Finals Day is on Saturday 13th September.

Deadlines for each round are at the end of this page.

The Organiser is Lawrence Hopkins (lawrence.hopkins@talk21.com).

The Referee is Paul Bonnington.

Rules

1. Five tournaments will be competed: Men's Singles, Men's Doubles, Ladies' Singles, Ladies' Doubles, Mixed Doubles.
2. Each tournament will be played as a straight knock-out, and the losers in the first rounds of the Men's Singles and Men's Doubles will be entered into a Consolation Draw, which will also be a straight knock-out.
3. There will be a deadline by which matches in each round must be played.  It is not necessary to wait for the current round to end before playing matches in the next round, once both players are known.  The exception is the Final, which must be played on Finals Day.
4. Players are to arrange their own matches at a mutually convenient time and date before the deadline for the round.
5. If a player offers dates for a match and the opponent doesn't accept or offer alternative dates within 7 days, the player who made the original offer will be awarded a walk-over.  The player claiming the walk-over must send e-mail evidence of the offer being made to the Organiser, who will check first for mitigating circumstances, such as the opponent being on holiday etc.
6. If players are unable to find a date they can both make to play their match, they must inform the Organiser.  If no solution can be found, both players will be eliminated from the tournament.
7. If a player (the Canceller) cancels a previously arranged match, they must within a week offer the Opponent three alternative dates, avoiding dates of other matches already arranged by the Opponent. The Opponent must respond within a week of receiving them.  If the Opponent cannot accept any of the offered dates, the Cancellor must offer three more.  If it is not possible to find a mutually convenient date, the Opponent will be given a walkover.
8. If a player arrives late, the opponent may claim one set 6–0 for each complete half an hour that the player arrives after the scheduled match time. If a player should arrive more than one hour late then the opponent may claim a walk-over.
9. Matches are self-umpired and should be conducted in the spirit of fair play.
10. The Club will provide new balls for all Tournament matches.  These are available in the Club Shed.  Alternatively, players may use their own balls if both players agree. 
11. Matches are the best of 3 sets. This means that the first player to win two sets is the winner of the match.  If the scores reach 6-6 in any set, a tie-break must be played (see tie-break rules below). 
12. If BOTH players agree, the 3rd set may be replaced with a Championship tie-break (ie a tie-break played to 10 points).  If either player does not agree, then a 3rd set must be played.
13. If a match needs to be halted partway through due to rain etc, players should agree a new date to finish the match, resuming the match from the score when play had to stop.
14. The winner must report the result of the match to the Organiser within 24 hours of the match being completed.
15. In the event of a dispute, the Referee's decision will be final.

Tie-break Rules

In the Club tournaments, when a set reaches six games all, a tie break is played. A tie break would conclude each level six all set, not just a final set.  The player whose turn it would be to serve in the next game starts the tiebreak. He or she serves normally to the deuce court (the left hand court as the server perceives it). 

The opponent serves the next TWO points, starting with a serve to the ad (right-hand court).  It feels a bit odd until you have played a number of tie breaks.

Points are numbered 1, 2, 3 etc, rather than 15, 30, 40 Deuce.

From the second point, each player has two serves. The tiebreak is over when one player reaches seven points, provided he or she is two clear points ahead of his or her opponent. From 6-6 in a tiebreak a player must have a two point advantage to win the tiebreak.  A typical tiebreak score would be 7-5, or 8-6, or 9-7. 

Where a tie-break is being played instead of a 3rd set, the set is  won when a player reaches 10 points and is two points clear of his or her opponent e.g. 10-7, 11-9, 14-12 etc).

After 6 points have been played, players change ends, e.g. at 4-2 or 6-6. The players also change ends at the end of the tiebreak to begin the next set.

In doubles, service alternates between the teams - the same player serves for both points.  His or her partner serves for both of the team's next service points.

The player who served first in the tiebreak, RECEIVES at the beginning of the next set (assuming there is one!).

Deadlines

All matches in each round must be completed by the following dates:

Men's Singles

Round 1: 09-May

Round 2: 20-Jun

Quarter Finals: 01-Aug

Semi-Finals: 05-Sep

Men's Doubles

Round 1: 20-Jun

Quarter Finals: 01-Aug

Semi-Finals: 05-Sep

Ladies' Singles, Ladies' Doubles, Mixed Doubles

Quarter Finals: 01-Aug

Semi-Finals: 05-Sep

All finals will be played on Saturday 13th September.