First State Championships?

First State Championships?
by Robin Dawson 

First of all – congratulations to those of you who are here!  Out of 1,000 teams in Georgia at the 3.5 and 3.75 levels, you are members of just 91 teams to qualify.  Each team has about 10-12 members.  Whew!  That’s somewhere around 1,000 people hanging around, for those of you still waiting for your triple Grande sugar free latte.   

To qualify each team had to win their local league (or be next in line if the winning team declined) and each player had to play at least two local league matches.   

Now, no matter how you do it at home, here’s how it’s gonna go down here…

Your matches will be two out of three sets, with the third set being a Match Tie Break.  That’s the first to 10 points, ahead by two.  Each match will consist of two singles matches and three doubles matches.  Eight players will play in each match. 

The 3.5 women will have to have the most stamina over the next four days.  The winning team will have to play eight matches!  There will be 5 round robin matches leading up to quarter final, semi final and final matches. 

3.75 women will play four round robin matches with one final match.  That’s five total matches for these ladies. 

The 3.5 men should also bring along some Red Bull.  The winning team here will have to play a total of seven matches to win the championship.  Four round robin matches, followed by quarters, semis and finals. 

For the 3.75 men it’s round robin all the way.  Six total matches, all of them round robin format. 

And if you’re a 3.75 level man or woman, all that pre French Open practice you’ve been putting in will come in handy.  All of your matches will be on clay, while all 3.5 level men and women will be getting a head-start on that hard court season.  For you it’s hard courts all the way.  3.5 women – just one more reason to stretch!  If only you had time to fit some yoga in between those 8 matches!

Thanks to Nita Perry and Dave Bain for clearing things up!