Preview: Debut Florida 10 & Under Green Ball Sectionals This Weekend

The first USTA Florida “Bobby Curtis” 10 & Under Green Ball Sectional Championships will be held on Oct. 22-23, 2016, at the Florida Tennis Center in Daytona Beach. The two-day singles and doubles championships uses the lower-compression Green Ball, and replaces the 10-and-under division formerly played at the annual USTA Florida “Bobby Curtis” Junior State Championships.

Players qualified for the championships by winning or reaching the final at any of the 16 ‘Level 6 Designated’ events held throughout the year in the Florida Section. If less than 32 players are eligible for the sectionals event, alternate players with the most Green Ball match wins from January-September 2016 may be invited.

On Friday, Oct. 21, practice courts will be open from noon-dusk, and early check-in open for players from 4-7 p.m. A Player Education Session will be held from 5:30-6 p.m. featuring USTA Player Development Coordinator of Coaching Education Jose Caballero, and from 6-6:45 p.m. Caballero will hold a Parent Education Session titled “Navigating the Junior Tennis Pathway as a Parent.” A Cardio Tennis session will be held from 6-7 p.m., and a Pizza Party from 6:45-7:30 p.m.

Players must be Florida residents, meet age eligibility requirement for tournament, and may participate even if they have progressed to the Yellow Ball-level in the USTA Florida Youth Progression Pathway.

Matches will be played on 78-foot full-size courts using Green-dot Balls. Draws are 32-player compass, and doubles will be round robin format. All singles players will play doubles, and doubles players will be randomly partnered and will alternate partners each round.

Scoring for singles will be best-of-three short sets with no-ad scoring to the semifinals, and a seven-point tiebreak in lieu of a third set. Doubles scoring will be one set, with no-ad scoring and a seven-point tiebreak at 5-5 (tiebreak to be won by one point).

For more information on the tournament go to the USTA Florida webpage or the TennisLink tournament page.