Atlanta Tennis

Ben Shelton - my experience as a tennis official on his court(s)

2023-01-23T13:57:00.001-05:00

As a 20-year-old, Ben Shelton has already made an impact on the men's professional tennis tour - at the ATP and ATP Challenger levels and now on the Grand Slam stage at the 2023 Australian Open - after successes in USTA junior events and in NCAA/ITA college tennis while at the University of Florida, whose men's program is coached by his father, former tour pro Brian Shelton.

My first officiating experience with Ben was at the Rome Tennis Center (in Georgia), where top level junior tournaments are held almost every month of the year, in March of 2018. As a roving official, I was covering several courts simultaneously and my attention was drawn to one that had gotten louder than the others because one of players had shouted (ostensibly at himself) and ejected a ball from the court. That player was 15-year-old Ben Shelton, who I believe was playing in the 18's age level group. Because I didn't personally witness Ben hitting the ball in anger over the fence, I couldn't give him a code violation for ball abuse; however, I did enter the court on the next changeover and 'warn' him that he was lucky not to have received one. I then spent more of my remaining shift monitoring his match.

In August of 2019, I was working at the Boys Nationals in Kalamazoo, Michigan ("Nats at the Zoo") as a line umpire on the last weekend of the event and witnessed Ben's matches in the 16's: he lost in the semifinal and then in the 3rd place match as well.

The last junior level encounter that I remember occurred during a rain delay on the final day of a tournament in Augusta, Georgia in September of 2020. The event was all but over except for the last couple of finals in the 18's. As officials, we were in the clubhouse watching football and the U.S. Open (for the past couple of hours) as the time approached 5 PM. Rain delays are the bane of tennis officiating, especially on the last day when everyone wants to get home. The players, on the other hand, want to get their points and their trophies, which they don't get when the finals are cancelled. Enter Ben Shelton and his singles opponent, who were to face off in the doubles as well. Ben proposed a deal whereby his opponent would receive one trophy and he would take the other. The tournament director agreed, and soon thereafter the event was cancelled, and we all got to leave.

In the spring of 2021, Ben won the clinching match as the Florida Gators won the men's NCAA team championship, but my only real memorable encounter on the college courts with Ben was in early 2022 at the University of Georgia indoor facility. During the Dawgs-Gators dual meet, I was the chair umpire for the number one doubles line, which Ben and his partner won. Ben would go on to win the individual men's NCAA title that spring.

Last summer (July of 2022), Ben received a wild card to play in the Atlanta Open ATP 250 event, which I've worked since 2019, and won his first tour level event. In his second match, he almost defeated the defending champ and six-time winner John Isner in a 2 and a half hour three-set night thriller, but came up just short 6-7(8), 6-4, 6-7(3).

I have enjoyed officiating tennis and one of the best parts is getting to see players early in the careers, not knowing who will succeed at the top levels etc. Speaking of the Australian Open, I got to participate in several of Sofia Kenin's ITF matches in Dothan, Alabama before she was successful on the WTA tour and went on to win the women's title down under in 2020. One of these days, I'm going to have to go back and write down all of the professional tennis players that I've had the pleasure to officiate.

Working as a tennis line umpire - ratings and evaluations

2020-01-07T09:12:00.001-05:00

At the end of my last post, I promised to describe the evaluation and rating process. Although I have a document which describes the various ratings and what they mean, it doesn't appear to be available on-line anywhere else, hence I won't be posting it here. There must be a reason why this is not a publicly available document per the USTA, ITF, ATP, WTA or Grand Slam tennis organizations. In any case, I will describe it.

There are 7 rating levels in the current evaluation system; previously, it had 4 with sub-levels (a 2003 document with this information can be found on-line). The highest rating is 7, for a 'perfect' rotation, and the lowest rating is 1, for an unacceptable rotation. The wording of what constitutes a 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 rating is articulated in four categories: technique, accuracy, communication, and preparation & professionalism. A sheet detailing this information is posted in the umpire room at the tournament; I have seen at least two different versions of this sheet, either because it has been modified or there are different sheets for different events (e.g. lower level vs. ATP events), though it's probably the former.

In general, an average rating greater than 4 is expected (a '4' is considered the minimum acceptable rating for any rotation); any line umpire who fails to consistently achieve an average higher than 4.0 should probably look for another profession. Better line umpires receive 5s, 6s and the occasional 7, though - because of the human element - there is an inherent inconsistency in the evaluation system.

One factor that leads to an inconsistent application of ratings (despite the evaluation guidelines sheet) involves professional disagreements among the chair umpires about what kind of performance should receive a given rating. For instance, one chair umpire may want to see a given line umpire make at least (e.g.) 5 close calls successfully with no other errors during their rotation before giving them a 5 rating, while another may require a different number. Also, if there weren't enough opportunities in a given rotation to make said calls, one chair might give the line umpire a 4 rating while another would give "no rating" (which potentially protects the umpire's higher average) for the same performance.

In the long run, the ratings should average out to indicate which line umpires are better than others but, when one is a new line umpire, the evaluation system can seem unfair. When one begins to work at the ATP level, only designated chair umpires' ratings count in the average, so there are even fewer opportunities to show one's ability, making each grade more precious (it has much higher value).

Obviously the higher your rating (or GPA) as a line umpire the more you should be hired, however there are also other factors. The number of chief umpires (who do the hiring) is fairly small and it's a somewhat close knit community. This means that a given line umpire's attributes and characteristics - e.g. team player or not - are also taken into consideration when the hiring is done, like any other job. In the end, the system is as fair as any other, given the human factors involved.

Working as a tennis line judge - applying, getting selected, and pre-tournament info

2019-12-16T10:08:00.001-05:00

I changed the job title in the subject because the press (and therefore, the public) largely refers to 'us' as "line judges" in lieu of "line umpires" (the USTA's name for this type of official).

To get hired to work at a USTA or ITF event, a certified line official has to apply via the USTA Officiating website, which lists the tournaments' locations and dates as well as their supervisors, referees and chiefs, in most cases. These are the lower level up to ATP Challenger tournaments.

As previously mentioned, the chief does the hiring and it's largely a "people business" which requires networking to get your first and then subsequent assignments until you've received a number of grades, e.g. a track record of competent performances. If you've worked enough to establish yourself as a capable official, you should get added to the list of line umpires eligible to work on the ATP and WTA tours, at which point you'll get access to the way one applies for those events.

You'll be notified via email that you've been selected for an event; this usually occurs at least 4 weeks prior to the event. If you're a busy person, you may have to block your calendar in anticipation of being selected so that you won't have to decline the assignment (declining assignments may have a negative effect on your chances of being hired for subsequent events). Your assignment will be anywhere from 1 day to the total number of days for the event.

After accepting your assignment, you should expect to receive an email from the chief at least one - though it's usually two or more - week(s) in advance of the event with information detailing the hotel and tournament site information, and (at least the) first day report time. Almost all hotel rooms are assigned for double occupancy, meaning you'll be rooming with another official of the same gender during the tournament. Sometimes there is an option for you to pay the other half of the room rate so that you can room by yourself or bring your spouse etc.. Typically, you are booked to arrive the night before the event through the night of your last worked day ... since the last day might be long and/or rain delayed, and you'll be able to return to your room to shower and sleep, e.g. before returning home the next day.

You'll be expected to report to the tournament location by the time specified, usually an hour before the matches are scheduled to start on the first day (30-45 minutes before the matches on subsequent days). There will be an orientation meeting led by the chief with an appearance by the referee and/or input from the chair umpires as well. These are frequently learning opportunities, though much of what is conveyed is the same from tournament to tournament.

Each line umpire will receive a crew sheet that details who is on each team as well as the courts and times to work throughout the day. Each crew has a chief - chosen from among the line umpires - that is responsible for assigning that day's line umpire positions on the court for each time slot; these time slots are referred to as rotations. The number of umpires per crew depends upon the level and stage of the tournament: higher level tournaments have more line umpires on court and so do the later stages of the event. The crew chief is also responsible for filling out each rotation's 'blank' evaluation sheets, which are to be handed to that court's chair umpire at the start of the rotation.

In my next post, I will describe how the evaluation system works, and some of its nuances ...

Working as a tennis line umpire - the pay as contrasted with other tennis officiating roles

2019-11-19T10:38:00.000-05:00

Since my first post on the subject, I've had the opportunity to work quite a bit as a line umpire on the ITF Pro Circuit, Challenger and ATP tours. I just reread my previous post from almost 17 months ago and believe that I captured the basics pretty well (even though I'd only worked 4 tournaments at that point!). Next month, I will work my 20th!

Now I thought I'd take this opportunity - largely the "off-season" - to provide some insights into what the job is like, some behind-the-scenes information, and even some cautionary information for those that want to do this type of work. I plan to do this here and in subsequent posts between now and the end of the year.

Firstly, among the three primary jobs that most tennis officials do - including junior tournament rover (and chairing), college chair and/or roving etc. - working as a line umpire is the lowest paying role on a per hour basis. Working college matches (e.g. ITA) is the highest paying position. Those in charge of setting the rates for line umpiring undoubtedly realize that the opportunity to be on the court with the top players in the game, and perhaps even appear in the background of televised matches, has real value, and hence can pay those officials less.

Working as a rover at a junior tournament is usually the first job most newly certified officials are offered. It's probably the hardest job because of the long hours per day on one's feet, having to deal with parents and immature players etc., but it does pay hourly. Therefore, after a long weekend tournament, especially if there were rain delays that made it even longer, there is some solace in that you are paid for every hour you are there. Depending upon the size and level of the tournament (and the referee that hires), you may get regular breaks, snacks and meals. Many smaller local tournament directors don't hire enough officials, nor do they provide breaks or adequate food. There are junior tournaments in most major metropolitan areas nearly every weekend of the year, including holidays.

Working college dual meets well requires a certain presence - to stand up in the pressure of the competitive environment, the appeals of players and protestations of coaches - but it's usually a short 3-4 hour day (with no breaks) for a set fee. Even the longer meets' pay calculates to an hourly rate more than twice the junior rate and one is usually paid mileage on top of it. Because it's the most lucrative of the official's roles, there's a lot of competition for the jobs available. It may take years of networking and doing a solid job to establish a season's worth of work, and the season is short (January-April).

Line umpires are paid a daily rate that translates to approximately what a junior rover is paid for 8 hours work. Of course, if there are a lot of matches to be played on a given day (usually the first 3-4 days of the tournament), the day will run more than 8 hours especially if there are rain delays. The good news is that you get regular breaks throughout the day, whether you're on court 40 minutes out of every hour or your shift is 60 minutes on, 40 minutes off etc. The food is typically good, but you usually share a hotel room with another official and receive very little if any compensation for travel expenses (except for ATP events). Although the last few days of the tournament's pay is best on an hourly basis (fewer matches, same pay per day), fewer officials (e.g. only the most experienced) are needed. You can find tournaments to work throughout the year, but few are available in December and January.

Lastly, most line umpires I've met are retired or have jobs with a lot of flexibility (own their own business, have a full-time job with lots of vacation or of the remote-from-an-office variety, or work part-time). To find work as a line umpire all but requires this as the first days of any tournament encompass weekdays. Most tennis officials with full-time employment work only junior events and/or college dual meets on weekends only.

Working as a USTA Line Umpire - my early experiences

2018-06-29T14:36:00.000-04:00

I have hesitated to write this for several months because:

USTA officials are supposed to be as inconspicuous as possible
In fact, line umpires are meant to be anonymous 'extensions' of the chair umpire

Hence, you may have noticed a lack of information on the Internet about the job of a line umpire, other than that which is provided by the United States Tennis Association about how to become one.

But I feel that it's important to capture at least some of my experiences in hopes that it will help others decide whether they want to become a line umpire, or not, by better understanding what the job entails (e.g. from someone who's done it).

Like any job, there are pro's and con's, and everyone's perspectives and thoughts will be unique to themselves. Eight months ago I knew virtually nothing about the job. And even after attending a USTA Line Umpire class, I still didn't know what I now believe to be fairly essential information for anyone that is thinking of becoming one.

A line umpire is effectively another set of eyes for the chair umpire on a specific line; he/she may have to move from the center service line to a long line once the ball is in play. The chair umpire facilitates the match between its players. Among the chair umpire's responsibilities is make the final decision on fact questions and overrule clear mistakes, which includes whether a ball is "in" or "out", he or she will calls lines when there are no Line Umpires assigned, may assign (reassign or replace) officials to lines, and may make calls if the line umpire is unable to do so.

Make no mistake, the chair umpire is in charge and is the final authority as to whether a ball is "in" or "out". He or she can overrule a line umpire and the line umpire, even if his/her call is correct, must silently accept the chair's ruling and do nothing to indicate any disagreement with the chair's call. So, it takes humility to be a line umpire.

There are a plethora of line umpire configurations, from chair +1 (line umpire) to chair +9 (line umpires) AND there are variations within these configurations, some of which may be uniquely derived by the chief umpire, the chair or the tournament supervisor. So, even though you may receive a USTA Officiating Line Umpire - Participant Guide, which contains a Line Umpire Configurations section (as I did), you may have to adapt to something new "on the fly" once you're actually working at a tournament.

Among the chief umpire's responsibilities are the hiring of line umpires for a given tournament, and assigning them to crews and courts during the course of it. Therefore, getting to know a chief umpire - or having an established official assist with a recommendation - is the best way to get work as a line umpire.

The chief umpire creates, distributes and/or posts a daily crew sheet; it has crew personnel and court assignments and usually designates a crew chief (for each crew), who has additional responsibilities like setting up the court before the match, taking care of the chair umpire's needs, and establishing the "on-off" rotation and/or positions for his/her crew. Each chief umpire has their own way of communicating with his/her line umpires, from emails/texts in advance of the tournament to those methods during the tournament, and one chief's crew sheet may look entirely different from another's.

As far as actually doing the job of a line umpire on the court, there is a lot more to it than you probably think. While it may look simple (e.g. on TV) to stand there, looking down a line and calling the ball "out" when the ball hits the court outside the line, did you know that you may have to move during the point AND that you may have to silently signal that the ball was within 18" of the line "in" as well? I certainly didn't. Also, did you know that each chair umpire may have unique preferences for how they want their line officials to perform the job? In fact, one of the most crucial tasks of a line official is "selling the call" so that the players (and the chair) have confidence that you saw the ball accurately and made the right call.

Plus, there are other responsibilities and things to know which I'll take up in my next post.

Working as a USTA roving umpire - some observations

2018-03-27T11:34:00.000-04:00

I just got back from working as a roving official at a National Level 3 tournament in Rome, Georgia. This was the first National tournament that I've gotten to work so far, but I'm scheduled to work two more over the next 5 months.

I had worked a Southern Region Level 2 tournament in Macon, Georgia in February, so I thought I knew what to expect regarding the quality of the players, ages 12-18. What I didn't know was that a National tournament actually attracts better players than a Region tournament, so the Level 3 kids I watched play in Rome this weekend were better players than the Level 2 kids I'd watched play in Macon. I'm sure some of the same kids were in both tournaments, as both are close to Atlanta where there are a lot of youth tennis players.

There were nearly 400 players in this tournament: 12, 14, 16 and 18 years old, boys and girls. The first day, Saturday, was a long 13 hour (only briefly delayed by sprinkles of rain) day. Whew! Sunday's matches were delayed 4 hours - from an 8 AM to a noon start - due to rain. As an official, I was expected to help squeegee the courts' puddles so that the wind could dry them. One would think a late March tournament in Georgia would be warm, but the temperatures were in the 40's and the wind made it feel even colder. Sunday was a 9 hour day and so was Monday, when the semi-finals and finals of the singles, the quarterfinals, semifinals and finals of the doubles were played.

I got to meet a lot of other officials, one of which came from as far away as Knoxville, TN to work, while most were from Georgia (even the Atlanta metro area): men and women who are for the most part were in their 50's or older, though there were at least three I met that were younger.

The hardest part about being a roving umpire is the physical demands of the job, while knowing and applying the rules seems easier, at least for me. Standing on one's feet for more than an eight hour day with few breaks and (usually) one supplied meal can be difficult, especially if one's heart isn't in the right place. But the desire to be a loving servant of the game and (guide for) its youth supplies me with all I need. More to come ...

Working as a USTA Roving Umpire

2018-03-23T11:58:00.000-04:00

My first experience as a USTA official was as a Roving Umpire. I think this is pretty typical for most newly certified officials.

After completing all the requirements - see my previous post - I shadowed an experienced official at a youth tournament to learn 'hands-on' how to begin and monitor matches. If possible, a roving umpire will start all the matches with a pre-match discussion with the players. This will typically include a review of the scoring (pro-set, best two out of three sets, 3rd set match tiebreaker, no ad etc.) and the tossing of a coin for choice of serve, side or deferral. After their 5-minute warm-up, the players will keep score and call their own lines until the match is over.

A roving official will monitor 4-6 (or sometimes more) matches at the same time. If one of the players has a question about the score, the rules, or their opponent's line calling etc., they can ask for an official to come to their court. The roving umpire, if available, will help to resolve any issues, answer any question(s), and may choose to stay on the court - at the net post - to watch the proceedings for a couple of games. During this time, the players continue to call their own lines but the official will overrule any obvious errors.

Youth tournaments can be Level 1 (the highest, e.g. best players) to Level 5 (e.g. beginners), and you can probably guess that the higher the level, the more high strung the players and their parents are. At level 5, you may need to assist more with scoring and/or instructions for the players and their parents, and both are usually grateful for any help. At the higher level tournaments, the opportunity to get involved in more contentious situations and disputes on and off the court is elevated. Therefore, a roving official needs to be prepared to be "Switzerland", even handed and even keeled.

At this point, having officiated half a dozen tournaments from Level 2 to Level 5, I haven't been involved in too many situations where I felt that either the player or their parent was out-of-line, but I realize that these opportunities will increase the more I work as a roving official.

I have to say that I have really enjoyed working as a roving official at youth tournaments, from the 8 year old players (on the smaller courts with modified bounce balls) to the 18 year old players, males and females alike. It's been both a challenge and a pleasure. More to come ...

Becoming a USTA Official - helpful links

2018-03-19T11:14:00.000-04:00

For anyone interested in more information about "How to become a USTA official", I've posted some helpful links below:

From the USTA's website:

https://www.usta.com/en/home/about-usta/who-we-are/national/Become-An-Official.html

For information specific to the Southern region (southeastern states):

http://www.southern.usta.com/How-To/6876_Become_a_Certified_Official/

For information specific to Georgia (my state):

http://www.georgia.usta.com/officials/

After you have become a USTA official, you may want to consider becoming an ITA official, which would allow you to officiate intercollegiate (i.e. college) events:

http://www.itatennis.com/officials.htm

Additionally, if you live in Georgia, you could join the Atlanta Professional Tennis Umpires Association, which could facilitate your getting assignments at USTA and/or ITA events:

http://www.aptua.org/

Each of these certifications require on-line testing, an eye test, and some level of participation, e.g. a conference call (for ITA), shadowing an existing official at an event, etc.

Becoming a USTA Official

2018-03-16T15:10:00.000-04:00

Last August, while volunteering at the 2017 BB&T Atlanta Open, I met the State of Georgia Chair of Officials. She was actually discussing "How to become a USTA official" with another volunteer, and I listened in because what she was saying sounded very interesting, and fun.

Apparently the United States Tennis Association has implemented an on-line (re-) certification process for its officials. They've created content and testing which allows someone to learn the requirements of each of its jobs, and then test to show mastery of the knowledge. One must then "shadow" an experienced official at an event to become certified. Once certified, officials are independent contractors that can be hired to work at tournaments and events.

There are several officiating roles: a roving umpire, a line umpire, a chair umpire, and a referee are four of the most common. A roving umpire is responsible for monitoring matches on several different courts simultaneously (e.g. the players call their own lines, but the official can be called by any player to help resolve a dispute etc.). Most tennis fans are familiar with line and chair umpires, though there is a lot more to these positions than meets the eye. A referee typically hires and oversees these officials, and is the final authority on the rules of the game throughout the tournament.

I was certified as a roving umpire in the fourth quarter of 2017 and have now worked as a roving umpire at half a dozen weekend tournaments in Georgia. I will be using this Atlanta Tennis Blog to chronicle my experiences and impressions, and hope you'll follow along.

Semi-finalist Ryan Harrison @ryanharrison92 through the years 22 pictures @bbtatlantaopen #BBTAO

2017-07-30T12:43:00.000-04:00

I've been a volunteer at the Atlanta Open (before it was the BB&T) since its second year, and have taken pictures and video - many of which make their way to this Atlanta Tennis Blog - of most of the players that compete here.

After Ryan Harrison's thrilling victory last night over Great Britain's Kyle Edmund, I remember that I'd taken quite a few of pictures of the youthful American at the Atlanta ATP tournament, and I thought I'd share the best of them here. From the second Atlanta Open in July, 2011:

July, 2011 on the practice court; the tournament's third year

At what was The Racquet Club of the South (now Life Time Fitness)

Ryan Harrison on Stadium Court, which was too short per regulations, at the 2011 Atlanta Open

You can read details of Harrison's 3 set win (pictured above) over the "X man" Xavier Malisse here:

http://atlanta-tennis.blogspot.com/2011/07/atc-photos-rain-rain-go-away-and-dont.html

Then, the following year, at the very first BB&T Atlanta Open in July, 2012:

Ryan Harrison on Stadium Court at the Inaugural BB&T Atlanta Open - July, 2012

Harrison serving to American James Blake

Harrison was 20, Blake was 32 (and would retire at the US Open the following year)

Harrison took the first set 6-1

The Stadium Court configuration was different in 2012 than it is today (2017)

Ryan Harrison receiving serve from James Blake

Both players are/were known for their first serves, movement, and forehands

Blake took the second set 6-3

Blake won the match 1-6, 6-3, 7-5

After losing to Blake, Harrison was seen the next morning warming up eventual tournament winner Andy Roddick on the Grandstand Court (Stadium Court in the background):

Serving to Roddick

Hitting a backhand

Hitting a forehand

A good hit between Ryan Harrison and Andy Roddick, now a Hall of Famer (the 2012 BB&T was his last tournament win)

Harrison teamed with Australian Matthew Ebden to win the men's doubles title that year.

Matthew Ebden and Ryan Harrison won the Inaugural BB&T Atlanta Open doubles title in 2012

A recap with pictures and video of the Harrison-Ebden doubles match can be read/seen here:
http://atlanta-tennis.blogspot.com/2012/07/bb-atlanta-open-sundays-finals-recap.html

In July, 2013, I captured these pictures of Ryan Harrison's second round match against Igor SijSling:

Harrison hitting a backhand

Harrison hitting a running forehand

Another Harrison forehand

Harrison wins the first set

Harrison wins the match to advance to the quarterfinals of the 2013 BB&T Atlanta Open

I hope that you have enjoyed this pictures of Ryan Harrison through the years at the Atlanta Open!

Last night, after Harrison said "Go Tech!" in his post match on-court interview with Brad Gilbert, I wanted to say "Go Ryan, beat the big dawg!!!"

2017 BB&T Atlanta Open #BBTAO @bbtatlantaopen Harrison vs. Millman video and pictures - July 27, 2017

2017-07-28T08:43:00.002-04:00

I was able to capture the end of the first set between American Ryan Harrison and Australian John Millman, which Millman won 6-4 before losing to Harrison in 3 sets.

And here are a couple of pictures, Millman serving to Harrison, from that match:

2017 BB&T Atlanta Open #BBTAO @bbtatlantaopen rain delay video and pictures - July 27, 2017

2017-07-28T08:39:00.002-04:00

I captured a video and some pictures of the storm approaching the Grandstand court, and over the Stadium Court:

2017 BB&T Atlanta Open #BBTAO @bbtatlantaopen Edmund vs. Gojowczyk videos and pictures - July 27, 2017

2017-07-28T08:37:00.000-04:00

Thursday was perhaps the longest day for tennis at the 2017 BB&T Atlanta Open, at least as far as when it ended. Though matches began at earlier times during the week, they didn't start until 2 PM yesterday and, with a full slate planned, rain delayed their completion until the wee hours of Friday morning.

I got a chance to watch a lot of Great Britain's Kyle Edmund's match against Germany's Peter Gojowczyk. After breaking Edmund twice in the first set and taking it 6-2, the German lost the next two after an extended rain delay.

2017 BB&T Atlanta Open #BBTAO @bbtatlantaopen Wednesday, July 26 recap

2017-07-27T08:32:00.000-04:00

A beautiful (if hot) day for tennis without rain (first time this week?) featured several upsets in both singles and doubles, with many matches being decided in 3 sets. American Tommy Paul moved forward with a win over Malek Jaziri, the only player from Tunisia on the ATP tour, 6-7, 6-4, 6-3.

Presiding over the match was Mohamed Lahyani of Sweden

While this was going on, the second seeded doubles team - and 2017 French Open Champions - Ryan Harrison and Michael Venus were being beaten in three sets by Argentine's Andres Molteni and Canadian Adil Shamasdin, who won 6-4, 0-6, 10-7.

Almost looks like a foot-fault, right?

2017 Wimbledon giant killer Gilles Muller, who beat Rafael Nadal in a match that culminated in a 15-13 fifth set, took three sets to beat France's Quentin Halys, 6-4, 6-7, 6-3. In a bizarre, extremely rare occurrence, the net cable snapped in the third game, causing an almost 20 minute delay after which the players were allowed a five minute warm-up:

Atlanta's heat and humidity were too much for this net

The next match up on the Stadium Court featured Atlanta native Donald Young and Lukas Lacko, whose forehand was the difference. The Slovakian beat the American in less than an hour, 6-3, 6-1.

Donald Young has rarely played well in Atlanta

This was followed by the evening's featured match between three-time BB&T Atlanta Open Champion and University of Georgia star John Isner and Canadian Vasek Pospisil, which the big man won in short order, 6-4, 6-3.

Pospisil & Jack Sock won the 2014 Wimbledon doubles title

Will Isner win his fourth BB&T?

Thursday's lineup will include fourth seeded Ryan Harrison's first singles match (vs. Australian John Millman), followed by Georgia Tech's Christopher Eubanks vs. up-and-comer Jared Donaldson, and top-seeded Jack Sock's first singles match (vs. the diminutive Dudi Sela), all on the Stadium Court.

I have to thank my volunteer coordinator Claire and the tournament's volunteer coordinator Jane for giving me a Stadium Court pass for yesterday; I really appreciated it and it has been my honor to serve in Volunteer Services. Today is my last day, recap with pictures tomorrow.

2017 BB&T Atlanta Tennis Open #BBTAO Tuesday, July 25 recap

2017-07-26T08:20:00.000-04:00

I finally got to see some tennis yesterday, Tuesday, July 25, from the volunteer viewing area atop the Stadium Court:

View of the Stadium Court setup

That's the place, just under the American flag, to the right of "Coca Cola":

Volunteer viewing area atop the Stadium Court

I got to see a little bit of the match between Reilly Opelka and Malek Jaziri; after the American squandered match points in the second set, the Tunisian won the tiebreaker 16-14, and the third 6-1:

Jaziri serves to Opelka

I also got to see the end of the first set of Atlantan Donald Young's straight set victory over American Tim Smyczek and captured his exultant scream as he came back from serving at 5-4, 0-40 to take the first set on video:

Perhaps the biggest news from Tuesday's first round matches was local favorite Georgia Tech's Christopher Eubanks first ATP main Tour win, in straight sets, over favored, tour up-and-comer Taylor Fritz last night. Go Jackets!

Others moving on to the second round include Americans Jared Donaldson and Tommy Paul, Great Britain's Kyle Edmund, Israel's Dudi Sela, Slovakian Lukas Lacko, and Canadian Vasek Pospisil.

The 2017 BB&T Atlanta Open Tennis Tournament is underway!

2017-07-22T16:45:00.000-04:00

Although I didn't get to see any tennis today - my shift was ending just as the rain was starting - I did enjoy my first volunteer gig for the tournament since 2014. Since I'm 'working' in volunteer services, I assisted with lunch today, asking "sandwich or wrap", then serving it and directing other volunteers to the condiments,chips and drinks. Thrilling, right?

Actually it was a lot of fun because it's a people business; I saw some familiar faces - including my coordinator Claire, who's been with the Atlanta tournament all but the first year - and met some new folks like Louis and Tricia, the other coodinator. So much fun, am looking forward to my shifts Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday this coming week. Don't forget to stop by and say hello!

2017-07-17T15:15:00.000-04:00

Looking forward to returning to the BB&T Atlanta Open after a 3 year absence! I will be volunteering in Volunteer Services this time, as the Scorekeeper and Court Monitor roles are no longer volunteer positions. I'll be there this Saturday, then next Tuesday-Thursday during the day. Stop by and say hello if you'd like.

I hope to be posting pictures and summaries of matches that I'll watch from the new covered volunteer watching area. In the past, volunteers got two tickets to a day or night session before the quarterfinals began on Friday. So, I guess I won't be down there on championship weekend;-)

BB&T Atlanta Open 2014 - Semifinal Saturday @BBTatlantaopen

2014-07-27T14:02:00.000-04:00

My recap of Saturday at the BB&T Atlanta Open at Atlantic Station begins with a point to my Twitter feed, where I spent a lot of time sharing the activities of the day in real-time. My post here is really just an overflow from the events with some additional pictures I took which weren't shared on Twitter:

Steve Johnson (partner Sam Querrey) serves to Kevin King (partner Michael Venus)

Venus serves to Querrey

Querrey serving (partner Johnson at net)

Querrey-Johnson walking toward your humble photographer (notice ball)

John Isner in full-flight serving to Jack Sock (ball right above Isner's head)

And again, both players off the ground (ball on racquet)

Sock hitting a forehand return above his shoulders

Isner with a backhand return

Only got this one of Sock serving, sorry

I very much enjoyed the doubles match, and hope today's is even better. The singles was a BORING serving contest between two guys that need backhands if they want to compete with anyone in the top 10.

The tournament was great this year, my first in which I am missing the finals. Enjoy!

BB&T Atlanta Open 2014 - Friday's fun @BBTatlantaopen

2014-07-26T08:21:00.000-04:00

It was a beautiful if hot Friday at the BB&T Atlanta Open 2014 at Atlantic Station. Matches started early at high noon with a couple of doubles matches followed by Isner vs. Matosevic, all quarterfinals. See my Twitter feed for a play-by-play.

The first doubles match featured a couple of players I'd heard of beforehand, most notably Chris Guccione, and a couple that I didn't. I scored the first set of the first match, which began well for the Australian and his partner, but ended in a tiebreaker loss. They recovered to win the second, but lost the third set in a one-sided tiebreaker.

Johnson's serve was a big reason why he and Querrey won the match

The second doubles match featured some better pairings and the tennis was much better too. Doubles specialists Lipsky and Gonzalez matched against a couple of singles players, fellow Californians and friends, that had already been unceremoniously bounced from the singles draw: Sam Querrey and Steve Johnson.

Querrey and Johnson - both have great smiles, don't you think?

It was a fun match to watch from start to finish, and match point was this 138 MPH ace by Querrey, which I uploaded to YouTube for better resolution than what I posted yesterday on Twitter (and subsequently removed).

After the doubles was over, there was about an hour delay until 4 PM when the first men's quarterfinal match between John Isner and Marinko Matosevic was contested. By that time, the sun was in full heat and the players were obviously feeling it.

The Isner "hang dawg" is both expected, and tiresome

The players traded breaks in the first set before it ended in a predictable tiebreak won by Isner, who had to come from behind to win it. The second set began much the same way until Matosevic started to double fault his way to handing Isner the set and the match.

After leading the 1st set tiebreaker, Matosevic's double faults gave the 2nd set/match to Isner

I am looking forward to another great day at the tournament this afternoon, two semi-finals: a doubles match between Querrey-Johnson and Kevin King-Michael Venus followed by Isner vs. Jack Sock (not before 3 PM). Check back tomorrow for more pictures and commentary.

BB&T Atlanta Open 2014 - Tuesday's fun @BBTatlantaopen

2014-07-23T08:35:00.000-04:00

What a day! Started out with some confusion as to when my shift was to begin at the BB&T Atlanta Open at Atlantic Station, but I was able to manage getting there on time for a 2 PM (instead of 4 PM) start with my scorekeeping partner Brian. First up was two Americans, Tim Smyczek vs. Ryan Harrison, both BB&T tournament regulars.

Unfortunately, Harrison had a long and late night Monday in a doubles match victory, and never really got going; Smyczek took the first set at love, and was up 2-0 in the second before Harrison, who had a couple of trainer visits during the match, managed to win a game. After getting broken a second time to fall behind 0-3 in the first, Harrison smashed his racquet before receiving a medical timeout for treatment on his foot (blisters?). Harrison could manage only one more game in the second, falling weakly 0-6, 2-6 in about 53 minutes.

Fortunately the next match was much better: Atlantan and former #15 in the world Robby Ginepri against Ukrainian Sergiy Stakhovsky, who'd upset Roger Federer in the 2nd round of Wimbledon in 2013, ending the Fed's Grand Slam streak of consecutive quarterfinal appearances at 36.

Breaking his opponent early in the set, Stakhovsky looked to be cruising to take the first, leading 5-3 with break and set points again, but that's when Ginepri showed guile and brilliance, hitting a running forehand rocket from one corner to the other to save the first set point against, and a down-the-line forehand to save another. After holding for 4-5, Robby then broke and held for a 6-5 lead before Sergiy could hold to force a tiebreaker, which was won by Ginepri in 48 minutes.

However, Robby came out flat in the second, falling behind 0-5 before losing it 3-6. Now it was his opponent's turn lose his rhythm; Stakhovsky never challenged in the deciding set, losing it at love. I scored the second two sets, which consumed about the same amount of time as the entire Smyczek-Harrison match. The hometown crowd was exuberant, especially after Ginepri's interview with the on-court announcer and, afterwards, signing and hitting more than a handful of tennis balls into the stands.

Last up on the day's docket was a doubles match featuring a couple of players with local ties, albeit on opposite ends of the court. Donald Young with D. Sharan vs. Kevin King with M. Venus (the only right-handed player on the court). I was only able to stay to score the first set, which was won easily by the taller pairing (King and Venus) 6-1 in less than 20 minutes. I understand it got interesting, with Young and partner taking the second before losing 9-11 in the tiebreak decider.

Besides the Ginepri-Stakhovsky battle, the second most exciting part of the day for me was meeting the man behind the tournament's social media feeds. Zach, who is a college junior that plays collegiate tennis in Pennsylvania, posts all the information on the tourney's Facebook page and tweets out on @BBTatlantaopen too. Great meeting you today, and thanks for the follow!

For more pictures of yesterday's events, see my Twitter feed @atltennisblog. Thanks and I'll see you Friday!

BB&T Atlanta Open 2014 - 1st Day of Qualies @BBTatlantaopen

2014-07-20T08:05:00.002-04:00

Yesterday started out very wet and matches were delayed from their original 9 AM start to 10:30, 12:30 and ultimately 1:30 PM because of the weather.

No worries though, everything cleared up quite nicely and several players and their playing partners actually took the court to warm-up and test the conditions on the new stadium court, even while officials prodded various parts of the court (particularly the baseline corners) for moisture.

While waiting for the tennis to begin, I had a chance to catch up with old friends, and meet some new ones. The staff that had been in place for the first two years of this sponsor's event has changed, starting with PA announcer Kevin Payne. His replacement hadn't arrived yet, so Sam Crenshaw from 11 Alive was on hand. I'd met Sam a couple of years ago (documented on these pages) and asked why I hadn't seen MatchPoint on TV this summer. He said that he hoped the show with Jeff Batten would return next summer.

By 1:00 PM, it looked like all would be well for the day, and the tournament gates were opened for the fans to stream in, albeit a trickle of the most dedicated that were actually on hand to witness the opening of this year's tournament. I was soon at my post to score the first set of the first qualifying match on stadium court.

I used my twitter account @atltennisblog to record the action in real-time, in what almost seemed like a contest to post the results before the tournament's tweeter did. See my tweets for even more pictures. Michael Shabaz from the University of Virginia Cavaliers had a rather easy time defeating Georgia Tech's Nathan Rakitt, who continued to attempt to serve and volley despite being passed rather easily by his opponent. The final tally 6-2, 6-1.

Unfortunately it was now 2:45 PM, our replacement scorekeepers were on hand and the rest of my Saturday schedule beckoned, so I had to leave. But I'll be back Tuesday on Twitter and probably Wednesday morning here on Blogger to share my experiences ... until then, enjoy the BB&T Atlanta Open!

BB&T Atlanta Open 2014 @BBTatlantaopen starts tomorrow!

2014-07-18T16:16:00.000-04:00

Long time no post. Very sorry to those that have followed these pages faithfully through the tournament's week each summer. The good news is, I'll be at it again very shortly ...

That's right, starting tomorrow, I'll be the first shift scorekeeper for this year's BB&T Atlanta Open at Atlantic Station, which gives me a tantalizing view of the stadium court's matches.

So tune in here for pictures and updates of the event. I won't be on-site every day, but I will be posting updates on the days (or after the days) that I am.

Thanks so much for your continued support and encouragement to provide these updates!

BB&T Atlanta Open 2013 - pictures and videos from both finals

2013-07-30T11:57:00.003-04:00

Sunday was a beautiful day to conclude this year's BB&T Atlanta Open at Atlantic Station, though not quite as cool as Saturday, a nice (if occasional) breeze could be felt during the latter stages of what turned out to be the longest 3-set match of the year. There were no breaks of serve and John Isner prevailed over Kevin Anderson 6-7 (3), 7-6 (2), 7-6 (2). Here are some pictures and videos (of the end of each set) from the singles and doubles finals on Sunday, July 28:

Anderson serves to Isner up 15-0 in the first game

Anderson launches a second serve at Isner

Anderson prepares to return Isner's serve down the middle

Anderson won the first set over Isner 7-6 (3) - watch the HD video on YouTube here!

Our seats were not bad, right next to the cameraman

Another picture of Anderson preparing to return serve

Isner won the second set 7-6 (2) over Anderson - watch the HD video on YouTube here!

Isner prepares to serve to Anderson (ball at top)

Isner launches a serve at Anderson (ball at top)

As Isner prepares another serve, note his shadow

Isner saved one match point, and then a second, while serving at 5-6 to Anderson in the third. But Isner won in the third set tiebreaker 7-6 (2) to win the Atlanta title on his fourth try (third final). Click on the links in the previous sentence to watch the videos on YouTube.

In doubles final, Colin Fleming prepares to serve

Note his unusual pre-serve technique

But alas, the Brits couldn't win it, as Roger-Vasselin and Sijsling won the first set 7-6, and the second 6-3.

BB&T Atlanta Open 2013 - pictures/video of Thursday, July 25

2013-07-26T07:04:00.000-04:00

It was another beautiful rain-free day at the tennis tournament; Ryan Harrison and James Blake advanced easily in straight sets against unfamiliar opponents while top seeds John Isner and Kevin Anderson struggled to three set victories. My trusty scorekeeping partner and I were in the booth for the first two matches on Stadium Court, before the evening slate which included the former UGA star against Harrison's younger brother Christian. Here are some pictures and video of the day's action:

Harrison leaves the ground to hit a backhand return against Sijsling

Harrison hits a running forehand to set up a miss by his opponent

Sijsling's shot is long, and Harrison wins the point

Harrison shakes hands with his heat wearied opponent

After Harrison won his match 6-4, 6-3, it was James Blake's turn to take the court.

The view was spectacular:

The sponsor's building looms over the Stadium Court

James lets his signature forehand fly

But he wins matches when his backhand is consistent

Blake beat his Russian opponent Donskoy 6-3, 6-2 in plenty of time for the evening's agenda, which included Military Appreciation Night, starting promptly at 7 PM (on schedule for the first time all week). Here was the view over Kennesaw Mountain on my way home last night:

more of God's Glory

BB&T Atlanta Open 2013 - recap of Wednesday, July 24 pix/video

2013-07-25T06:59:00.000-04:00

After a rushed day at work, I got to the tennis tourney to find out that I would be the only one scorekeeping until the evening shift; no problem. However, it did limit my ability to take pictures and video of key moments in each match etc., and I was too worn out to stay for the evening's slate. Still, I did manage to get some good pictures and video of the goings-on while I was there. You be the judge.

Warming up on Stadium Court for his later match was James Blake:

It's pretty obvious that he's not too comfortable at the net:

The first match played on Stadium Court was between Lleyton Hewitt and Rhyne Williams, who had a pretty big serve and a powerful forehand, but lacked the mental strength to close out Hewitt in the first set. It was actually the Australian that earned the first break and served for the set, but later had to come from 2-6 down in the tiebreaker to win it 8-6. The American seemed impatient, hitting every serve and shot as hard as he could trying to get the seventh point, enabling the more experienced player to win the game.

I then thought that Hewitt would roll in the second, but I was wrong as Williams held tough until late in the second, when the Australian duplicated his effort at the end of his match the day prior, breaking his opponent in the 10th game to earn the set (6-4) and the match.

Hewitt shakes Williams hand at the end of their match

To see both Hewitt's set closing fist pumps to wife Bec, see my Twitter account. The next match on Stadium featured two Americans - Blake and Tim Smyczek - that (surprisingly) had never played before:

Blake earned the first break (above) but needed tiebreakers to win the first and third sets (and the match) from his opponent. Today's insider picture features my view of the court (and my workstation, from which 'we' score the matches):

The View from the Top