10SBALLS • TENNIS ANOTHER SAD STORY, THIS ONE FROM AMERICA BY LOU FULLER

Written by: Staff on 8th May 2017

10SBALLS • TENNIS ANOTHER SAD STORY, THIS ONE FROM AMERICA BY LOU FULLER

epa05719997 Tennis balls displayed at Melbourne park on the first day of the of the Australian Open Grand Slam tennis tournament at Melbourne Park, in Melbourne, Australia, 16 January 2017. The Australian Open tennis tournament will run from 16 to 29 January 2017. EPA/LYNN BO BO |

Pro Circuit Idiocy

The following is a true story, posted by a coach on Facebook:

My players are in the doubles final of a $60k ITF in the U.S.A. All 4 girls in the final are Americans. U.S.T.A. Pro Circuit provides an on-site supervisor. The final was scheduled for Sunday, but all 4 girls would miss qualifying for next week’s tournament, so the Director of the tournament, and all 4 girls, agreed to play the final on Saturday.

The U.S.T.A. Pro Circuit Supervisor told them no, and that “you are all overachievers for making the final.” He told the girls they weren’t expected to win and nobody could have imagined they’d make the finals. The 4 girls were shocked at how rude he was, especially with the Director being on their side.

The Director wanted to play the final Saturday, and all 4 players did as well.

The Supervisor stood his ground saying it would set a precedent that players have control over the tournament.

The U.S.T.A. Pro Circuit Supervisor stood his ground and said the girls had to skip next week’s tournament and play the final on Sunday, despite the club, the Director, and the players wanting the final to be played Saturday.

The Supervisor had no good reason but couldn’t put his pride aside and listen to logic. What a shame that these guys have control of I.T.F. events in the U.S. instead of how it works in the rest of the world.

This Supervisor is a guy who is also in charge of the U.S.T.A. pro circuit. He has openly stated they try to schedule tournaments so it’s hard for the players to travel to them so the U.S. players have an advantage – when in reality it just hurts everyone. The man is on a power trip. Too bad the I.T.F. is now run by a former U.S.T.A. executive. There’s no way to convince the I.T.F. to remove U.S.T.A. Pro Circuit’s hold over events in the U.S. I can run a tournament in any other country if I have a site and the sponsors, but in the U.S. the Pro Circuit can simply tell you no.

The referee (Supervisor) is the one that’s making it impossible for the players to play the next week. The Director is all for doing the right thing; the Supervisor is the problem. The girls are already losing money for winning the doubles tournament, and then they are penalized by not being able to play singles the next week. It’s a stupid system. The rules state the Supervisor can change the schedule, but he has a personal vendetta against anything that helps players unless they are the chosen few junior that are the current flavor of the week with U.S.T.A.

Editors Note:

As We Have Said Many Times We Know the “L” in U.S.L.T.A.

(United States LAWN Tennis Association) stood for the word LAWN.

But we said it was also for LOVE or LOGIC. So today it’s the U.S.T.A. —– no logic.

And how sad for these players and their families. Why add more hardship to hardships. Being part of a family that has a “player” is not fun. But I can tell you this is beyond pathetic and very sad. Will this sport die? (LJ)

May 22,1997 • TENNIS WEEK

20 years ago Gene Scott wrote a Vantage Point • quote “the sport has such a history of shooting itself in the foot, there are no toes left. Its now working on the ankles.”

Topics: 10sballs.com, Itf, Lou Fuller, Sports, Tennis News, USTA Pro Circuit