Another Question from a Newbie

[John Weber]

Thanks for the quick response to my question about Best 18 stats. Now here's one about what appears to me to be inconsistent treatment of seeded players who lose second round matches in tournaments after receiving first round byes. As far as I can tell, the only places at all levels of men's pro tennis where ATP pts are at stake where there are byes are in 48, 56 and 96 draw ATP tour events, and then at the lowest levels, in the so-called 24-draw "Masters" events that wrap up each Satellite circuit. (All the challenger and future events have 32, at least in the main draw.) At the ATP tour level, second round losers with first round byes are treated the same as first round losers, they get 5 ATP entry points and one race point. But looking at the same situation at the satellite level, it looks like the second round losers with the byes get the same number of circuit points as all the other second round losers. I know the satellite events are under the auspices of the ITF, not the ATP, but the ATP seems to recognize this points system and in some cases the additional 4 circuit points could be worth as many as an additional 2-3 ATP points, perhaps, depending on how many circuit points the player had piled up in the preceding weeks. Subject to correction if I have misstated anything here but, if not, I have two questions:

1 -- Has anyone noticed this anomaly before ?

and

2 -- Anyone have any idea of the rationale for it?

thanks, I will await the response from the "experts" on this Board.

[R. Jayakrishnan]

Ah, that is not a bad question at all! .. It's one of those things that drove me crazy once upon a time, till I rationalized it my own way and accepted it.

Yes, it would sound unfair to give 4 extra circuit points to somebody who did not win a round in the final leg. I think it is basically being given as bonus points for finishing in the top-8 from the first three satellite legs. That is, if you are among the seeds after three legs, you are assured of 5 extra points. Just like the extra ATP point bonus you get at the end of 4 legs for finishing as #1 or #2 .... I guess I can buy that argument.

Now, if somebody can tell me who came up with that fantastic conversion table for circuit points to ATP points in a satellite! ... The damn thing works and normally pulls out the best two three guys who deserved the points they got. Nobody really knows how/why it works, I think!

Jay