qualifying Acceptance list you must yourself sign‐in onsite at the tournament by 18:00 hrs local time on the day before the Qualifying event starts. If you are on the Alternates list or have not entered, you may also sign‐in if you wish.

All players on the Qualifying Acceptance list must sign‐in for Qualifying. Also entered players on the Alternate list may sign‐in and will fill any empty positions in the Qualifying in the sequence of the Alternate list. Non‐entered players (On‐site Alternates) may take the chance to come to sign‐in and will take further empty
positions in the Qualifying draw once all entered players who signed‐in have been accommodated.

In all “normal” cases, you must sign in personally, on‐site with the Referee. You cannot sign‐in by phone, or have your coach or National Association sign‐in for you.

The only exceptions from this are:

* You have played another Tennis Europe or ITF Juniors event on the same day, or the day before the sign‐in. Then you can ask the Referee of that event to sign you in for the next tournament if you are entered.

* If there are empty positions in the Main Draw list (e.g. following withdrawals of other players after the Freeze Deadline: Then you can call the Referee to sign you in to “Preserve eligibility” for the Main Draw. If you move in to Main Draw, you just need to come to the tournament in time for the Main Draw sign‐in. If you don’t move in, you cannot play the Qualifying (as you are not signing in on‐site), and you will have a penalty.

* If you play another Tennis Europe event of the same or higher Category, or in an ITF Junior Circuit event in Europe, and are still playing the “next day”, i.e. the first day of Qualifying of the “new” tournament you may apply for a “Special Exempt” (SE) position. For this you must contact the Referee of the event where you are playing, who will inform the Referee of your next event. There are a limited number of SE positions in each Main Draw (normally 1 or 2), and they go first to players still in Singles, thereafter to players still in Doubles. If there are too many applications for the SE‐positions the higher ranking on the latest ranking list will be used. Players who receive SE‐positions move directly to the Main Draw. If there are not enough SEpositions available to help all players still playing in the previous week, then these players cannot play in the Qualifying, but will not get any penalty.

Alternates sign‐in: If you signed in but were not selected for the Qualifying draw there is still a chance to move to the Qualifying draw as an Alternate.

The order of players who were not selected for the Qualifying draw (Alternates) is established after the Qualifying sign‐in.

If there is vacancy, an Alternate will take this position if the player has signed the Alternate list of that day. The Alternate list closes 30 minutes before start of play in that particular draw. There will be an Alternate sign‐in list for each day as long as there are players to start their first match in the draw.

IPIN requirements for sign‐in: To sign‐in, you must have a valid IPIN and have either paid the yearly IPIN fee in advance, or pay it to the Referee on‐site before being allowed to sign in. Players without an IPIN or not having paid the yearly fee will be refused permission to sign‐in or play. Wild Cards have paid the yearly IPIN fee before playing.

For On‐site Alternates and Wild Cards who get their IPIN very late (e.g. from Thursday afternoon onwards), should bring a printed copy of the IPIN documentation and receipt (if any) to the Referee for verification.

Main Draw Sign‐in: If you are on the Main Draw Acceptance list you must sign‐in personally on‐site at the tournament by 18:00 hrs local time, the day before the Main Draw starts.

All players on the Main Draw Acceptance list must sign‐in for Main Draw. In all “normal” cases, you must sign in personally, on‐site with the Referee. You
cannot sign‐in by phone, or have your coach or National Association sign‐in for you.

The only exception from this is:

* You have played another Tennis Europe or ITF Juniors event on the same day, or the day before the sign‐in. Then you can ask the Referee of that event to sign you in for the next tournament.

Lucky Losers: If you played and lost in the Qualifying draw there is still a chance to move to the Main Draw as a Lucky Loser.

Once the Qualifying is finished, the order of the Lucky Loser is decided first among those losing in the Qualifying final where the ranked players will be drawn first, then the unranked players will be drawn. Players who lost in the previous round come thereafter, and so on.

If there is a vacancy at the time the Main Draw is made (or when completing the Main Draw after the Qualifying has finished), then one or more Lucky Losers move directly into the Main Draw as required. This is an automatic process and there is sign‐in requirement at this time.

If there is vacancy later on, a Lucky Losers will take this position if the player has signed the Lucky Loser list of that day. The Lucky Loser list closes 30 minutes before start of play in that particular draw, and uses the same order as previously drawn. There will be a Lucky Loser sign‐in list for each day as long as there are players to start their first match in the draw.

Doubles Sign‐in: If you wish to play Doubles both you and your partner must sign‐in. The sign‐in closes at 12:00 noon local time during the first day of the Singles Main Draw (Please note: New time from 2010).

A doubles team with two Singles Main Draw players (except Singles Wild Cards) have the first priority for Doubles, and within this group, teams with two ranked players are at the top; thereafter teams with one ranked players, followed by teams without
any ranked player.

The 2nd priority is for teams with one Main Draw player (except Singles Wild Cards), and this teams without Singles Main Draw players.

There are a few Doubles Wild Card positions for the Tournament Director to decide.

Note! Doubles matches may be added to the Order of Play of the day of the sign‐in. Such matches may not start before 15:00 hrs local time, or less than two hours after the Doubles draw was published (whichever is later).

Consolation events: Some tournaments organise Consolation events, which you may play if you lose your first match. If you lost and wish to take part in the Consolation, you should sign‐in before a time that the Referee can tell you.

The sign‐in deadline for Consolation is 30 minutes after the last match where someone plays his/her first singles match. However, as it can be difficult to see on the Order of Play when this is, the Referee may assign a specific time for this.

Match formats: Singles Qualifying and Main Draw matches are played in best of 3 tiebreak sets. Doubles matches are played with 2 tiebreak sets with NoAd, and a 10‐point Match Tiebreak.

These formats are fixed for all Singles Qualifying and Main Draw matches, and for all Doubles matches (unless there are weather problems). Consolation matches can be played with a variety of scoring systems.

If you play matches without Umpires, you will have to remember the score and give it to the Referee or Assistant Referee after the match. Also the score in any tiebreak games must be recorded (e.g. a match can finish 6‐4 5‐7 7‐6(3), where (3) indicates the score in the tiebreak (7‐3). A Doubles match with Match Tiebreak may finish: 4‐6 7‐6(4) [10‐8] where [10‐8] is the score in the Match Tiebreak.

Playing without Umpires: Many matches are played without a Chair Umpire. In such cases, there are Assistant Referees to inform the players, to monitor the progress of matches and player behaviour, and to make sure there is no coaching or other involvement from outside the court.

It is very important that the match is played in good spirit between the players, without any outside interference from coaches, parents and friends. You call the lines fairly on your side of the net to the best of your ability. The calls shall be loud so that the other player can hear. The server must call the score in the game before each new point. The game score shall be marked on whatever scoreboards there are oncourt.

There are specific guidelines for matches without Umpires, dealing with how to call lines, how to settle a dispute about a lines call, or if the players have lost the score in a match. The Assistant Referee may be called to court to help with such rulings.