At the moment New Zealand fare better with World Junior ITF tennis Rankings than ATP Or WTA rankings. I would imagine some would say that's proof our programs are working,but hold on a sec lets look at how say a local junior accumulates their points.Lets explain how the junior ranking system works.
Tournaments are graded according to the strength of entry, with the most ranking points being awarded for the nine major championships (Grade A), which include the four Grand Slam events. Grades are listed with tournament details on the ITF Junior Circuit Calendar.A Junior World Ranking will certainly be necessary to enter Group A, 1, 2, and 3 events, but even entry into Group 4 and 5 events is likely to be based on players' rankings. When starting out on the Circuit, it is advisable to concentrate on Group 4 and 5 events to try and earn your first ranking points. If entry into the main draw is not possible due to a lack of initial ranking points, you may be able to gain entry into qualifying at this level.
Results from these tournaments are fed into a computer to produce the Combined Junior World Rankings. Rollover rankings, which are updated on a weekly basis and published every Monday, are based on a player's best six singles results plus one quarter of the best six doubles results over the previous 12 months.
Tournaments Graded A, 1, 2 and 3 must provide hospitality (accommodation and meals) for all players in the singles and/or doubles main draw and a maximum of two coaches per nation. Some Grade 4 and 5 tournaments also provide hospitality, although this is not compulsory.
Ok sounds great in fact looking at the Boys top 100 New Zealand has three boys listed in the top 100 in the latest rankings post. Sebastian Lavie 47,Riki MCLACHLAN 60 and Ben MCLACHLAN 71.Lavie the highest ranked New Zealander,left New Zealand some years ago to be based in France.In the girls Briar Preston is ranked at 94.As these young players continue to chase points ,Grigor Dimitrov from Bulgaria (18) has long left ITF junior tournaments after he won the US OPEN Junior Tournament(08) and is now ranked 290 on the Atp tour mens.USA 's Melanie Oudin (08) last played an ITF junior in '88 and is now ranked 43 on the WTA women's circuit.
In a round about way what i am saying is that Most New Zealand juniors are playing too many ITF juniors tournaments that give a false impression of where they are truly ranked in world standards.Its fact that the very best juniors leave the ITF juniors and start their ATP career as soon as they can.The important ingredient for those players are they have been brought up in a much tougher environment,their work and training ethics are so more intense as the depth of players and standard are so much better than New Zealand counterparts , who accumulate many points at low grade ITFs In Fiji and Noumea and Darwin, all tournaments acknowledged where you can pick up cheap points.The current ITF junior in Waikato is virtually a New Zealand draw with a sprinkling of lower ranked Aussies making the trip across the Ditch for the event.
Whilst it is a great tennis experience and tennis holiday for most of the New Zealanders playing these events its a sad fact over 90 percent will never make it on the tour and some at best will gain US Scholarships.
From end of April to end of September Tennis in New Zealand is in Hibernation, its time that Tennis New Zealand identified the talented juniors and base them for this period over sea's where they can test themselves against the worlds best, its time to stop waisting money playing "Mickey Mouse" ITF events and get serious if ever we are going to produce top tennis players. How to fund it?, get rid of some of the Dead weight in administration. Until powers that be recognize the fact that you cannot be based year round here in New Zealand and I'm speaking juniors, we are destined for failure.Get the heads out of the Sand and that includes a revamp of Top Dog and to get local juniors back to a tournament system where you progress(points) per round rather than who you play!.
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