I just wrote about what appeared to be a potential unflighted round-robin issue at Florida Sectionals, but a reader on Facebook said a team dropped out late causing the change from two flights to unflighted seven teams and there is a final planned. I guess it just doesn't show up on TennisLink yet so the fears may be unfounded.
I did think it would be interesting to visually see the schedule, so here it is.
If indeed there is a final, it could be the nice resolution to two undefeated teams, but it is perhaps more likely that it will be a rematch of a round-robin match. That is the possibility with this format and one can argue it is good or bad.
On the good side, it means a team with a tough schedule that loses early can still have a chance to advance. This keeps some drama and excitement, and perhaps keeps the teams more engaged through the end of the event.
On the bad side, it means a team could have to beat the same opponent twice to win the event. If there are two top teams and they play in round-robin, pulling out the stops to win that match may just mean you get to play them again in the semis or final. That can lead to the round-robin match perhaps being meaningless, especially if it is the last one and the teams know already they will both advance.
In general, I think unflighted round-robin is better than the most alternatives, as long as it is implemented correctly. Hopefully there is a final for the 4.5 men this weekend.
No comments:
Post a Comment