southern closed seeding usta vs utr

Southern Closed Seeding: USTA vs UTR

Lisa Stone
June 9, 2015

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Yesterday, the player selections and seedings were posted for our upcoming sectional closed tournament (the tournament starts this Saturday). Given that USTA is starting to incorporate Universal Tennis Ratings (UTR) in its selection and seeding process for several events this year, I thought I would take a look to see how things would flesh out when I compared the actual seeds using USTA rankings versus what the seeding would look like using UTR instead.

You may not think this makes much of a difference, but it does. For our sectional closed, the tournament uses “block seeding” which means that seeds get two “byes”. For a tournament with a 160 draw that is played over 6 or 7 days in the summer heat and humidity, getting 2 “byes” is a very big deal – that’s 2 fewer matches that the seeds have to play on their way to the title. It’s very rare for a non-seeded player to break through at this tournament because of that exact factor.

I will leave it to my readers to analyze this data and comment on its meaning and potential impact.

Here’s what I found in the various age groups:

Boys 18s

	Actual USTA Seeds	Seeds Using UTR	UTR
1	1. Stachowiak, Nick	Crawford, Oliver	14.22
2	2. Boyden, Blaine	Stachowiak, Nick	13.8
3	3. Yun, Christopher	Karl, Steven	13.73
4	4. Crawford, Oliver	Boyden, Blaine	13.64
5	5. Karl, Steven	Yun, Christopher	13.49
6	5. Karlawish, John	Pelletier, Beau	13.47
7	5. Lee, Galen	Jemison, Jonathan	13.36
8	5. Sharma, Abhin	Lee, Galen	13.33
9	9. Diaz, Alex	Galush, Matthew	13.21
10	9. Huryn, Aleks	Sharma, Abhin	13.15
11	9. Jemison, Jonathan	Diaz, Alex	13.11
12	9. Jennings, Zach	Richey, Spencer	13.09
13	9. Pelletier, Beau	Stone, Morgan	13.05
14	9. Rettke, Vincent	Huryn, Aleks	13.04
15	9. Richey, Spencer	Kumar, Kavir	12.98
16	9. Showers, Bailey	Bedwan, Amer	12.93
17	17. Akins, Drew	Jennings, Zach	12.93
18	17. Anders, Christopher	Karlawish, John	12.93
19	17. Barr, Kyle	Mendelsohn, Maxwell	12.89
20	17. Bedwan, Amer	Easterling, Chambers	12.69
21	17. Croyder, Trevor	Wayand, Benjamin	12.68
22	17. Easterling, Chambers	Bauer, Zummy	12.65
23	17. Galush, Matthew	Rollhauser, Lorenzo	12.55
24	17. Harrison, Ladd	Lauture, Philip	12.52
25	17. Hendrix, Paul	Dayton, Jeffrey	12.48
26	17. Kumar, Kavir	Rettke, Vincent	12.48
27	17. Rebol, Max	Showers, Bailey	12.44
28	17. Rollhauser, Lorenzo	Militzer, Mark	12.4
29	17. Schupp, Chase	Brown, Spencer	12.36
30	17. Steryous, Alex	Cameron, Scotty	12.36
31	17. Wayand, Benjamin	Croyder, Trevor	12.26
32	17. Wilkins, Christopher	Schupp, Chase	12.24

Girls 18s

	Actual USTA Seeds	Top 32 Using UTR	UTR
1	1. Jones, Makenna	Jones, Makenna	11.32
2	2. Meredith, Marycaroline	Muzik, Katherine	10.71
3	3. Pesavento, Peyton	Bojczuk, Ally	10.69
4	4. Otsuka, Nami	Rice, Tatum	10.66
5	5. Carr, Jacqueline	Pesavento, Tatum	10.52
6	5. Kessler, McCartney	Otsuka, Nami	10.43
7	5. Kurtz, Emma	Carr, Jacqueline	10.42
8	5. Smith, Samantha	Suswam, Sena	10.4
9	9. Armas, Samantha	Kessler, McCartney	10.38
10	9. Bojczuk, Ally	Smith, Samantha	10.33
11	9. Boyden, Susanne	Meredith, Marycaroline	10.22
12	9. Muzik, Katherine	Kurtz, Emma	10.19
13	9. Rice, Tatum	Marsh, Ruth	10.15
14	9. Roberts, Meredith	Boyden, Susanne	9.82
15	9. Sawyer, Chelsea	Zenoni, Suzanne	9.72
16	9. Suswam, Sena	Sawyer, Chelsea	9.7
17	17. Albertson, Ana	Pelletier, Jacqueline	9.67
18	17. Bauers, Danielle	Norman, Elizabeth	9.34
19	17. Darter, Alye	Sullivan, Claire	9.27
20	17. Gilmer, Mallory	Grigorian, Sabina	9.21
21	17. Jennings, Grace	Armas, Samantha	9.2
22	17. McCall, Lauren	McKamey, Allison	9.2
23	17. Mixon, Heather	Archer, Olivia	9.17
24	17. Norman, Elizabeth	Valentine, Morgan	9.16
25	17. Sheldon, Terra	Jennings, Grace	9.11
26	17. Strickland, Jordan	Roberts, Meredith	9.05
27	17. Sullivan, Claire	Williams, Elizabeth	9.02
28	17. Valentine, Morgan	Bogdanovich, Brooke	8.98
29	17. Williams, Elizabeth	Gilmer, Mallory	8.98
30	17. Zenoni, Suzanne	Mixon, Heather	8.98

Boys 16s

	Actual USTA Seeds	Seeds Using UTR	UTR
1	1. Croyder, Blake	Redding, Andrew	12.79
2	2. Pickens, A.Trice	Huynh, Kevin	12.6
3	3. Soufi, Sami	Pratt, Jared	12.48
4	4. Stuckey, Grant	Croyder, Blake	12.44
5	5. Johns, Garrett	Yuan, Jeremy	12.44
6	5. Li, Daniel	Baird, Drew	12.4
7	5. Redding, Andrew	Singerman, Drew	12.38
8	5. Shick, Collin	Stuckey, Grant	12.37
9	9. Baird, Drew	Johns, Garrett	12.24
10	9. Gandolfo, Joseph	Soufi, Sami	12.22
11	9. Grattan-Smith, William	Fischer, Sam	12.19
12	9. Huynh, Kevin	Li, Daniel	12.08
13	9. McCallie, Paul	Shick, Collin	12.07
14	9. Singerman, Drew	Terry, Matthew	12.05
15	9. Stice, Tyler	Huynh, Steven	12.03
16	9. Terry, Matthew	Jurist, Ryan	12.03
17	17. Beasley, Jake	Pickens, A. Trice	12.02
18	17. Branicki, Andrew	McCallie, Paul	11.95
19	17. Duarte, Andrei	Beasley, Jake	11.89
20	17. Fischer, Sam	Sklenka, Patrick	11.88
21	17. Huynh, Steven	Gandolfo, Joseph	11.84
22	17. Johnston, Britton	Harwell, George	11.82
23	17. Jurist, Ryan	Grattan-Smith, William	11.76
24	17. Marshall, Jacob	Jahn, Thomas	11.72
25	17. Maughan, Harvey	Stice, Tyler	11.7
26	17. McKendree, Sean	Duarte, Andrei	11.65
27	17. Pratt, Jared	McKendree, Sean	11.63
28	17. Roegner, Ryan	Roegner, Ryan	11.57
29	17. Sklenka, Patrick	Carter, Princeton	11.55
30	17. Watson, Nicholas	Watson, Nicholas	11.49
31	17. Yuan, Jeremy	Marshall, Jacob	11.48
32	17. Zhang, Kevin	Fujino, Masahiro	11.46

Girls 16s

	Actual USTA Seeds	Top 32 Using UTR	UTR
1	1. Meredith, Madeline	Meredith, Madeline	11
2	2. Song, Lindsay	Beck, Chloe	10.84
3	3. Navarro, Emma	Despain, Ali	10.5
4	4. Alferova, Yekaterina	Zimmermann, Lindsay	10.18
5	5. Beck, Chloe	Stephens, Nicole	10.01
6	5. Gish, Lauren	LaFrance, Katie	9.93
7	5. Henry, Somer	White, Margaret	9.9
8	5. LaFrance, Katie	Navarro, Emma	9.88
9	9. Brown, Ellis	Hrastar, Ava	9.79
10	9. Cyr, Amanda	Song, Lindsay	9.74
11	9. Hamlin, Chloe	Gish, Lauren	9.71
12	9. Kerman, CarolElizabeth	Kerman, CarolElizabeth	9.63
13	9. Mitta, Priyanka	Brown, Ellis	9.5
14	9. Stephens, Nicole	Mitta, Priyanka	9.47
15	9. White, Margaret	Pyritz, Tiffany	9.47
16	9. Zimmermann, Lindsay	Dillon, Madison	9.45
17	17. Carney, Angel	Joch, Lauren	9.44
18	17. Chratian, Erin	Hamlin, Chloe	9.35
19	17. Clayton, Alee	Borders, Eva	9.34
20	17. Despain, Ali	Holmes, Lilly	9.33
21	17. Dewald, Katie	Haynes, Adrienne	9.32
22	17. Dillon, Madison	Cyr, Amanda	9.29
23	17. Harmon, Anna	Truluck, Elizabeth	9.28
24	17. Haynes, Adrienne	Markel, Abigail	9.21
25	17. Holmes, Lilly	Henry, Somer	9.2
26	17. Hrastar, Ava	Alferova, Yekaterina	9.14
27	17. Joch, Lauren	Cormier, Alyse	8.88
28	17. Lee, Peyton	Lee, Peyton	8.88
29	17. Pyritz, Tiffany	Sherman, Katharine	8.85
30	17. Rice, Thea	Clayton, Alee	8.84
31	17. Roper, Hunter	Flesch, Sydney	8.83
32	17. Thibault, Maria	Thibault, Maria	8.83

Boys 14s

	Actual USTA Seeds	Seeds Using UTR	UTR
1	1. Chopra, Keshav	Jordan, Phillip	12.02
2	2. WANG, JERRY	Barnett, Wesley	11.77
3	3. Sculley, Scott	Chopra, Keshav	11.57
4	4. Jordan, Phillip	Wang, Jerry	11.36
5	5. Babineaux, Griffin	Halpin, Matthew	11.27
6	5. Barnett, Wesley	Smith, Zachary	11.26
7	5. martin, andres	Allen, Huntley	11.25
8	5. Raab, Joshua	Martin, Andres	11.04
9	9. Allen, Huntley	Raab, Joshua	10.99
10	9. Huey, Eric	Simpson, Valewis	10.99
11	9. Koch, Benjamin	Waldman, Justin	10.88
12	9. Krishnan, Suhas	Mavrodiev, Georgi	10.87
13	9. Tracy, JJ	Babineaux, Griffin	10.84
14	9. Trudell, Daniel	Davis, Jackson	10.77
15	9. Waldman, Justin	Sculley, Scott	10.77
16	9. Wylly, Jack	Rogers, Foster	10.75
17	17. Chou, Brandon	Trudell, Daniel	10.72
18	17. Davis, Jackson	Huey, Eric	10.71
19	17. Gwynn, Michael	Krishnan, Suhas	10.71
20	17. Halpin, Matthew	Hotard, Welsh	10.65
21	17. Hotard, Welsh	Wylly, Jack	10.65
22	17. Mavrodiev, Georgi	Montroy, Thomas	10.62
23	17. Montroy, Thomas	Parker, Chase	10.59
24	17. Parker, Chase	Ramesh, Vivek	10.55
25	17. Pitts, Timothy	Chou, Brandon	10.49
26	17. Posey, Masaki	Evans, Banks	10.45
27	17. Ramesh, Vivek	Wilson, Reilly	10.44
28	17. Reid, JonBrann	Govindarajan, Anuraag	10.28
29	17. Rogers, Foster	Reid, JonBrann	10.22
30	17. Simpson, Valewis	Koch, Benjamin	10.21
31	17. Smith, Zachary	Broadstreet, Andrew	10.12
32	17. Wilson, Reilly	Pitts, Timothy	10.05

Girls 14s

	Actual USTA Seeds	Top 32 Using UTR	UTR
1	1. Cubitt, Maggie	Thompson, Jenna	10.02
2	2. Hiser, AnneMarie	Verizova, Elizabet	9.56
3	3. Mills, Elise	McClure, Sara	9.52
4	4. Verizova, Elizabet	Hernandez, Sayda	9.48
5	5. Briggs, Carly	Alston, Robin	9.41
6	5. Collins, Kylie	Polk, Margaret	9.41
7	5. Durham, Avery	Collins, Kylie	9.37
8	5. Thompson, Jenna	Hiser, AnneMarie	9.36
9	9. Huth, Winslow	Mills, Makayla	9.36
10	9. LaBiche, Lily	Cubitt, Maggie	9.34
11	9. Maheshwari, Sonia	Maheshwari, Sonia	9.17
12	9. McClure, Sara	Nirundorn, Mai	9.16
13	9. McKee, Maddie	Schneider, Lara	9.13
14	9. Mills, Makayla	White, Morgan	9.09
15	9. Nirundorn, Mai	Imhof, Ella	9.08
16	9. Polk, Margaret	Weber, Katie	9.07
17	17. Adams, Ann Maria	Tanik, Sibel	9
18	17. Alston, Robin	James, Junmoke	8.99
19	17. ansari, carolyn	Durham, Avery	8.98
20	17. Carter, Kennedi	Tanguilig, Carson	8.94
21	17. Courville, Mary	Briggs, Carly	8.9
22	17. Despriet, Taylor	Ansari, Carolyn	8.88
23	17. Duncan, Paige	Rebol, Cassidy	8.86
24	17. Gray, Kate	Gray, Kate	8.78
25	17. Hemmings, Gracie	Lyman, Katherine	8.74
26	17. James, Junmoke	Carter, Kennedi	8.67
27	17. Mitchell, Anna	Bashir, Fatimah	8.48
28	17. Rebol, Cassidy	Grosmann, Miriam	8.48
29	17. Schneider, Lara	Hemmings, Grace	8.48
30	17. Sinha, Sneha	Mills, Elise	8.48
31	17. Tanguilig, Carson	Duncan, Paige	8.41
32	17. Weber, Katie	Labishe, Lily	8.38

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