Staggered Entry Draw: Level-Based Play, Better Competition

A staggered entry draw is an exciting tennis tournament format because it allows players of all levels to play in the same tournament and start the tournament at their appropriate level. It’s been used successfully in France for the last 40+ years, in the December 2018 California Championships Presented by UTR Powered by Oracle and is now for the upcoming Kunal Patel San Francisco Championships presented by UTR Powered by Oracle. Let's take a look at how it works. Players are placed in the draw based on UTR, so that players will begin the tournament with others who have similar UTRs. The staggered entry draw allows players of a higher level to start later in the event, while others will play to advance to later rounds. So, instead of lumping players of all levels together, all players start where appropriate with the opportunity to earn a chance to play a player at a higher level that they might not normally get to play. A staggered entry draw based on UTR levels dramatically increases the likelihood of competitive matches for all players. Here’s how it worked for December's California Championships: The Kunal Patel San Francisco Championships will follow a similar format for the Community Qualifying Round. Players will enter into the draw based on their UTR to ensure a level-based match. As you win, you will continue to move up in the draw. The two Community Qualifying Round finalists and two wild card winners will move to the September 12th main draw, facing off with ATP pros like Sam Querrey, Steve Johnson and Bradley Klahn. Prize money will also be awarded to the top finishers in U-14, U-18, College, and 40+. Sign up for the men's Kunal Patel San Francisco Championships for a chance to play with the pros and win a piece of the $120K prize money. Registration ends August 25th. You won't want to miss this! www.myutr.com/KPSF.