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Welcome to Adventures in RatingLand!
It is, in fact, actually possible to understand the National Tennis Rating Program
and the evolution of your own rating level as you continue to play
league and/or tournament tennis. Please take a few moments to check
these exciting true-life adventures of real CORTA players!
Tina Tennis,
new to league play, joined her first league team this Spring and in the
process rated herself as a 3.0. With each league match she plays
against computer rated opponents, she generates a dynamic rating. In
June, when USTA Southern publishes Early Start League ratings, her most
current dynamic rating is 2.90, so her Early Start Rating is 3.0. At
the end of the year, she will earn a Year End Computer rating. It will
be based not only on her local league matches, but also on the
performance of the W3.0 team that represents Southern at the National
Championships.
Myron Matchpoint
has been playing tennis for many years. He enters the league season
with the same-old same-old 4.0 computer rating he has had for three
seasons. But this winter he started taking tennis lessons. Much to his
captain’s delight, Myron is now a force! His Early Start League rating
will reflect this improvement, and Myron will be giving his tennis pro
a big fat tip! He continues to take lessons through the summer, does
not knowingly take any performance enhancing drugs, and voila! His year
end rating is even higher! Myron dreams of the pro circuit!
Sammy Singles
self rates at 2.0 because he has never played much tennis. He joins a
3.5 team and does quite well. After three matches he receives a
congratulatory letter from USTA Georgia, advising him that his rating
is being adjusted to 3.5. There is no impact on his team and Sammy goes
on to enjoy the rest of the season as a solid 3.5 player. In fact, his
year end computer rating pushes him into the 4.0 range and he is quite
proud. He looks forward to finding opportunities in the coming league
season to play on a 4.0 team.
Lewis Lewser
has been playing social tennis for many years. He meets Captain Joe,
who sees that Lewis will be a wonderful addition to his 4.0 team. In
fact, Lewis would be a wonderful addition to a 5.0 team. No matter, Joe
needs him! Lewis joins Joe’s team, and fudges a bit on the self rating
process, because Joe promises him fame, glory, an exciting experience
at National competition and his first born daughter. Lewis plays for
Joe’s team. Lewis plays really well, wiping out his opponents, and for
some reason both Lewis and Joe are proud and think that this is what
competition is about. However, in the sixth week of the season, Lewis
receives a letter from USTA Georgia informing him that he has generated
Three Strikes, and is not eligible to play at the 4.0 level. His rating
is raised to 5.0, his wins are overturned, his team drops to the bottom
of the standings, and the opponents in that flight all celebrate the
triumph of good over evil, as well as the re-establishment of a tennis
league where the competition is fair.
Larry Lob
self rates as a 3.5 player and joins a 4.0 team, where he enjoys great
success. This enjoyment ends abruptly when a Self Rate Grievance is
filed against him, claiming that anyone who recently played #1 singles
for UGA cannot self rate at the 3.5 level. The grievance is upheld,
despite the claims by Larry that he “must have missed that part of the
process” when he self rated. His matches are overturned, and he and his
captain are suspended from any participation in USTA league play for
three years.
Molly Volley
has been enjoying tennis for many years. Last winter she was in a
serious car accident that left her with one leg six inches shorter than
the other. She submits a medical appeal, accompanied by a statement
from her physician attesting to the fact that Molly is no longer able
to run very well, and that her leg will probably never grow back to its
normal length. Molly has satisfied the requirements of a medical
appeal, and her rating is adjusted downward so she can continue to
enjoy league tennis.
Molly's sister, Polly,
also wanting to file a medical appeal, gets a statement from her own
doctor. She reports a number of medical issues, including liver flukes,
salt rheums, fretting ulcers, bleeding gums, ringworm and a bad case of
frostbite several winters ago. She is also pregnant. Southern is unable
to grant this appeal, because her many illnesses, while undeniably
nasty, do not satisfy the requirements of 1) being permanently
disabling and 2) having occurred after her last year-end rating was
achieved.
Dilbert Default has
been playing tennis for a while. He is hot stuff on his 3.5 team, but
not strong enough to do much for his club’s 4.0 team. Every time
Southern publishes new ratings, his rating squeaks up to the 4.0 level.
Just barely. Dilbert appeals his new rating, and it is adjusted
downward. Every time. One of these days Dilbert may actually push
right into that 4.0 range that is not appealable, but until then, he is
a very strong 3.5 player, striking fear into the hearts of his
opponents, who wish the appeal process had never been offered.
Gloria and Greta Groundstroke
are twin sisters, and they do everything together. They wear the same
tennis clothes, play on the same team and they both started the Adult
League season with 3.5 ratings. They play many doubles matches
together, and when Early Start League ratings are published in the
summer, both are moved up to 4.0. Both sisters appeal to have their
ratings moved down. Gloria’s appeal is granted. Greta’s is denied.
“Why, why, why?” they cry piteously and simultaneously. USTA Georgia
explains: Gloria played (and lost) two singles matches for her team.
While both players received 4.0 ratings, Gloria’s was actually a 3.54
rating, falling within the margin allowed. Greta, on the other hand,
had a rating of 3.59, out of the range allowed for an appeal, so her
request could not be granted. Greta is considering filing a medical
appeal, claiming serious and permanently disabling separation anxiety.
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