Drawforall, a new competition format designed to provide opportunities for adult players to compete against others of a similar standard, is being launched today at a press conference in London.
The drawforall format is based upon the LTA Volkswagen Ratings competitions that used to take place in the 1980s. The competitions were extremely successful at the time, growing from 10 tournaments in the first year to almost 400 four years later. The concept behind the tournaments was simple, each competition featured a progressive draw with the lowest rated players playing one another in the early stages and higher rated players being fed into the tournament as it progressed. The format was enjoyed by many as players could be confident that they would be competing against someone of a similar ability.
The competitions have now been re-branded and modernised ready to satisfy the needs of today’s tennis market and will be launched as drawforall. The progressive draw formats will continue to be the key feature so players have the assurance of an evenly matched competition experience. The first competitions will start in March 2013 and there will be an initial circuit of approximately 60 competitions. The competitions will be run at a variety of tennis venues, including local authority sites, traditional clubs and community indoor tennis centres (CITCs). The competitions will predominantly be open to players aged 15 or older on the 31st August 2013, although some competitions may also run junior events. Whilst the duration of the competition may vary according to the venue the player benefits will be the same wherever you choose to take part:
- A minimum of two matches against similarly rated opponents (where possible both matches will be on the same day)
- Two draws – main and consolation – so even if you lose your first match you get another opportunity to play in the competition
- 3 new Dunlop balls will be provided for each match, with the loser of the match getting to keep the balls
- Standardised entry fees of £15.00 for each competition
- Prizes for all ratings categories including an exclusive drawforall rucksack
Further information about the competitions can be found online at http://www.drawforall.com/, and all of the competitions can be entered online at www.lta.org.uk/competitions/search.
You can also follow drawforall on Twitter at https://twitter.com/drawforall.