Senior Interclub

Senior members have the option to play in the Tennis Canterbury Senior Interclub league. Matches are held on Saturday and Sunday mornings at clubs around Christchurch offering mens, ladies and mixed divisions.

Team Selection

On the first day of the Senior season a list is displayed on the noticeboard which indicates the teams the Shirley Tennis Club is eligible to enter in Canterbury Tennis Interclub Competition for the coming season. Players can enter their names in a maximum of two teams, but should indicate their preference beside the two options therefore assisting the Match Committee in placing players if there are more players vying for the available places. In the case of doubles only grades, players can enter their name with their chosen mixed doubles partner or simply write partner required in the appropriate panel.

All interested players are asked to list their name in the panel relative to the Team(s) of their choice by the appropriate closing date for entries. At the closing date for entries, no further names can be added. However the Match Committee reserves the right to allow names of any new member (who may have arrived after the closing date for names) to be placed on the sheet and for that person to also be allowed to lodge ladder challenges. 

In the period between the closing date for entries, and the entering of teams by the Match Committee, players competing for teams are to play challenge matches to determine the final team composition. 

Challenges will follow the rules for ladder challenges described in the "Ladder" section of this handbook. 

Important 

Juniors (under 19) are permitted to play in Senior interclub teams. If the junior is under 14 as at 31 December, he/she is also required to play a junior grade to be eligible for Senior interclub.

In grades that have no singles play, a mixed doubles ranking of each pairing will be used to determine team composition. This system will operate as follows - 

(a) The Match Committee will establish a ranking list of mixed doubles pairings entered as at closing date for entries. This ranking list will also pair up players who had "partner required" on the entry sheet. 

(b) Until teams are entered with Canterbury Tennis, pairings can challenge one another to determine a final ranking list which will be used to determine composition of these doubles only grades. 

(c) Rules (1)-(10) under Ladder rules also apply for these challenges. 

In the advent of any player not being able to be placed in the team they stated as their first preference, that player will be automatically dropped into the team chosen as their second preference if their playing ability is sufficient to justify such placement. 

If any player has no second preference, and does not make his/her first preference team, the Match Committee reserves the right to place that player in the most suitable team. The Match Committee will attempt to identify the potential for such an occurrence, and inform all affected players, as early as possible. 

The final decision on the composition of teams will be made by the Match Committee. Teams will be announced at a specially convened meeting of all interclub players. 

It should be noted that once the Club teams are nominated, no subsequent challenges would affect the Team composition. In all grades the playing order is determined by Tennis NZ Configure rankings. 

In the advent of a team member withdrawing from a team during the season, a replacement will be determined at the discretion of the Match Committee. Feel free to contact a member of the Match Committee if you have any questions on team selection.    

Ladder

On Opening Day, a list will be on display showing the Match Hub Ranking as at that date which essential is the Club Ladder based on performances of each player in competition historically. This will a starting point to determine the composition of interclub teams for the 2021-22 season, but challenges for positions in teams can still be played under the following guidelines -

  1. All matches shall consist of two 12-point tiebreaker sets, the tiebreaker to operate at 6 all, and should the match go to one set all, a further 12 point tie-breaker game shall be played to decide the match. 
  2. All ladder matches should be written up on the noticeboard by the challenger. If the challenger cannot get into the Clubhouse to write up the challenge, he/she must contact a member of the Match Committee who will record the challenge. Please note that writing up a ladder challenge does not mean a challenge has been placed. The challenger must contact the person challenged within 24 hours for the challenge to become officially lodged.
  3. On completion of the match, the result should be entered on the Noticeboard by the winning player. If the match is played on any other day than Saturday (i.e. organised Club day), the result must be notified to a member of the Match Committee who will record the result. The Match Committee will attempt to have the Noticeboard, which will be visible from outside the Clubhouse, updated and ladder movements altered on a regular basis. 
  4. All ladder matches must be played within 7 days of the official lodgement date as per (2) above, but the person challenged is only obliged to play one challenge match in any one 7 day period. More than one challenge per 7 day period can be played provided the person challenged consents to this. All ladder challenges are to be played on Club courts or on other courts by mutual agreement. If a suitable date cannot be arranged to the satisfaction of both players, the Match Committee should be informed immediately. Please note that if a challenge is lodged with less than 7 days remaining until the final date advertised for playing of challenges, the person challenged is encouraged to accept the challenge but is under no obligation to do so. 
  5. Challenges must be played in order lodged. 
  6. A player is only obliged to accept a maximum of two challenges at any one time. As soon as one challenge is played, that player must accept a further challenge if lodged. 
  7. No player can refuse a challenge except if he/she has already accepted two challenges (as per (6)). 
  8. A player challenged cannot be re-challenged by the same person until 14 days have elapsed since the previous challenge. 
  9. The challenger must supply a pair of Wilson balls for the match. These balls should be brand new, however the challenger may supply used balls, which can only be used if the person challenged accepts them before the start of the match. Under no circumstances are Club balls to be used for these challenges. 
  10. If a player defaults a ladder challenge, his or her position on the ladder drops to the position immediately below that of the challenger, consequently all players between the challenged and challenger will move up one place.

In the event of any dispute, the matter should be referred to the Match Committee as soon as possible and the decision of that Committee shall be final. 

Please contact a member of the Match Committee if you have any questions on the operation of the ladder.