Tennis Victoria

Pennant

Standard of play goes to a new level in 2013

Tennis Victoria is excited to announce an increase in team numbers for the upcoming 2013 season with 484 team submissions received across the Tennis Victoria Pennant Competitions of Men’s, Women’s, Women’s Open Doubles and our new Men’s Open Doubles and Men’s Masters 50+ Doubles Competitions.

The 2013 Pennant season will also see a defined number of sections in the higher grades of the Men’s and Women’s competitions, including capping of the number of teams each club can field in the higher grades.

These initiatives will result in an improved overall team standard across all grades and will encourage sustained club diversity in higher grades.

The bottom grades of both the men’s (Grade 11) and women’s (Grade 6) competitions will be played as a shortened season over 10 weeks with no matches played over the school holiday period. This competition introduction is an exciting one targeted at junior players and time poor adults and its undoubted success for the upcoming season will enable Pennant team numbers to grow from the bottom.

Tennis Victoria will be releasing final grading and fixtures on Thursday 28 March, with Round One commencing Saturday 20 April and Sunday 21 April for all competitions. All fixtures will be found here once they are released.

New introductions in 2013:

Men’s Masters 50+Doubles

An exciting new addition to the Victorian Pennant competition.  Players must be 50 years of age or old by the 31 of December in that year. The competition will offer three playing level streams of A (High), B (Medium) and C (Low).

Teams will be made up of 4 players and teams required to nominate four different combinations of pairs (players must swap partners). Masters 50+ Doubles will feature a match format of 2 tie break sets plus a match tie break (first to 10 points) if tied at one set all.

Men’s Open Doubles

Another exciting addition for the 2013 season will be the Men’s Open Doubles (MOD) Competition. Teams will be divided into grades and each grade will have between six and eight teams.  The MOD key offering  and attractiveness for players and clubs is its flexibility and allowance for  players to play MOD as well as men’s Pennant and Men’s Masters 50+ Doubles. Players will also be granted further flexibility in an allowance to play with up to three clubs for each of the competition categories. e.g. Men’s Pennant with Donvale,  MOD with Frankston and Masters 50+ with Royal Park.

2013 Pennant Competition Key Dates

Thursday 28 March- Release of grading and team fixtures

Sunday 14 April- 2013 Pennant Season Launch and Information Session at Premier League Final (All 2013 Pennant Secretaries invited)

Saturday 20 April and Sunday 21 April- Round 1 Commences for all Victorian Pennant Competitions

Wednesday 29 May- Singles Order of Merit changes close (Round 7)

Saturday 27 July- 10 round season Men’s and Women’s lowest grade Finals series begins

Saturday 3 August- 8 Team section (14 round season) Sectional Finals begins

Saturday 10 August- 6 team section (15 round season) Sectional finals begins

Saturday 24 August- All grade Grand finals complete (Subject to weather)

Pennant Change of order form.

For any further information regarding the 2013 competition please contact Tennis Victoria’s Competitions Manager Jeff Downes at [email protected] or (03) 8420 8408.