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Tennis betting rules:

In Tennis betting: what happens when a player withdraws from the game, or the match is cancelled due to rain, etc?

The Expert Stuckey tries to answer some of these common tennis betting questions, such as what happens when a player withdraws from the game, or if the match is postponed due to bad weather conditions and other related questions.

Tennis betting rules can change from one guidebook (Sportsbook) to another, so be careful if you come across a situation like this and be sure to check your own book.

One of the common questions that fans ask more often is what happens to their tennis bet after a player retires from the match. What happens if they delay the matches for several consecutive days due to rain?

Those are interesting questions, but it is extremely difficult to find suitable answers for them because betting in tennis totally differs from other sports disciplines which have standard rules that are instructed in every guidebook.

As a result, the answer is always “It depends on the situation. Check it out on the guidebook(s)! ”

Let’s start with what happens with a Moneyline bet under different circumstances.

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Walkovers (Withdrawal)

It occurs when a player advances to the next stage as a result of his opponent’s withdrawal before the game starts.

And since the game has not started at all, all bets would be void. This is a worldwide general rule.

What if a Player Retires from the match?

This occurs when a player advances to the next stage after his opponent has withdrawn during the match. This would happen mostly due to the injuries that could occur during the game. We saw this at the 2019 French Open when Benoît Paire advanced after Pablo Carreño Busta who withdrew in sets 2-1.

It can also happen when players aren’t fit, like when they can’t support the Wimbledon and the U.S Open’s heat, but they appear in the tournament to receive the pay checks.

The rules of Moneyline betting

The rules in Moneyline betting become more difficult in Walkovers cases since different books will have different rules. The four most probable possibilities include:

1.   First Ball – All Moneyline bets are action after the first ball is played. Therefore, if you bet on a player who quit during the first game, you will lose your bet as per Moneyline betting rules.
2.   One Set – There are some books that state that a set of runs need to happen so that it would be possible for the Moneyline rules to work. In other words, players have to complete this set in order to meet the conditions necessary for the bet to be applied.
3.   Two Sets – Same rules as above but with two full sets completed.
4.       Full Match – In this case, the match must be completed for Moneyline rules to be applied.

Also, you need to remember that books will usually grade the player who has not quit the match and who has been announced by the judge committee (umpire).

Therefore, you can lose a bet at the expense of a player who withdraws despite leading on the scoreboard.

Advice:

If you think a player will not make it to the end of the match due to fatigue and/or injury reasons and you have several books to bet at, then you should obviously choose the one with the least restrictive Moneyline requirements.

If you’re trying to bet fast and play on both sides to gain some profit in an arbitrage opportunity at different books, make sure they have the same rules! You don’t want to end up losing one side and pushing the other in the case of a withdrawal.

Lastly, there may be different rules for when a player (most likely Nick Kyrgios) is disqualified rather than quitting. Best to check out your book!

Weather changes and matches delays

If rain (or darkness) causes your bet to be delayed (or terminated) to the next day, your bet will generally still be valid. Tennis is not the same as baseball, where you would have to re-place your bet if the same pitchers met the next day.

Some books will have 48-hour or 1-week rules, which means that a match must be completed in that time period from the scheduled start in order for it to be considered action.

The weather may also cause a change of location. Rain may cause players to move to a different stadium that has a roof. Or they may delay the match temporarily to close the stadium’s roof if it has one. This may change the circumstances and may be in the interest of one of the players, but the bet will generally remain still.

Spread Betting

If you are betting the spread (either games or sets), almost all books will require the match to be finished. Let’s say you bet Eugenie Bouchard +1.5 against Angelique Kerber.

If Bouchard is leading 6-3, 5-0, you can’t possibly lose the bet. However, if Kerber then decides to withdraw, the bet will likely be refunded to you. Incidentally, this actual scenario happened two years ago.

Over/Unders bet

Like most sports, betting on the full match is an Over/Under will generally be invalidated unless the match is played to completion. However, there are exceptions if the “Over” has already been spent.

For example, if you’re betting on a match to go over 21 total games and a player withdraws at 7-6, 5-4 – some books may grade totals for that match as an action since the outcome has already been decided. This would never happen in baseball, but again, check your specific book’s rules as variations may occur.

Also, if you bet Over/Under on the first set, that bet should stand as long as the players finish the first set.

Live Betting

Usually live betting (Moneyline, Totals, etc.) requires a match to be completed. That is unless you bet a player in the live match market to win a specific set or game. As long as they complete that specific set or game, the bet should stand.

What is the future of betting in tennis?

If you are betting a tennis future bet and your player withdraws from the tournament, you will generally be out of luck.

Even if they withdraw from the tournament before any point is played at all.

Although I – Expert Stuckey – would have loved to have my money back in the 2019 French Open Future, but those are the breaks.

Many of Kiki Bertens’s bettors -who withdrew due to illness- are glad for their money back at the 2019 French Open.

Although it is possible that some books will refund your future if the player does not play a ball.

You already know exactly what I’m going to say …

Always check your rules!

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