ATLANTA, Ga. – Match Tennis App® is helping keep tennis tournaments alive throughout the United States through the creation of its Virtual Tournament Desk® (VTD) technology.
Match Tennis App is the provider of the leading tennis player tournament management application being used by tennis organizations throughout the country. Three of the largest USTA Sections have mandated tournaments to use the app. The new technology integrates with the USTA’s existing tournament management system to provide more effective social distancing protocols.
The goal was simple: Develop a technology solution that would facilitate a safer COVID-19 environment for tennis venues nationwide so that the sport of tennis could once again host competitions for tennis players, especially those hoping for college scholarships.
CEO and former WTA world-ranked No. 33 player Lindsay Lee-Waters founded Match Tennis App with her husband Heath Waters and his brother Matt Waters. As the parents of a nationally top-ranked 14-and-under junior, the Waters have been on the front lines of the junior tennis tournament scene, and desire to enhance the quality of experience for players, parents, and tournament staff through innovative digital experiences.
“Running a tennis tournament technology company, we felt not only a responsibility, but rather a duty to take expedient action to help get the sport we love back going again. Playing and attending tennis tournaments for the last 30 years, I knew first-hand tournament desks were the primary bottlenecks where social gathering occurred at tennis event,” Lee-Waters said.
Lee-Waters highlighted some of the benefits of using Virtual Tournament Desk technology:
- Enables players to access match times and submit scores from the safety of their cars.
- Announces important tournament information and updates.
- Eliminates waiting in long lines at tournament desks.
- Allows juniors to continue being recruited and pursue their dreams of college scholarships.
- Reduces the workload of tournament staff and keeps their social distance from players.
Match Tennis App approached the various USTA Sections and presented the enhanced feature set in April as a technology solution to facilitate tennis tournaments resuming nationwide. The USTA Sections were very receptive and have made the app an integral part of many of the USTA Sections COVID-19 resumption and planning protocols.
Trevor Kronemann, Director of Junior Tennis, USTA Southern California, said, “Match Tennis App’s Virtual Tournament Desk has offered us another avenue to make sure we are running our tournaments and programming in the safest way possible for our players and parents. The immediate success is noticeable in many ways. Match Tennis App is a responsible and simplistic way to move junior tennis forward into the future.”
Upwards of 50 tournaments each week are currently using the Match Tennis App’s VTD technology. Tournament players enjoy the convenience of being able to check-in for their tournament and tennis matches just like they do for airlines and reservation systems offered at restaurants. Similar to a TV production team, tournament directors appreciate being able to run entire tournaments through Match Tennis App’s Virtual Tournament Desk from behind closed doors, allowing tournament staff to remain safe while keeping the tournament moving along and on schedule.
USTA Georgia’s Director of Competition Eva Marie McCravy added, “I appreciate the time and energy the Match Tennis App team has put into this product in order to keep our players safe. Players go straight to their assigned courts to play and then, once the match is completed, enter their scores on the app as they walk back to their cars.”
“Tennis tournaments are integral for the development of a young player’s character and tennis game,” Lee-Waters said. “Tournaments are also where college coaches recruit players. So many kids across the country have worked so hard and have dreams of playing college tennis. The COVID-19 shutdown was crushing those dreams and we were compelled to act. Our VTD simultaneously helps venues stay safe while providing parents the confidence that their children are also being protected.”
“VTD is getting the job done across the entire country, from New York to California,” Heath Waters stated. “We have been going strong since June now and to date not a single report of any person has contracted COVID-19 at a tennis tournament using VTD.”
About Match Tennis App
Match Tennis App is changing the world of tennis through innovative digital experiences. Match Tennis App was founded in 2017 by a tennis family. CEO Lindsay Lee-Waters, former No. 33 in WTA rankings. Her husband, Heath, a long time registered ATP/WTA Tour Coach. Heath’s brother, Matt, is the CTO who built the app with his development team after working on recruiting software used by NCAA football teams. For more information, visit https://matchtennisapp.com, call Heath Waters at 209-878-7483 or email him at hwaters@matchtennisapp.com
