Leagues across the WA Tennis League this summer will see a change in the number of matches played with the rejuvenation of the Champion of Champions knockout event, set to be played at the completion of the 2023/24 Summer League season.
The season will start on 27-29 October weekend to allow clubs to hold opening days and allow for better grass coverage on courts. The season will take a break over the Christmas and school holiday period and resume on Saturday 3rd February 2024 to avoid the last weekend of the school break.
The Summer League season will aim to see a maximum of six team divisions played over 10 rounds of home and away qualifying matches. The six-team division will limit the range of team UTR’s and allow for more competitive tennis for all players.
The 10-week qualifying season for both adult and junior leagues will start and finish on the same weekend to allow easier scheduling. Teams will be guaranteed 11 weeks of play with all six teams participating in the first week of finals, avoiding forfeits from teams in last rounds of fixtures who could not previously make finals.
Finals Format:
Qualifying Finals (based on ladder ranked positions):
- Match One: 1 v 2 (loser gets a second chance)
- Match Two: 3 v 6 (loser eliminated)
- Match Three: 4 v 5 (loser eliminated)
Semi Finals:
- Match Four: Winner of Match One v Lowest Ranked Winner of Match’s Two/Three
- Match Five: Loser of Match One v Highest Ranked Winner of Match’s Two/Three
Finals:
- Match Six: Highest Ranked Winner of Semi Finals v Lowest Ranked Winner of Semi Finals
The team/s finishing higher on the ladder (ranking) after the home & away season is completed hosts the fixture/s.
The season will finish before Easter and the term one school break allowing for a backup week if required due to possible weather delays.
The shorter number of rounds for the summer season will allow for players to participate in more bespoke events and club championships.
In 2024, the Champion of Champions Event is set to again become one of the most prestigious events on the Tennis West calendar. Champions from each affiliated Tennis Club will be pitted against each other in a knockout battle for supremacy.
Commencing in 1964, the event saw multiple past winners including Christine Matison (Dorey), Paula Parentich, Gary Penberthy and Rob Casey. The event, discontinued after 1995, is now set to be reintroduced at the completion of the 2023/2024 Summer League season.
Singles players and doubles pairs will qualify to represent their Club at the Tennis West Champion of Champions finals by winning their respective Club singles and doubles titles. The initiative is aimed at re-energising member and player engagement towards their own club championships.
Club Singles and Doubles winners will be ranked into divisions according to their UTRs where Division One players may challenge for a total prize pool of up to $10,000 (conditions apply).
The Men’s and Women’s Champion of Champion Singles event will be played on Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st April 2024 with the men’s and women’s doubles played a week later.
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